One Pot – Leek and Mushroom Risotto (VG)

Slowly cooked risotto is deliciously creamy and comforting especially on a crisp cold day in January. After the costly pinch of Christmas its great to have a few dishes that are easy on the pocket yet packed of flavour.

This is a plant based version, made with plant based butter and cheese.

Sweet Irish leeks are one of my favourite vegetables and they are the perfect partner to vitamin D rich Irish mushrooms in this one pot meal.

Gradually adding hot stock to the rice will create a perfect bowl of risotto. It’s always worth the effort.

Let us know if you try it we love to hear from you.

Lou x

Ingredients: serves 4

  • 1 punnet, 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
  • 1 medium leek, cleaned and finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • 250g arborio risotto rice
  • 1 litre of hot vegetable stock (substitute 100ml stock for dry white wine if you wish)
  • juice 1/2 a lemon
  • A big knob of butter (30g), use dairy or non dairy
  • 1 tbsp. Nutritional yeast
  • Salt, pepper and olive oil
  • grated firm cheese to finish, use dairy or non dairy
  • optional topping: a handful of chopped fresh parsley

Method:

Method:
Step 1: Heat 1 litre of stock in a pan and bring to a boil.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in another pan, sautè the diced onion for 5 minutes in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then add in the diced leeks and cook to soften. Next add the grated garlic and mushrooms cook for a further 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Step 3: Stir through the rice. (If you want to add white wine add it now) Pour in a ladle of stock, stir gently and once all the liquid has been absorbed, pour in another ladle and repeat until the rice is al dente, or cooked to your liking. Continue stirring the rice so the starch is released and it becomes creamy.

Step 4: Stir through the nutritional yeast, butter, grate in some firm cheese and finish with lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with fresh chopped parsley, black cracked pepper and a good extra virgin olive oil.


Top 5 Savoury Recipes of 2023

Its hard to choose just 5 savoury recipes from all that we cooked and shared in 2023. Cooking with organic vegetables always makes the most delicious meal and just knowing they they were treated with care adds to the overall enjoyment.

The star vegetables here are courgette, butternut squash, beetroot, celeriac and delicious Irish potatoes.

We hope you try them out in 2024.

Lou 🙂

Tap on the dish below and it will take you to the full recipe.

  1. Courgette orzo – one pot 

2. Roast Squash Soup

3. Spicy beetroot Crepe

4. Lentil Pie w/ celeriac mash

5. Smashed potatoes 

Top 5 Sweet Recipes of 2023

We are spoiled for choice with all the gorgeous produce and products from the farm and our fantastic organic suppliers. We added lots of amazing Irish vegetables to our sweet bakes this year, beetroot, carrots, courgettes, butternut squash and heaps of fruit too strawberries, blueberries, blood oranges and apples to name a few.

Here are 5 of our favourite recipes. We hope you give them a try.

Lou 🙂

Tap the recipes below to take you to the full recipe:

2 ingredient mousse 

Plum crumble cake 

Peanut butter cups 

Puff pastry apple turnovers 

Homemade Twix Bar

Incredible Nut Roast – Parsnip, Mushroom & Blue Cheese

This is a wonderful nut roast bursting with flavour. This is a recipe I came across in the Guardian newspaper many years ago and I’ve made it many times since. It’s a great one to make ahead of the big day. After cooking it will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Cut slices when its cold fry on a frying pan to sear and then heat through in the oven.

Someone recently said a nut roast is like a posh stuffing and I guess it really is. This one is a celebration of some of the gorgeous organic vegetables available at this time of year, cabbage, mushrooms and earthy parsnips with kicks of sweet and sour cranberry and salty Cashel blue from Co. Tipperary.

We really hope you try it.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Oil, to grease
  • 1 savoy cabbage, 6-8 outer leaves only
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
  • 150g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 40g butter, reg or vegan
  • 40g dried cranberries
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • 1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked and finely chopped
  • 100g Cashel Blue Organic Bio (or vegan-friendly cheese of your choice), optional
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 egg, or 1 flax egg (to make 1 flax egg mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water, leave for 15 minutes then use like an egg)

Method:

Step 1: Boil or steam the parsnips and mash them when they are soft, set aside to cool.

Step 2: The cabbage leaves will line the loaf tin. Prepare the leaves by cutting off the stems and blanch them in boiling water, remove from the pot and run under cold water. Dry thoroughly. Oil a loaf tin, line with tin foil, oil the foil, then line the tin with the cabbage leaves, leaving no gaps.

