Michelle Darmody: We can help meet climate targets from our kitchen
To meet climate targets, we need policies put in place at government level to begin an overhaul of many aspects of our food system: a proper investigation into what is possible and sustainable on a local level; a decisive loo k at how we can create and adequately provide more nourishing food and  increased food education and far less ‘junk food’ advertising aimed at children.
But we can also start with small changes in the home.
It is tempting to buy whatever we wish all year round, and when produce is available it is hard not to reach for it, but if we do have the ability to wait until fruits and vegetables are in season they generally taste better and are a bit cheaper.
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In Ireland we have an abundance of great local ingredients that are perfect in baking. Fruit such as apples, blackberries, strawberries and rhubarb grow very well. Flavourings such as elderflower, rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena can be grown in gardens or found in local areas. Irish butter is one of the best, if not the best, butters in the world and our yoghurt is also very good. Rapeseed oil is a great alternative to dairy in many cakes, and honey flows from hives around the country. We also have eggs readily available. Brown flour and oats are also two very traditional Irish ingredients. In fact, oats are so ubiquitous that An Post has recently featured them on their beautiful new stamps, celebrating Irish breakfasts.
There is a growing movement for flours and grains made from perennial plants — these are plants that grow for more than one year. At present most crops are annual and the root systems do not penetrate the soil, whereas the roots of perennial crops stretch far down into the earth, helping to invigorate the soil, and drawing carbon down at the same time. Perennial grain crops could be the future of soil health. It is still relatively rare to find flour made from perennial grains, but it is worth looking out for.
Ideal for lunchboxes and with a cup of tea, use whatever seasonal fruit you have in the house for these oaty squares. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Cuisine Ingredients For the base: 100g brown flour 30g ground almonds 30g golden caster sugar 100g cold butter, cubed for the centre: 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and finely diced 170g strawberries 1 tsp honey 1 tsp vanilla 20mls water 1 tbs fresh orange juice For the top: 50g cold butter, cubed 40g brown flour 20g golden caster sugar 60g porridge oats 20g chopped nuts Method Preheat your oven to 180°C and line an 8-inch square tin with parchment. To make the bottom layer: Add the flour, ground almonds and caster sugar to a bowl and rub in the cubes of butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Press this down into the prepared tin and place into the fridge while you prepare the next layer. To make the centre layer, place all of the ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a simmer. Leave it gently bubble on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Set it aside to cool. Bake the base for 20 minutes until golden and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. To make the topping: rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it looks like rough breadcrumbs then stir in the other ingredients. Spread the fruit over the base and sprinkle on the topping. Bake for about 30 minutes until baked through. Once cool enough to handle cut it into 12 squares. You can decorate with some fresh strawberries before serving.Apple and strawberry oat squares
Perfect for an afternoon treat with a cup of tea or a gin and tonic. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients For the cake: 50g soft butter 290g golden caster sugar 3 eggs, separated 225g natural yogurt the zest of 3 lemons 1 tbs elderflower cordial 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder, sieved For the icing: 85g icing sugar, sieved 1 tbs elderflower cordial about ½ tbs water Method Pre heat your oven to 180°C and line an 8-inch round tin with baking parchment Beat the sugar, butter and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the yoghurt, the zest and elderflower cordial. Beat until smooth. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder. Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak and carefully fold into the mixture. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. To make the icing: Stir the icing sugar and elderflower cordial together and add enough water to make it smooth and slightly runny. Drizzle the icing over cold cake and allow to set.Elderflower cake
