Organic Product Review - Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend

I like a strong flavored coffee and have been stocking two that I am particularly fond of in my hampers for the last few years. Recently one of them has been discontinued and I was keen to find a replacement. 

I discovered this product at 'The Organic Supermarket' and was immediately delighted to find an Irish roasted and blended organic coffee. I was even more delighted by the lovely aroma which wafted tantalisingly from the bag. I took it home and at the first available opportunity brewed myself a cup, the taste lived up to the smell, a lovely rich flavor, smooth and very drinkable. There was a hint of bitterness but it wasn't overwhelming. 

Ariosa boast that they bring their coffee to their customers within a week of roasting and this would somewhat account for the wonderful flavor, I don't drink a lot of coffee however and the bag has been sitting open in my fridge for the last two weeks and it still tastes great.

So It's a big thumbs up for Ariosa Coffee. It is available to buy either ground or as beans from 'The Organic Supermarket' in Blackrock and direct from Ariosa at the Temple Bar Market. Very soon it will also be available in my hampers and at my stall at the Naas Farmers Market.

Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend is certified organic by The Organic Trust.

Recipe: Beetroot Hummus

Over the last couple of years I have acquired a taste for beetroot and when I see the fresh bunches arrive at the farmers market I am always delighted to pick them up. If you have only tasted the pickled kind I would encourage you to give fresh beetroot a try. It's lovely roasted or made into soup. If you are a subscriber to my recipe of the month you will already have one recipe for beetroot.

This recipe utilises the organic pre-cooked beetroot that is available in the supermarkets. If you want to start from fresh simply skin and roast the beetroot until soft. I also play with the quantities until it tastes perfect. Due to the pinkness of the end product it goes down well with my young niece.

Ingredients

1 tin of chick peas drained
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp light tahini
6 tbsp lemon juice
1 vacuum packed beetroot
salt and pepper.

Chop the beetroot into small cubes
Place the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth
Adjust the seasoning to taste
Add the beetroot and blend until smooth.

Organic Restaurant Review - The Strawberry Tree

When I imagine an organic restaurant I always have a certain picture in my head of a place decked out in wood, with large, no nonsense wooden tables and hearty but unglamorous food.

The Strawberry Tree based in the Brooke Lodge Hotel, McCreddin Village, Co. Wicklow is the antithesis of this. The restaurant is the first certified organic restaurant in Ireland and it is one that I have wanted to visit for a very long time. I had been given varying reviews from friends and acquaintances and was keen to see how it would live up to my expectations.

Arriving at the door I was surprised to find the low lit interior was more akin to an old country house than the barn I was expecting. The floor was carpeted and the walls were decorated with flock wallpaper which always brings back fond memories my granny's house. The tables were elegant and well worn as were the chairs.

The menu proudly listed all of the restaurants suppliers which is something I always like to see.

There were two vegetarian starters on the menu which can throw me into a bit of a panic. I am so used to only having to glance at the menu to see what the veggie option is that choice often confuses me. In the end I plumped for the warm buffalo mozzarella salad which was nice, not terribly exciting but the ingredients were fresh and tasty. My companion had the scallops, it was the first time she had ever tasted them and although she wasn't sold on them, we will never know if this was because she doesn't like scallops or because the ones on offer weren't that good. 

For the main course I had the butternut squash risotto. I've been making a lot of my own risotto recently and I like to have it in restaurants to see if mine is up to scratch. My companion had the Duck. We both really enjoyed the main course which was served with seasonal vegetables including to my delight lots of beetroot which has recently become one of my favorite vegetables. The roasted sweet potatoes which came as a side were absolutely divine. The risotto was reassuringly slightly better than mine which led me to spend the week after our visit perfecting my dish.

Somehow we managed to find enough room for pudding. We went for the chocolate based desert which was beautifully dark and rich.

I enjoyed the experience of being in the Strawberry Tree. I found it refreshing to be in such eloquent surroundings and was only disappointed that due to having to drive there I was unable to sample the wine list. Maybe next time I'll treat myself to an overnight stay.

