AuthorDarina Allen

A new book by Alice Waters is always a cause for excitement and celebration in the food world. Alice is a legend in her own lifetime. The original concept for Chez Panisse, the simple restaurant she opened in Berkeley, California in 1971 was a place where she and her friends could cook French country food with local ingredients and talk politics. In 2001Chez Panisse was named No. 1 restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. As the restaurant’s popularity gathered momentum through the years so did Alice ’s commitment to organic, locally grown food. She cultivated a community of farmers and artisanal food producers to provide the freshest ingredients, grown and harvested with techniques that preserve and enrich the land for future generations.

After 30 years the innovative spirit and pure intense flavours continue to delight those who eat at Chez Panisse. Alice Waters started a quiet revolution which has inspired chefs and cooks from coast to coast and has resulted in a renaissance of interest in local, organic food in season.

Alice graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1967 with a degree in French Cultural Studies and trained at the Montessori School in London before spending a seminal year travelling in France. She opened Chez Panisse in 1971, serving a single fixed-price menu that changed daily. The set-menu formula remains to this day and is at the heart of Alice’s philosophy of serving only the highest quality products, only when they are in season.

Alice is a strong advocate for farmers’ markets and for sound and sustainable agriculture. In 1996, in celebration of the restaurant’s twenty-fifth anniversary, she created the Chez Panisse Foundation, to underwrite cultural and educational programmes that demonstrate the transformative power of growing, cooking, and sharing food. Her new book, Chez Panisse Fruit a sequel to Chez Panisse Vegetables, has more than 200 recipes for sweet and savoury dishes featuring fruit, plus helping essays on storing and preparing fruit, I’ve chosen a few of my favourite recipes so far for Autumn. Chez Panisse Fruit, by Alice Waters, published by Harper Collins, New York in 2002.

Lamb Tagine with Quinces

Serves 4

3 lbs (1.3kg) boned lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes

Salt and pepper

Olive Oil

2 onions, peeled and grated

3 tablesp. unsalted butter

1 cinnamon stick

1 heaped teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, or ½ teasp. ground ginger

½ teasp. saffron, crushed

2 lbs (900g) quinces

2 tablesp. honey

juice of ½ lemon

Trim off and discard excess surface fat from the lamb. Season the meat

with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a heavy stew pot with oil, heat,

add the meat, and brown lightly on all sides over medium-high heat. Do this

in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding. When the meat is browned,

reduce the heat and pour off the oil. Add the onions, butter, cinnamon

stick, ginger, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for about 5 minutes,

stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in

enough water to just cover the meat and cook, covered, at a gentle simmer

until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours.

While the lamb is cooking, wash the quinces, rub off any clinging fuzz, cut

each quince into 8 wedges, and core them. Do not peel: the peel

contributes texture and flavour to the stew. Place the wedges in lightly

acidulated water to prevent them from browning. When the lamb is tender,

taste the stew for saltiness and adjust as needed. Add the quinces, honey,

and lemon juice and simmer for another 15-30 minutes, until the quince

wedges are tender but not falling apart.

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Rocket Salad with Pomegranates and Toasted Hazelnuts

Serves 6

1 cup (scant 2oz) hazelnuts

1 pomegranate, (about ½ cup seeds)

6 generous handfuls of rocket (arugula), washed and dried

½ tablesp. red wine vinegar

1½ tablesp. aged balsamic vinegar

6 tablesp. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F (200C/regulo 6)

Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast until golden, 12-15

minutes. Take them out when they are just golden brown in the middle; check

by cutting a nut in half. They will continue to cook after they come out of

the oven. Allow them to cool off a little, rub them between your hands to

remove most of their skins, and chop them coarsely.

To get the seeds out of the pomegranate, but it in half horizontally and

smash the fruit onto a plate, cut side down. Most of the seeds will come

out. Remove the remaining ones with a spoon.

Put the rocket in a large salad bowl and add the vinegars, olive oil, and

salt and pepper to taste. Toss, making sure that all the leaves are evenly

coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the hazelnuts and

pomegranate seeds, toss again and serve.

