Archive2001

The Global Kitchen

Last week a unique cookbook was launched in Cork called The Global Kitchen. This ‘little gem’, published by Omah Printing celebrates the wealth and diversity of recipes and cooking ideas brought to our shores by refugees and asylum seekers. The launch, at the Vision Centre, North Main Street, was a wonderfully colourful affair. Several of the refugees wore their traditional costumes. Rebecca and Sarah Kasule from Uganda did a traditional dance of welcome to the irresistible beat of the African drumming group.

During the past few years several hundred refugees have arrived in Ireland. When one learns of the extraordinary lengths that many asylum-seekers go to, to reach our shores, one is filled with awe. Would any of us have the courage to endure the danger and deprivation that they have suffered? Desperate situations call for desperate measures and for some at least there is absolutely no alternative but to head off into the unknown and hope for the best. Imagine what it must be like having suffered months or sometimes years of terror to eventually reach safety and then be treated with hostility.

 

In 2000 NASC was set up in Cork as an Irish immigrant support centre. There the refugees can find a safe welcoming haven where they can meet, celebrate their own culture, learn about Ireland, share experiences and develop the language skills needed to communicate. When we’re away from our native country, few things are more comforting than the food ‘that our Mammy used to make’.. Many of our happiest childhood memories are connected to food and the meals we shared around the kitchen table with family and friends. The refugees who arrived in Cork spent many hours reminiscing about the food of their homeland, searching for familiar ingredients. They were thrilled to find The Russian Shop, Iago and Mr. Bell’s stall in the Cork Market. Sometimes all they could do was look. Ego’s Intercontinental Store in Barrack Street and All in One Ventures in Shandon Street were also a source of longed-for flavours to enable them to reproduce the authentic dishes of their native countries. Sometimes they pooled their resources to buy some produce and familiar spices and cooked together and then shared their meals with their Irish friends who loved the new exciting flavours.

 

Gradually the idea of a cookbook was born I was delighted when I heard about this project, a brilliant way for asylum-seekers, refugees and immigrants to share their culinary knowledge, cooking together and testing recipes with Irish ingredients. The Global Kitchen, the result of several months of experimentation, is a little gem, an exciting and eclectic collection of favourite recipes, some honed and perfected from

taste memory, others reproduced with the help of loved ones at home, a perfect present for foodie friends.  Because of our turbulent history, many people in Ireland have real empathy with asylum-seekers and refugees. We remember with gratitude the welcome and opportunities offered to numerous Irish people in the past by other nations, particularly America. It is the test of a mature and civilised nation that it can react with generosity to those less fortunate. Irish society needs to be able to respond to the possibilities and challenges that an intercultural society poses.

 

This exciting little cookbook with recipes from more than 18 countries gives us the opportunity to learn and to share and to taste. Food transcends all boundaries, unites all colours and creeds. Once we share a meal together a bond is formed. The refugees who contributed to this book have had fun working on this endeavour. Shops selling ethnic ingredients in Cork have enabled them to reproduce the authentic flavour of their homeland many thousands of miles away from home. All the money raised from this project will go to support NASC, to enable them to provide extra services, free legal service, internet access, language classes, music groups, friendship….. Seek out The Global Kitchen in bookshops, (£9.50) or contact NASC, St. Mary’s of the Isle, Sharman Crawford Street. Tel. 021 431 7411, Fax 021 431 7402,

e-mail: iisc@eircom.net  Website:http://homepage.eircom.net/-iisc  Here are just a few of the many tempting recipes in the book.

 

Chin-Chin

This recipe came from Silly Ashu from Cameroon now living in Cork.

450g (1lb) self-raising flour

50g (2oz) butter

100g (3½oz) castor sugar

½ teasp. grated nutmeg

3 eggs

groundnut oil to deep fry.

Rub the butter into the flour.

Beat the eggs, sugar and nutmeg together. Stir in the flour, turn out and knead the dough on a floured board. Roll it out thinly and cut it into ribbons. Slice the ribbons across so that you are left with strips of pastry that are about the length of your finger. Cut a small opening in the middle of each ribbon and pull one end through it so that it is bow-shaped. You needn’t be too fussy about this; the important thing is

to make the chin-chin into interesting shapes. Deep-fry them in small batches until golden brown and leave to cool. They will keep fresh for 2-3 weeks if stored in an airtight container.

 

Khorchani Sahbi, a Tunisian chef living in Cork shared some of his favourite recipes.

Brick – Egg in filo pastry

1 sheet of filo pastry, oiled

1 egg

salt and pepper

3-4 capers

½ teasp. harissa

Heat plenty of olive oil in a heavy-based pan Fold the sheet of pastry in two to make a rectangle. Working quickly, break an egg into the middle and season it well, add capers and harissa if you want more punch to your egg. Fold the pastry over the egg making a parcel and pinch the edges to seal.

Slide the parcel into the oil from the plate or board you are working on. Baste the top of the brick with oil as you cook, to set the top. You can deep-fry it if you like but you must use olive oil. Cook until the pastry is crisp but the egg yolk is still runny. Eat it in your hands and keep your head over a plate the first few times that you make it, as it is hard to eat it with dignity! Keep lots of French style bread for mopping up.

 

Slata Tunis – Traditional Tunisian Salad

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

1 red onion

1 cucumber

1 green apple

handful of black or green olives

small tin of tuna in brine, drained

1 hardboiled egg

slices of lemon to garnish

plenty of chopped fresh parsley

Chop everything into small dice about the size of your smallest fingernail and mix well together.

Dress with the juice of a lemon and 30-40 mls of the best olive oil you have, mix well again until everything is coated in oil and glistening. Arrange the salad in a shallow bowl and dress it with flaked tuna and parsley. Alternate slices of tuna and egg around the edges.

Chef of the Year

The tragic events of September 11th have had a myriad of repercussions across the globe. Economies previously riding on the crest of a wave are now going into a tail spin with a domino effect across society.  Thousands and thousands of people are being made redundant, many more than we realize, because only the dramatic cases are being reported. A friend from the UK, whose son has just graduated from a top business school is pessimistic about this son’s chances of getting a job. Just a few months ago, graduates had a huge choice of jobs starting at minimum £35,000 per year straight out of college. Last week there were 300 applicants for a job with a salary of £17,000, even though he was at the top of his class he wasn’t even granted an interview.

The gradual realization that life may never be the same again has resulted in a re-adjustment of peoples’ priorities. Newspapers report a dramatic increase in the number of people looking at self-sufficiency and a 20% increase in church attendance. Materialism, conspicuous consumption, ostentation, suddenly feel even more inappropriate. Spirituality is in, living in the moment, life coaching and reskilling, alternative therapies, personal growth, valuing family time, have all become a major pre-occupation.

 

Last week my sisters organized a wonderful family get-together to celebrate the joys and achievements of the past year, over thirty gathered. Each family was asked to bring enough food for fifteen for a specific course, so it wasn’t too much trouble for any one person. Blathnaid and Elizabeth had spent many happy hours during the previous week composing a hilarious script for the ceremony. All kinds of achievements were rewarded with witty prizes – from fridge magnets to a hula hoop for Timmy who was awarded the Golden Halo award for the most patient husband of the millennium! Prowess on the golf course, the classroom, sports pitch, the garden, the party circuit, and the farm, were awarded, as well as on the business front. My 76 year old mother who went back to school last year got a huge cheer for her four distinctions in her Art, Craft and Design Course and was awarded our‘Student of the Year’.

 

We gave my brother Rory ‘Chef of the Year’, not knowing that he would officially receive this award from Georgina Campbell’s Jameson Food Guide this week. Another brother Tom featured in these awards also when O’Connells restaurant at Bewleys Hotel in Dublin received the Feile Bia Award. We are thrilled for them both. It was all the best fun and a delightful way to highlight the events of the year and to gather the whole family together, so cousins who are scattered all over the country could get to know each other a little more. The shared family feast was eclectic and delicious. Here are two simple recipes cooked by some of the children.

 

Georgina Campbell’s Jameson Guide 2002. ‘Ireland’s finest places to eat, drink and stay’.

 

Alan’s chocolate cake

 

My rugby mad nephew Alan’s yummy chocolate cake which he whizzes up in

between scrums!