Celebrate Organic Week

Organic Week is on it's way. This year Bord Bia have decided to run the event earlier and it will fall between the 15th and 21st of September. This means that it will co-inside with Organic Fortnight in the UK, it also means that there will be far more opportunity for you to enjoy farm walks and seasonal produce.

For a full list of the events scheduled throughout the week log onto the Bord Bia website.

At Feelgood Organic Hampers we are running our own event in collaboration with Healthy Living Health Food Store and Wellness Centre, Vendemia Organic Wines and Moyleabbey Organic Kitchen.

Have you ever wanted to know more about organic wine?
Have you ever been unsure of what to cook for a guest who is Vegan or has allergies?
Do you want to taste some of the foods that Feelgood Organic Hampers has to offer?

Then join us at Healthy Living, 54 Leinster Street, Athy, Co. Kildare on Friday 19th of September at 7pm.

The evening will combine organic wine tasting, organic antipasti, organic, macrobiotic, vegan, wheat free and sugar free cookery demonstrations, a three course meal, entertainment and a chance to win a Feelgood Organic Hamper.

Tickets priced at €25 are available by
- Calling me at Feelgood Organic Hampers on 059 863 8999
or from
- Healthy Living, 54 Leinster Street, Athy, Co. Kildare,
- The Moyleabbey Organic Farm Stall at the Athy Farmers Market
- Café del Vino, The Butterslip, Kilkenny
- The Feelgood Organic Hampers Stall at the Naas Farmers Market

Tickets to this event are very limited so please make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Can your favorite recipe make it onto TV and the Supermarket shelves?

Everyone has a favorite dish, one which they have created and adapted over the years until it has reached perfection. My Mum makes the best trifle ever (subscribers to recipe of the month will get the recipe this Christmas), and I like my Sheepless Shepherds Pie the best. 

So what's your best dish? If you have a crowd pleasing recipe, RTE's newest television show 'Recipe For Success' is giving you the opportunity to turn it into a moneyspinner. So if you believe that your dish can stand up to the competition and if you dream of seeing it on the Supermarket shelves, log onto the RTE Recipe For Success website or write to them at: Recipe For Success, RTE, Father Matthew Street, Cork.

I'll look forward to watching some of you on the show!

The Organic Supermarket

I was lucky enough to visit the new 'Organic Supermarket' in Blackrock last week. The store which has been open for 7 weeks now has been attracting quite a lot of media attention recently and I was keen to check it out, particularly as the owner Darren Grant had gone the full hog and got the place certified organic.

The store can be found next to the old post office (now Starbucks) on the main street. I was delighted when I walked in and found that this was a large, gourmet food store. The decor of dark wood gave the interior a certain amount of class whilst still appearing earthy. 

Darren's idea was to bring the farmers market indoors, and he has achieved this goal. Even as you walk by the front door you are tempted in the display of freshly baked bread from Blazing Salads and fresh produce all delivered daily.  Every part of your grocery shopping is catered for here, with everything from cheese and meat to pasta wine and chocolate. There are products here, particularly in the chilled section that I had no idea were available. They even have the organic pies that I wrote about in my last post and I finally got to try one. Because the shop has certification provided by the Organic Trust, every item that is stocked in The Organic Supermarket has to be certified organic. This is the one big difference between this store and numerous others I have visited and it felt great to be able to pick anything up and know without reading the label that it really was an organic product.

I have high hopes for the 'Organic Supermarket'.  Darren already has plans for expansion telling me that he has his eye on a city centre location for the next shop in the chain. My only criticism is that Blackrock is a long way from Athy, far too far for me to travel for my weekly shop!

Taste Kildare, a great day out.

Me at the Feelgood Organic Hampers Stand

Beatrice & Jamie Choc O'Neill

Yuki at Moyleabbey Organic Farm

Thanks to everyone who dropped by my stall at Taste Kildare last weekend. Even the sun made a good appearance on the day. 

There was lots of amazing food on offer and a good amount of organic stalls. By the time things quietened down enough to let me have a wander the Organic Pies on sale from Morrin O'Rourke Farm Foods had sold out. I'm not surprised I saw them setting up in the morning and they looked fantastic. Their range of pies includes Chicken and Bacon, Beef and Cider and Vegetable for vegetarians like myself. For a full list of where you can buy their pies check out their website.

