Wild Garlic Tarte Soleil

MILLBANK FARM

BY EMILY MCGOWAN

“With this most recent diversification into serving the local public, we see the importance of always evolving and moving positively with the times. Our effort was to create a customer experience that provides fresh, honest, seriously local produce with as little plastic packaging as

Millbank Farm has existed on the same site in Killinchy since 1889 and while a lot has changed over the decades, we have continued to produce great quality food in the fields of County Down for six generations and counting. In the early years, the farm was a corn and sutch mill which processed flax for the local linen trade, but today we are a medium mixed farm of around 400 acres, including 80 acres of cereals and 80 acres of veg, as well as grazing for dairy heifers and 200 ewes. We also have two broiler houses for supply of Moy Park chicken, and an exciting development in recent years was opening the farm’s first customer-facing venture: Millbank Farm Shop, in pride of place on Saintfield’s high street. With this most recent diversification into serving the local public, we see the importance of always evolving and moving positively with the times. Our effort was to create a customer experience that provides fresh, honest, seriously local produce – mostly grown at home on our farm or in the immediate area – with as little plastic packaging as possible. The shop provides an ever-changing variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole foods, perfect for the home cook and chefs alike. Quality, seasonality and a love of good food is at the forefront of everything we do. My father Adrian is at the helm of the business, with three daughters raised together with my mum Paddy. My eldest sister Susie is a graphic designer in London and my middle sister Victoria is a teacher at the local primary school, while I’ve recently joined Dad on the farm in Killinchy. The family business is exactly that, with everyone adding their own skills and input to make the legacy of Millbank Farm a success. As a business we are committed to farming sustainably. We work the land in a sympathetic way and take every opportunity to enhance the local biodiversity of the countryside. Some of our environmental initiatives include tree planting, seeding wildflowers and keeping livestock to create higher organic matter in the soils. Our awards include one for ‘future proofing’ from Waitrose and McDonalds Outstanding Farmer of the Year, both in 2019, as well as two for diversification in 2021 which we are very proud to have recognised.

SEASONAL SUPERFOOD SALAD

This versatile crowd pleaser is crunchy, nutty and nourishing. It’s a cracking recipe for packing in many varieties of vegetables, depending on the seasons and what’s available to you!

250g baby beetroot 200g quinoa 100g wild rice 400g Puy lentils 400g chickpeas 1 bulb of fennel 100g kale 15g flat leaf parsley 15g mint 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and black pepper 2 ripe avocados 100g purple sprouting broccoli 150g cottage cheese 4 tsp harissa paste 50g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.) 1 pomegranate, for the seeds 100g feta, crumbled Scrub the beetroot bulbs, parboil until soft, then peel and quarter. Cook the grains in salted boiling water until tender, then drain. In a large bowl, toss the cooked quinoa, rice, lentils, chickpeas and beetroot together. Shred the fennel and kale, then add them to the bowl. Finely chop the parsley and mint, then add them to the bowl along with the vinegar, oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste. Toss everything together. Put a griddle pan on a high heat while you halve, peel and destone the avocados. Grill them cut side down in the hot pan for 5 minutes until bar marked. Meanwhile, blanch the purple sprouting broccoli in salted boiling water for 4 minutes, then drain well.

To serve

Divide the dressed salad mix between 4 serving bowls. Place the grilled avocado halves on top, fill the hollows where the stones were with the cottage cheese, then top with the purple sprouting broccoli. Spoon over the harissa and scatter the mixed seeds on top. Finally, finish the salad with the pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta.

Tips

Buy vacuum-packed beetroot and packets of cooked grain for convenience if you’re short of time. Alter the greens you use depending on what is in season, and serve the salad with poached chicken for extra protein if you like.