6 oz (175g) plain flour

6 oz (175g) castor sugar

6 oz (175g) butter

3 eggs

1 ½ level teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ ozs (35g) cocoa

2 ½ tablespoons natural yoghurt

2 x 7 inch (18cm) sandwich tins, greased and floured.

Mix all cake ingredients together in Magimix till just blended together.

Divide between the two tins.

Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Icing and filling:

2 bars Bourneville chocolate

1 bar dairy milk chocolate

2 small or 1 large egg

Melt chocolate in a bowl over hot water, and whisk in eggs. Fill and ice cake with this mixture. Decorate as desired. Eat and tuck in!

 

Alison’s Apple Cake

 

Serves 8

5 oz (150g) flour

5 oz (150g) castor sugar

5 oz (150g) butter

2 eggs

1 small teaspoon baking powder

4 floz (125ml) buttermilk or yoghurt

1 tablespoon Amaretto

2 Bramley cooking apples, peeled and diced.

9 inch (23cm) cake tin, buttered

Put everything except the apple and Amaretto into a magimix. Whizz bang for a few seconds.. Toss in Amaretto. Fold the diced apples into the cake mixture. Pour into the tin. Bake 180ºC/ 350/ regulo 4, for 20 minutes approx. Sprinkle with castor sugar.

Serve with softly whipped cream.

Irish Apples

This has been a fantastic year for apples, the annual crop depends on many things.  It would certainly appear to be cyclical.  The weather is a primary factor.  A mild, frost free Spring is crucial.  When the apple blossom lasts for 2-3 weeks the bees have the opportunity to work, the result is good pollination and a heavy set of apples.

Years ago we had 65 acres of apples here in Shanagarry with about 10 different varieties cropping from mid-August to early November.

Varieties like Beauty of Bath, Miller Seedling, George Cave, Norfolk Royal, Coxs Orange Pippin, Worcester Pearmain, Laxton Fortune, Laxton Superb, James Grieve, Lady Sudley

Gradually we were told that the consumer only wanted Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and one or two others.  Supermarkets were not interested in apples with a shortlife or uneven size – everything had to be perfect and uniform, didn’t much matter about the taste.

Eventually, we pulled out our lovely old apple trees but Timmy couldn’t bear to lose them all even if they were commercially unviable, so we still have a small orchard of Worcester Pearmain, a few Cox’s Orange Pippin and Bramley Seedling for cooking.

In recent years I’ve bought several treasures from the Irish Seedsavers who have managed to rescue many old Irish varieties from the brink of extinction.  Those of you who are interested can contact Anita Hayes at Irish Seedsavers, Capparoe, Scarrif, Co Clare, tel. 061-921866.

Meanwhile, the good news is that Musgrave-Supervalu-Centra recently announced that they will actively support and promote the Irish apple industry by selling Ireland’s first branded Irish apples throughout its 500 independent stores nationwide.

Úlla is the brand name to look out for, much of these apples are grown by David Keane at Cappoquin Fruit and Vogelaar Fruit Farm in Wexford.

The Irish apple industry has been struggling under pressure of competition from imported fruit, much of which has less flavour than our slowly ripened fruit.  This new initiative is designed to support Irish growers so that we will at least be able to buy some Irish apples in Ireland – great to see supermarkets linking up with growers to promote local Irish produce – hope this will be the beginning of a whole new era.

 

 Chocolate Apple Betty

 

Serves 4, with cream or vanilla ice-cream

2¼ lb (1kg) Bramley apples, peeled and cored
1½ oz approx. (30g) butter

For the crumb layer:
4½ oz (125g) soft white breadcrumbs
3½ oz (100g) light soft brown sugar
3½ oz (100g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2½ oz (75g) butter, melted
3 heaped tablespoons golden syrup

Cut the apples into large chunks, put them in a pan and toss with the butter and a couple of tablespoons of water over a moderate heat.  When the apples start to soften but are still keeping their shape, tip them into a 1.5 litre baking dish.

Mix the crumbs, sugar and chocolate and cover the apples loosely with the mixture.  Melt the butter with the golden syrup in a small saucepan, then pour it over the crumbs, making certain to soak them all.  Bake in an oven preheated to 190°C/375F/Gas 5 for thirty-five minutes, till the apple is soft and the crumbs are golden and crisp.

 

 Irish Apple Cake

 

Serves 6 approx.

8 ozs (225g) flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 ozs (110g) butter
4½ ozs (125g) castor sugar
1 egg, preferably free-range
2-4 fl. ozs (50-120ml) milk, approx.
1-2 cooking apples – we use Bramley Seedling or Grenadier
2-3 cloves (optional)
Egg wash

Ovenproof plate
Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.  Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs, add 3 ozs (85g) castor sugar, make a well in the centre and mix to a soft dough with the beaten egg and enough milk to form a soft dough. Divide in two.  Put one half onto a greased ovenproof plate and pat out to cover.   Peel, core and chop up the apples, place them on the dough and add 1½ ozs (45g) sugar, depending on the sweetness of the apples.  Roll out the remaining pastry and fit on top, this is easier said than done as this ‘pastry’ is more like scone dough and as a result is very soft.  Press the sides together, cut a slit through the lid, egg wash and bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 40 minutes approx. or until cooked through and nicely browned. Dredge with castor sugar and serve warm with Barbados sugar and softly whipped cream.

 

Dutch Apple Cake

 

Another good apple pudding which we cook in a roasting tin.  The recipe can be adapted for other fruit eg. apricots, peaches or plums.

Serves 10-12 approx.

2 large eggs, preferably free range
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
4 ozs (110g) butter
¼ pint (150ml) creamy milk
6½ ozs (185g) plain white flour, preferably unbleached
3 teasp. baking powder
3-4 Bramley Seedling  cooking apples
1 oz (30g) sugar

Roasting tin 8 x 12 inch (20.5 x 30.5cm)
or 10½ x 6½ inch (26.5 cm x 15 cm) Lasagne dish

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/regulo 6.
Grease and flour the roasting tin. Whisk the eggs and the castor sugar together until the mixture is thick and fluffy and the whisk leaves a figure of 8. Put the butter and milk into a saucepan,  bring to the boil and whisk at once into the eggs and sugar. Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold carefully into the batter so that there are no lumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared roasting tin.

Peel and core the apples, cut into thin slices and arrange them over the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/350F/regulo 4, for a further 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Cool in the tin, then cut into slices. Serve with softly whipped cream.

 

 

 

Kangaroo Island

Last week, food and wine and travel writers from all over the world descended on Adelaide in varying degrees of bleary-eyed jet lag. We were happily lured there to attend a week long celebration of Australian food called Tasting Australia. We flew with Quantas from London on Wednesday night, touched down in Singapore and eventually arrived in Adelaide at 5.00am on Friday morning, amazingly, I was as ‘fresh as a daisy’, because somehow Quantas seem to have managed to design a seat which can be adjusted so you can get a reasonable night’s sleep. A friend had packed me a fantastic picnic from a little Lebanese restaurant in Camden Town called Le Mignon, so I interspersed that with the Neil Perry Quantas airline food.

Even though I didn’t manage to eat it all there was no way I could bring it into Australia. Here is a country that fully understands the importance of strict quarantine laws. They are not about to sacrifice their disease-free status for any reason. There are dire warnings about bringing in, not only food or plants, but also seeds or seed ornaments, eg necklaces or articles stuffed with seeds. Plant produce doesn’t just mean living things – straw packaging, wooden articles, handcrafts, eg wreaths and dried flower arrangements, shells, feather boas, stuffed animals, hides, furs, unprocessed wool and yarns. ……Animal grooming or veterinary equipment, saddles, bridles and birdcages, hiking equipment must all be declared and checked. Bee products are strictly forbidden. Specially trained beagles wait in the luggage claim area to sniff your baggage and there are on-the-spot fines and confiscation for anyone caught flaunting the quarantine laws. By being strict and unwavering on this issue, the Australian government has managed to keep out exotic pests and diseases that could affect plant, animal and human health and the environment.

