News and Reviews

By celebrity chef Rozanne Stevens.

With the heat wave we have had across Europe this summer, the sales of salad vegetables have sky rocketed as 80 million people cool off with crunchy salads. But could your salad dressing be undoing all the good of eating your greens?

A throwback from the eighties, low fat and fat free salad dressings are still very popular with weight conscious consumers. One of the issues that I have with these dressings is that they often contain large quantities of sugar. Sugar is what we call an anti nutrient which has zero nutritional value and will actually leech nutrients from the body. With the increase in Type 2 Diabetes, this so called ‘health’ product will only add to the problem. Many shop bought dressings also contain preservatives and additives that are just not desirable. Dressing should simply be oil, vinegar and seasonings, not a long list of unrecognisable ingredients.

Fat free salad dressings will also retard the absorption of nutrients by the body. The reason being that antioxidants found in your salad vegetables such as carotenoids, lutein and lycopene found in carrots, spinach,lettuce and tomatoes, need fat in order to be absorbed by the body. In a US study, one study group used a fat free salad dressing or none at all. The second study group added an oil based dressing to their salad. The group consuming the oil based dressing absorbed significant amounts of antioxidants, while the fat free or no dressing group absorbed very little.

But this isn’t an excuse to drench your salad in mayonnaise or Caesar salad dressing. There are plenty of highly beneficial plant oils that make delicious dressings. And please do make your own, there is no reason to buy bottles of dressings. Salad dressing is so simple to make and means you can vary the flavours and seasonings according to the salad.

I have a collection of different oils and vinegars that I use for dressings. I have written extensively about rapeseed oil, which is a wonderful nutty golden oil which is also produced in Ireland. Some of my other favourites are avocado oil and walnut oil. Team these with raspberry vinegar, cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar and you’ll have a unique dressing for every salad.

To demystify making a salad dressing, lets go back to basics. Take a clean screw top jam jar. Fill with 1 part acid (any vinegar or lemon juice) and 2 parts of the oil of your choice. Season with a little salt and pepper and a flavouring of your choice (Dijon or wholegrain mustard, honey,dried herbs). Give it a good shake and taste. If it’s too acidic, add more oil. And visa versa. Adjust the seasoning. It will depend on the brand of vinegar and viscosity of the oil. It might be easier to taste the dressing with a bit of lettuce rather than straight off the spoon. You can now keep the dressing in the fridge. Depending on the oil, it might solidify slightly, but just give it a good stir. Just a note, if you want a garlicky flavour, leave a whole clove of garlic in the dressing for an hour and then remove. Fresh herbs are not advisable as they turn black in the acid of the vinegar. Rather use dried herbs or add lots of lovely fresh herbs to the salad itself.

Some Combinations To Try:

- Organic Walnut oil, lemon juice,Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper

- Organic Avocado oil and raspberry vinegar, salt and pepper

- Organic Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wholegrain mustard, honey, salt and pepper

- Organic Sunflower oil, cider vinegar, few drops Worstershire sauce, honey, salt and pepper

- Organic Rapeseed oil,cider vinegar, pinch of dried herbs, garlic clove, salt and pepper

Organic Mango Chilli Salad

Serves 4

- 1 large organic mango, peeled and diced
- 225g baby spinach, washed and dried
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
- 2tbls fresh coriander, chopped

Dressing:

- 1 red chilli, seeded and diced
- 1tsp honey
- 2tbls balsamic vinegar
- 4tbls rapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Mix the dressing and check for seasoning. Set aside.
2. Mix the spinach, mango, peppers, spring onion, tomatoes and coriander.
3. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

Visit: www.rozannestevens.com

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Organic Burgers:

Ingredients:

- 450g (1 lb) organic minced beef,
- 1 onion, finely chopped and cooked,
- 2 tablesp. parsley, chopped,
- Dash of soy sauce and Salt and black pepper

Spicy Red Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

- 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 2 large tomatoes 1 small onion, chopped
- Juice of half a lemon1 green chilli, chopped
- 1-2 tablesp. olive oil
- 2 tablesp. parsley or basil
- Salt and black pepper

Method:

Mix the beef, onion, parsley, soy sauce and seasoning together. Shape into 4 burgers. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook.

To Cook:

Heat the barbecue. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until no pink meat remains at the centre of the burger and the juices run clear. Serve with the Spicy Red Pepper Salsa.  Alternatively you can cook in a hot pan or griddle.

