Autumn is well underway here at Broglasco Farm but, as ever, we still have plenty going on.
Already this month we have won 3 amazing new awards from the Blas na hÉireann food awards which were held in Dingle, Co Kerry on Saturday 5th October. We were delighted when we were awarded with gold for our Lemon Infused Oil, a bronze for our Rosemary & Garlic and we also received an award for Best Producer in Co Derry. As ever the standard of produce and competition was exceptionally high in this year’s awards, so we were absolutely blown away to have received recognition for our produce. It is moments like these that make all the hectic, hard work just so rewarding!
However, setting awards to one side we still have lots of work to do with organising and ordering some amazing stock for the arrival of our Christmas Pop-Up shop (29th & 30th Nov) and of course, not forgetting the Halloween holidays, which can only mean one thing….Halloween parties (obviously it’s not just the kids that benefit here!).
With this being harvest time for the farming community right across the country I was keen to come up with a few recipe ideas that might incorporate the very best of our local, seasonal produce and what could be better than a focus on potatoes and apples?! So this month I have decided to share with you my mini Halloween baked potatoes with sticky sausages and green gunge dip, and my mulled apple cider with bloodies vampire fangs (the latter is definitely not one for this kids!)
Ingredients:
Mini baked potatoes with sticky sausages
20 small potatoes
Broighter Gold rapeseed oil for the potatoes
2 tsp maple syrup (or sweet chilli sauce if you like a little bit of spice)
1 tsp soy sauce
20 cocktail sausages
Green gunge Dip:
1 avocado, halved, stoned and peeled
100ml crème fraiche
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ lime, juiced
Finely diced baby tomatoes
Method:
Mini baked potatoes with sticky sausages
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spritz the potatoes with rapeseed oil (we use our oil mister) and prick them all over with a fork. Tip into a roasting tin and bake for approx. 1 hr, or until tender.
Halfway through cooking the potatoes, mix the maple syrup (or sweet chilli sauce) and soy sauce with a splash of rapeseed oil in a large bowl. Add the sausages and toss to coat in the mixture. Tip the sausage mixture into a baking dish and bake for 30 mins, turning the sausages halfway through, until browned all over.
Split the cooked potatoes lengthwise and squeeze the sides so they open out. Put a sticky sausage into the top of each.
Green gunge dip:
Mash the avocado in a bowl, stir in the crème fraiche, garlic and some seasoning. Add the lime juice (and if you like it zingy add the finely grated zest) and mix to combine. Top with the finely diced tomatoes, then serve with the potatoes for dipping.
Mulled Apple Cider with Bloodied Vampire Fangs
Ingredients
1l apple cider (pick a nice local variety like Long Meadow Cider)
1l cloudy apple juice
1l cranberry juice
A good handful of fresh pomegranate seeds
150ml sloe gin
2 cinnamon sticks
A small handful of cloves
Method:
Put all the ingredients into your biggest saucepan or slow cooker. Heat to just below simmering point, then ladle into glasses, add a few fresh slices of apple and enjoy!
Keep an eye out on our Facebook page to find out more about what we have lined up for you at this year’s Christmas Pop-Up Shop too, we are running from 10am – 7pm on Friday the 29th November and from 9:30am – 5pm on Saturday the 30th, we already have the lovely Paula McIntyre, MBE, family friend and chef extraordinaire coming along at 2pm on Saturday the 30th to share some Christmas recipe ideas and tips for perfect festive feasting.