Kangaroo Island, the third largest island off Adelaide, a 45 minute plane ride from Adelaide, produces some amazing produce and has even stricter quarantine laws. The island, 46% of which has never been cleared of natural vegetation, was discovered in 1802. In the early part of the last century 12 hives of Ligurian bees were brought from Italy – the Italians have since lost this strain through disease, so now the Kangaroo Island is the only pure strain left in the world. There are no foxes or rabbits on the island, consequently there is a thriving free range chicken and egg business on the island, and honey of course. More recently a young couple have started to grow olives and make a fantastic olive oil. The island is still unspoilt despite the fact that tourism is the main industry.

Agriculture was developed after the second world war in 1948, merino sheep were introduced for wool and a vibrant seed potato industry operated. The island is very beautiful and visitors come because it is still underdeveloped. Long avenues of Eucalyptus, Angus and Hereford cattle grazing in the fields, koala bears gorging themselves on the leaves of the gum trees. In Seal Bay one can see the sea lions luxuriating on the beach after a three day fishing trip at sea. At the other end of the island there are fur seals and the breathtaking beautiful rock formation called the Admiral’s Arch and Remarkable Rocks.  We had flown over from Adelaide to visit the small food producers of Kangaroo Island which is known for its clean green environment. An Englishman John Melbourne has started a marran (similar to crayfish)

farm with 65 ponds. Tuna and scallops are also farmed quite successfully and there are several cheesemakers, including Island Sheep Cheese just beside the Airport, who make three different types of sheeps’ milk cheese, Haloumi, Kefolateri, Manchego and a thick unctuous yoghurt. We had a delicious breakfast at a local B & B called Stranrear, run by the Wheaten family. Anne Wheaten did the best Eggs Benedict I ever ate, the eggs were from their own chickens, the spinach which tastes reminiscent of the sea, was from their garden and the locally cured bacon was delivered by a neighbour that morning. After breakfast an Apple and Mulberry Crunch and lots of lovely preserves, as well as their own eucalyptus honey. We even saw some kangaroos.

 

Eggs Benedict 


Serves 4

Rich and gorgeous, often eaten for breakfast but best for brunch – again the quality of all the components can lift this from the mundane to the extraordinary.

4 free range eggs, preferably organic

4 English muffins or 4 rounds of toast made from good bread preferably

not sliced pan 4 slices cooked ham or 4-8 slices of bacon

Hollandaise sauce- see recipe below.

First make the Hollandaise sauce.

 

If using bacon heat a very little sunflower oil in a hot frying pan. Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile poach the eggs and make the toast or split the muffins. Spread the hot toast or

toasted muffins with butter. Top with a slice of ham or 2 slices of crispy bacon. Gently place the poached egg on top and coat with Hollandaise sauce. Serve extra hot toast and sauce separately.

 

Hollandaise Sauce

 

Serves 4-6, depending on what it is to be served with

Hollandaise is the mother of all the warm emulsion sauces . The version we use here is easy to make and quite delicious with fish. Once the sauce is made it must be kept warm: the temperature should not go above 350C/180F or the sauce will curdle. A thermos flask can provide a simple solution on a small scale, otherwise put the sauce into a delph or plastic bowl in a saucepan over hot but not simmering water.

Hollandaise Sauce cannot be reheated absolutely successfully so it’s best to make just the quantity you need. If however you have a little left over, use it to enrich other sauces or beat into mashed potato or use it to pick up a fish pie.

2 egg yolks, preferably free-range and organic

110g (4oz) butter cut into dice

1 dessertspoon cold water

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

Put the egg yolks in a heavy stainless saucepan on a low heat, or in a bowl over hot water. Add water and whisk thoroughly. Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece. The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water if necessary. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally add the lemon juice to taste. If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to coating consistency.

It is important to remember that if you are making hollandaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce. Another good tip if you are making hollandaise sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if becomes too hot.

 

Yoghurt with Honey and Toasted Hazelnuts

 

In Australia we tasted delicious Eucalyptus honey with toasted almonds from the Barossa Valey, but seek out some good local Irish honey for this recipe.  Delicious for breakfast or dessert

Best quality natural greek style yoghurt

Strongly flavoured local Irish honey

Toasted almonds or hazelnuts, sliced

Serve a portion of chilled natural yoghurt per person. Just before serving drizzle generously with really good honey and sprinkle with toasted almonds or hazelnuts.

 

Apple and Blackberry or Mulberry Muesli

 

Serves 4

4 ozs (110g) fresh blackberries, mulberries or grated dessert apple (preferably Worcester Permain or Cox’s Orange Pippin)

3 heaped tablesp.rolled oatmeal (Quaker Oats)

6 tablespoons water

teasp approx. honey

Soak the oatmeal in the water for 10 or 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mash the blackberries or mulberries roughly with a fork and mix with the oatmeal. Sweeten to taste with honey, a scant teaspoon is usually enough but it depends on how sweet the berries are. Serve with cream and soft brown sugar.

 

Bridge Creek Ginger Muffins

 

Makes 10 approx.

110g (4 oz) unpeeled ginger root cut into chunks

170g (6 oz) castor sugar

zest of 2 lemons

110g (4 oz) butter

2 eggs, preferably free range

250ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk

285g (10 oz) white flour

½ teasp. Salt

½ teasp. bread soda

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Grease 1 tray of muffin tins or line with non – stick muffin cases.

Whizz up the ginger in a food processor then put it into a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of sugar over a medium heat until the sugar melts. Allow to cool. Cream the butter, add the remainder of the sugar and the finely grated lemon zest, add the eggs one by one and beat well between each addition. Next add the buttermilk and ginger mixture, blend well. Finally stir in the flour, salt and bread soda, until just mixed. Fill the greased muffins tins with the batter, bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven, serve warm. (Adapted from The Breakfast Book By Marion Cunningham)

 

 

The Ballymaloe Bread Book

Last week we had a special celebration in O’Connell’s Restaurant in Dublin for the launch of two new cookbooks – my latest tome entitled the Darina Allen Ballymaloe Cookery Course and the Ballymaloe Bread Book written by my husband Tim. For Michael Gill of Gill & Macmillan who published the books in Ireland, it was the first time a husband and wife had launched their work on the same day. In fact it was very much a family affair. My mother-in-law Myrtle Allen who started it all was there to celebrate with us. My brother Tom O’Connell and his wife Annette manage O’Connell’s Restaurant where we hosted the event. Another brother Rory O’Connell, chef at Ballymaloe House cooked the lunch.

We ate Potato Soup with Fingal Ferguson’s Gubbeen chorizo sausage, Roast organic saddleback pork with crackling (from our farm here in Shanagarry), Tomato and coriander fondue, Buttered runner beans, a Salad of Autumn leaves, Rustic roast potatoes, Ballymaloe praline ice-cream with blueberries followed by Irish farmhouse cheese.

For a number of years now Tim has become more and more passionate about bread. Here at the cookery school he has fired up a whole generation of young chefs and cooks with his infectious enthusiasm. “My awareness of bread-making goes right back to when I was a tiny child…. I remember being able to just peer over the top of the work counter in the kitchen…. I could see the tea-towels draped mysteriously over the dome of the bread tin. No mystery now – of course, this was the brown yeast bread rising by the warmth of the Aga.” Nonetheless Tim came to bread-making fairly late in life. He always says that his interest in bread-making was kindled almost by accident. One day (circa 1974) when I had gone off on a skite, he found himself without a car and with no bread in the bin, (such neglect!). Instead of nipping down to the village to buy a sliced pan, he decided to attempt to make a loaf himself. He knew almost instinctively how to make bread, having watched his mother mixing the dough on a daily basis as a child. He had often been asked to keep an eye on the bread as it rose in the tins and to alert somebody when it was ready for baking. That was second nature but he didn’t know the exact quantities, so he rang his Mum. Armed with the recipe, he made his first loaf of Ballymaloe Brown Yeast bread, popped it into the Aga and waited with bated breath – the loaf was crusty and delicious, he was hooked.

He eagerly progressed from one bread to another, soda breads, yeast breads, sour dough breads, flat breads, ethnic breads. … He hugely enjoyed passing on his knowledge and passion for bread-making to friends, and of course to the students here at the school. He delights in their pleasure as they take their first loaf of bread out of the oven. “The look on their faces and the joy and amazement that lights up their eyes”, gives him huge satisfaction. Past pupils have been sending their good wishes and thanking him for kindling their interest in bread-making ‘More often than not I find myself at home, in the middle of the country with my babies, my Aga, flour and baking soda for company. I bake bread every day thanks to your instruction, encouragement and inspiration’ writes one of our girls who has since married and has three small daughters.

