Don't spread fear, spread these!

Do you have a lot more time on your hands?

Are you losing your mind a little bit?

Perhaps talking to your pets (or plants) more than normal?

Has quarantine left you stuck with only a simple crumpet or semi-stale slice of bread?

Do not fear! We've got you.

Turn off the telly, put down your phone. We have the solution to your boredom (and tasteless meal) problems.

Team Springfield has rolled up our sleeves and gotten creative in the kitchen with these spreads and toppers to keep your hands busy, taste buds dancing and immunity thriving.

Does your kitchen kind of feel like a foreign country?

Have you forgotten how to cook, or maybe you forgot to learn at all?

Well, these recipes are simple, seasonal and will bring any meal to life.

We are so lucky to have a veggie garden here at Springfield, but if you don't it's no problem.

Chef Eilish has created these recipes to feature ingredients that are seasonal at the moment and easy to find at your local store.

Our in-house Nutritionist, Shannon Rosie has created a tasty, tangy and gut healthy brunch out of ingredients that are all completely farm to table (except the chilli flakes!).

Simple egg, kale and sourdough has been transformed into a taste sensation that is not only good but good for you!

"Today I transformed my simple brekkie of sourdough, an egg and some kale into something totally next level by just adding some fermented onions and a big dollop of pesto. Trust me, both are an absolute game changer to spice up an otherwise bland meal. Flavour-town aside, these little additions have dramatically increased my meals nutritional value by adding so many more greens and healthy fats from the pesto, as well as gut-loving fermented prebiotics from the onion to fuel my microbes (and therefore boost my immunity!)"

MUSHROOM CONSERVOR

1kg of mushrooms (more varieties = more flavour!)

1 cup water

6 cloves garlic

1 red chilli, cut in half

3 sprigs rosemary

3 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp mustard seeds

Slice or tare shrooms to the size you desire. Use a variety of mushrooms for max flavour. Place in tray with water and garlic. Add in red chilli, 3 rosemary, thyme and mustard seeds. Slowly roast for about 30 minutes - 1 hour gently in the oven. Pour all ingredients into a jar.

Great for pastas, eggs in the morning or with steak or lamb. 

PESTO 

150g of any nut you like (we used 75g cashews and 75g pine nuts) 

110g kale 

110g basil 

150g parmesan cheese 

2 lemons, juice and zest 

200ml olive oil 

Roast nuts until golden. Add roasted nuts, raw kale, basil, the juice and zest of both lemons and cheese to a blender with a big pinch of salt and pepper. If you like it spicy add some dried chilli. Start to blend on low whilst adding oil slowly to emulsify. Add a little water if needed to adjust thickness. 

TOMATO CHUTNEY

1 kg ripe tomatoes 

4 mixed colour peppers or capsicums 

1 jalepeno 

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds 

2 brown onions or 1 cup of your fermented onions 

75ml white wine vinegar 

5 cloves garlic 

2 tbsp brown sugar 

1 tbsp cumin seeds 

Roast tomatoes in tray at 180C for 20-25 mins with rosemary. In a pan sweat off onions, garlic, mustard seeds and jalapeño and a nob of butter till soft. Add sliced capsicums and a pinch of salt. Once soft add tomatoes, sugar, cumin seeds and simmer till all liquid is reduced and sauce starts to catch. Remove from heat. 

RHUBARB + CHAMOMILE TEA JAM

Large bunch fresh rhubarb

3 Chamomile tea bags

1 cup water

Sweetener of choice (we used 2 parts brown sugar, 1 part coconut sugar)

Chop rhubarb up into bite size pieces. Add chamomile tea bags or leaves (in a tea net) on top. Add 1 cup of water. Add 2/3 of the weight of the rhubarb in sweetener of choice. We

Bring to a boil and then simmer until jam consistency. Store in a jar.

FERMENTED ONIONS 

Find a jar and how many onions you have. Slice onions and weigh them. Calculate 2% of the weight and add that much salt to the top of the sliced onions in a clean bowl. With clean hands, or gloves, massage the salt into the onions. Leave for 45 minutes. Onions will relax and release water. Squeeze and add onions to bottom of jar and top with relaxed water. Set aside for 1 month. 

FERMENTED CABBAGE 

Choose a large clean jar. Get a large bunch of cabbage. Roughly shred. Weigh your cabbage. Fill your jar 2/3 full with water. Weight your jar. Calculate the weight of your cabbage, plus the weight of your jar. Calculate 2% of total amount. Add that much (in grams of salt) to jar of water. Once salt has fully dissolved add cabbage to salt brine jar. Add 1 jalepeno or chilli w/ seeds in it, 3 tablespoons mustard seeds, 2 sprigs of thyme and 2 sprigs rosemary. Leave for 1 month.

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We hope you (and your gut microbes!) enjoy these deliciously healthy recipes. Try them, and let us know how they go! We would love to see how you use them.

Happy cooking!

Team Springfield x

#guthealth #cooking #recipes