Organico Bantry

Our menu in Organico Cafe changes regularly, but here is a taster…

Today’s Menu

Soups

• Courgette, mint & split pea soup served with fresh spelt bread
• Italian bean stew served with fresh spelt bread

Main Courses

• 3-Bean Vegetable Chilli, served with brown rice, grated cheddar & tsatziki
• Summer Tart (roasted cherry tomatoes & fetta) served with a choice of 2 salads
• Thai Vegetable Curry, served with a choice of 2 salads
• Courgette Fritters, served with a choice of 2 salads

Salads

• Courgette & carrot with a lemon olive oil dressing
• Brown rice with a yoghurt/tahini dressing
• Quinoa with mint & cherry tomatoes
• Thai noodles with a spicy peanut dressing
• Mixed beans with a sweett chilli dressing
• Marinated chickpeas with a garlic/lemon dressing

Sandwiches

• Falafals in a spelt bap with hummus, tahini dressing, tomatoes, cucumber & lettuce
• Lentil burger in a spelt bap with Tsatziki, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce & relish
• Veggie sausages in a spelt bap with mayo & tomato ketchup; tomatoes, cucumber & lettuce
• Cheese Sandwich: A choice of cheddar, local goat’s cheese, fetta or local Gubbeen cheese in a spelt bap with mayo, chutney, tomatoes, cucumber & lettuce

Salad Plates

• A choice of a 2 or a 3 salad plate with either hummus or a choice of cheeses; served with fresh breads

Fresh Smoothie ( a blend of pure organic fruit – a meal in a glass!)

• Peach, banana & strawberry

Deserts

• Chocolate cake, Lemon Drizzle cake, Ginger Cake, Banana Cake (all made in our bakery using spelt flour)

We pride ourselves in the quality of our ingredients which are primarily organic and/or locally grown.

In Organico Bantry we believe it is vital to support the development of the Irish Organic sector. There is certainly a growing awareness of and demand for organic food in Ireland; you only have to see the new ‘organic’ ranges in our Irish supermarkets to see that! However, there is far too much Organic food imported into Ireland and we would like to see that reduced and more food grown and processed locally.

According to Organic Europe a survey conducted in Ireland shows that 30% of Irish consumers are prepared to pay a 20-25% premium for organic food. This is bourne out by our own experience in running our wholefood shop where well over 75% of the food we sell is organic. In our cafe we source nearly 100% organic ingredients – because the food is vegetarian it is easier although during most of the year this means we rely mainly on imported produce. When we can though we get our greens and salads locally as well as eggs, courgettes, peas, beans, and of course potatoes (though last year the blight was a real pain! Wiped out our 2 suppliers completely.)

Even given that at the moment we are using so much imported vegetables, the food in our cafe tastes so much better than non-organic food, especially the salads. How anyone could eat a non-organic carrot at the moment I have no idea – they just do not have the flavour I expect. And while it’s true that you will pay more for the organic carrot I would challenge anyone who has tasted the difference to tell me the choice is hard.

Even in the home of cheap food, the US, consumers have indicated a willingness to pay higher prices for their food. A website I found extolling the virtues of ‘cheap food’ (called Cheap Eats!) admits that ‘A recent poll of food attitudes found 71 percent of Americans claiming that they wouldn’t mind paying more to buy food grown near where they live or food grown in ways that protect the environment’. Furthermore, the author says that ‘Retail sales of organic foods, which cost considerably more than regular items, are growing at a torrid pace. The Department of Agriculture expects them to hit $20 billion a year by 2005, up from $1 billion in 1990.’

For us, in our business of running an Organic cafe, bakery and wholefood shop, this growth in the Organic sector is obviously important. But as I started out saying, we are also very committed to buying more organic food that is grown locally. Please contact us if you are growers or manufacturers of Organic foods in Ireland!

Organico Bantry is owned by Hannah and Rachel Dare; contact at (027) 51391

If you like Organic good food you must visit Organico Cafe, Shop, and Bakery in Bantry, West Cork. In Organico we specailise in offering an organic alternative wherever we can source one – that means our shop stocks everything from Organic foods to wines, fresh fruits and veggies right down to organic woolly socks! We also stock Dr Hauschka face and body products, baby care products, a huge range of supplements and herbal teas, capsules and tinctures. We are well known as the largest and best-stocked healthfood shop in West Cork.