He’s been experimenting with a wide variety of breads and is determined to take the mystery out of bread-making and to encourage as many busy people as possible to have a go and to realize that a loaf of soda bread or a few scones can literally be made in minutes. Even yeast breads and sourdough breads which take longer to make – “take time but not your time”. While the bread is rising one can simply get on with other things. Tim’s Ballymaloe Bread Book has more than 100 delicious recipes for all kinds of breads including pizza, focaccia and some exotic ethnic breads. I just think it’s a terrific book, and that’s not just because I’m biased or because he dedicated it to me!

The final chapter is specially devoted to the author’s essential bread companions like raspberry jam, garlic butter, chocolate butter and roasted tomato sauce – irresistible!

The Ballymaloe Bread Book by Tim Allen, published by Gill and Macmillan,

£12.99 Click here to order

 

Teeny, Weenie, Spicy Cheese and Onion Scones

 

These scones are made with cayenne pepper to give them a real kick. Try

eating them with a soft creamy goats cheese, they are ideal for serving

as a canapé with drinks. The scones freeze very well and will defrost

within about half an hour so they are a great stand by. Especially good

to have some frozen around Christmas time for those unexpected guest

that arrive on your doorstep calling in for Christmas cheer.

Makes approximately 50 small scones

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, very finely chopped

450g 1lb plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 rounded teaspoon English mustard powder

1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

50g 2 oz butter

40g 1½ oz Parmesan cheese

40g 1½oz mature cheddar cheese

225 ml 8 floz milk

1 large egg

Topping

Egg wash

30g 1oz Parmesan cheese

 

2 Lightly greased baking sheets

Fully preheat the oven to 200ºC 400ºF regulo 6

In a large heavy based frying pan heat the olive oil, add the finely

chopped onions. Cook on a high heat for about ten minutes, stirring

frequently. The onions need to be just beginning to turn a golden

colour and have started to caramelise around the edges. Turn out onto a

plate and leave to cool.

While the onions are cooling sieve the flour, salt, mustard and cayenne

pepper into a large wide mixing bowl. Add the freshly ground black

pepper and rub in the butter. Stir in the freshly grated cheeses and

the onions. Combine all these ingredients really well together.

Beat the egg in a bowl and add it to the milk. Make a well in the

centre of the flour, cheese and onion mixture and pour in almost all the

liquid. Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full

circle drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk

if necessary. Bring gently together into a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat lightly, just enough

to tidy the dough.

Gently press the scone dough into a rectangle about 2.5cm 1inch high.

Paint the dough with egg wash and scatter with the grated parmesan

cheese. With a metal dough scraper cut the dough into teeny scones,

about 2.5cm 1 inch square.

Place the scones on to a lightly oiled and floured baking sheet cheese

side up. Put in to your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire

rack.

 

Coffee & Walnut Scones

 

Theses are a really quick and easy scone to serve with afternoon tea.

Instead of baking a cake these scones can be ready from start to finish

in under half an hour. As everyone is getting busier all the time these

days it is great to have a few staple recipes that can be made with very

little effort and even less time. So no excuse for not baking!

Makes 16

450g 1lb plain white flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt

30g 1oz castor sugar

85g 3oz butter, chilled

70g 2½oz walnuts – coarsely chopped

2 medium eggs

6 – 7 floz fresh milk

1-2 tablespoons coffee essence

Coffee Icing

225g 7½oz icing sugar

1 tablespoon coffee essence

2 tablespoons boiling water

Fully preheated the oven 250°c/475°f/regulo 9

In a large wide plastic mixing bowl sieve the flour baking powder and

salt together. Add in the castor sugar. Cut the chilled butter in to

cubes. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix in the chopped

walnuts. Make a well in the centre.

In a measuring jug break the eggs and whisk lightly, add the coffee

essence and the milk bringing the liquid measurement up to the 285ml

10floz mark. Pour nearly all of the milk and egg mixture into the

flour.

Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle

drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if

necessary. Bring gently together into a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat lightly, just enough

to bring together.

Gently roll the scone dough into a rectangle about 2cm ¾ inch high.

With a metal dough cutter lightly dusted with flour cut the scone dough

into about 16 scones 4cm x 4cm 1½ x 1½ inches.

Place the scones on to a lightly floured baking sheet. Put in to your

preheated oven for 5 minutes then turn down the heat to

230°c/450°f/regulo 8 for a further 5 – 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

While the scones are cooling make the coffee icing, sieve the icing

sugar into a medium size mixing bowl. Add in the coffee essence and

whisk in the boiling water a tablespoon at a time.

How thick a consistency you want the icing to be is very much down to

personal preference, but if is generally best if not too runny. When

the scones have cooled spread the top of each scone generously with the

icing.

 

Stripy Cat

 

Makes one loaf

When Paul and Jeannie Rankin taught at the school some years ago their

two eldest children were in the kitchen with me while I was making

spotted dog. They asked me if I ever used chocolate instead of raisin

in my spotted dog. Always happy to try anything once I set about

creating this bread. Once it was out of the oven and by all accounts a

success I asked the girls what should I call it, “Stripy Cat of course”

they declared in unison. So Stripy Cat was born.

450g 1lb plain white flour, preferably unbleached

1 level teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda, (finely sieved)

1 dessertspoon sugar

85-110g 3-4oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped

350-425 ml 12-14fl oz approximately butter milk

1 free-range egg (your egg is part of your liquid measurement)

First fully preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/regulo 7.

In a large mixing bowl sieve in the flour and breadsoda. Add the salt,

sugar and chocolate. Mix well by lifting the flour and chocolate up in

to your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your

fingers. This adds more air and therefore hopefully more lightness to

your finished bread.

Now make a well in the centre of the flour.

Break the egg into the bottom of your measuring jug add the buttermilk

to the 425ml 14floz line (your egg is part of your liquid measurement).

Pour most of this milk and egg into the flour. Using one hand with the

fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the flour from

the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should

be softish, not too wet and sticky. The trick with all soda breads is

not to over mix the dough. Mix it as quickly and as gently as possible

thus keeping it light and airy.

When the dough all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured work

surface. Wash and dry your hands.

Place the dough on to a baking tray dusted lightly with flour. With a

sharp knife cut a deep cross on it, let the cuts go over the sides of

the bread. Prick with knife at the four triangles as according to Irish

Folklore this is to let the fairies out!

Put in to the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to

200°C/400°F/regulo 6, for 35 minutes or until cooked. If you are in

doubt about the bread being cooked, tap the bottom: if it is cooked it

will sound hollow.

Serve freshly baked, cut into thick slices and smeared with butter.

 

 

Happy First Birthday Midleton Farmer’s Market

Today is the first birthday of the Midleton Farmers Market – a whole year has whizzed by since we set up our stalls for the first time behind the court house. After initial discussions about the location with the local community it was set up with the full support of the Chamber of Commerce and the Urban Council. From an initial twelve stalls the market has blossomed and gone from strength to strength. The Country Market joined in from the very beginning.

Farmers Markets are set up for the express intention of providing an outlet for farmers and small food producers to sell local seasonal produce to the consumers who are desperately seeking this kind of food. These markets are different from some of the established markets, they do not sell clothes, cd’s, tools, bric-a-brac… they simply sell local food to local people , the producers themselves or an appropriate representative must man the stall. They enable farmers and food producers to sell their goods locally which benefits both them and the local community. They keep the money circulating within the local area and attract people to adjacent retail businesses. Farmers Markets benefit the environment by encouraging sustainable agriculture and small scale less intensive production. They reduce the effects of the long distance transport of food and the need for excess packaging.

The variety of produce is amazing and of course most abundant during the growing season. As you enter the market area, Mrs. Burns who has been a trader for many years sells a variety of local vegetables, bundles of fresh carrots and turnips…… in season. Wendy English and her mother are next with their table piled high with freshly baked scones, cakes, biscuits, jam and chutney. Next comes Frank O’Neill with a variety of goodies, carrot cakes, delicious little pies, some beautifully grown vegetables from his own garden and little pots of jellies and jams.

