Articles

Nothing says summer like a salad, so why not celebrate the long days with one of Darina’s super Wedge Salads
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With summer now making a cautious appearance from time to time, Darina gives in to the inner 'caveman' that awakens her primeval instincts – and shares her Top Tips for tasty grilled food…
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May is National Egg Month - a time to celebrate one of the most versatile and nutritious ingredients in our kitchens, says Darina Allen, who also urges everyone to consider keeping a few hens in the garden for a supply of beautiful fresh eggs. Eggs are not only a breakfast staple but also an essential ingredient in a wide range of dishes - salads, sandwiches and wraps, salads, sauces, baking, cakes, desserts - so let's champion the humble egg for the month of May and beyond.
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Ever the champion of good, simple food, who better than Darina Allen to raise a cheer for the current elevation of the humble cabbage? Here she explains why she’s loving the renaissance of this plentiful, cheap and nutrient-loaded (“Cabbage is super cool; wouldn't that just amuse our Grannies!”) and shares some super recipes that demonstrate its delicious versatility.
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As we come out of the long winter months, many of us have had conditions that needed antibiotic treatment - but how many of us think afterwards about repairing the collateral damage that antibiotics cause? What’s needed is a system reboot to get the good microbes working again says Darina, who has long been a champion of boosting the gut biome with natural foods. Here she explains why microbes matter to our health and wellbeing - and shares some simple recipes that our guts will love.
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Famed for her passion for natural food, sustainabilty and biodiversity, Darina Allen is always an inspiration – and this month, with war on waste to the fore, she’s on a mission to finish up all those half-used store cupboard items and prove how many good things you can enjoy with hardly a trip to the shops.
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Ever hungry to increase her extensive knowledge on the best ways to farm and eat healthily in harmony with nature - especially in view of the new Ballymaloe Organic Farming School that she is establishing to build on the Sustainable Food Production Courses initiated at Ballymaloe Cookery School before Covid – Darina has been travelling far and wide to learn more about sustainable farming systems and biodiversity. This month she shares some fascinating insights from a visit to Tuscany in the autumn – inspiration for us all to do more for the environment and to eat better food as we head into a new year.
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Darina’s endless research into the most interesting and sustainably produced foods continues, with a recent trip to Canada a big hit – and of particular interest there, in view of her new venture, the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, was a visit to the Downsview Park urban farm project in Toronto
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A Welsh farm we visited this summer is an example of what, in an ideal world, all farms could be - rich mixed pastures, abundant hedgerows filled with birdsong and wildlife, a pond teaming with fish and pollinating insects. A striking example of farming with nature.
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From very intensive conventional farmers to organic and biodynamic, even some small holders with just a couple of acres to landowners with 6000 plus acre estates. All had a common purpose, at the Groundswell Regenerative Agricultural Festival.
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