CategorySaturday Letter

I have to say my heart sinks when I consider the potential damage to the reputation of Ireland the green, clean, food island by the recent betrayal of trust

Unfortunately it is unlikely to be the last such incident now that we have virtually handed over control of what we eat to the multinationals. Understandably their primary concern is to their shareholders rather than the health of the nation, so the downward pressure on prices continues.

Food could be as cheap as would like it to be if there wasn’t such ludicrous amount of waste  in very stage from the field to the fork.

 

Everyone, every single citizen, doesn’t matter what the circumstances deserves to have access to nourishing wholesome food. We are not talking fancy food. I’m talking simple fresh food that is health giving food that satisfies and energises rather that empty nutritionally deficient food that leaves us with a perpetual craving and in some cases actually damages our health.

 

This challenge creates a terrible dilemma; food must be affordable for everyone so the downward pressure on prices is relentless.

Animals, plants even fish and shellfish are being produced ever more intensively. Processors are being challenged to produce ‘food’ ever more cheaply but beyond a certain point it simply cannot be done without  resorting to totally unacceptable  practices.

Whether we are prepared to admit it or not ‘cheap food is a myth’, the cost in health terms and socio –  economic terms is incalculable.

Take for example the 20 cent burger so much in recent news. Out of that 20 cents, 30+% goes to the retailer, 20% goes to the distributor, now we are down to 10 cents. The manufacturer’s costs must come of that, food cost, labour, packaging, insurance……………so we’re lucky if the value of the meat in the burger is as much as 5 cents –you might ask,  how can it be done?  Well now you know!

 

In the midst of all the furore, I telephoned my  local butcher and asked how much a kilo of mince from the cheapest cuts, say brisket, beef cheek, maybe shin, would cost with a nice proportion of beef fat to make it succulent and juicy – the answer €7.50 a kilo.

 

Out of that, I could make 10 tasty wholesome burgers but the meat cost alone would be 75 cents each. Of course I could spin that out by adding bread crumbs, a bit of sweated onion, some seasoning, some fresh  herbs and or spices to make them extra delicious – maybe get another 4 but we’re still talking 50 cents plus. The price of one good burger and there are some good burgers would realistically be about €1.50, so how can one possibly produce 8 burgers for €1.50 – well now we know – the answer is loud and clear.

 

There’s a huge difference in price and one that impacts significantly on a cash strapped family doing their utmost to stretch their food euros.

So what to do – I certainly don’t have a magic bullet but this much I do know – it’s a damn site easier if you are fortunate enough to be able to cookand have the almost forgotten skills of how to turn fresh inexpensive ingredients into a decent nourishing meal.

A fundamental change in our attitude to education is hugely needed, it’s not enough to teach our kids reading, writing and basic maths – we must teach them basic life skills of which cooking is the most important. We have failed to prepare the next generation by not giving them the simple skills to feed themselves properly and we are paying a very high price. Practical cookery classes and food education need to be embedded in the school curriculum as a fundamental of a rounded education. As in other countries references to food can be included in almost every subjects, history, geography, languages, maths (the recipe measurements)…..

Every week from now on I will do a recipe to feed four for max €5.50. Vegetables were never so cheap I saw a 10 kilo bag of rooster potatoes for €7.99 in a shop inWaterford,  the same quality of Kerrs Pinks was €8.95.

Cabbage is a nutritional marvel – a full head costs 50 cents, four parsnips 89 cents….our bodies are designed to eat a lot more vegetables and fruit, we can do with less meat but let’s make sure it’s the real thing, doesn’t have to be prime cuts, many of the tastiest and must succulent joints like shin of beef, lamb shanks, cheek oxtail, neck of lamb, shortribs, streaky bacon, ham hocks, pigs head are cheap and flavoursome of which more anon

 

Gratin of Potato Cheddar Cheese, Spring Onion and Bacon

 

Potato gratins are a tasty, nourishing and economical way to feed lots of hungry people on a chilly evening, This recipe could also include little pieces of  a lamb chop cut into dice, so it can be a sustaining main course or a delicious accompaniment.

Streaky bacon either smoked or unsmoked is always good value and a terrific store cupboard staple.

 

Serves 4 as a main course

Serves 6 as an accompaniment if you omit the bacon.

 

3 lbs (1.5kg) ‘old’ potatoes, eg. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks

4-6ozs streaky bacon, cut into 1/2 inch lardons, strips.