The Ballymaloe Cookery School Gardens stall is next, with organic vegetables, lots of free range eggs, brown bread, jams and chutneys. Little bunches of sweet pea, Nora Aherne’s duck, Frank Krycwzk’s salamis, chorizo, fresh herbs, salad dressings, elderflower cordial and occasionally organic free range pork from our own saddleback pigs. Frank Hederman from Belvelly near Cobh has a tempting array of smoked fish, chicken,duck, and mussels. Sarah Mossman swings into action by his side making crepes which literally sell like hot cakes. Fiona Burke who does three markets a week, Macroom and Bantry, as well as Midleton, sells a gorgeous selection of Irish farmhouse cheese, as well as carefully chosen Continental cheese, eg. aged Gouda, Comte, Double Gloucester and some seaweed products, and Fingal Ferguson’s Gubbeen Bacon. Clodagh McKenna from Ballymaloe House has a little stall sandwiched between Fiona Burke and the Yorks. She sells delicious home made fresh pasta, parsley pesto, tomato fondue, toffee apples, brown soda bread and seasonal soups and dressings.

Tim and Fiona York have recently joined the market and sell a tantalizing array of organic vegetables and plants and plan to expand their range. Local cheesemaker Jane Murphy sells a fresh and a mature version of her exquisite Ardsallagh goat cheese – a delicate gorgeous cheese that tastes of the rich pastures that the goats are fed on. The irrepressible plantsman Ted Murphy trades beside her with an colourful selection of pot plants, herbs and flowers. Helen Aherne and Frances Lucey man the Country Market stall brimming with cakes and biscuits and occasionally a few duck eggs and wild mushrooms in season.. David and Siobhan Barry have a truck full of vegetables and fruit. Kate O’Donovan, of the market, sells her delicious homemade marinades, dressings and dips, and Margaret Keane’s quiches, side by side with Marog O’Brien of the Farmgate Restaurant here in Midleton, who sells Declan Ryan’s fantastic breads – soda, yeast and sourdough and some of her own famous chocolate cake. Next comes local farmer Dan O’Neill and his wife Anne. They invested in a refrigerated truck and now sell their organic beef. He responded to the numerous requests for free range organic chickens and now can scarcely fulfill the demand. Oren Little of the Little Apple Co. drive down from Kilkenny every Saturday to sell their cooking and eating apples and delicious apple juice. Chris Cashman’s cakes made with butter sell out in no time and finally Willie Scannell sells his Ballycotton potatoes, he like many others was a victim of the supermarkets’ central distribution policy, now the Midleton Farmers Market allows him the opportunity to sell his potatoes directly to the consumer, his future is secure, and this year he will have a selection of vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, white turnips, radishes and onions. The variety of produce is truly amazing. The market has been enthusiastically supported, not only by the local community, but by the local shops who report an increase in business on market day.

Midleton Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 10am-2pm on Hospital Road.

Ardsallagh Goat Cheese with Rocket Leaves, Roast Pepper and Tapenade Oil

Serves 5
10ozs (285g) Ardsallagh goat cheese (or a similar fresh mild goat cheese)
seasoned flour
beaten egg
flaked almonds
white breadcrumbs
2 large red peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
Tapenade Oil
4 ozs (110g/3/4 cup) stoned black olives
1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) capers
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
6 fl ozs (170ml) olive oil
A selection of lettuces and rocket leaves
Dressing
4 tablesp. (5 american tablesp. + 1 teasp.) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablesp.(1 American tablesp. + 1 teasp.) Balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove garlic crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish
Wild garlic flowers in season

First divide the Ardsallagh goat cheese into 25 balls, chill. Next make the Tapenade oil Coarsely chop the stoned black olives, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil as you whisk and process to a course or smooth puree as you prefer. Coat the cheese in seasoned flour, beaten egg, flaked almonds, breadcrumbs. Arrange in a single layer on a flat plate. Cover and chill well. Roast the peppers in a preheated oven 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for approximately 20 minutes. Put into a bowl, cover the top with cling film and allow to steam for 5 or 10 minutes. Peel, remove seeds and cut into strips. Next make the dressing Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat the oil in a deep fry or a pan to 200C Fry the goat cheese croquettes in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Toss the lettuces and salad leaves in a bowl with just enough dressing to make the leaves glisten. Divide between the six plates. Put five croquettes on each plate, decorate with strips or red pepper, rocket leaves and a drizzle of Tapenade oil. Scatter some wild garlic flowers over the top and serve immediately

Globe Artichokes with Melted Butter

Whole Globe artichokes are quite fiddly to eat. First you pull off each leaf separately and dip in the sauce. Eventually you are rewarded for your patience when you come to the heart! Don’t forget to scrape off the tickly ‘choke’; then cut the heart into manageable pieces, sprinkle with a little sea salt before you dip it into the remainder of your sauce. Simply Delicious!

Serves 6
6 globe artichokes
2 pints (1.1L/5 cups) water
2 teasp. salt
2 teaspoons approx. white wine vinegar
Melted Butter
6 ozs (170g/) butter
Freshly squeezed juice of * lemon approx.

Some restaurants do very complicated preparation but I merely trim the base just before cooking so the artichokes will sit steadily on the plate, rub the cut end with lemon juice or vinegar to prevent it from discolouring. Have a large saucepan of boiling water ready, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt to every 2 pints of water, pop in the artichokes and bring the water back to the boil. Simmer steadily for about 25 minutes.  After about 20 minutes you could try testing to see if they are done. I do this by tugging off one of the larger leaves at the base, it should come away easily, if it doesn’t continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and drain upside down on a plate. While they are cooking simply melt the butter and add lemon juice to taste.  To Serve Put each warm artichoke onto a hot serving plate, serve the sauce or melted butter in a little bowl beside it. Artichokes are eaten with your fingers, so you might like to provide a finger bowl. A spare plate to collect all the nibbled leaves will also be useful.

Globe Artichokes with Vinaigrette Dressing


Ingredients as above excluding the melted butter.
Vinaigrette Dressing
2 fl ozs (50ml/) wine vinegar
6 fl ozs (150ml/) olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils, e.g. sunflower and arachide
1 level teasp. (* American teasp.) mustard (Dijon or English)
1 large clove garlic
1 scallion or small spring onion
Sprig of parsley, finely chopped
Sprig of watercress, finely chopped
1 level teasp. salt
Few grinds of pepper

Put all the ingredients into a blender and run at medium speed for 1 minute approx. or mix oil and vinegar in a bowl, add mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and mashed garlic, chopped parsley, spring onion and watercress. Whisk before serving. Cook the artichokes as above. Serve little bowls of vinaigrette dressing with the warm artichokes.

Gooseberry and Elderflower Sponge

Serves 6-8

3 eggs, preferably free range
3 fl ozs (75ml) water
8 ozs (225g/1 cup) sugar
5 ozs (140g/1 cup) flour
1 teasp. baking powder
filling
1 lb (450g) green gooseberries
2 elderflower heads
1/2 pint (300ml/11/4 cups) cold water
1 lb (225g/1 cup) sugar
4 fl ozs (110ml/1/2 cup) whipped cream
2 teasp. icing sugar

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the sugar for 2 minutes in a food mixer and then add in the water. Whisk until light and fluffy, 10 minutes approx. Gently Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder into the mousse in batches. Whisk the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Fold them in very gently. Bake in two greased and floured 8 inch (20.5cm) sandwich tins in a moderately hot oven 190C/375F/regulo 5 for 20 minutes.  Next make the filling, first top and tail the gooseberries. Tie 2 or 3 elderflower heads in a little square of muslin, put in a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan, add the sugar and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Add the gooseberries and simmer just until the fruit bursts. Allow to get cold. Fill the sponge with whipped cream and well drained gooseberry and elderflower compote.* Sieve the icing sugar on top before serving. * You may have some over, reserve and serve with cream as a separate dessert.


Happy Birthday to the Midleton’s Farmers Market

Today is the first birthday of the Midleton Farmers Market – a whole year has whizzed by since we set up our stalls for the first time behind the court house. After initial discussions about the location with the local community it was set up with the full support of the Chamber of Commerce and the Urban Council. From an initial twelve stalls the market has blossomed and gone from strength to strength. The Country Market joined in from the very beginning.