The Moyleabbey Organic Farm stall pictured above looked fantastic all day with beautiful bunches of carrots and beetroot and other seasonal organic vegetables on sale.

The Organic Blending Company, the Irish wing of which is based in Naas were tasting their sausages and marinated meats all day. As well as their marinades they offer gravy, stuffing and spices. They gave me some samples and I can't wait to give them a try... watch this space!

At the end of the day I finally got to sample some of the deserts on offer from the restaurants. This was definitely the best part of the day for me.

The event will be going ahead again next year so if you didn't get a chance to drop by last weekend don't miss the next one. Keep an eye on the website: www.tastekildare.ie.

Prince Charles and GM Food

Prince Charles has always been an unlikely royal. Time after time he has failed to keep his mouth shut about the things he believes in and this is a quality that endears him to me.

We are all by now aware of his opinions on architecture. The inside-out Lloyds building in London, which I have always quite liked, provoked his most famous rant.

In recent years he has become better known for his passion for organic food. The Duchy Original brand which started life with one product, a tasty oat based biscuit now boasts over 300 organic products. He also has his own organic farm in Gloustershire. I have visions of him out in the fields, fork in hand, harvesting perfect organic vegetables from the ground but I am aware that he probably has little to do with the day to day running of the farm. Recently he has taken residence in his Grandmothers castle in Caithness (North Scotland) and has pledged an initiative to help Scotland's farmers and fishermen.

Knowing this it came as little surprise to me that this week he launched a scathing attack on GM Foods. The outburst came in the middle of an interview with a Telegraph Journalist.

His main concerns seem to be the globalisation of the food industry, he goes on to suggest that the corporations behind GM strains are putting us on course for the "biggest disaster environmentally for all time" You can listen to his full outburst here.

His strong opinions seem to have caused a bit of a stir in the UK. Some people believe that the Royal family should be prim and proper and not meddle in politics. Others just claim he is wrong. Some such as Freinds Of the Earth and the Soil Association are patting him on the back.

For me I find it incredible that a few sentences uttered by Prince Charles are capable of re-opening the GM debate in the UK, especially so soon after it was revealed that Gordon Brown was hoping to allow more GM tests to be carried out on British Soil. Ireland is still a GM crop free zone and I hope that we will be able to find and Irish voice as influential as Prince Charles to keep it that way.

Well done Prince Charles!

Come and Meet Us at Taste Kildare

I'm so excited about Taste Kildare that I wish I didn't have to work there myself and I could go and enjoy it in full. 

The event, which is being held in the Victorian walled gardens at the K Club in Straffan on Sunday 17th August 2008 is going to be a fantastic day out. 

Kildare's top restaurants will be offering taster plates and Kildare based artisan producers including What's Cooking?, Soul Bakery and Buns will be giving out samples as well as offering their wares for sale on the day.

At the Feelgood Organic Hampers stall I will be giving out tasters of some of our best products as well as having a wide range of organic food on sale. Do drop by and have a chat.

With a mix of entertainment for both adults and children including  face painting, crazy golf duck racing, archery and tours of the wine cellar this really will be a fun day out for everyone.

Best of all it's completely free. Just pre-register online at www.tastekildare.ie  to avail of the free car parking.

Travels in New York Part 2: The Union Square Green Market

Stepping out of Union Square subway station and finding your self in the middle of the Green Market is like stepping into a little piece of paradise. I have visited many farmers markets but never one quite like this one. It's scale alone like almost everything in America is huge. Imagine every farmers market that you have ever been to in Ireland stuck together and you will get some idea of the size . The choice of stalls was huge, it made me wonder how you could possibly choose which stall to buy from but it soon became apparent that most stalls had a speciality. Some were organic, some had mountains of radishes the size of my fist , some were specialists in garlic, salad leaves, milk, cherries etc. I even found stalls that offered free range eggs which I had been lead to believe were almost impossible to source in the US. In fact the variety of produce was so amazing I started to wonder how the 'Wholefoods Market' on Union square was able to survive. With this amount of locally produced and seasonal produce available why would you want to shop in a supermarket?