2 bunches of spring onions, use both white and green parts, OR

I large onion, chopped

A knob of  butter, maybe 1 oz or so,

4-6 ozs (75-175g) Irish mature Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 – 3/4 pint (300-450ml/1 1/4 – 2 cups) homemade chicken, beef or vegetable stock

 

Oval ovenproof gratin dish – 12 1/2 inch (31.5cm) long x 2 inch (5cm) high

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/regulo 6.

Slice the peeled potatoes thinly, about 1/4 thick. Put into a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil for a minute or two, drain, refresh with cold water and drain well. (This removes the starch)

Trim the spring onions and chop both the green and white parts into approx. 1/4 inch (5mm) slices with a scissors or a knife. If you decide to use an ordinary onion, cook it in a little melted butter for a few mins until it softens

Rub an oven proof dish with a little butter, scatter with some of the bacon lardons and spring onions, then a layer of potatoes and some grated cheese.  Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Continue to build up the layers finishing with an overlapping layer of potatoes, . Pour in the boiling stock, scatter with the remaining cheese .

Bake in a preheated oven for 1-1 1/4 hours or until the potatoes are tender and the top is brown and crispy.

Note: It may be necessary to cover the potatoes with a paper lid for the first half of the cooking.

 

Basic Beefburgers

 

Serves 4-6

 

After the recent revelations we scarcely need to be reminded that the secret of really good beefburgers is the quality of the mince, Find a local butcher that you can trust. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, after all its your health and the nourishment of your family thats at stake here. It doesn’t need to be an expensive cut but it is essential to use the beef on the day it is minced. A small percentage of fat in the mince will make the hamburgers sweet and juicy. The egg is not essential although it helps to bind the burgers and increases the food value. Fresh herbs are a delicious addition but not essential but seasoning is .

 

15g (½ oz) butter

 

55g (2oz) onion, chopped

 

450g (1 lb) freshly minced beef – flank, chump or shin would be perfect

 

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

 

½ teaspoon finely chopped parsley

 

1 small egg, beaten, free-range and organic, optional

 

salt and freshly

 

oil or dripping

 

Melt the butter in a saucepan and toss in the chopped onion, sweat until soft but not coloured, allow to get cold. Meanwhile mix the mince with the herbs and beaten egg, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the onions and mix well. Fry off a tiny bit on the pan to check the seasoning, correct if necessary.  Then shape into hamburgers, 4-6 depending on the size you require. Cook to your taste on a medium-hot pan or grill pan in a little oil, turning once.

Serve on or off a bun or a Bla or even on toast  with or without chips and your favourite accompaniment, slices of cheese,  maybe tomato sauce , how about making that yourself .

 

 

Tip If the hamburgers are being cooked in batches make sure to wash and dry the pan between batches.

Home-made hamburgers are a vast improvement on most mass produced burgers.  There are endless ways to serve them – cheese burgers, bacon burgers, chilli burgers, blue-cheese burgers, mushroom burgers.  The following are a few of our favourites, always served with lots of crispy Frites

crispy chips.

 

Tomato and Chilli Fondue

 

Reduce it a little more for pizza topping or to serve with burgers or it may be too sloppy.

 

4 ozs (110g/1 cup) sliced onions

A clove of garlic, crushed (optional)

1-2 chopped fresh chillies Jalapeno or less of Thai

1 dessertspoon (2 American teaspoons)  olive oil

2 lbs (900g) very ripe tomatoes, or  ½ fresh and ½ tinned

1-2 tablespoon (1-2 American tablespoons + 1-2 teaspoons) of any of the following chopped, thyme, parsley, mint, basil, lemon balm, marjoram

Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste

 

Sweat the sliced onions and garlic and chilli (if used) in oil on a gentle heat. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added. Remove the hard core from the tomatoes. Put them into a deep bowl and cover them with boiling water. Count to 10 and then pour off the water immediately; peel off the skins, slice and add to the onions. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar and add a generous sprinkling of chopped basil. Cook for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens.  Taste, correct seasoning.  May be served immediately or reheated later.

 

Tomato Fondue VVC

Omit the chilli from the above recipe.

Tomato Fondue with Chilli and Basil   VVC

Add torn basil instead of mixed herbs to the Tomato Fondue.

 

 

 

 

American Popovers

 

This is a gem of a recipe which can be made in seconds and used for breakfast or as a pudding or just to go with a cup of tea.  There are many variations on the theme, they can have sweet or savoury fillings and the ingredients for the batter only cost a few cents. Popovers can also be cooked in a 6 or 7 inch sponge cake tin until crisp and bubbly, then filled with a salad or anything you fancy…..