Organico Cafe uses nearly 100% organic ingredients for its extensive range of fresh salads, hot meals and gourmet teas and coffees. Our menu changes regularly to reflect what is in season locally and what is available from local Irish organic producers. Our coffee is Fair Trade as well as being organic and we use Glenisk organic milk for our lattes!

Organico Bakery specialises in Organic Spelt breads and cakes. Spelt is an older form of wheat than durum wheat, which 99% of flour is made from. It has a much lower gluten content than durum wheat and a much higher vitamin and mineral content. This means that digesting foods made from spelt flour is much easier and gives us more nutritional value. Spelt cakes also taste great so it’s the best choice all round!

Organico cafe is open from 10 – 6 Monday to Saturday and the shop is open 9.30 – 6 Monday to Saturday as well.

Organico Shop, Glengarriff Rd., Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Phone +353 (0)27 51391

Organic food has traditionally had a reputation for being “good for you” but a bit boring! Organico Café (Bantry, West Cork, Ireland) turns this on its head offering food that is both exciting and delicious. Rachel Dare, who trained with Darina Allen at Ballymaloe, supplies the inspiration behind the menu in Organico Café. Rachel has a distinctive style, fusing a combination of ingredients that are primarily organic and locally grown to create menus that are both lifestyle conscious and tasty. To take full advantage of what’s fresh and in season, the menu changes daily – but it’s always creative and interesting.

The café is surprisingly large, light and spacious, and is located next door to the shop but upstairs. It has a lively buzz at lunchtime, when you can enjoy a salad plate from the extensive salad bar, a summer courgette and rice noodle soup or one of the specials such as Gubbeen and leek frittata. So if you’re looking for an alternative place to have lunch that’s new and exciting or simply want a quite cup of Bantry’s best coffee (or green tea!) just pop up to Organico Café and treat yourself. Go on! You’re worth it!

Rachel’s Summer Salad
Throughout the summer we are all looking for lunch ideas that are light, fresh and tasty. We are lucky in our shop to have people from all walks of life bringing us their own lovingly grown fruit and vegetables, so we have the best of local produce to choose from. I am using Quinoa (pronounced kee-no-wah) as the base for this salad, because it can be used as a substitute for couscous as it is wheat-free. Quinoa is often called a ‘supergrain’ as it is also a very good source of vitamins, minerals and protein, and has a light delicate flavour which appeals to all.

Two cups of quinoa grain, cooked as shown below.
1/3 cucumber (can be replaced with baby courguettes, diced)
10 cherry tomatoes, diced
A handful of finely chopped fresh mint, fresh basil, and fresh parsley
100 g fetta cheese, crumbled
One small red onion or a bunch of scallions, chopped finely
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced (a little lemon juice stops it discolouring)

Dressing
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon of honey or concentrated apple juice

Rinse the Quinoa grain well under cold water in a sieve, To cook, place two cups cold water to one cup quinoa in a sauce pan and bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the grains are translucent and the sprout has spireled out of the grain (about 15 minutes). While this is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients. When the Quinoa is ready allow to cool slightly, add to the other ingredients and dress to taste. Serve on its own as a light lunch or with chicken or fish as a more substantial meal.
If you want to buy Quinoa grain or the other fresh salad ingredients, we stock them in Organico!

Organico Cafe, Glengarriff Road, Bantry, Co. Cork Ireland. Tel 00 353 (27) 55905.

MIXED BEAN SALAD

500 g kindey beans
500 g cannolinni beans
½ cucumber
1 pkt parsley
1 pkt coriander
300 g red onion

dressing
125 mls sweet chili sauce
100 mls vinegar
200 mls olive oil
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Soak the kidney and cannolinni beans for over night or at least 12 hours in separate pans this is because the color of the kidney beans will stain the others) with lots of water then cook them both at a slow simmer for 1 to 2 hours checking after 1 hour every 10 minutes, drain and allow to cool slightly. Mix up the dressing and add to the warm beans and allow to soak in for 30 mins. Dice the cucumber, celery and onion finely and add to the beans. This is another recipe that works well if left for a day and will keep for up the 3-4 days in the fridge.

If you use a good quality olive oil and organic red cabbage, carrots and seeds, this salad is very nutritious and high in fiber as well as healthy fats. Eat with some fresh poached or oven roasted fish or tofu and a small amount of Quinoa or brown rice for a light lunch or evening meal.