There were information stalls scattered around which offered recipes for seasonal produce, and all important maps. One information stall was even cooking up seasonal treats. There were also blackboards and stalls displaying lists of seasonal produce.

Sadly it was my last day in New York so although I walked through the stalls agape and thoroughly excited about what was offer I was unable to purchase anything. I was sad that it would be some time before I would return to New York and be able to shop here.

The Green Market on Union Square is open on Monday's Wednesday's Friday's and Saturdays between 8am and 6pm. I was there on a Saturday. For more information on the other locations of Green Markets in New York look here. 

Travels in New York Part 1: Gusto Organic Restaurant

If I was to open an organic restaurant I would like it to be like Gusto on 6th avenue and 14th. I had been nagging my traveling companion for virtually the whole week to go to this place and it wasn't until the last day that he finally agreed to set foot inside. Part of the reason my companion had been unexcited at the prospect of joining me for a meal here was that I was under the impression that it was a salad bar.

As we were guided to our reclaimed wood table that sadly wobbled quite severely until we stuffed a napkin under one of the legs, it became apparent to our delight that there was more than salad on the menu. We were handed both the brunch and lunch menus and found that alongside the healthy salads there were steak and eggs, grilled pizza, sandwiches, soup and omlettes. I went for the grilled vegetable piadinas mostly because I hadn't got a clue what an pianina was and I like surprises, the description did mention flour tortilla which led me to imagine it would be reasonably healthy.

My companion ordered the steak and eggs. As we waited for our food and made our way through the still warm freshly baked bread that had landed on our table, I studied our recycled paper place mats that listed the restaurants green credentials including it's two organic Certifications: USDA and NOFA and it's green Green Restaurants Association certification.
One of the things I really love about the restaurants in New York was that in the very humid 35 degree heat a tall glass of iced water would arrive at your table as soon as you sat down. Strangely this didn't happen at Gusto and I found myself having to order it along with my other drink of choice lemonade. The lemonade was great, really refreshing but I soon regretted my choice when my companions 'Suave', a peach based blended fruit juice, arrived. I stole a sip when he wasn't looking and it was so divine I ordered one for myself immediately.

When the food arrived I discovered that a Piadina was what a flat kind of toasted tortilla filled with vegetables and cheese. It tasted really good but there was a little too much cheese and not enough veg for my personal taste, the salad was fantastic, a tasty mix of leaves drizzled in a balsmic dressing. My companions steak and eggs looked great. The eggs were the first orange yoked eggs I had seen for my entire trip. You soon get very used to seeing the pale yellow eggs served with every breakfast on offer here. These eggs were the real deal and I was assured by my usually critical companion that both the eggs and steak were as good as they looked. Not only were they really well cooked and full of flavour but the meat itself was melt in the mouth tender.

The most refreshing thing was that the portion sizes were not overwhelming, for the first time since we had arrived in NYC I still had enough room for desert. I was tempted by the handmade Dulce de Leche ice cream. Sadly when I ordered I discovered that they had temporarily sold out. The new batch would be ready in two hours but as my flight out was pending I had to opt for the vanilla ice cream instead. Although I was dissapointed there was something reassuring about knowing that the ice cream was freezing away on premesis as I ate. The vanilla ice cream was sensational, really creamy, really vanillaly (if there is such a word) and really rich.

All in all I really enjoyed Gusto and if I had been staying in New York any longer I'm sure I would become a frequent customer. It seems that they are planning to expand and open in other cities across the states so watch out for a Gusto the next time you take a trip across the pond.

I'm on holiday

I'm writing this post just before I'm due to go on my holiday. I'm feeling pretty guilty because my break is not an eco-holiday at all. As you read this I will be living it up in NYC.

For that reason this will be a short post but I couldn't resist letting you know what a bunch of American's were up to in New York during the build up to the launch of the iPhone 3G.

Waiting for Apples are a group intent on promoting organic farming. They also want to persuade the new president, whomever that may be, to turn the lawn of the Whitehouse into an organic farm. How are they tying this into the launch of the iPhone 3G? It's hard to make the connection but were attempting to break the record for the longest time waiting in line to buy something. Find out more here, and here.