Farmers Markets are set up for the express intention of providing an outlet for farmers and small food producers to sell local seasonal produce to the consumers who are desperately seeking this kind of food. These markets are different from some of the established markets, they do not sell clothes, cd’s, tools, bric-a-brac… they simply sell local food to local people , the producers themselves or an appropriate representative must man the stall. They enable farmers and food producers to sell their goods locally which benefits both them and the local community. They keep the money circulating within the local area and attract people to adjacent retail businesses. Farmers Markets benefit the environment by encouraging sustainable agriculture and small scale less intensive production. They reduce the effects of the long distance transport of food and the need for excess packaging.

The variety of produce is amazing and of course most abundant during the growing season. As you enter the market area, Mrs. Burns who has been a trader for many years sells a variety of local vegetables, bundles of fresh carrots and turnips…… in season. Wendy English and her mother are next with their table piled high with freshly baked scones, cakes, biscuits, jam and chutney. Next comes Frank O’Neill with a variety of goodies, carrot cakes, delicious little pies, some beautifully grown vegetables from his own garden and little pots of jellies and jams.

The Ballymaloe Cookery School Gardens stall is next, with organic vegetables, lots of free range eggs, brown bread, jams and chutneys. Little bunches of sweet pea, Nora Aherne’s duck, Frank Krycwzk’s salamis, chorizo, fresh herbs, salad dressings, elderflower cordial and occasionally organic free range pork from our own saddleback pigs. Frank Hederman from Belvelly near Cobh has a tempting array of smoked fish, chicken,duck, and mussels. Sarah Mossman swings into action by his side making crepes which literally sell like hot cakes. Fiona Burke who does three markets a week, Macroom and Bantry, as well as Midleton, sells a gorgeous selection of Irish farmhouse cheese, as well as carefully chosen Continental cheese, eg. aged Gouda, Comte, Double Gloucester and some seaweed products, and Fingal Ferguson’s Gubbeen Bacon. Clodagh McKenna from Ballymaloe House has a little stall sandwiched between Fiona Burke and the Yorks. She sells delicious home made fresh pasta, parsley pesto, tomato fondue, toffee apples, brown soda bread and seasonal soups and dressings.

Tim and Fiona York have recently joined the market and sell a tantalizing array of organic vegetables and plants and plan to expand their range. Local cheesemaker Jane Murphy sells a fresh and a mature version of her exquisite Ardsallagh goat cheese – a delicate gorgeous cheese that tastes of the rich pastures that the goats are fed on. The irrepressible plantsman Ted Murphy trades beside her with an colourful selection of pot plants, herbs and flowers. Helen Aherne and Frances Lucey man the Country Market stall brimming with cakes and biscuits and occasionally a few duck eggs and wild mushrooms in season.. David and Siobhan Barry have a truck full of vegetables and fruit. Kate O’Donovan, of the market, sells her delicious homemade marinades, dressings and dips, and Margaret Keane’s quiches, side by side with Marog O’Brien of the Farmgate Restaurant here in Midleton, who sells Declan Ryan’s fantastic breads – soda, yeast and sourdough and some of her own famous chocolate cake. Next comes local farmer Dan O’Neill and his wife Anne. They invested in a refrigerated truck and now sell their organic beef. He responded to the numerous requests for free range organic chickens and now can scarcely fulfill the demand. Oren Little of the Little Apple Co. drive down from Kilkenny every Saturday to sell their cooking and eating apples and delicious apple juice. Chris Cashman’s cakes made with butter sell out in no time and finally Willie Scannell sells his Ballycotton potatoes, he like many others was a victim of the supermarkets’ central distribution policy, now the Midleton Farmers Market allows him the opportunity to sell his potatoes directly to the consumer, his future is secure, and this year he will have a selection of vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, white turnips, radishes and onions. The variety of produce is truly amazing. The market has been enthusiastically supported, not only by the local community, but by the local shops who report an increase in business on market day.

Midleton Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 10am-2pm on Hospital Road.

Ardsallagh Goat Cheese with Rocket Leaves, Roast Pepper and Tapenade Oil
Serves 5
10ozs (285g) Ardsallagh goat cheese (or a similar fresh mild goat cheese)
seasoned flour
beaten egg
flaked almonds
white breadcrumbs
2 large red peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
Tapenade Oil
4 ozs (110g/3/4 cup) stoned black olives
1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) capers
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
6 fl ozs (170ml) olive oil
A selection of lettuces and rocket leaves
Dressing
4 tablesp. (5 american tablesp. + 1 teasp.) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablesp.(1 American tablesp. + 1 teasp.) Balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove garlic crushed
salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish
Wild garlic flowers in season

First divide the Ardsallagh goat cheese into 25 balls, chill. Next make the Tapenade oil Coarsely chop the stoned black olives, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil as you whisk and process to a course or smooth puree as you prefer. Coat the cheese in seasoned flour, beaten egg, flaked almonds, breadcrumbs. Arrange in a single layer on a flat plate. Cover and chill well. Roast the peppers in a preheated oven 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for approximately 20 minutes. Put into a bowl, cover the top with cling film and allow to steam for 5 or 10 minutes. Peel, remove seeds and cut into strips. Next make the dressing Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat the oil in a deep fry or a pan to 200C Fry the goat cheese croquettes in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Toss the lettuces and salad leaves in a bowl with just enough dressing to make the leaves glisten. Divide between the six plates. Put five croquettes on each plate, decorate with strips or red pepper, rocket leaves and a drizzle of Tapenade oil. Scatter some wild garlic flowers over the top and serve immediately

Globe Artichokes with Melted Butter

Whole Globe artichokes are quite fiddly to eat. First you pull off each leaf separately and dip in the sauce. Eventually you are rewarded for your patience when you come to the heart! Don’t forget to scrape off the tickly ‘choke’; then cut the heart into manageable pieces, sprinkle with a little sea salt before you dip it into the remainder of your sauce. Simply Delicious!

Serves 6
6 globe artichokes
2 pints (1.1L/5 cups) water
2 teasp. salt
2 teaspoons approx. white wine vinegar
Melted Butter
6 ozs (170g/) butter
Freshly squeezed juice of * lemon approx.

Some restaurants do very complicated preparation but I merely trim the base just before cooking so the artichokes will sit steadily on the plate, rub the cut end with lemon juice or vinegar to prevent it from discolouring. Have a large saucepan of boiling water ready, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt to every 2 pints of water, pop in the artichokes and bring the water back to the boil. Simmer steadily for about 25 minutes. After about 20 minutes you could try testing to see if they are done. I do this by tugging off one of the larger leaves at the base, it should come away easily, if it doesn’t continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and drain upside down on a plate. While they are cooking simply melt the butter and add lemon juice to taste. To Serve Put each warm artichoke onto a hot serving plate, serve the sauce or melted butter in a little bowl beside it. Artichokes are eaten with your fingers, so you might like to provide a finger bowl. A spare plate to collect all the nibbled leaves will also be useful.

Globe Artichokes with Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients as above excluding the melted butter.
Vinaigrette Dressing
2 fl ozs (50ml/) wine vinegar
6 fl ozs (150ml/) olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils, e.g. sunflower and arachide
1 level teasp. (* American teasp.) mustard (Dijon or English)
1 large clove garlic
1 scallion or small spring onion
Sprig of parsley, finely chopped
Sprig of watercress, finely chopped
1 level teasp. salt
Few grinds of pepper

Put all the ingredients into a blender and run at medium speed for 1 minute approx. or mix oil and vinegar in a bowl, add mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and mashed garlic, chopped parsley, spring onion and watercress. Whisk before serving. Cook the artichokes as above. Serve little bowls of vinaigrette dressing with the warm artichokes.