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Upside-down Pear and Red Wine Tart

Makes one 10 inch tart, serves 6-8

Alice says that the balance of tart and sweet in this tart is especially

pleasing when there is still red wine in your glass.

1 x 750ml bottle red wine

1 cup (7oz/200g) sugar

2 x 2 inch pieces of cinnamon stick

7 peppercorns

4 cloves

1 orange

6 large pears (Bosc, Bartlett or d’Anjou)

1 x 10 oz (275g) piece of puff pastry or rich shortcrust.

In a medium-sized saucepan over low heat, combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon

sticks, peppercorns and cloves. Shave long strips of zest from the orange

with a swivel-bladed peeler and add them to the wine mixture. Slice the

oranges in half and squeeze in the juice. Quarter, core and peel the pears.

Add the pears to the wine mixture and simmer over low heat for 20-30

minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat and let the pears cool in their

poaching liquid. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days at

this point.

Preheat the oven to 400F/200c/regulo 6.

Remove the pears from the liquid and set them aside. Strain the poaching

liquid, return it to the saucepan, and reduce to about 1 cup (8fl.ozs).

Roll out the dough to about ? inch thick into an 11-12 inch circle. In a 10

inch ovenproof sauté pan or cast-iron frying pan, arrange the pear pieces in

concentric circles, core side facing up. Pour ½ cup (4 fl.ozs) of the

reduced poaching liquid over the pears. Cover the pears with the circle of

dough, tucking the overhang between the sides of the pan and the pears.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Let cool for 10

minutes. Remove the tart from the pan by placing a rack over the pan and

inverting it. Some of the hot juice may come off the tart, so it is best to

invert it over a baking sheet to avoid making a sticky mess. Push the

pears back into place if necessary, and let the tart cool for another 15

minutes on the rack. Serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice-cream and

serve the leftover wine reduction as a sauce.

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Pork Loin stuffed with Wild Plums and Rosemary

Serves 6

Alice recommends finding a source of local certified organic pork to use in

this recipe.

1½ lbs (700g) wild plums or Santa Rosa plums

2 shallots

1 bunch rosemary

2 tablesp. olive oil

2 tablesp. brandy

2 tablesp. sweet wine (Beaumes de Venise and port are good choices)

½ cup (4 fl.ozs) water

salt and pepper

2 lemons

1x 6 rib pork loin in the piece, chine bone removed

The plums can be prepared a day in advance. Split the plums in half and

remove the stones. Cut the halves into small wedges. Peel and chop the

shallots finely. Strip enough rosemary leaves off the stems to make a

scant half teaspoon, chopped.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the shallots and the

rosemary, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until wilted. Add the

brandy and flame. Add the sweet white wine, bring to a boil, add the plums

and cook for 3 minutes. Add the water and mash the plums with a potato

masher or whisk. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook

at a simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring often to keep the

plum paste from sticking and burning. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Let cool completely before stuffing the pork loin.

To stuff the loin, take a sharp knife and cut along the rib bones to

separate them from the meat. Cut almost all the way down, leaving only 1

inch of the loin attached to the bones. Make a lengthwise pocket for the

stuffing, cutting halfway into the roast, where the meat has been exposed

from the bones. Liberally season the roast all over with salt and pepper;

this will give it a delicious crust. Season the inside of the pocket and

stuff it with the plum paste. Press the pocket closed. Slice the second

lemon as thin as you can. Arrange the lemon slices and rosemary sprigs

between the bones and the meat. Gently push the roast back into its

original shape. Using cotton twine, tie up the roast with one tie between

each rib. Now the loin is stuffed with the plums in the middle and the

lemon and rosemary between the ribs and the meat. It can be roasted now or

covered and refrigerated for up to a day.

If the loin has been refrigerated, take it out of the refrigerator at least

1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 365F/190C/regulo 5.

Put the loin in a roasting pan, bone side down and roast for about 1½ hours,

until an internal temperature of 130F is reached. Start checking the

temperature with an instant-read thermometer after an hour, but be sure to

insert the thermometer into the meat, avoiding the line of stuffing. When

the roast is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 20

minutes in a warm place. Remove the twine, carve into individual chops, and

serve.