Sadly I'll be missing them by a couple of days.

Free Organic Chocolate!

This week IrishBusinessWomen.com (IBW) celebrates it's second 'Promote Yourself Unashamedly Week'. The week when all IBW website members can advertise their services for free. The members whose posts draw most attention will win a prize at the end of the week.

To help the celebration and to do as much as possible to win the coveted prize, Feelgood Organic Hampers has offered all IBW members free Booja Booja organic Champagne truffles with every purchase until the end of the week.

Irish Business Women is a forum style website which was the brainchild of Frank Fullard at Mayo County Enterprise Board. In spite of the name, the forum is open to members of any sex and is a great resourse to both those in the early stages of business set up and to more experienced business people.

Quite a few eco businesses have joined the fun have a look at these: 

Eco Creations offers Irish designed organic cotton fabrics, read their post here.

Mark Shirley is qualified to energy rate your home.

Baby Slings and Outdoor Things have eco friendly and organic baby clothes, read their post here.

Earth Balance Interiors are offering 40% discount to IBW members. More here.

And if you have a second or two, help me catch the leaders and click through to my shameless promotion! There's still time to get your hands on some free chocolate.

Organic Taste Test - Organic v Conventional Strawberries

I was delighted to discover that the Castleruddery Organic Farm stall at the Naas Farmers Market this week was stocking organic strawberries grown locally in Narraghmore, Co. Kildare.

I immediately purchased a punnet and decided to compare them to the non-organic ones I had bought earlier in the day. Surprisingly there was only 50c difference in the price. The organic ones were packed in a bio degradable tray made from the same material as egg boxes  which gained it some early points.

The conventional strawberries were' Elsanta' strawberries, the most common variety that you will find growing in Ireland.  I have yet to discover what variety the organic ones were but they definitely weren't Elsanta, when I find out I will let you know. Colour wise, the organic ones were deep red with darkish seeds. The conventional berries were shinier and the seeds were golden.

I did a blind taste on a couple of the other stallholders and most of them agreed that the Organic ones were superior in flavour. The conventionally grown ones tasted watery and the amount of flavour decreased as the fruits got larger. The organic ones had a pure and intense strawberry flavour which only got better the bigger the berry. They reminded me of how strawberries tasted when I was a child and it didn't take me long to polish off the whole punnet. I had to go back for two more before the end of the day.

If you would like to taste the difference yourself these exceptional strawberries are available both at the Naas and Athy Farmers Markets. 

Organic Product Review - Mileeven Strawberry Preserve

Mileeven are an Irish company based in county Kilkenny. I already stock some of their jams in my hampers but hadn't tried the Strawberry one before. When I found it on the shelf of my local supermarket I couldn't resist giving it a go.

It is quite a smooth jam, lacking the big chunks of strawberry that you may find in some products. I was slightly disappointed when I discovered this as I always love getting that surprise giant strawberry in the middle of my toast. It does spread quite easily though and this is a definite advantage to a smooth jam.

The flavor is great, it contains 45% fruit so although it is sweet, it's not too sweet which leaves the strawberry to do the talking. 

This was supposed to be my last post in celebration of the Strawberry but I have just received another product to review and tasted some great organic strawberries at the weekend so I can't resist extending my celebration.

Other Irish Blogs on Strawberries

Organic Yum-Yum doesn't have the last word on strawberries, two other great blogs have featured them recently.

To find out the best way to grow your own at home have a look at Sally Garden.

And for a great taste test of the organic strawberries found in Ireland Oliver Moore gives you the low down.

Recipe - Strawberry Smoothie Lollipops

It's almost the end of June so this is my penultimate post in celebration of the Strawberry for 2008.

I have started almost every day this month with a Strawberry smoothie and on the Sunny evenings I have been treating myself to these ice pops. Lets hope that the sun shows it's face again soon so that I can continue to enjoy this summer treat.