 

Makes 14 popovers

 

4 ozs (110g flour

2 free range eggs

10 fl ozs (1/2 pint/300ml )whole milk

1/2 ozs (15g/1/8 stick) butter, melted

Filling

1/2 pot homemade raspberry or blackcurrant jam

5 fl ozs (1/4 pint/150ml/generous 1/2 cup) cream, whipped

icing sugar, to dust

 

Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour, drop in eggs.  Using a small whisk or wooden spoon, stir continuously, gradually drawing in flour from the sides and, add the milk in a steady stream at the same time.  When all the flour has been mixed in, whisk in the remainder of the milk and cool melted butter.  Allow to stand for one hour.  Grease Hot Deep Patty Tins with pure beef dripping or oil and fill half full.  Bake in a hot oven 230°C/450°F/regulo 8, for 20 minutes approx.

Remove from the tins.  Cool and fill with a blob of homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

 

Note: If serving for breakfast fill with a spoon full of homemade marmalade, omit the cream.

 

Yorkshire Pudding: Follow the above recipe, use beef dripping or olive oil to grease the tins.  I sometimes put 2 or 3 stoned olives into each one.

 

Cheese Popovers: Add 2 ozs (50g) grated cheddar cheese and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and a good pinch of salt to the mixture, season well and proceed as above, omit the jam and cream!

 

Hot Tips

 

I found myself in Dalkey recently in need of a cup of tea and stumbled upon the Tramyard – apart from really good cup of tea in the cute café and a slice of barmbrack (we fought over the crumbs) There were several other little shops in individual timber beach huts across the cobbled yard and a BBgrill which seems to be swinging into action.

 

Knockdrinna Farm Shop

– not sure if you know about this little gem in the littlevillageofStoneyfordin Co Kilkenny. Coming fromDublinyou’ll need to swing off the road at Junction 9.  It’s on the main street a little farm shop with a tiny café behind. Here  multi award winning cheesemaker, Helen Finnegan makes cows, goats and sheeps milk cheese, I bought a deliciously oozing Knockadrinna Snow a piece of Abbot, a washed rind cheese only made around Christmas , a Lavistown and a ewe and goats milk both surface ripened for my students  to taste plus some of Helens rare breed dry cured rashers. There are homemade cakes, good chocolates, Paddy’s Granola, free range eggs and a range of local produce in season.

Tel: 056 7728 446

Sandbrook House Bed & Breakfast inCountyCarlowis close by, just the kind of comfy country house where you can curl up in a deep sofa in front of a roaring fire to read a good book and forget about the winter blues. Most country houses are quiet at the moment so you may even have the house to yourself and enjoy Sophia’s suppers.

Tel: 059 915 9247 or www.sandbrook.ie

www.irelands-blue-book.com

www.hiddenireland.com

 

The Coal Quay Farmers Market on Saturday morning is one ofCork’s best kept secrets, check it out once and I guarantee it’ll become a weekly habit, check out  Caroline Robinson ‘s stall

Country Markets – weekly all around the country, another place to find food of consistently good quality that you really can trust – Find out where your nearest country market is, the money goes directly to the producer or home baker and the high standard is rigorously adhered to. You’ll find excellent value for money

 

A date for your diary: Tues March 5^th. Neven Maguire one of the nicest guys on the whole Irish food scene is coming to Trabolgan to do a cookery demonstration in aid of the Aghada GAA. Doors open at 8pm. Cheese and Wine reception, craft and artisan food producer stalls. Tickets €20 per person

Tel: 021 4661223 Day’s Spar Whitegate

Farm Shops, we need many more all around the country so farmers can sell and add value to their produce and local people can buy directly from the farm. It’s a whole other shopping experience and reconnects children with how their food is produced.

There are already several brilliant examples; Tinahely farm Shop on the Shilleagh road in Co Wicklow is enchanting. It is owned and run by ex-dairy farmers Philip and Rebecca Hadden. A couple of years ago the cows were not paying their way so they needed to use their combined talents and resources to think of another way to earn a living. They set about converting their sheds into a farm shop and cute little cafe where customers can now enjoy their really delicious home made cakes and snacks of local food. Recently we tasted Clarkes smoked Salmon from Ballina on Jo Allen’s Harvest loaf made from Uncle Aidan’s stone ground wholemeal, so delicious. That wheat is grown and stone ground in a special French mill on their farm in Ballindaggin, Co Wexford.

Rebecca had made a silky Jerusalem artichoke soup which people loved when they tasted and then rushed to buy some of the fresh tubers to have a go at making their own.

