Organico Bantry

5 Ripe tomatoes

1 Cucumber, diced

250g Feta cheese, crumbled

a handfull of black olives, kalamata if possible

125ml olive oil

4 tbsp lemon juice

freshly black pepper

small bunck of Oregano, finely chopped

Chop up the tomatoes and put into a large salad bowl, and add the cucumber, feta cheese and olives.
Pour over the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with freshly ground black pepper, add a little salt if necessary bearing in mind that the feta is very salty. Toss gently to mix. Serve with some crispy lettuce sprinkling with fresh oregano.

Organic food is set to become one of the beggest food trends in Europe in this century, according to an article published in the Sunday Business Post (September 2005 By Suzanne Mitchell). She points out that Organic Baby Food now accounts for almost half of all baby food bought worldwide ( a figure which does not reflect how many parents feed their babies organically because many parents use organic ingredients to make their own babyfood). Furthermore, Mitchell points out that in Itlay local authorities are oblidged to include organic and quality products on their school menus. In the Uk over the last year many schools are trying to use organic suppliers in an attempt to clean up their image after Jaime Oliver lambasted them in his TV programme.

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In Ireland, the organic sector is growing by 10% per year (Mitchell got these stats a year ago – I think it has sped up since then.) Apparently this represent only 1% of the entire Irish food industry – worth an estimated 38 million in 2003. However if we follow European treads then it will be worth 4 times that by the end of this year.

Mitchell’s article is not entirely complimentary to the ‘organic philosophy’. She quotes many sources that question whether organic agriculture is better than conventional agriculture, and whether the resulting foods are better for consumers. She quotes the British Food Commission (2000) as saying:

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”Hundreds of organic products are coming on to the market, including highly processed jelly sweets, sugar-laden organic cereals, organic chicken burgers and even organic cigarettes.”

In Organico, we clearly do buy into the Organic Philosophy; but we also welcome articles of this sort that encourage consumers to question what they are being fed. Unfortunately many organic products are coming onto the market now that are just as harmful to health, if not to the environment, than non-organic foods. We still have to read labels and choose brands that w believe in, not just brands that shout the loudest through their adverts.

When buying for a Wholefood Shop you carry a weight of responsibility in terms of what you choose to stock, as many customers believe that if a product is on a Wholefood Shop shelf it is going to be beneficial for their health. Also, many of us are in this business because we want to sell positive products, so naturally we select the products we sell for their organic credentials – not just their packaging!

This recipe was given to me by a great friend and fellow cook, it has been enjoyed by all our customers and remains a firm favoriate in the cafe. At the moment the beetroot that is available is amazingly sweet yet still earthy and the simply ingredients in the following recipe complement it perfectly.
Read more…

In Organico Bantry we are constantly trying to find new local suppliers of organic produce. Currently we stock: potatoes from Vincent (certified organcic); eggs and cheese from Gubbeen; Carraig Goats Cheese from Art Verschloot; salad and other veggies from Kristin (certified organic) and from Paul; honey in jars, squares and tubs (still in the comb) from about 5 different sources (all of whom avoid sugar-feeding their bees); soap made with Buttermilk from up on the Beara peninsula; fantastic organic teas from Peppermint Farm (including my personal favourite ‘Splendid Woman’s Tea’), cheese from Durrus Cheese; strawberries and squash from Danny Miles; and lovely berries from George.

We need: more veggies, more cheeses, more berries (they are so good in smoothies!) and more herbs (especially corriander!).

We also stock Glenisk Irish milk, which we use in our Cafe; Glenisk Organic yoghurts; Irish Organic Essential Oils from Atlantic Aromatics; Irish Organic Herbal Tinctures; and a fantastic Sea Calcium from Marigot which is made from seaweed sourced in the Irish Sea. Oh and some Irish wines made from fruit sourced in Ireland (not organic unfortunately) and from wild berries (Wines of the Glen).

As I have said before, local sourcing is hard work; it takes time and patience. But for good food it is the only way to go. What we are trying to be in our own small pond is an outlet for products from people who are serious about what they are growing and producing. We would like to hear from others who are in our position and also from anyone who might want to supply us (with Irish products!).

In Organico Cafe yesterday a customer commented on her roasted aubergine and chickpea curry saying that it smelt and tasted amazing. ‘I know why’ she said ‘it’s because it is un-polluted food’.

As I carried on serving lunch I reflected on her comment. I think it is an excellent way to describe our food. We are not trying to serve Cordon Bleu. What we are trying to do is serve tasty, nutritious, clean ‘un-polluted’ food.

Today, our menu contains the following:

Organic Lentil and Pumpkin Stew served with Spelt Bread

Roasted Organic Aubergine and Chickpea Curry served with Organic Brown Rice

Spelt Pizza with sundried tomatoes and Fetta served with 2 Salads

Lentil and Seed Loaf served with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Rice and 1 Salad

Shepherd’s Pie (topped with Organic local potatoes and a red lentil and vegetable base) Served with 2 Salads

Fetta Cheese Salad with either Organic Bulgar Wheat or Quinoa, Organic Tomatoes, Cucumber and Lettuce

Cheese sandwich: Local Gubbeen Cheese or Dubliner

Salad Selections: Wild rice, Quinoa, Bulgar, red Cabbage and Pumpkin Seeds, Beetroot and yoghurt, Potato, Thai Noodles (all made with organic vegetables, sprouts and seeds).

A selection of cakes and cookies from our Bakery, all made with Organic Spelt Flour and served with organic cream.