To make the salsa:

Whiz all the salsa ingredients in a food processor. This salsa is also great with the steaks.

All the ingredients listed in this recipe are available from our Blackrock Store.  Published with permission from, and special thanks to,  Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

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By celebrity chef Rozanne Stevens.

After chicken, pork is the most popular meat consumed in Ireland. We eat it in all shapes and forms:ham, bacon, rashers, sausages, luncheon meat, pork fillet, black pudding and roast dinners. As an ex vegetarian, I was still a little squeamish about pork, so I set off to find the happiest pigs I could.

So off I went in my sparkly silver flip flops to visit Gold River Farm in Co. Wicklow, a certified organic farm producing a variety of fruit, vegetables and most recently, organic outdoor bred pigs. The farm started at 7acres and has grown to 120acres. Alan Pierce and Mark Winterbotham were both dead against pig farming, having been put off the idea at college after seeing conventional pig farming. Until a local organic restaurateur, Evan Doyle, approached them and guaranteed he would purchase 60 pigs per annum. And so Mark and Alan started breeding pigs and were delighted to find that the pigs fitted into the farm so well and contributed so much.

The pigs are very familiar with the farmers as they need to be able to handle and touch them and move them from field to field. I can certainly attest to this, I have never met such friendly farm animals.  I thought the guys were joking when  they said the pigs like sparkly things and toes. As soon as I climbed over the fence, the whole herd came running over to check me out and were licking my toes! So while they are very tame, Mark and Alan agree that you still do need to respect the animal, especially a mother pig or a boar during breeding season.

As Gold River is predominantly fruit and vegetable farming, the pigs are integrated into this. Once a crop is harvested, the pigs are then moved into that field. They will  gobble up any leftover vegetables but most importantly rotavate the soil which aerates it. The pigs are fed organic feed and organic vegetables which produces the perfect fertiliser for the soil: organic pig manure! They live this happy life until they are butchered at about 7 months, when they have reached the right size. This is about 6 weeks longer than conventional farming

The pigs go to an organic butcher, Ed Hicks, to be butchered and turned into joints, sausages, black and white puddings. Like organic farming, Ed is strictly monitored with all his recipes having to be pre approved and his premises having regular audits. Organic in Ireland is very well governed and organic does really does mean organic.

Nutritionally, organic pork is superior in flavour and health benefits. Most importantly, it is free from the chemicals that are used in non organic products. We know these are not good for us and contribute to our overall toxic load. Most interestingly, the better the diet of the pigs, the more healthier the fat becomes. It changes from a saturated fat to a more mono saturated profile. This is better for cholesterol levels and heart disease. In South Africa, there is an ad campaign promoting pork as ‘the other white meat’. This is to promote lean pork as a good source of protein. Pork fillet would be a very lean cut cut of pork

So this summer enjoy some tender pork fillet, juicy pork ribs or the obligatory sausage or rasher on the BBQ!

Top Tips For Pork Fillet

1.)  Use thin strips in stir fries, especially sweet and sour.
2.)  Flatten out with a mallet, flour, egg and crumb. Shallow fry in a little oil to make crispy schnitzels. Serve with mustard, mashed potato and cabbage.
3.)  Skewer on bamboo skewers and add pineapple, peppers and onion. Marinade in sweet chilli sauce, lime and soy sauce. BBQ or cook under the grill.
4.)  Use in a strognanoff instead of beef.
5.)  Make a traditional Hungarian goulash.
6.)  Cut open and flatten out, stuff with apricots, pistachio nuts and coriander. Wrap in Parma ham and roast in the oven.
7.)  Same method, but stuff with wilted spinach and mushrooms, wrap in Parma ham.
8.)  Cut the fillet into medallions and pan fry until golden, serve with a creamy mushroom sauce.
9.)  Same method, but deglaze the pan with brandy, add cream, toasted flaked almonds and raisins.
10.) Cut into medallions, flatten each one out and using a toothpick, pin a fresh sage leaf to the ’saltimbocca’. Heat olive oil in the pan and cook sage leave down first the flip over. Deglaze the pan with Masala and make a gravy with chicken stock.

Visit: www.rozannestevens.com

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First up is our seasonality update; June is the season of Runner beans, Mangetout, French Beans, Broad Beans & the sweet little Pea!

Did you know.. Peas are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup) contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol.