Step 3: Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the butter until soft, then add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until they become dry. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs, chopped sage and mixed spice. Stir in the cooled mashed parsnips, the beaten egg and break in the blue cheese if using. Season and then carefully fold the mixture together but keep the lumps of cheese intact. To check the seasoning fry off a small piece and taste, adjust if needed.

Step 4: Spoon the filling into the lined loaf tin, push down with a fork. Cover with the cabbage leaves, and finish with tin foil.

Step 5: Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. leave to set in the loaf tin for 20 minutes then slice. Or cool completely in the loaf tin, store in the fridge overnight and slice the next day. If serving the next day fry on a pan and warm through in a hot oven. Serve with Christmas veg and gravy.

Christmas Crumble w/ Apple & Cranberry

It’s so lovely to combine Christmas flavours at this time of year. Cranberries are delicious served with savoury food but equally delicious bakes in a sweet pudding. The tart crimson fruit works really well with our delicious sweet organic Irish apples.

This crumble can be made and stored for 3 days in the fridge ready to bake on the big day. It also makes a gorgeous dish to take to a festive dinner party.

Enjoy the festive flavours,

Lou x

Ingredients: serves 6

For the crumble

  • 100g plain flour
  • 40g rolled oats
  • 40g sugar
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 100g butter, cut into cubes (vegan butter will work too)

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 190ºC and use a square or round deep dish 22cm approx.

Step 2: Pour the peeled and chopped apples into the dish along with the fresh cranberries, mixed spice, cinnamon and sugar, mix with a wooden spoon.

Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl measure in the plain flour, oats, sugar and mixed spice, stir to combine. Add the cubed butter and work into the dry ingredients with your fingers. When it looks coarse and crumbly its ready.

Step 4: Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple mix. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Serve with ice cream, custard or fresh cream

You really need to read this one…

GMOs in our food, no thanks. 

“Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should”.

We all have a right to know how our food is grown, what is in and on it, and more fundamentally whether the genetics of the plants and food we are eating have been messed with in a lab.

The idea of modifying food for the betterment of society is a good one and in principle it seems straight forward.  But the promised results from genetically modified crops have not been realised, such as crops resistant to drought or pests.

The long-term impact of eating genetically modified plants is not well understood, nor is the impact on the environment. But setting that aside, it is the greed and the desire to patent and control our food system that tells us all we need to know to make the right decision when it comes to GMOs. In my view the right decision is to keep genetically modified crops out of our food system.

It is clear that the driving force for genetically modifying our food is driven by the desire of a handful of giant agri-corporations to control our food chain.  Manipulation of the genetic makeup of crops allows these corporation to patent “their” crops and hence own a piece of our food system whilst making billions of dollars in the process. (as has already happened around the world with “Roundup Ready Soya”)

To think that we can replicate the careful complex modification of plants, through thousands of years of evolution by nature, in a lab, in the space of months, by splicing pieces of foreign DNA or modifying the plants own DNA is ambitious and/or insanely arrogant.

Apart from conferring increased resistance to a toxic weedkiller, the promised benefits have not yet been demonstrated and there are large safety concerns about releasing untested genetically modified crops into nature.

The release of these plants into nature then becomes an uncontrolled experiment and one that may be difficult to roll back if the outcome is not as we would like.

Up to this point genetic engineering has in the main, been used to confer herbicide resistance to a few key commodity crops, hence allowing larger amounts of Roundup to be applied, adding to the toxic load in our food and on our planet.

There is no argument that can justify owning the rights to our food system, end of story.

There are currently strict EU rules on the authorisation and labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They allow farmers, food producers and consumers to choose and to opt for GMO-free food.

However, the European Commission wants to scrap this legislation and allow a new generation of GMOs, to enter our food system, without any labelling or safety checks. Essentially, they will be treating these “New genomic technique” modified crops the same as conventional crops.

I for one like to know what is in and on my food, I like to know its origin and I want to know that the food I am eating has not been genetically modified, if you are of a similar opinion then please sign this petition to help the EU politicians to take the right decision in this case and continue the ban of GMOs in our foodchain.

Thank you for supporting a sustainable food system.

Kenneth

PS It’s been a busy week, and we are ramping up for a manic packing and delivery week, next week. Thank you to all who have placed an order, and if you still have not there is plenty of time.

Please get your orders in over the weekend, but you will have up to your normal delivery deadline to get you orders in, if you are unsure of when that is you can click here to find out.

