Pebre – Chilean coriander salsa
• 1 medium minced onion (or 3 scallions)
• 1 large handful of finely chopped
fresh coriander (approx 100g)
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tabasco sauce or chopped dried chilli
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (or lemon)
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or minced)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/salsa-de-cilantro-pebre-169978#ixzz1tFuhSLTw

Serves 6

200 g celeriac, peeled and cut into 3-cm pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into rounds
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into semi-circles
1 small swede, peeled and cut into chunks
2 potatoes, cut into 3-cm pieces
250 ml single cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon mustard powder
50 g fresh rye or brown breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons marjoram leaves
25 g butter, melted
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A shallow ovenproof dish, buttered

Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4).

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the celeriac, carrot, parsnip, swede, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, drain well, and transfer to a large bowl.

Put the cream, garlic, and mustard powder in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste and pour over the vegetables. Spoon the vegetables into the prepared baking dish.

Put the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and marjoram in a bowl and mix to combine. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the vegetables and drizzle melted butter over the top.

Cook in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the mixture around the edge of the baking dish has formed a golden crust. Serve warm, not hot, as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish with any roast meat.

Choose one, two, or all three and serve with your favorite crackers or toasts. Serves 6-8.

Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Dip

25 g chilled butter, cubed
90 ml double cream
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
500 g parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 garlic bulb, cut in half

Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas 4). Lightly butter a small baking dish. Put the cream in a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Put the parsnips in the dish with the garlic. Pour the cream over the top, cover with foil, and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the garlic and let cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic directly into the bowl of a blender and discard the skin. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer to a dish and cover until ready to serve.

Beetroot and Caraway Dip

3 medium beetroots, uncooked
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
90 g sour cream
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Sea salt and white pepper

Put the beetroots in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and let boil for 45-50 minutes, until tender and easily pierced with a skewer. Drain and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins. Roughly chop and put in a blender with the other ingredients and process until smooth. Season to taste, transfer to a dish and cover until ready to serve.

Spiced Carrot Dip

250 ml vegetable stock
4 medium carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large red chilli, chopped
1 teasppon fenugreek seeds
1teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and white pepper

Put the stock in a saucepan, add the carrots, oil, onion, and garlic and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are soft. Add the chilli, fenugreek, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Put in a blender and process until blended but with a rough texture. Season to taste, transfer to a dish and cover until ready to serve.

Ingredients:
500g carrots, finely grated
2 eating apples,
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large orange
Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 garlic clove crushed
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 tbpsp chopped fresh herbs – parsley, chives, dill
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the carrots in a large serving bowl. Quarter the apples, remove the core, then slice thinly. Sprinkle with the lemon juice to stop discolouration then add to the carrots.

2. Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the orange and then separate into segments.

3. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to emulsify.

4. Just before serving pour the dressing over the salad and toss together well.

Ingredients:
For the beans:
250g dried white beans suchas as cannellini, sokaed overnight in water to cover
1 onion, quartered
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife blade
3 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
Sea salt
For the soup:
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
2 potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded (about 250g)
250g kale (red russian, curly or cavalo nero)
200g beet greens (chard or spinach)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the ribollita:
6 slices crusty white bread, cut 1/2 inch thick
1 to 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Extra best quality oil to serve

To make the beans:
Drain the beans and put them in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and water. Bring to a boil over a medium heat. Skim off any foam that develops. Reducet he heat as needed to simmer and cook, uncovered for about 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Add salt to taste during the last 10 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 mins.

Remove the onion, garlic and parsley. In a blender puree half of the beans with some of the cooking liquid.

For the soup:
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic. Saute until veg have begun to soften. Add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, kale and green and stir to combine well. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the greens have begun to wilt and soften.

Add the whole and pureed beans along with any remaining cooking liquid. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 mins or until the veg are completely tender and the soup has thickened. Add water if it seems too thick. Serve with grated parmesan, or cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To make ‘la ribollita’:
Heat the oven to 180c. Arrange the bread slices onto a baking tray and toast lightly in the oven for 15 – 20 mins. Allow to cool.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat 1-2 tbsp oil. Tear up 2 slices of the bread and place them in the bottom of the pan. Ladle 1/3 of the soup over the bread. Repeat this twice, finishing with a layer of the soup. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer, stirring gently from time to time until heated through. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Ladle the ribollita into shallow bowls and drizzle each with best quality olive oil, or top with grated parmesan.

A warming combination of root, protein and spices that will wake your tastebuds for Spring

200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or a tin if you don’t have time)
7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
2 chillies, seeded and finely chopped (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
450ml plus 75ml water
4 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground tumeric
½ to 1 tsp chilli powder or mild paprika
50g cashew nuts, toasted and chopped
250g tomatoes, chopped
900g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of one lemon or lime
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

To serve
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
A handful of cashew nuts, toasted
Natural yoghurt
Naan bread , chappatis or crusty bread – sliced

1. Put the soaked chickpeas in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil vigorously for 10 mins, then reduce heat to a rolling boil. Cook for 1- 1.5 hours, or until chickpeas are tender – top up water if necessary. Drain and set aside.

2. Set 2 tsp of the chopped garlic aside, and put the rest into a food processor with the ginger, onion, and half the chopped chillis. Add 75ml water and process to a smooth paste.

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Stir in the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and the ground cashew nuts. Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the water begins to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for 2-3 mins.

4. Mix in the cooked chickpeas and parsnip chunks with the 450ml water, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Bring to the boil, stir, then simmer, uncovered, for 15-20mins until the parsnips are completely tender.

5. Reduce the liquid if necessary, by bringing the sauce to the boil and boiling until the sauce has thickened – ensuring that it doesn’t stick to the pan. Add the ground cumin with salt and lemon/lime juice to taste. Stir in the reserved garlic and green chilli/cayenne and cook for a further 1-2 mins. Scatter the fresh coriander leaves and toasted cashew nuts over and serve straight away with yoghurt and warmed naan bread, chapattis or sliced crusty bread. This dish could also be served with rice.

We move them around the smallholding regularly – our current henhouse is on wheels to allow it to be towed as necessary.

It is very enjoyable to see them scratch, step back and inspect the ground for what goodies it holds, and reinforces why hens are happiest outside and in the field.

Orders to be sent in by email, text or phone on Thursday please for Friday collection. Contact Elaine on elainegoodandgreen@gmail.com or 087 6187908

It did turn out, however that Rebecca (named after a special first cousin of the boys) didn’t see herself as a lamb at all. She resented having to stay in the field on her own. We had heard that she would probably want to be with the family, but it was her attachment to Bailey (our golden retriever) that surprised us really. She broke out of the field regularly – her coat was immune to the electric fence, and was outside the back door waiting for Bailey most mornings. On occasion she made her way into the house, but generally got overexcited and peed on the floor.

In the end she returned to her original flock to graze on the hillside as a young sheep should – it didn’t seem fair to keep such a social animal on her on her own. And it is said that sheep don’t have personality? No way!

And for the GAA minded – in the Clare colours, you will note.