There are some ducks and a lovely flock of happy lazy hens ranging freely so customers can add freshly laid eggs to their basket. The Big Barn now houses an eclectic collection of animals, a couple of llamas, both Saddleback and Mangagalese pigs, several goats and donkeys and ponies, Kerry cattle and Dorset Horn sheep that were brought into Ireland by Rebecca’s grandfather Maurice Allen for the first time in 1933. All warm and comfy in deep beds of straw in the frosty weather. Kids of course love all that and there are plans for a self-guided farm walk in the New Year. Contact Philip Hadden 087 8168457 – http://tinahelyfarmshop.com/ . Tinahely Farm Shop, Coolruss, Tinahely, Co Wicklow, – on the Shillelagh road – Open – Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm – Saturday 10am – 4pm.

Olivia and John Hallahan opened a farm shop on their farm at Castlemary near Cloyne, East Cork every Saturday from 10am to 4pm – selling homemade goat cheese, yogurt, goats milk, goats meat (delicious) and some of Olive’s fresh baking 021 4652832 – Turn at L36511 – brave new world!

Castlefarm Shop in Narraghmore in Co Kildare also has a loyal following – Jenny and Peter Young sell organic beef, vegetables, pork, eggs, honey, apple juice and cheese, home baking, ice cream and preserves from their organic farm and operate an honesty box system for their free range eggs. The shop opens the last weekend of every month and  visitors can enjoy monthly complimentary food talks, farm walks, help collect eggs and watch the cows being milked – 0876785269 – www.castlefarmshop.ie

 

Chilled Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Avocado and Roast Hazelnuts

 

Serves 5

50g (2oz) butter

560g (1 1/4 lb) onions, peeled and chopped

1.15kg (2 1/2 lbs) Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed, peeled and chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

1.1L (2 pints) light chicken stock

600ml (1 pint) creamy milk approx.

 

Garnish

 

2 avocados

4 tablespoons of chopped roast hazelnuts

4 tablespoons of hazelnut oil

4 tablespoons of chopped chives

 

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the onions and artichokes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, cover and sweat gently for 10 minutes approx.  Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Liquidise and return to the heat. Thin to the required flavour and consistency with creamy milk, and adjust the seasoning.

 

Note

This soup may need more stock depending on thickness required.

 

To Serve

Peel and dice the avocados.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the avocado and chopped roasted hazelnuts over the soup, drizzle with a little hazelnut oil and chopped chives.

 

Uncle Aidan’s Harvest Loaf

 

Makes 2 loaves

 

This simple and delicious recipe was given to me by Jo Allen.

 

700g (1.5lb) Uncle Aidan’s Authentic Stone Ground Flour

2 tablespoons oat bran

2 teaspoons bread soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 litre (1 1/3 pints) buttermilk

2 tablespoons oil

2 free range eggs

 

2 x 2lb loaf tins – greased.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Mark 4.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix buttermilk, oil and eggs in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients.

Put the mixture (it will be very sloppy at this stage) into the greased loaf tins

Cook in the pre-heated oven 180°C/350°F/Mark 4 for just over one hour or until fully cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.

Uncle Aidan’s Authentic Stone Ground Flour – Ballyminane Mills, Co. Wexford – 0539255162 – www.ballyminanemills.com

 

Smoked Salmon, Tomato and Leek Tart or Tartlets

 

Fresh salmon or smoked mackerel may be substituted to delicious effect.

 

Makes 10-12 tartlets or 1 tart (approx.)

 

Shortcrust Pastry

 

4ozs (110g) flour

2 ozs (55g) butter

1 beaten egg

 

5 ozs (140g) smoked salmon or fresh salmon, diced 1/3 inch (5mm)

½ lb (225g) very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and the flesh cut into ½ inch (1cm) dice

1 oz (30g) butter

½ lb (225g) finely sliced leeks

Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

 

8 fl ozs (225m) cream or 4 fl ozs (100m) cream

4 fl ozs (100m) milk

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk

Pinch of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

 

1 x 7 inch (18cm) flan ring OR 10 tartlet tins (the ones we use measure 3 inches (7.5cm) at the bottom, 4 inches (10cm) at the top and are 1 inch (2.5cm) deep.

First make the shortcrust pastry.

 

Sieve the flour into a bowl, cut the butter into ½ inch (1cm) dice, rub into the flour with the tip of your fingers, and bind with the beaten egg, tossing lightly with a fork. (Add it gradually, just enough to make a dough).

Cover with Clingfilm or waxed paper and rest for ½ hour in the fridge before use.