ALL DELIVERY DAYS AND DEADLINES REMAIN THE SAME FOR THE WEEK AHEAD! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, IT KEEPS US IN OUR JOBS AND KEEPS OUR FARM AND OTHER IRISH ORGANIC FARM’S FUTURE SAFE.

PLACE YOUR CHRISTMAS ORDER NOW FOR DELIVERY NEXT WEEK

MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS MEAL A SEASONAL LOCAL ORGANIC ONE! 

Christmas recipe roundup

It’s almost Christmas, so let’s get all the lovely christmassy recipes into one place! Here’s some inspiration for a meat free christmas dinner and so much more.

Vegan- Balsamic & Maple Roast Brussel Sprouts

How do you eat yours? This might be the tastiest sprout dish I’ve ever had! The combination of flavours is just perfect, in fact I could eat a whole bowl..and I never liked sprouts as a child! This is delicious as a solo dish or serve with your Christmas main or as a starter with crumbled feta cheese and sourdough.

We have the nicest Irish brussel sprouts for you this Christmas, make sure to try them this way you wont be disappointed.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack Brussel sprouts -350g
  • oil to drizzle
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Step 2: Prepare the sprouts, cut off the end and take away the outer leaves. Then cut in half.
  • Step 3: Put the brussel sprout halves on the tray, drizzle with oil and salt and give them a rub with your hands to coat.
  • Step 4: Roast for 10-15 minutes. Then add chopped walnuts, the balsamic, maple syrup, stir to coat and put the tray back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
  • Step 5: Add the dried cranberries and serve warm.

Vegan Wellington – Christmas Centrepiece

Every Christmas dinner needs a centrepiece and this is a delicious one. Organic butternut squash with mushrooms, herbs and nuts tastes delicious wrapped in crispy puff pastry with all the usual side vegetables.

You can make this ahead of time and keep it wrapped on a tray in the fridge for 3 days. If you fancy making your own gravy check out our recipe Groovy Gravy.

Save the recipe to try this Christmas.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients

  • 2 pack of ready rolled puff pastry – most are vegan (375g per pack)
  • 1 butternut squash – 500g approx, peeled and diced
  • 1 pack chestnut mushrooms, 250g, diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 small leek , cleaned and finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 cup chopped nuts – walnuts/hazelnuts/almonds/cashews/pecans
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 80g breadcrumbs

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC, line 2 trays with parchment paper. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Put the diced squash on one tray, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper and roast until soft, 30-40 minutes.

Step 2: Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and the chopped onion, cook to soften for 5-10 minutes. Next add the garlic, leeks, some salt and pepper cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them fully for 15 minutes. Once cooked add in the sage, parsley, chopped nuts, soy sauce, maple syrup, stir to coat.

Step 3: When the squash is cooked add it to the pot with the cooked mushroom and mash with a fork or potato masher. Pour in the breadcrumbs and stir well. Set aside to cool.

Step 4: Unroll both packets of pastry lay one on the second baking tray. Spoon the squash and mushroom filling into the middle of the pastry and make a long sausage shape mound. Mould it with your hands so its compact. Lay the second piece of pastry on top. Cut away the extra pastry (use it for something else) seal the edges with a fork, score a diamond shape on the top. Brush with milk or egg-wash.

Step 5: Bake in the oven 180ºC for 1 hour 20, until golden brown and cooked through.

Simone’s Spiced Apple Loaf

This recipe was handed down through my family, from my great-grandmother to my mother and when I moved to Ireland from Germany, I brought it with me – every year in the weeks before Christmas, this is one of my favourite things to bake. It just so happens to be vegan, too! A gently spiced, moist, sumptuous treat that’s amazing with a bit of (vegan) butter and a cup of tea.

Ingredients

  • 500g peeled and grated apple
  • 200g sugar
  • 125g raisins
  • 6 dried apricots, chopped
  • 70g almonds, chopped
  • 1 heaped tsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • a pinch of salt
  • 40ml rum (or fruit juice)
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Method

  1. Mix the apple and sugar in a large mixing bowl and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight or for an hour or so at room temperature.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 175C. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the apple and sugar mixture (which should now be very wet) and mix to evenly combine the ingredients into a thick, spoonable batter.
  4. Spread the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or so until it is risen and set. It should still be moist but when you insert a skewer it should come out mostly dry with a few damp crumbs.
  5. Allow the cake to cool in the tin then remove and slice it thickly. This cake stays fresh for a week in the fridge if tightly wrapped.