The sun is out and let’s be real, no one wants to spend more time than necessary faffing about in a steaming kitchen, especially when the big yellow diva is out in full shine. This is your cue to go on the hunt for foods for family barbecues or picnics in the park. Our summer selection of Irish produce will allow you to spend time on the patio instead of in the kitchen, without compromising on flavour and nutrition.
We hear a lot of chat about what the algorithm is “serving” us, and recently, ours have been filled with people unpacking Green Earth Organics boxes.
Green Earth Organics is a farm based just outside of Galway, and their vegetable boxes are available to order wherever you are around the country, starting from €25.49.
They contain a variety of colourful, in-season veggies, like Irish grown chestnut mushrooms, rocket, spinach, potatoes and, especially at this time of year, so much more.
What we are loving this summer are their impressive heads of lettuce (€3.59) – the kind of green goodness you might not stumble across in a supermarket. Sad, wilted lettuce will ruin a salad every time, but these leaves are full of texture and can stand up to even the boldest of toppings and dressings.
These are the lettuce heads worth including in those summer salad bowls. greenearthorganics.ie
Zingibeer, €3.75
On a warm summer’s day, sipping a cold beer might feel like a vibe, but hands up: do you want the vibe without the heaviness of the beer?
That is where ginger beer comes in. Yes, it’s still beer in all senses of the word, but its preparation is different to other batches. It is brewed and fermented in ginger, making it a lighter and slightly sweeter alternative. Not too sweet, we hasten to add, and if you’re a reader who claims that ginger beer is too sugary, don’t stop reading – you haven’t tried Zingibeer (€3.75).
Made with natural ingredients, lemon zest and botanicals, this ginger beer is fresh and flavourful, with just a bit of a kick. It is owned and operated by father-daughter duo, Kevin and Rachel Byrne, based in Smithfield, Dublin.
Where regular beer might make you feel bloated, Zingibeer is completely gluten-free. Enjoy it on its own, or mix into a summery cocktail with dark rum and lime. zingibeer.ie
€34.80 for 8 packets (120g each).
Not so long ago, there was a time when our snacking go-to options were Tuc biscuits and Tayto. Now we have a lot more options with so many new and nutritious offerings having emerged on the snacking scene. It’s far easier to find healthier snacks for your picnic basket, especially when their bright and eye-catching packaging makes them impossible to ignore.
Enter Forest Feast, with their range of nutty and dried fruit snacking options. Made in Co Armagh, the brand has gained traction among mindful food-lovers and are well-known for their roasted savoury nuts combinations as well as their chocolate-dipped nuts and fruits. One of their bestsellers, their salted dark chocolate almonds previously won a Great Taste Award. Another bestseller is their 60% dark chocolate sour cherries. Both options are a yes from us.
€34.80 for 8 packets (120g each); or you can find individual packets in shops across Ireland. forestfeast.com
Coolea cheese.
If you’re someone who thinks a cheese board only belongs at Christmastime, let us convince you otherwise. Summer is all about the grazing meal, and cheese boards are the perfect fit for casual dining outdoors.
Admittedly, you’ll need a few seasonal upgrades to capture that summer vibe (think about the kinds of crisp accompaniments and those fresh flavours we crave in the heat) but first, the cheese.
It needs to be firm enough to withstand the heat so it won’t get too melty. Coolea Cheese, handmade on the mountain farm of the Willems family in Coolea, Co Cork, ticks all the right boxes for a summer snacking cheese.
Nothing but 100% fresh cow milk is used to produce this farmhouse cheese, and this is the way it has been since the Willems first began their cheesemaking journey in the late 1970s.
Made using full cream cow milk, nothing is added or taken out. The small enterprise has come a long way from when they started, and their gouda-style cheese is now available in a few different flavours: plain, extra matured, cumin seeds, and the best-selling, Coolea Matured.
Serve on a big platter with plenty of cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and some dipping sauce like hummus. cooleacheese.com
Sharon Sugrue, Réalt na Mara Shellfish. \Monika Coghlan.
Mussels are associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and they’re also said to be able to predict the weather. Whether or not you put any value in superstition, mussels deserve a place at your summer dining table.
Family-run business, Réalt na Mara, supplies fresh purified Irish mussels and oysters nationwide. These are farmed locally, in Castlemaine Harbour, which holds the largest natural mussel bed in Ireland. Micheál Sugrue, Emmet Casey and Sharon Sugrue are keeping a family tradition alive; their fathers and grandfathers having previously worked together to help develop the Irish aquaculture industry.