A selection of Fair Trade Organic Coffees and Teas.

Come over for Lunch sometime – and be sure to let us know what you think!

The popularity of Organic food is on the rise internationally, with major food companies such as Tesco, M & S, Roma and Heinze increasingly their production of ‘Organic’ foods. However, there are good reasons to keep on supporting the origional leaders of the movement such as Whole Earth, Biona, Suma and Meridian (to name but a few), and also to put more effort into finding food that has been grown or produced locally.

The origional Organic companies were set up when Organic was the province of hippies and New Age radicals, not the fashion of the day as it is today. Many of the early companies have extensive environmental schemes, and also are basing their receipes on ‘wholefoods’ rather than refined more ‘popular’ foods. For example, rather than producing an Organic tomato ketchup which tastes exactly like the conventional one but is made with Organic white sugar instead of normal white sugar, Whole Earth formulated a ketchup that is sweetened with fruit juices and tastes of tomatoes not of pure sugar!

A recent article by Alex Renton in this Sunday’s Observer (October 1 2006) asked interesting and difficult questions about where our organic food is flown in from and what is happening to the industry now that Supermarkets have decided that Organic is the future. With the demand for organically grown produce growing but the area of land under organic production falling in the U.K. (it fell by 8% last year) more and more organic food is being imported to Ireland and the U.K., which results in higher prices, increased pollution from increased ‘food miles’ and poorer quality food because it has been picked and stored.

Renton argues that ‘local’ is going to be the new ‘organic’. This, in my opinion, is a challenge to all of us in this industry. Sourcing local organic food is often time consuming, unreliable and expensive, because initially at least you are dealing with a very small producer who is struggling to meet the Organic Certification requirements.

We are waiting too for the Governments of both the U.K. and Ireland to catch up with the trend and start to meaningfully encourage locally produced Organic food. Structured subsidies for small frmers so that if a crop fails (as the organic potato crop did last year) the farmers are not left completely high and dry. Right now this seems like a pipe dream but lets keep on hoping!

Organico Cafe is an oasis of calm and great food in the middle of Bantry. Our specialitiy is reall home cooked good veggie food – which appeals to both veggies and non-veggies! We love expermenting so you never know what delights await you – and then we know how much reliability means when you are feeling low so we always have our regular sausage sandwiches and tasty soups.

We love feedback and suggestions so please contact us is you have any. Our business is costantly evolving and changing and this is often due to customer feedback.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Hannah Dare

Organico Bakery produces one of the biggest ranges of Spelt breads, cakes and scones in West Cork, possibly in Ireland. We have been baking with spelt for nearly 5 years, and we now make 4 different kinds of bread (white & brown yeast; white & brown sourdough; white & brown soda & french sticks, which are a mix of regular yeasted spelt dough with some sourdough mix thrown in for added texture & taste). We also make spelt scones, spelt chocolate chip cookies, spelt oat & raisin cookies, spelt chocolate fudge cake, spelt ginger cake, spelt lemon drizzle cake, spelt Christmas fruit cake, spelt banana cake, spelt Tarte Tartin, spelt chocolate tart & spelt pasties.

We have a regular bread stall in Bantry Market from April through to December, and from the stall we sell our breads and cakes as well as Spelt Pizza, Spelt Focaccias with all kinds of yummy toppings.
The flour we have found to be the best for the cakes and breads is Hildegard Health Organic Spelt Flour, which we also sell for home baking in our healthfood shop. We also sell Hildegard pastas, as well as the excellent Biona Spelt Pastas and Finestra de la Cielo cookies and crackers.

Drop in and enjoy! More receipes and tips for cooking and baking with spelt to follow.

In Organico Cafe we offer a wide selection for people who are coeliac or are trying to avoid Gluten, dairy, wheat, sugar, salt or saturated fats. Our aims are simple: to provide healthy, tasty and interesting food for everyone. We specialise in vegetarian foods because we believe that they are healthier and we are so enjoying cooking with vegetables, sprouts, beans, pulses and cheeses that we are not thinking of changing at this time, though we will keep you posted! Our customers are not all vegetarians but they all seem to love our food, so we must be doing something right!

All our soups are gluten free, dairy free and wheat free. We make our own stocks so we can be sure of this. Our curries and chilies are the same. We make all our own burgers, falafals and sausages, so we can tell you exactly what is in all of them. We use a lot of unusual grains such as Quinoa which is hugely popular as a salad and is also great in chillies. Our salads are all made fresh and on the premesis and with the exception of obvious ones like Bulgar wheat salad or couscous salad are gluten free.

We also offer a delicious gluten free cake made with apples, rice and millet flours, almonds and cinnamon, which is popular with coeliacs and non coeliacs too.
We can also make breads and cakes to order – we have a great receipe for GF chocolate cake and also for chocolate brownies.

In our shop we offer loads of GF pastas, crackers, bars, chocolate, sauces, and cooking ingredients.

More on this topic to follow.

It’s been a great summer for fruit and we’ve had the best of local mixed with some great exotic fruits. Our policy is to try and keep our food miles down and to that end we’ve had some great local berries this year. The highlight for me was the strawberries. You know, the kind of strawberries that make you tingle because they are packed with flavour – the kind you remember from your childhood.

We’ve also had some delicious exotic fruits to satisfy our customers requirements, however we’re trying to promote local in season fruits and vegetables and educate our customers with respect to the seasonality of supply and the impact of flying food all over the world.