Preheat the oven 180°/350°F/regulo 4

Roll the pastry out thinly and line the tart or individual tartlet tins with pastry, then line with kitchen paper and dried beans.   Bake blind for 20-25 minutes approx. until par-cooked (the tartlets will take 8-10 minutes).

Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks, season with salt, & pepper, cover. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the leeks are almost soft, keep aside. Add the chopped tomatoes, toss and cook for 1-2 minutes , add a little sugar if the tomatoes are not very ripe. Transfer to a plate and  allow to cool.

 

In a bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs and egg yolk. Season with paprika, salt and freshly ground pepper, add the cooked leeks and tomatoes, diced smoked or fresh salmon, stir gently. Add the dill.

Spoon into the pre-baked tart or tartlets and bake in a preheated moderate oven 180C\350F\regulo 4 for 2 minutes approx. or until just set and golden on top. The tartlets will take 30-35 minutes. Remove from the tin.  Serve warm or cold.

 

Raspberry and Coconut Slice

 

So simple but terrifically good.

 

Makes 24

 

6 ozs (175g) soft butter

6 ozs (175g) castor sugar

2 eggs, preferably organic and free-range

6 ozs (175g) self-raising flour

 

Icing

homemade raspberry jam

unsweetened desiccated coconut

 

10 x 7 inch (25.5 x 18 cm) Swiss roll tin, well-greased

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.

 

Put the butter, castor sugar, eggs and self-raising flour into a food processor. Whizz for a few seconds to amalgamate. Spread evenly over the base of the well-buttered tin.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes approx. or until golden brown and well risen. Allow to cool.

 

Spread the surface with the raspberry jam and sprinkle with desiccated or shaved coconut. Cut into squares.  Remove the biscuits from the tin if keeping for a few days unless the tin is coated with Teflon.  Store in an airtight cake tin interleaved with silicone paper.

 

Hot Tips

Schipol Airport in Amsterdam is one of the most fun places to be delayed. Brilliant facilities, apart from the Rijcs Museum, the library, massage, rest rooms, meditation area… Don’t miss Dutch herrings, smoked eel, and my favourite teeny Dutch pancakes called poffertjes.

 

Wendy’s Festive Marmalade – I found a pot of Wendy’s marmalade in my pantry after Christmas – slathered it on my toast before realizing it belonged to my son-in-law, it was so good, made with oranges, mandarins, lime and gin. To restore harmony in the household, I rang Wendy to replace it, she tells me there are still a few pots left and if you rush you can find them at her stall at Mahon Point Farmers Market next Thursday or at the Natural Foods Bakery in Blackrock, Co Cork – worth making a detour for www.mahonpointfarmersmarket.com and www.thenaturalfoodsbakery.com

 

Irresistible Breakfasts and Brunch – half day cookery course at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Monday 4th February – 1.00pm-5.00pm.  Learn how to introduce a variety and fresh tastes on the breakfast menu with lots of advice on finding the best quality ingredients – especially those in the guesthouse/bed and breakfast business. Sizzling rashers, juicy sausages, free range eggs, flavoursome mushrooms, fruit compotes, mueslis, freshly squeezed juices, homemade breads, jams, preserves, marmalades, muffins… Booking Essential 021 4646785 or www.cookingisfun.ie

 

I find myself dreaming of Mexican breakfasts weeks before I travel. On my last trip, without even trying, we ate a different dish for breakfast every day for two whole weeks and I have a feeling we only barely scratched the surface, not a bowl of cereal in sight.

There was always freshly squeezed juices, orange, mandarin, pineapple or watermelon to wake one up. And then Mexican hot chocolate or freshly ground coffee maybe from Chiapas or Oaxaca.

Next a plate of succulent, juicy, fruit with the sort of ripe flavours we can only dream of, mango, papaya, melon with a little segment of lime to make it really sizzle.

On day one, at a little hotel called Rancho San Cayetano near the Monarch butterfly preserve in Michaocan, we had Huevos Rancheros and Mexican beans with queso fresco crumbled on top. There were also delicious little rolls called bolillos to slather the local honey or guava and passion fruit jam onto. Sadly the hotel was very empty because of the drug situation in the area.

Next morning, it was a little cazeula with a layer of beans on the base then some scrambled eggs with chilli, coriander and chorizo, topped with a layer of melted queso fresco and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, unbelievably delicious and sustaining.