The trio have also diversified the business, now offering private tours and educating visitors on the history and biodiversity of the area. A popular way to cook mussels is by steaming them in a white wine sauce with Irish cream, fried off with onions and served with crusty bread. These mussels are €6 per kilo and available to order online. realtnamarashellfish.ie
The sun is out and let’s be real, no one wants to spend more time than necessary faffing about in a steaming kitchen, especially when the big yellow diva is out in full shine. This is your cue to go on the hunt for foods for family barbecues or picnics in the park. Our summer selection of Irish produce will allow you to spend time on the patio instead of in the kitchen, without compromising on flavour and nutrition.
We hear a lot of chat about what the algorithm is “serving” us, and recently, ours have been filled with people unpacking Green Earth Organics boxes.
Green Earth Organics is a farm based just outside of Galway, and their vegetable boxes are available to order wherever you are around the country, starting from €25.49.
They contain a variety of colourful, in-season veggies, like Irish grown chestnut mushrooms, rocket, spinach, potatoes and, especially at this time of year, so much more.
What we are loving this summer are their impressive heads of lettuce (€3.59) – the kind of green goodness you might not stumble across in a supermarket. Sad, wilted lettuce will ruin a salad every time, but these leaves are full of texture and can stand up to even the boldest of toppings and dressings.
These are the lettuce heads worth including in those summer salad bowls. greenearthorganics.ie
Zingibeer, €3.75
On a warm summer’s day, sipping a cold beer might feel like a vibe, but hands up: do you want the vibe without the heaviness of the beer?
That is where ginger beer comes in. Yes, it’s still beer in all senses of the word, but its preparation is different to other batches. It is brewed and fermented in ginger, making it a lighter and slightly sweeter alternative. Not too sweet, we hasten to add, and if you’re a reader who claims that ginger beer is too sugary, don’t stop reading – you haven’t tried Zingibeer (€3.75).
Made with natural ingredients, lemon zest and botanicals, this ginger beer is fresh and flavourful, with just a bit of a kick. It is owned and operated by father-daughter duo, Kevin and Rachel Byrne, based in Smithfield, Dublin.
Where regular beer might make you feel bloated, Zingibeer is completely gluten-free. Enjoy it on its own, or mix into a summery cocktail with dark rum and lime. zingibeer.ie
€34.80 for 8 packets (120g each).
Not so long ago, there was a time when our snacking go-to options were Tuc biscuits and Tayto. Now we have a lot more options with so many new and nutritious offerings having emerged on the snacking scene. It’s far easier to find healthier snacks for your picnic basket, especially when their bright and eye-catching packaging makes them impossible to ignore.
Enter Forest Feast, with their range of nutty and dried fruit snacking options. Made in Co Armagh, the brand has gained traction among mindful food-lovers and are well-known for their roasted savoury nuts combinations as well as their chocolate-dipped nuts and fruits. One of their bestsellers, their salted dark chocolate almonds previously won a Great Taste Award. Another bestseller is their 60% dark chocolate sour cherries. Both options are a yes from us.
€34.80 for 8 packets (120g each); or you can find individual packets in shops across Ireland. forestfeast.com
Coolea cheese.
If you’re someone who thinks a cheese board only belongs at Christmastime, let us convince you otherwise. Summer is all about the grazing meal, and cheese boards are the perfect fit for casual dining outdoors.
Admittedly, you’ll need a few seasonal upgrades to capture that summer vibe (think about the kinds of crisp accompaniments and those fresh flavours we crave in the heat) but first, the cheese.
It needs to be firm enough to withstand the heat so it won’t get too melty. Coolea Cheese, handmade on the mountain farm of the Willems family in Coolea, Co Cork, ticks all the right boxes for a summer snacking cheese.
Nothing but 100% fresh cow milk is used to produce this farmhouse cheese, and this is the way it has been since the Willems first began their cheesemaking journey in the late 1970s.
Made using full cream cow milk, nothing is added or taken out. The small enterprise has come a long way from when they started, and their gouda-style cheese is now available in a few different flavours: plain, extra matured, cumin seeds, and the best-selling, Coolea Matured.
Serve on a big platter with plenty of cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and some dipping sauce like hummus. cooleacheese.com
Sharon Sugrue, Réalt na Mara Shellfish. \Monika Coghlan.
Mussels are associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and they’re also said to be able to predict the weather. Whether or not you put any value in superstition, mussels deserve a place at your summer dining table.
Family-run business, Réalt na Mara, supplies fresh purified Irish mussels and oysters nationwide. These are farmed locally, in Castlemaine Harbour, which holds the largest natural mussel bed in Ireland. Micheál Sugrue, Emmet Casey and Sharon Sugrue are keeping a family tradition alive; their fathers and grandfathers having previously worked together to help develop the Irish aquaculture industry.
The trio have also diversified the business, now offering private tours and educating visitors on the history and biodiversity of the area. A popular way to cook mussels is by steaming them in a white wine sauce with Irish cream, fried off with onions and served with crusty bread. These mussels are €6 per kilo and available to order online. realtnamarashellfish.ie
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