Food from the Earth

My boyfriend's parents have bought an allotment at the Malahide Allotments. I've gone a few times and there is just such a wonderful atmosphere in the communal land that is divided up into over 300 vegetable gardens. It is such an amazing community and all the proceeds go to the Epilepsy Care Foundation as well as lots being given to people suffering with epilepsy and other disorders. Each allotment owner is not only rewarded with the satisfaction of a fruitful harvest but also with the knowledge that the whole project was designed for a good cause. My boyfriends' parents love it and spend nearly all their time there. 


We went to harvest some vegetables for dinner and arrived home with spinach, cabbage, broad beans and beet roots. I made a spinach salad topped with sauteed beet greens, roasted beet roots, broad beans and crumbled blue cheese and a salad dressing sweetened with honey. We also had roasted chicken with an Irish dish called colcannon that consists of mashed potatoes whipped with milk and cooked cabbage. It was delicious and tasted even better because we picked the vegetables ourselves.