In Oaxaca, a city about one hour south of Mexico City,  Cholita Diaz, our Mexican friend’s cook , served us her spicier version of Huevos Rancheros  passed down in her family for many generations, This is how indigenous Mexican women learn how to cook, helping to slice and chop from the time they are tiny children. No written recipes just effortlessly learning the techniques and quantities by watching and tasting.

Next we flew down to Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast in a tiny 12 seater Aero Toucan plane, a bird’s eye view of the remote villages tucked into the mountains and rocky hillsides.

Here Angelina Martinez Perez was waiting, putting the finishing touches to the sopes that she had hand formed from the fresh masa brought in the Mercado that morning.  While we are slowly savouring our plates of freshly cut fruit, Angelina cooked the sopes on the metal comal, (griddle), spooned some refried beans into each one and sprinkled it with crumbled queso fresco.  We ate several of these still warm from the comal, each with slivers of ripe avocado. A quintessential taste of Mexico.

Angelina has a myriad of dishes, many pre-hispanic, in her repertoire. Next morning, it was Divorced Eggs (Huevos divorciados), two crispy fried eggs on a warm tortilla, tomatillo salsa on one and a spicy salsa roja enveloping the other.  The tomatilla salsa was made earlier by boiling the green tomatoes with several serrano chillies until soft and then pounding them with a little chopped onion in a molcajete  – a pestle and mortar made of volcanic rock – with a small clove of garlic and a little salt. This and salsa roja with a base of tomatoes roasted on the comal are ever present on Mexican tables.

For our next breakfast we had quesadillas, but not just any quesadillas, these were made with Hoja Santa (piper sanctum), a large aromatic leaf which grows on a smallish bush all over Mexico these came fresh from Angelina’s garden. Again they were easy to make, she just tears a few pieces of the fresh leaf over a fresh corn tortilla, scatters it with some strips of Oaxacan string cheese, then slides it on to a hot comal. As soon as the cheese starts to melt, Angelina folds the tortilla to make a half moon shape, flips it over and cooks for a few more minutes until slightly crisp on both sides. Once again these quesadillas are served with a salsa verde and a salsa roja.

And there’s still lots more, next day its Huevos con Hoja Santa. First the fresh leaves are well washed, then fried in a little vegetable oil on a hot pan until crisp on both sides, then dried on kitchen paper.

Just before serving they are returned to the pan, one at a time, Angelina cracks two fresh eggs carefully on top and sprinkles each with a little salt, they are cooked sunny side up and transferred onto a plate as soon as the white sets, again served with spicy salsas.

Hoja Santa (piper sactum) is not something you’ll find in every supermarket in Ireland, but it is certainly available from your local garden centre and worth acquiring if you have a yen for Mexican food like me.

My morning cookery lessons continued, next it was chilaquiles con polo.

In common with many others cultures, Mexicans believe it is unlucky to waste even a scrap of tortilla, (their bread), so there are countless ways to use up stale pieces, in soups, salads and of course chilaquiles, here the crisp corn tortillas are layered with shredded chicken, cheese and covered with hot salsa verde or roja. They are eaten hot with a dollop of crema (sour cream) and crumbled queso fresco on top and of course Mexican beans.

I’ll mention just two more because as you can see I could go on and on.

Entomatadas con enfrigolada , yet another of my favourites and one that we  could easily reproduce here, Angelina first cooks a large pot of salsa roja and then purees it to make a silky sauce. White corn tortillas are then heated on both sides in a little oil on a hot pan, folded in half or quarters if the tortillas are very large. Just when you are ready to eat, dip the tortillas into the hot sauce and arrange overlapping on a serving dish, spoon a little more sauce over them and sprinkle some queso fresco and chopped parsley over the top.  We ate them with chopped onion, crema and chopped parsley. You can’t imagine how moreish these are!

On our last morning as an extra special treat, our Mexican friends asked Angelina to make a special type of tamale wrapped in banana leaves called Tamales Amarillia de pollo for our farewell breakfast, the mole sauce had 32 roasted guajillo and 7 costeño chillies (the latter is a rare chilli only found in a small area of Oaxaca) It was fantastically delicious but surprisingly not too hot.

No hope of making this here so I just have to return to Oaxaca to recapture the flavour as soon as possible, oh how I wish!

 

Mexican Scrambled Eggs – Huevos a la Mexicana

 

Cholita Diaz, a wonderful Mexican cook showed me how to make this favourite Mexican breakfast dish. One mouthful transports me back to Mexico – one of the most magical places in the entire world.

 

Serves 4

 

45g (1 1/2oz) butter (in Mexico they would use lard)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1-3 chillies – de-seeded and finely chopped (the amount depends on how much excitement you would like in your life!)