In many places around the world religious orders are gradually downsizing, selling off land and property and in some cases gradually changing or evolving into new ministries. In Ireland, several, including the Dominicans, Mercy and Presentation sisters are highlighting their concern for the future of the planet. By being proactive on environmental issues, they reaffirm the basic tenet that so many have forgotten – that ‘everything starts in the good earth, without rich fertile soil we won’t have nourishing food and clean water’. In 1975, 200 years after Nano Nagle established the Presentation order, the sisters got the opportunity to buy the farm between Fermoy and Mallow where their foundress was born and reared. At first they leased the land to local farmers but in the early 1980’s decided to renovate some of the farm buildings including a stone coach-house.

The latter, now a conference centre holds 60 people comfortably. The sisters’ vision was to create a centre for people who were interested in the philosophy and spirituality of caring for the earth and the environment. The Nano Nagle Centre also includes a heritage centre, an oratory and three self-catering bungalows which can be rented for conferences or retreats, or simply for the purpose of relaxation or rejuvenation. In the late 1990’s the sisters made a further decision to take back the land and farm it organically. Sister Mary Kelliher who was reared on a farm in Kerry accepted the challenge of converting the 33 acres to organic production. Before embarking on this daunting task, she went to New Jersey to see the Genesis Centre for Learning with organically cultivated land attached, run by the Dominican sisters and the indomitable Sister Miriam Therese McGillis.

Fired with enthusiasm, she returned to Ireland and immediately joined the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association. Two years later the farm is fully accredited. Sister Mary and her team currently have 140 hens, 9 cattle and 60 lambs and she sells organic lamb and beef to people who would like to have a source of organic meat for the freezer. They grow potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, broccoli, onions, beetroot, squash and herbs and in the past two years have started an orchard. On a recent visit I had a fascinating tour of the enterprise, Sister Mary says it has been a steep learning curve, and every new season gives one a further insight into the realities and vagaries of nature. The vegetables looked healthy and abundant. The sisters are now fulfilling one of their main aims which is to provide fresh organic produce for the local community, neighbours call regularly to the centre to buy the delicious fresh seasonal produce and for Halloween they will also have pumpkins for sale.

Recently a very successful one-day seminar on ‘The Food we Buy’ attracted a capacity audience, an indication of the growing awareness of food and environmental issues and the deep craving for really fresh local food in season. This was particularly evident at the end of the day when organic and local food producers set up a market at the centre, with a view to selling their produce, there was practically a stampede to buy both food and plants. For details of The Nano Nagle Centre, Ballygriffin, Mallow, Co Cork, please contact Sister Mary Kelliher at 022-26411.

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

2lbs (900g) pumpkin flesh

2ozs (50g) butter

2 onions, sliced

2 teasp. freshly chopped marjoram or thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1-1½ tablesp. sugar (optional, depends on pumpkin)

1 pint (600ml) milk

10 fl.ozs (300ml) home made chicken stock (optional)

Garnish

4 streaky rashers

2 tablesp. whipped cream

1 tablesp. chopped parsley

First prepare the pumpkin.

The method you use will depend on how you intend to serve the soup. If you plan to serve it in a tureen or individual soup bowls, simply cut the pumpkin in half or quarters, scoop out the seeds and fibrous matter from the centre. Peel off the skin with a knife and cut the flesh into cubes.If however you would like to use the pumpkin shell for a more dramatic presentation then you’ll need to proceed with care. Slice a lid off the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and fibres. Save the seeds to roast (see below) and nibble as a snack. Then carefully scoop out the pumpkin flesh, a sharp edged tablespoon is best for this but be careful not to damage the pumpkin shell. You may need to do several times the recipe, using the flesh of a second pumpkin to fill the pumpkin tureen. Next make the soup – Melt the butter in a saucepan, when it foams add the onion and sweat for a few minutes until soft, add the chopped pumpkin and coat in the butter, add freshly chopped herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar and the milk and stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin is cooked.

Liquidize, taste and correct seasoning if necessary. If it is a little thick, thin with some boiling chicken stock.