Ingredients

7 large strawberries

250ml freshly squeezed orange juice

1 banana

2tbsp Water

1tbsp sugar

Stir the sugar into the water and heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to create a syrup, this helps the ice pop to retain it's flavor when sucked.

Place all of the ingredients, including the syrup into a blender and blitz until smooth.

Pour the liquid into ice pop moulds and freeze for 8 hours.

For more organic and seasonal recipes join our mailing list on the top right of this blog.

Why Organic Strawberries?

I've really been enjoying this seasons strawberries, every week they seem to be getting sweeter and more full of flavour.

If you are living near to Enniscorthy don't miss out on the chance to visit the Wexford Strawberry Festival next weekend. It kicks off on Wednesday the 25th with a Strawberry Ball and goes on until the 29th of June. It would be worth going just on the chance of being able to sample the Organic Strawberries produced locally at the Wexford Organic Centre. 

So why should we choose organic strawberries? 

Thankfully one of the most devastating chemicals used in Strawberry production, Methyl Bromide was phased out in 2005. According to the Environmental Protection Agency the chemical was used as a pesticide both to sterilise the land before planting and after harvesting. Apart from the obvious concerns of chemical residue on the fruit itself it was found that Methyl Bromide was having a devastating effect on the ozone layer. It is also sited in the Environmental Protection Agencies Draft Guidance Note for Ozone Depleting Substances as being responsible for the deaths of some pesticide appliers. 

Unfortunately Methyl Bromide was only one of 50 chemicals that is listed by the Pesticides Action Network as being routinely used on Strawberry crops. I picked two at random from their list: Methomyl which when taken orally, inhaled or absorbed through the skin can cause symptoms which:

may include weakness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, chest discomfort, constriction of pupils, sweating, muscle tremors, and decreased pulse. If there is severe poisoning, symptoms of twitching, giddiness, confusion, muscle incoordination, slurred speech, low blood pressure, heart irregularities, and loss of reflexes may also be experienced - source extoxnet

And Thiophanate-methyl which although not anywhere near as toxic as Methomyl does cause skin and eye irritation.

So if you aren't lucky enough to be able to source organic strawberries on your doorstep try to buy from a small local supplier who is less likely to have used the full spectrum of chemicals and will be able to tell you exactly how they are grown.

Better still, why not try and grow your own next year!

Recipe - French toast with strawberries, maple syrup and mascarpone

French toast always seems a bit of a posh name for what I have always known as 'eggie bread'. Using Brioche for the toast part really does make it extra fluffy and yummy. If you can't find brioche locally a good quality bread will be an adequate substitute.

I had mascarpone as an alternative to cream in a London restaurant recently and find it goes really well with the strawberries. If it's not your thing you could use natural yogurt or cream in its place.

Ingredients

2 x Free Range Eggs

100ml Cream

2 slices of bread (preferably brioche)

25g Butter

5 or 6 Large strawberries

2tbsp Mascarpone

Maple Syrup to garnish.

Slice the strawberries.

Whisk the cream and eggs together in a bowl. 

Dip the brioche into the mixture coating thoroughly

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the soaked brioche for a few minutes on each side until golden. Turn out onto a serving plate. 

Scatter the strawberries over the bread and add two large dollops of mascarpone. Garnish with maple syrup and eat whist still hot.

Organic Product Review - Luscombe Strawberry Lemonade

I found this lemonade 3 years ago at a trade fair and knew from the first taste that It would go into my hampers. 

Luscombe Farm's Strawberry lemonade comes in a glass bottle and reassuringly needs a bit of a shake before you drink it as, being completely natural and organic, some of the pulp settles when it is left on the shelf.

Although labeled as lemonade the overwhelming flavor is a lovely smooth strawberry juice. The lemon adds a bite of refreshment. Although this is a sparkling drink, the sparkle is minimal so doesn't affect the taste but tingles on your tongue.

It is available in two sizes 32cl for personal use and 74cl for sharing. 

Luscombe have a great website with lots of cool cocktail recipes including one featuring the Strawberry Lemonade. It's also great just added to a drop of  vodka and ice for a cool summer drink.

Luscombe Organic Strawberry Lemonade is certified organic by the Soil Association.