2 very ripe tomatoes, chopped

8 eggs, free-range if possible

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat, cook the onion and chillies until the onion is soft but not coloured, add the tomato and cook gently for a few more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and salt well; add them to the saucepan and scramble, stirring all the time until cooked to your taste. Serve immediately on warm plates, preferably with Tortillas.

 

Tomatilla Salsa

 

Salsa Verde is always a surprise and varies with each cook’s interpretation – this one is quite hot but of course you could reduce the number of chillies.

 

6 tomatillas – (green tomatoes, covered with a papery husk)  approx. ½ kg

4 Serrano chillies

1 heaped tablespoon chopped onion

1 small clove garlic

a loose fistful of fresh coriander leaves and soft stem

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

 

Peel the husk off the tomatillas and discard. Put them into a saucepan with the chillies. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil and cook for approximately ten minutes until both are soft. Drain and put into a food processor, add the chopped onion, garlic, coarsely chopped coriander, salt and water whizz for several minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve with everything!

 

Salsa Roja

 

Angelina uses plum tomatoes for all her recipes, which are considerably larger than our standard sized tomatoes. It’s also worth noting that Mexican garlic cloves are about half the size of ours and this salsa is also quite hot but you can adjust the number of chillies as you please.

 

Makes about ¼ pint

4 large ripe plum tomatoes quartered or 6 – 7 of our tomatoes

4 Serrano chillies

1 small clove garlic

scant teaspoon salt

 

Wrap the tomatoes in tin foil and roast on the comal turning occasionally until soft – 20 minutes approximately. Alternatively pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Mark 7 and roast for similar length of time until soft.

Put the tomatoes and the juices, roasted chillies, crushed clove of garlic and the scant teaspoon of salt into a blender and whizz for about 30 seconds. Taste and correct the seasoning.  Put into a bowl and serve as an accompaniment.

 

Chilaquiles Verdes con Rojos

 

Serves 4

 

6 –8 corn tortillas (stale is fine)

12 fl ozs (350ml) Tomatilla Salsa (see recipe)

8 fl ozs (250 ml) chicken broth approx

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded with fingers

1 large sprig epazote (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Accompaniment

2-4 tablespoons sour cream

4-8 tablespoons crumbled Queso fresco or Mozzarella and Cheddar mixed

1 onion, thinly sliced (optional)

fresh coriander leaves

 

Ovenproof dish 8 x 5 inches (20 x 10 cm)

 

Cut the tortillas into eights.  Dry them out in a moderate oven if they are moist, they are best stale and leathery for this dish.

 

Heat oil in a deep fry and cook the tortilla pieces in batches until crisp and light golden.  Drain on paper towels.

Just before serving, spread half the tortillas over the base of a deep sided serving dish.  Cover with shredded chicken, season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

Thin out the sauce with a little chicken broth if too thick.  Put another layer of tortillas on top. Cover with the hot sauce and a sprinkling of cheese.

 

Heat through in a preheated oven 230°C/450°F/regulo 8 for 5-10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

 

Serve immediately with sour cream, more grated cheese for sprinkling and fresh coriander leaves.

 

Hoja Santa Quesadilla

 

Serves One

 

2 – 3 white corn tortillas

1 Hoja Santa leaf (Piper sanctum) about 8 inches across

Oaxacan string cheese or a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar

Pinch of salt

 

Salsa Verde

 

Lay a tortilla on a chopping board, tear a few pieces of fresh Hoja Santa onto the tortilla then scatter some Oaxcan string cheese on top (we would use mozzarella mixed with a little Cheddar). Heat a comal (griddle) or frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the tortilla for a couple of minutes. As soon as the cheese starts to melt, fold over and cook the other side until slightly crisp on both sides.  Serve 2 -3 quesadillas per person with Salsa Verde.

 

Hoja Santa con Huevos

 

Serves one

 

a fresh Hoja Santa leaf  (Piper sanctum) about 8 inches across

a little vegetable or extra virgin olive oil

2 fresh eggs

a little salt

 

Salsa Roja

 

Wash the leaf well on both sides and shake off the excess water. Heat a little vegetable or olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the hoja santa leaf, it will splutter a bit, cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until the leaf becomes crisp. Dry on kitchen paper.

Just before serving, put the leaf back into a hot pan, crack two eggs gently onto the leaf, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook sunny side up until the white sets. Then slide onto a warm plate. Spoon a little salsa roja around the yolks and serve immediately.