Gooseberry and Elderflower Sponge

Serves 6-8

3 eggs, preferably free range
3 fl ozs (75ml) water
8 ozs (225g/1 cup) sugar
5 ozs (140g/1 cup) flour
1 teasp. baking powder
filling
1 lb (450g) green gooseberries
2 elderflower heads
1/2 pint (300ml/11/4 cups) cold water
1 lb (225g/1 cup) sugar
4 fl ozs (110ml/1/2 cup) whipped cream
2 teasp. icing sugar

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the sugar for 2 minutes in a food mixer and then add in the water. Whisk until light and fluffy, 10 minutes approx. Gently Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder into the mousse in batches. Whisk the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Fold them in very gently. Bake in two greased and floured 8 inch (20.5cm) sandwich tins in a moderately hot oven 190C/375F/regulo 5 for 20 minutes. Next make the filling, first top and tail the gooseberries. Tie 2 or 3 elderflower heads in a little square of muslin, put in a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan, add the sugar and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Add the gooseberries and simmer just until the fruit bursts. Allow to get cold. Fill the sponge with whipped cream and well drained gooseberry and elderflower compote.* Sieve the icing sugar on top before serving. * You may have some over, reserve and serve with cream as a separate dessert.

Hotel Barcelona – Exeter

If for any reason you should find yourself in Exeter, I have just come across an interesting place for you to check out – it’s a new funky budget hotel called Barcelona.  Budget hotels have been popping up all over the place in recent years, offering excellent value and enabling many more people to travel than ever before. Most charge a price per room, so if one is really economizing the whole family can squash in together. One can even bring a picnic if you can’t afford or decide against the economy breakfast. So what’s different about Hotel Barcelona – well the answer is not much on the outside – the former West of England Eye Infirmary is a tall imposing and somewhat austere brick and stone structure – it’s on Magdalen Street – just a stone’s throw from Exeter Cathedral Close.  However, once inside the door, the impression is altogether different – there is a profusion of colour, a fire crackling in the grate in the entrance, original marble terrazzo floors and great music to lift one’s spirits after a long journey or a stressful day. The staff are young, cool and really eager to please. Someone had great fun decorating and converting this former eye hospital. Victorians’love of fresh air meant there were large windows which allow in lots of sun and light A collection of original 1930’s, 50’s and 60’s furniture, rugs, art and funky artefacts blend well with the Gothic proportion of the original wards. The bedrooms still have the original parquet floors and great fun bathrooms. Best of all many of the bedrooms have features that one only expects to find in luxury hotels – a cordless telephone, modern dataport, video and CD player and a hidden away television.

The restaurant called Cafe Paradiso, has been designed to resemble a ‘Big Top’ with a glass wall overlooking the gardens and terrace and the most beautiful ancient Holm oak. At one end there’s a 30ft mural by Jon Eaves and a woodburning oven. Head chef Michael Field is passionate about food and hopes to put Cafe Paradiso at the top of the food map in Devon. He’s committed to serving honest simple Mediterranean food including Neapolitan pizzas and aims to serve simple dishes using the best local raw ingredients. We had a delicious dinner of local shellfish, Devon beef and a plate of Cafe Paradiso desserts. But the best was yet to come, for those of you who would prefer to boogie rather than flop into bed after dinner, there is a very grown-up theatre -style night club and the Kino bar with a collection of 1950’s Film Noir film posters , and lots of 1960’s memorabilia – just my era.  This is a fun spot put together with an intelligent understanding of the needs of the many young creative customer who wants modern ultra funky decor and stylish luxury at affordable prices -it was terrific when I visited – hope they can keep it up and realize their vision. Hotel Barcelona, Magdalen St. Exeter, EX2 4HY Tel. 00 44 1392 281000 Fax 00 44 1392 281001 Emailinfo@hotelbarcelona-uk.com  www.hotelbarcelona-uk.com

 

Cafe Paradiso Guinea Fowl with vine tomatoes and basil

 

4 Guinea fowl breasts

4 tomatoes on vine

1 bunch of basil
1 glass red wine
Tomato concasse
Olive oil
Seasoning
Dried mixed herbs

Heat extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a pan until it smokes. Add the Guinea fowl skin side up to seal. Then turn so skin side down. Add shredded basil and vine tomatoes (whole on vine). Add wine and chicken stock, reduce in oven. When cooked (approx. 9 mins) allow to rest (3 mins) before serving.

 

Cafe Paradiso Tiramisu

 

250g Mascarpone
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
150g sugar
200ml water
15g coffee
Double measure of Tia Maria or Marsala
Sponge

Make a coffee syrup with coffee, 100g sugar, Tia Maria and 180ml water reduce and allow to cool – Soak the sponge in half the coffee syrup. Beat egg yolk with 20g sugar in a pan with 20mls water, boil to a thick syrup. Onto this pour half the coffee syrup and whisk until cold. Fold in mascarpone, whisk until stiff. Whisk egg white with 20g sugar to soft peaks and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Layer sponge and with mixture. Finish with cocoa. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

 

Cafe Paradiso Catalonian Fish Soup

 

4 pints Shellfish stock
1 finely chopped red chilli
1 finely chopped red onion
Handful of chopped chives and Italian parsley
4 Scallops
8 Mussels
4 Crayfish
Seasoning
Thicken with corn flour if necessary

Caramelise the red onion and chilli in a pan. Reduce the fish stock and red wine in a pan. Add the mussels, scallops and crayfish to the caramelized red onion and chillie’s. When the mussels are beginning to open add the reduced stock/wine. Just before serving add chopped herbs.

Cafe Paradiso Pan fried lamb with a balsamic and rosemary jus

 

4x8oz Lamb neck fillet
8 sprigs of rosemary
Finely chopped red wine
1 teaspoon lamb stock
1 teaspoon redcurrant jelly
1 clove of garlic
Seasoning and reduce

Heat extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a pan until it smokes. Seal the lamb. Add the red onion, garlic and red wine – reduce. Add the lamb stock and redcurrant jelly. Once the jelly is dissolved add balsamic vinegar. Serve.

Food for Thought

All Winter long people have been popping pills to prevent and cure all manner of actual or anticipated ills. Every year doctors caution people from overdoing the vitamins and encourage them to eat fresh naturally produced food instead, yet, one in ten people are currently taking supplements. In theory if we eat plenty of fresh food including fruit and vegetables, we should be getting all the nutrients our body needs. Unfortunately, there is mounting evidence that this is no longer the case, according to an article called Vital Elements by Hazel Courteney recently published in the Sunday Times Style magazine.

In 1940, two food scientists, Doctors McCance and Widdowson, were asked by the Medical Research Council in the UK to analyse the mineral content of British-grown fruits and vegetables. In 1991 the duo conducted similar studies for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods. Recently, David Thomas, a geologist, turned nutritionist, did a comparative study of their figures. He found that calcium levels in broccoli had dropped by up to 75% and magnesium levels in carrots had fallen by similar amounts. If these figures are correct, why are mineral levels becoming depleted? “Intensive farming methods during the past 50 years, plus acid rain and overuse of artificial fertilisers, have reduced the absorption of minerals such as selenium and zinc into our fruits, vegetables and grains. ” says Thomas. “Mass-produced fertilisers generally contain only three minerals, but there are more than 36 known minerals, 21 of which are vital. If they’re not in our soil, they’re not going to make it into our foods. This imbalance is having a big impact on our health.”

Did you know that if your body becomes deficient in the minerals, magnesium, calcium and potassium, you are more likely to suffer irregularities in your heartbeat? And if you have an excess of iron, but insufficient copper levels, this greatly increases your risk of a heart attack, especially after 50. There is also evidence that pesticides and pollutants such as lead accumulate in the body and prevent absorption of essential nutrients. When Thomas began experimenting at his clinic by giving liquid minerals to his patients, he noticed improvements in a variety of conditions, including leg cramps, chronic fatigue, hyperactivity in children, migraines and, in some cases of autism. What Thomas and numerous nutritional physicians have established is now being recognised by the scientific community. In trials in China, Tunisia, America, France and New Zealand, when people were given a daily supplement of 200 micrograms of chromium, which regulates blood sugar levels, instances of late-onset diabetes were almost halved.” Says Dr Richard Anderson, a research scientist for the US Department of Agriculture.