The Irish organic farms are a little behind after a harsh winter, but we are delighted that Irish local deliveries have increased to four times a week and now include, lettuce, scallions, rocket, mixed leaves and cucumbers.

Remember, our lettuce is picked in Marc Michel’s Farm in Wicklow at 6am and on sale in store at 8am, now that is freshness.  Tomatoes and strawberries are on their way soon.

New products include an organic tanning range by Vani-T which are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and botanical extracts while still providing an excellent fake tan.

In store, we have also launched a new range of chocolate that we literally cannot keep on the shelf due to its popularity.  It’s called ‘Vivani’, and includes crazy flavours like dark chocolate with green tea & mango.  Our elves are busy photographing the range to be uploaded to the website shortly

This month we will have more exciting summer recipes, guest blogs from celebrity chef Rozanne Stevens and topical organic blogs from Dr Oliver Moore.

On the wine side we are running an unbeatable promotion of 40% off Albet i Noya Can Vendrell Negre..a truly delicious Spanish young red organic wine.  It even gets the title of “Staff Recommendation”.

We have got some great promotion, staff recommendations and super offers in June.  We promise to keep you posted!

Enjoy the sun, seasonality and the great food summer has to offer.

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By Dr. Oliver Moore, journalist and guest blogger for organicsupermarket.ie

Defending the 16E organic chicken in the middle of a recession isn’t easy. But, as the ad says, its worth it.

Having read what you are about to read, I don’t necessarily expect every single one of you to convert over to the 16 E bird, but  maybe, when a decision has to be made, the organic one can at least get a look in.

Price, ethics, environment, and even our weekly food practices all come into the decisions we make around food, including our chicken decisions.

Price really is the biggie with organic chicken. In fact,  it is the single most common critique I’ve come across with regard to the price of organic food: if someone just doesn’t like what organic food stands for, they will default to the price of organic chicken in a polemical debate, as thou all organic and conventional food has such a price differential. Which it doesn’t.

Interestingly, kilo for kilo, the price begins to look a bit better. Organic birds are often big, and the per kilo price tends to be about 8E. So that 16E bird is clocking in at 2 kg. Many  non-supermarket retailers charge a flat rate of 13-16E, so sometimes you can even get a bigger bird again for your cash – up to 2.5 kg.

Food practices are  important too. Yes people are becoming more frugal and creative than in the wasteful days of the Celtic Tiger, but it is still thought that about 1/3 of food purchased is wasted. Research also suggests that people who buy organic food waste less of it, partly because of the cost,  partly because of the meanings it carries.

We probably do eat a bit too much meat, for both health and environmental reasons, so buying better meat less often makes meat a more affordable part of the diet again.

In straightforward terms, if you do splash out on the 16 quid beast, you are very likely to make the most of it.

So, maybe once a week, treat yourself to the big organic bird. Cook it really thoughtfully and then make proper chicken sambos and stock the next day.

From the poultry farmers’ perspective, the simple economics of it are that as the organic chicken lives twice as long as the conventional one, it costs twice as much to feed. Plus, the feed is both different and more expensive, and the housing rules limit economies of scale.

Living twice as long, by the way, is only living to about 80 days. This is probably about right for taste reasons, as, all things considered, many feel organic birds do taste better.

Guess what? All of these bits are either good for animal ethics or the environment, and sometimes even both. Living twice as long means that the bird grows at a natural rate, comfortably and without the extreme pressure on their internal frame and organs that the conventional bird faces. They are also naturally leaner because of their lifestyle. Many feel that living twice as long also has a simple ethical dimension too: animals have the right to a reasonably long life, having been born.

Things get more complicated environmentally with this however, as living twice as long and growing slowly means more feed, and more emissions related to the animal. That said, the feed is produced in a lower emissions way, with far better biodiversity implications where the feed is produced than conventional animal feed.

Conventional animal feed, mostly compressed cereal crops, uses up copious amounts of fossil fuels, synthetic fertilizers and biocides. These latter two also use up huge amounts of fossil fuels in their construction and transportation. All of these elements have climate change implications.

Biocides, such as herbicides and pesticides, as the name suggests, are very bad for biodiversity, as they kill target and non target plants and creatures. (About 70 million birds die directly from farming related pesticides in the US each year, and many more again die indirectly, for example, through eating poisoned insects, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.)

The organic feed is also GM free, and the poultry unit also doesn’t rely on antibiotics or vaccines – all benefits.

