Summer Beetroot Salad

One of the most delicious ways to use the freshly picked PEACE farm  vegetables on a warm early summers day is in a salad and this is my current favorite recipe. I can sneak in some Japanese turnips too which I sometimes find hard to use. The colours are so vibrant and the taste is sweet and refreshing. I make mine in my thermomix which is as easy as putting in all the ingredients and chopping on speed 5 for about 5 secs. If you don't have a thermi the very easy alternate method is below.

Ingredients 

2-3 beetroots, peeled 

1 large or 2 medium carrots 

1-2 jap turnips or radish 

1 small red onion

A small lemon

Handful of mint leaves 

Sesame seeds to garnish

Olive oil 

Method

Grate the beets, carrots and japanese turnips into a salad bowl. Dice the onion and add. Finely chop the mint and add. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds garnish.

Enjoy!

Springing into Spring

We had a beautiful sunny day on Saturday for the Spring Equinox. We split into men's and women's circles to explore the theme of balance.

We all agreed that balance is a tricky thing to hold on to, some likened it to a jellyfish, a wobbling raft on a stormy sea, and more of a pulse than anything static. We explored the feeling of balance in our bodies which led to lots of laughter and play.

The men then rejoined the women to present our own expressions of balance to eachother. 

And of course we found balance together in a group hug and 'whoosh' sending all this good energy into the universe.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for a beautiful celebration.

Lentil Shepherds Pie

This recipe is great for using up the end of the week's veggie box as really it doesn't matter what veggies you put in.  It was super popular with both the adults and the kids.

Lentil Shepherds Pie Ingredients

Topping
1 kg potatoes
1/2-1cup milk, salt, butter
Cheese, grated

 Filling
1 onion, diced
Veggies (I used carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, swede, turnip, kale, and pumpkin), diced
A can of lentils or 500g brown lentils (soaked)
400g Passata or a can of tomatoes
1 tbs Tomato paste
Fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage
Salt and pepper

Method
Chop potatoes and boil for 10-15 mins until soft
Drain excess water, add milk, salt and butter and mash.

While potatoes are boiling, fry the onion til soft, add the veggies (and lentils if not using canned). Cook for 5-10 mins. Add passata/canned tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste. Once veggies are cooked, season well. Add the canned lentils.

Put into baking dish and top with mashed potato and grated cheese.  Bake for approx 30 mins in moderate oven until top is golden brown.

YUM!

Celebrating Inbolc and the coming of Spring

Last week we celebrated Inbolc which marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox.  It marks the coming of Spring.  I have felt a very real shift in the energy and weather at this time.  It has been a long cold winter but finally the days are lengthening, I am waking with the brightening sky, and the sun is breaking through the clouds to warm us during the day.

We celebrated Inbolc by making a circle of flowers.  We each added a flower to the circle and made a wish for what we wanted to grow and blossom this Spring. Anna read the story of Persephone being stolen into the underworld (which explains why we have winter every year). 

We all noticed all the new buds beginning on our fruit trees.  It is a beautiful hopeful time of year.  My springtime buds are loving family communication and fulfilling my creative inspirations.

-Cat

Cauliflower,parsnip and potato soup

This delicious thick and creamy soup is adapted from a thermomix recipe.  See those instructions at the end.  The parsnip adds a beautiful nutty flavour. 

Ingredients:

oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic (optional)

3 potatoes

1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower (I used the beautiful romanesco pictured)

1 small parsnip or 1/2 large

approx 750ml water or stock

salt

20g butter

2 tbs flour (corn flour if gluten free)

Method: 

Dice onion and garlic and fry in oil in a large saucepan.  Chop potatoes, cauliflower and parsnip into bite size pieces. Add to the saucepan with water/stock and salt.  Cook for approximately 20 mins until vegetables soft.  Add butter and cook for a few more minutes.  Blend and serve with a spring onion garnish.

Thermomix instructions: Chop onion and garlic (3 sec speed 7) Add oil and fry (3 mins 100 deg speed 1). Add vegetables, water/stock and salt.  Cook (15 mins 100 deg speed 1).  Add butter and flour, cook (5 mins 100 deg speed 1) Blend (1 min going from speed 1-8).