Cook the rashers until they are really crisp and cut into lardons. Pour the hot soup into a tureen or back into the pumpkin shell, swirl a little cream on top. Scatter with crispy bacon and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

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Lydia’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Sea Salt

Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/regulo ¼.

Remove all the seeds from the flesh and rinse under cold water. Lay a single

layer on a baking tray and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Put into the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, the seeds should be nice and

crunchy.

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Beetroot Soup with Chive Cream

Serves 8-10

2lb (900g) beetroot

1oz (25g) butter

8oz (225g) onions

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 pints (1.2L) home-made chicken or vegetable stock approx.

4fl oz (125ml) creamy milk

Chive Cream

4 fl oz (125ml) sour cream or crème fraiche

Finely chopped chives

Wash the beetroot carefully under a cold tap. Don’t scrub, simply rub off the clay with your fingers. You won’t want to damage the skin or cut off the top or tails because it will ‘bleed’ in the cooking. Put the beetroot into cold water, and simmer covered for anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size and age. Meanwhile chop the onions, sweat carefully and gently in the butter until they are cooked. The beetroot are cooked when the skins will rub off easily.

Chop the beetroot and add to the onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. * Put into a liquidiser with the hot chicken stock. Liquidise until quite smooth. Reheat, add some creamy milk, taste and adjust the seasoning, it may be necessary to add a little more stock or creamy milk. Serve garnished with little swirls of sour cream and a sprinkling of finely chopped chives.

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Chilled Beetroot Soup

Proceed as in the master recipe above to *. Liquidise with just enough stock

to cover. The mixture should be smooth and silky. Season with salt and

freshly ground pepper. Fold in some cream and yoghurt.

Serve well chilled in small bowls with little swirls of yoghurt and finely

chopped chives.

Victoria Plum Jam

Makes 6-7 lbs (2.7-3.2kg)

4 lbs (1.8kg) Victoria or Opal plums

3-4 lbs (1.35-1.8kg) sugar, (taste the plums if they are very sweet use

minimum)

1 pint (600ml) water

Wash the plums and remove the stones. Save the stones and tie in muslin bag. Put the sugar into a moderate oven to heat for 10-15 minutes. Grease the preserving pan, put in the plums bag of stones and water, and cook until the plums burst. Add the hot sugar, stir until it has completely dissolved. Turn the heat to maximum and boil until the jam will set, approx. 15-20 minutes. Discard the bag of stones. Test, skim and pot into hot sterilized jars. Cover immediately and label.

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Compote of Blackberry and Apples with Sweet Geranium Leaves

Make this simple compote while the blackberries are still on the hedgerows.

Serves 3 approx.

4 ozs (110g) sugar

8 fl ozs (250ml) water

2 large dessert apples eg. Golden Delicious or Worcester Pearmain

5 ozs (140g) blackberries

4 large sweet geranium leaves (Pelargonium Graveolens)

Boil the sugar, water and sweet geranium leaves for 1-2 minutes to make a syrup. Peel the apples thinly, keeping a good round shape. Quarter them, remove the core and trim the ends. Cut into segments 3 inch (5mm) thick. Poach them in the syrup until translucent but not broken. Just 3-5 minutes before they have finished cooking, add the blackberries, simmer together so that they are both cooked at once.

Serve chilled, with little shortbread biscuits.

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Fork Biscuits

Makes 45-50 biscuits approx.

8 ozs (225g) soft butter

4 ozs (110g) castor sugar

10 ozs (275g) self raising flour

Grated rind of one lemon or orange

Cream the butter, add in the castor sugar, sifted flour and grated lemon or orange rind and mix just until it all comes together. Alternatively, place all four ingredients in the bowl of a food mixer and mix slowly until all the ingredients come together. At this stage the dough can either be used right away or put in the deep freeze or kept in the fridge for up to a week. When required, bring up to room temperature and form into small balls the size of a walnut. Flatten them out onto a baking sheet using the back of a fork dipped in cold water. Allow plenty of room for expansion. Bake in a preheated oven – 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 10 minutes approx. Sprinkle with Vanilla sugar. When cold, store in air tight containers.