The biggest organic poultry farm in the Republic of Ireland I’m aware of carries about 500 birds.  The farms, in their housing and management arrangements,  have to encourage the natural flocking size of about 100 birds. Technically bigger farms would be allowed, but  anything over 1000 birds has to make the case specifically for consideration by an organic certification body.

On the farm, pastures have to be rested 2 months of the year, for both animal and soil health. The outdoors should also mimic the birds natural habitat, so it, in simple terms, needs to be an interesting and varied place, with some cover (i.e. trees, shrubs) as they fear overhead predators. Also, there needs to be some outdoor protection from extreme weather conditions.

So its complicated, but organic chicken, in my opinion, fuses animal ethics and environment (from biodiversity on the farm to resource use and climate change) in a reasonable and fair way.

Being a bit brutal about it, chickens aren’t as aware/sentient as some other higher animals, and  you  probably could take them  – that’s kill them by breaking their necks. Of course, the whole  process of bringing a bird from field to table is long, tedious, messy and has a definite guk factor: friends of mine who have done it don’t always fancy doing it again. They do, however, have a healthy respect for organic chicken and how much it costs.

Animal ethics in themselves are complex, and can only be done justice in another, longer posting. It may seem a bit cruel to prioritise other animals over the chicken in sentience terms, but really, is  one individual chicken somehow intrinsically more important than say a 300 year old oak tree in a native broad leaf forest? I don’t think so. I’m more interested in the blossoming of biodiversity than in emotional connections with single creatures, and the concurrent but ropey notion of individualised animal rights.

But then, as you may have guessed, I only eat organic chicken once a week – its complicated! Its also worth it.

Oliver Moore.

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We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for two prestigious awards at the IIA Net Visionary Awards 2010.

The Awards, now in their 12th year, are unique as they are run and voted on by the internet industry in Ireland and the general public.  Voting remains open until the 30^th of April 2010.

We have been shortlisted for “Best Online Trader” and for “Internet Entrepreneur”.  So we kindly ask that if you like us and our little mission to bring organic food to the masses in Ireland, to please take one minute to vote.

Thank you all, we are truly humbled and very very excited!

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We are delighted to announce that we have a new guest blogger on board, Dr Oliver Moore a true authority in organics.  He will kick off next week with “In defence of €16 Chicken”.

Dr. Oliver Moore’s feature writing and journalism primarily involve organics, artisan foods, health and the environment.

Since February 2005, Oliver Moore has written a weekly column on organic food and farming for the Irish Examiner, a newspaper to which he also contributes regularly on a range of agri-food issues.

If you have any burning food issues that you would like us to feature just reply to this post and we will do our best to get them n the blog!

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The Beginner’s Bluff – More than just Red and White!

“I only need it for cooking so a bottle of plonk will do.” No, no and furthermore no! You should not cook with the cheapest wine you can find as the wine evaporates and its flavour condenses. Spend a few more Euro on the bottle and your food will thank you!

May I recommend the RESERVE wine?

Did you know that the word “Reserve” on a bottle only has true meaning for Spanish and Italian wines? “Reserva” and “Riserva” respectively are a regulated term controlled by law in these countries. In other countries, the term may be just a marketing ploy.

Recession?

According to the latest CSO report, the annual per capita wine consumption in Ireland is 23 bottles (clearly, they haven’t included me in the survey…ahem). In Ireland, women indulged in the greater volume share – 57pc to men’s 43pc.

It’s a twist off cap?

No it’s not. The correct terminology for a screw capped wine is a “Stelvin enclosure”. Doesn’t that sound better?

Organic wine, sure whats the difference?

In the EU “producers are currently permitted to use a range of additives to change the flavour, appearance and smell of the drink without listing them on the label”. In organic wine it is made the way the Romans made it…with grapes. Orgies are optional.

Red or white?

Well red and white wines start the same. Interestingly, it is not the case that red wines come from red grapes and white from white. Red wines are red because their skin is left on and fermentation extracts colour from this. White wines have their skins removed.

A vintage age?

Fine red wines go lighter with age and fine white wines go darker.

Wine Waste?

What about acquiring a “wine waist” in the same way that people acquire a “beer belly”? Well wine isn’t as calorific as you think. A standard glass of dry red or white wine contains around 85 calories a take-away burger has about 650.

Corkage?