500 g red cabbage
250g grated carrot
50 g sesame seeds
100 g sunflower seeds
small bunch parsley

Dressing
2 tblsp Apple juice concentrate
2 tblsp Olive Oil
1 tblsp Lemon juice
pinch salt and pepper

• Cut red cabbage thinly taking out the tough stalks, peel carrots and grate,
• Toast seeds in a hot dry frying pan until lightly brown, Chop parsley.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix dressing in a small jam jar and pour over, mix well. Will keep well for a few hours, but best fresh.

750 g white cabbage
500 g carrot
250 g apple
200 g onion

make dressing in measuring jug
200 g mayonaise
250 g yoghurt
50 g olive oil
50 g white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Thinly slice white cabbage cutting out any tough stalks out first, peel or scrape carrots (if using non organic or making it ahead of time) and grate, thinly slice onion, quarter apples and grate with skins unless they are tough and put all ingredients into a wide mixing bowl, combine everything then add half the dressing at first then add more to taste.

In Organico we try to practice what we preach. Many people say they use ‘organic products wherever possible’, but when you ask them the might use organic lettuce, in the summer. We are trying to use all organic products unless they are not available.
All our soups, salads and bakes are made using organic fruit & vegetables (locally grown whenever possible), organic lentils, chickpeas, beans etc. Our breads are organic (of course – they are fresh from our bakery), so is our coffee, and tea. The milk in our lattes is organic too! Our cakes are made with organic Spelt flour and any sugar used is both raw cane and organic.

We use local Irish cheeses, real local free range eggs, extra virgin low acidity olive oils, and local Irish butter.

Because we use so much organic fruit and veg in our food, we are very aware of what grows well in which seasons and where. For example right now (the middle of summer)we are using a lot of spinach, beetroot, mange tout peas, broad beans, chard, courgettes, salad veg and herbs as they are all in season in Ireland. We do use imported fruit and veg, because otherwise things would get very plain in the winter, but we always try to use only what grows in Europe. At the moment there are loads of great tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, fresh garlic and lovely cherries and apricots coming from France.

For more information on Organic fruit and veg, you can look up IOFGA, and organicmattersmag.com.

Organico Cafe, Glengarriff Road, Bantry, Co. Cork Ireland. Tel 00 353 (27) 55905.

Organico Bantry

Hi I’m Hannah Dare and I run Organico Shop on the Glengarriff Road in Bantry, which is a town in West Cork in Ireland.

Organico is a family business and my sister Rachel is reponsible for the inspiration (and perspiration!) behind our Cafe and Bakery.

Organico was started by our father Alan Dare who became interested in wholefoods after a severe heart attack forced him to focus on his own health. His journey back to full health led him to use large quantities of Vitamin E among other things and also to review his diet. When he wanted to start a new business he looked arond his home town of Bantry and found that the Heaath Food shop was closing, so he opened Essential Foods on Main Street. And the rest is history!

Like Alan, Rachel and I are passionate about good food & alternative remedies and Organico Shop is the cornerstone of our business. We have a huge range of organic foods, fresh organic fruit and vegetables, handmade organic cakes and bread and a comprehensive selection of nutritional suppliments, remedies, tintures and homeopathics.

Suppliers that we have come to know and trust include Salus House, Weleda, Higher Nature, Bioforce, Quest, Green People, Flora, New Era, Atlantic Aromatics, and Bach Flower Remedies.

We’ve learned a lot about organic living and alternative and complimentary medicines over the years and this blog is a way of sharing some of our knowledge with you – enjoy!

Always consult a qualified medical practitioner!

Organico, Glengarriff Rd., Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Phone +353 (0)27 51391

Spelt is an essential ingredient in Organico Bakery and in our view is an essential component in the armoury of anyone who wants to bake organically with an view to improving diet.

Spelt is an ancient grain which has not been intensively bred for increased yields. It is particularly of interest because of it’s low gluten content and is an important grain for lots of people who have wheat allergies. For more information on the history and benefits of spelt invesigate further at Doves Farm who mill the Spelt we use every day.

We use spelt far more than we use conventional wheat: for baking all our cakes, cookies, brownies, pizza and many types of bread. Spelt gives a delicious nutty flavour to brown breads, and combines very well with herbs and seeds. For cake baking we use a white spelt flour that comes from Hildegard Health in Germany.

Organico Cafe, Glengarriff Rd., Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. +353 (0)27 55905