Since 1984 when the Finnish government decreed that all fertilisers should contain selenium,, sperm motility (the ability of sperm to swim) in subfertile men has increased by up to 35%, while instances of heart disease and prostate cancers have fallen. “During the 1970’s, before joining the EU, we imported huge amounts of Canadian wheat, which is rich in selenium, and the daily intake averaged 70 micrograms”, says Dr Margaret Rayman of the University of Surrey. “Today, the average is 29 micrograms. Virtually all farm animas are given minerals in their feed to help prevent disease. Perhaps its time to do the same for humans.”  So how do we increase our mineral intake from our food? Walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds are all rich in minerals. Fresh vegetable juices contain high levels of nutrients – cabbage, broccoli, absorb minerals well and are an important source. So maybe our resolution should be to seek out really health giving food that is naturally produced on fertile organic soil, eat more organic fruit and vegetables with the skin left on. Peel contains a higher concentration of minerals. After all, as in the Asian philosophy, food should be our medicine – I rather fear that nowadays the opposite is often the case.

The Green School

At last there seems to be a dawning realisation that we cannot go on treating ‘mother earth’ as though there was no tomorrow. The consequences of reckless pollution of our land, rivers and lakes are clear for even the most stubborn to see. All over the country communities are coming together to protest against proposed dumps or in some cases incinerators in their area. No one wants a dump in their back yard, yet, if we all accept that the huge mountains of rubbish that each of us contributes to on a daily basis, simply has to be disposed of, somewhere, somehow by someone, we can’t just wash our hands of the whole business, we have to recognise that we all have our part to play in finding a solution to this urgent problem. Out of that is emerging from the grass roots a waste disposal plan- long overdue. However, many complain that the County Councils are still lagging in setting up recycling systems to support community efforts. I recently spent a very exciting morning at St. Mary’s Secondary School in New Ross, which is part of an EU-Eco initiative. The European ‘Green Schools’ programme which now operates in 19 countries, encourages students to adopt good environmental practices in the hope of gaining a coveted ‘Green Flag’ for their school. Only 45 European Schools out of a total of 750, have succeeded in achieving the standard required for this prestigious award so far. When I arrived for the School’s Green Day, there were literally hundreds of teenagers dressed in green uniforms in a high state of excitement, crammed into the assembly hall. They were auctioning their teachers to raise money to buy picnic tables made by the Amish Community. The unfortunate teachers who took it all in great spirit, had agreed to wear the school uniform next day, even the gym master was planning to don a skirt! Each new bid was greeted by squeals of delight and ?1,800 was raised as a result. The live-wire behind this project is a willowy blonde Drama and English teacher called Anita Fennelly. She is passionate about the environment and her enthusiasm has been infectious. Her inspiration originally came from a chance meeting. She was strolling along the riverbank close to her home in Killowen near Dunganstown, Co Wexford, when she met a ‘strange looking’ but completely intriguing English man who invited her to taste his sloe gin. The bearded gentleman turned out to be John Seymour, author of ‘Self Sufficiency’ and environmental campaigner for over 60 years. Next step was to inquire into the waste management strategy of the South East, establish a link with An Taisce and Wexford County Council. Anita managed to persuade the somewhat sceptical school management to join the Green School scheme. Anita’s first step was to divide the school into green zones and to appoint ER’s (Environmental Representatives and deputies) for each zone. Green points are awarded at the end of every week. The response from the students to the whole project has surprised and delighted everyone concerned. Joe Morrissey the long-suffering school caretaker and Wexford County Council have been wonderfully supportive according to Anita. Carol Walsh of the County Council presents prizes to the class which gain the most coveted green points. The students are actively involved in a waste disposal and recycling scheme. They are involved in making compost which is at present used to enrich the fertility of the soil in the flower beds around the school. As part of the scheme, recycling is actively promoted within the school. Consequently, bottle, can and newspaper collection points are a part of most classrooms. There are composting containers, where students can throw their leftover lunches, fruit peelings and other organic waste.are a feature of most classrooms. Other initiatives include the design and manufacture of cloth shopping bags by First Year students as an alternative to plastic. The students have also made bird boxes and bird tables as well as planting flower beds and window boxes.  They have been encouraged by their teachers to be creative with recycled waste and had made the most amazing costumes to model futuristic fashions called ‘Meltdown’ and ‘Larger than Life’. Anita Fennelly is also excited that ‘Many of the things they learn here in school are also brought home with them, so the students are not just educating themselves, but also there is a social and community aspect to it. What the project is attempting to do is to revolutionise New Ross in a subtle way’. People stop her in the street and say in incredulous voices – Miss Fennelly ‘ you know you have me segregating bottles, glass , plastic…When I spoke to the students I suggested they extend their recycling to include some free range hens, the edible scraps left over from school lunches could be fed to the hens and come back as eggs a few days later. These I suggested could be used in Home Economics cooking classes or if there was a surplus they could be sold to raise money for other environmental projects within the school.  I also suggested that they use their compost not just for flower beds but to grow fresh herbs and vegetables in an edible school yard as has been done so successfully in schools in California. The students plant the seeds and plants as part of their curriculum, and watch the fruit, vegetables and herbs grow. They are then used for cooking classes and school meals. Anita and the students were very enthusiastic, particularly about the hens – lets hope it can become a reality. This, like waste management is an essential education for real life. As part of the day’s events I did a little cookery demonstration for the Transition Year Home Economics class. I showed them how to make tasty cheddar cheese scones and how white soda bread dough makes a delicious base for pizza, and being in the great fruit growing county of Wexford I showed them how quick it is to make Raspberry Jam.

Cheddar Cheese Scones


1 lb (450 g/31/4 cup) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 level teaspoon (1/2 American teaspoon) salt
1 level teaspoon (1/2 American teaspoon) breadsoda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)
sour milk or buttermilk to mix – 12-13 fl oz (350-375 ml) approx. egg wash
4 oz (110 g) grated cheese, we use mature cheddar.
First fully preheat the oven to 230?C/450?F/regulo 8.

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board, knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a square about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, brush with egg wash, cut into 12 square scones. Dip the top of each scone into the grated cheddar cheese, place on a baking sheet. Bake on a hot oven for 230?C/450?F/regulo 8 for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 200?C/ 400?F/regulo 6, for 5-10 minutes or until cooked. Serve with soup as a snack.

 

Pizza – White Soda Bread Base


1 lb (450g/3* cups) flour
1 level teasp./* American teasp. sugar
1 level teasp./* American teasp. breadsoda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)
1 level teasp./* American teasp. salt
Sour milk or butter milk to mix – 350-425mls/12-15 fl ozs/1*-2 scant cups approx.
First fully preheat your oven to 230C/450F/regulo 8.

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board, knead lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up. Roll out thinly to fit a large swiss roll tin 10 x 15 inch (25.5 x 38cm) or divide into 6 equal sized pieces.
Cover the dough with fillings of your choice. Bake in a fully preheated oven for 25 minutes approx. For individual pizzas roll out each piece of dough into a 6 inch (15cm) round approx. Spread with 2 tablespoons of topping eg. Piperonata, then arrange 5 or 6 thin slices of Irish Whiskey Salami on top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of grated Mozzarella cheese and bake in a fully heated convention hot oven for 8-10 minutes or until crisp underneath and golden and bubbly on top. (Careful to roll the dough out thinly or it will not cook properly.) Toppings can be varied – tomato fondue, crispy streaky rashers, mushroom a la creme, anchovies, black olives…..

 

Raspberry Jam


We used frozen raspberries, but do make it in the summer when the fresh raspberries are in season.
Makes 3 x 1 lb (450g) pots
Raspberry Jam is the easiest and quickest of all jams to make, and one of the most delicious.
2 lbs (900g/8 cups) fresh raspberries
2 lbs (900g/4* cups) white sugar (use * lb (225g) less if fruit is very sweet)
Wash, dry and sterilise the jars in a moderate oven 180*C/350*F/regulo 4, for 15 minutes. Heat the sugar in a moderate oven for 5-10 minutes. Put the raspberries into a wide stainless steel saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the juice begins to run, then add the hot sugar and stir over a gentle heat until fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil steadily for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Test for a set by putting about a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, leaving it for a few minutes in a cool place. It should wrinkle when pressed with a finger. Remove from the heat immediately. Skim and pour into sterilised jam jars. Cover immediately.  Hide the jam in a cool place or else put on a shelf in your kitchen so you can feel great every time you look at it! Anyway, it will be so delicious it won’t last long!

 

 

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