Make sure you lie your wine bottles on their side when in storage. Keeping the wine on its side keeps the wine in contact with the cork, thereby preventing the cork from drying, shrinking, and letting in air.

Lets just get the house wine?

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world while Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red.

You should either buy the house wine or spend quite a bit more. Restaurateurs buy the house wine in bulk and so they get a great discount on it. Therefore there’s no point in buying a wine that’s only a few euro more than the house wine. Get the house or go wild!

French wine has a very complex quality classification system, in its simplest terms (or at least in terms that makes you look like a wine expert looking at the next wine menu.) The lowest classification is VDT, “Vin de Table” or every day table wine (45%). Next up is the VDP, “Vin de Pays” (25%) or wine of the country, which is wine produced in zone larger that its application. Second prize goes to AOVDQS, “Appellation d’Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure” or wines of higher quality as a loose translation. First prize is award to AOC, “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” or regulated wines of origin. Watch out for the labels and the corresponding price tags.

Chablis situated in Burgundy built its reputation on a unique expression of the Chardonnay grape. The levels of quality are divided into crus (growth place). “Grand Cru” (1%) is considered the highest quality, followed by “Premiers Cru” (11%), “Chablis” label which is village wine (23%) and finally sub-village appellations (65%) including Petit Chablis.

Spanish wine has quality levels too. There are strict laws about labelling which usually refer to the ageing of the wine. Starting with “vino joven” or young wine, we move to the 2 year aged “Crianza“, and then to the “Reserva” which is aged for at least 3 years. The top wine is the “Gran Reserva” with a minimum of 5 years aging.

Italian Wine is a bit simpler. Starting with the low end Vdt “Vino Da Tavola” or table wine produced anywhere in Italy. Next up is IGT “Indicazione di Geografica Tipica” or wines grown in a specific region. DOC or “Denominazione di Origine Controllata” is where the fine wines begin (this is similar to the French AOC). Finally, there is the wine you will be ordering when someone else is paying which is DOCG or “Denominazione di OrigineControllata e Garantita” which represents some of the finest vineyards Italy has to offer.

Remember that if all else fails you can simply say “I respect your opinion, but international wine critic Robert M. Parker Junior says differently, and quite frankly I agree Now pass me that fine VDT Chardonnay Stelvin enclosure wine I brought with me and enough of your nonsense.”

By Darren Grant – Proprietor of the Organic Supermarket and Oenophile

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(Ehhhh the Best Chilli in the WORLD!)

I have developed this recipe over a long time from a lot of different source.  I have mixed and matched ingredients until I just loved the taste.

I have to confess I love chilli, the hotter the chilli, better for me, so you can adjust the recipe as you see fit.

- 500g mince stake.
- 2 large onions (finely chopped).
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped (I know it’s a lot but it’s super antioxidant)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 ½ tbsp of organic sunflower frying  oil (I recommend ‘Clearspring’ brand)
- 1 heaped tsp of mustard (wholegrain is better, but not critical)
- 1 sml glass of red wine (you can sub with water if prefer, but wine & kidney beans are super)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can red kidney beans
- 1 tsp ground Cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder (if kids are involved lower, if Mexicans are, higher)
- ¾ tsp ground pepper.
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- Lemon juice (half fresh  lemon squeezed in)
- 2 Fresh Chillies

You can completely leave out this ingredient, but for me it makes the dish. This is where the recipe gets hot, green chillies are the younger version of the red ones and have a lovely fresh taste.  If you are experimenting with heat, remove the seeds and membrane of the chilli (white part attached to seeds) and just use 1.  If you are adventurous, use 2 with seeds. If you are insane, use 1 habanero chilli pepper (2^nd hottest pepper in the world).

Most recipes recommend you serving this with wheat wraps, nachos or tortillas…I disagree.. I recommend the healthier long grain fragrant royal white basmati rice (brown if you are uber healthy).

To make it

1.  Heat the sunflower oil.  Add the chopped onions and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are nearly transparent.

2.  Add the minced beef into the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, cook until meat is browned.

3 .  Lower the heat and add in the pepper, salt, chilli powder, tomato purée, garlic, cumin & mustard, Stir well.

4.  After three minutes add the can of tomatoes, red wine, lemon juice & kidney beans. Add one small cup of water.  Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for at least 60 minutes.  Sir occasionally but keeps your eye on it to ensure it does not burn.

Serve & Enjoy

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http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=18683&locID=1.65.370

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