 

Hot tips

Butter and cheese making is definitely one of those simple but deeply satisfying kitchen crafts that not only deserves to be resurrected but can also provide additional income or a vibrant business.  Learn how to make a long list of delicious dairy products including homemade butter, yoghurt, cottage cheese, coeur a la crème, labneh, paneer, and a simple farmhouse cheese on the half day Homemade Butter, Yogurt and Several Cheeses course on Wednesday 16th January at Ballymaloe Cookery School – from 9:30am to 2:00pm – phone 021 4646785 or book online www.cookingisfun.ie

The Standing Stone Garden Centre near Schull stocks Hoja Santa (Piper Sanctum) plants, or ask your local garden centre to order it for you.

East Cork Slow Food Event – Kathe Burt O’Dea will give a talk on her research project SPUDS (Sustainable Potato United Development Study) www.spuds.ie at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Tuesday January 15th 2013 7pm. Slow Food Members €6.00 Non Slow Food Members €8.00. Booking essential 021 4646785 or slowfoodeastcork@gmail.com. Proceeds to the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project. www.slowfoodireland.com

Midleton Farmers Market reopens today after the Christmas break from 9:00am to 2:00pm on the Fair Green. Lots of Jerusalem Artichokes, kale, Vacherin Mont d’or cheese, Golden Wonders, local honey and gluten free baking to die for…. www.midletonfarmersmarket.com

 

If by any chance you have a few book tokens left over from Christmas presents, I’ve got some brilliant suggestions for worthwhile cookbooks to track down. For the growing number of cake-makers, Annie Bells Baking Bible published by Kyle books is a real gem. The recipes are triple tested so really work which can’t be said for every cook book by a long way.

April Bloomfield is the toast of New York at present. In London she worked at Kensington Place, the River Café and with Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum. Her initial venture in the US – the Spotted Pig in Greenwich – was the first real gastro pub in New York. She’s gone on to open the highly acclaimed Breslin and John Dory. I love her simple food, so I was thrilled to learn some of the secrets from her recent book – A Girl and Her Pig published by Harper Collins.

Any of Aussie chef’s Bill Granger’s books are worth having on your shelf; Bill’s Everyday Asian is full of tempting easy recipes like Vietnamese Rice Noodles and Sticky Prawns

Fermentation is the new big craze; it’s well known that we don’t have enough fermented foods in our Western diet so there is a huge revival of interest in foods like Kim Chi, sauerkraut, kefir, pickles…

Sander Katz is the king of fermentation, who by the way will be coming to Ballymaloe to do a session at the inaugural Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine over the May Bank holiday week-end.

Sander Katz’s book the Art of Fermentation is a modern classic and a ‘must have’ for those who are experimenting with fermentation.  It costs around €40.00 but it’s worth every penny.

Finally, a little paper-back, ‘Cook on a Shoestring’ by Sophie Wright published by Kyle- an exciting new voice in food. This book is choc-a-bloc with easy, inspiring, straight forward recipes that you can even imagine trying out after a 9 – 5 slog.

 

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, may 2013 bring the blessing of many delicious meals around the kitchen table with family and friends.

 

 

Sophie Wright’s Barley and Curried Squash Soup

 

Serves 6 – 8

 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

1 large butternut squash, chopped into small dice (seeds removed)

1 litre vegetable stock

125g pearly barley

A squeeze of lemon juice

 

To Serve (optional)

 

crumbled feta or goat’s cheese

pumpkin seeds

 

Put a large flameproof casserole on the hob and add the oil. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook for 6 – 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper before adding the grated ginger and garlic along with the curry powder. Cook the spices for a few minutes before adding the butternut squash and the stock. Put the lid back on a simmer for 25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, boil the pearly barley in a separate saucepan of boiling water until tender. The should take about 16 minutes.

Once the vegetables are tender purée the soup using a hand held blender, or by transferring the contents of the pan to a food processor. Ensure you don’t get splashed by any of the hot soup. Blitz the soup until it is completely smooth.

Drain the pearl barley and add it to the puréed soup. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and check again for seasoning.

If you have any feta or goat’s cheese, crumble a little over each serving and sprinkle over a few pumpkin seeds for extra texture and little bit of creaminess.

 

Sophie Wright’s Tray Baked Ginger-glazed Salmon

 

Serves 4 – 6

 

600 – 800g (1 ¼ to 1 ¾ lb) fillet or supreme of salmon, skin on or off

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons stem ginger syrup

2 pieces stem ginger, cut into fine strips

juice and zest of 1 lime

 

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and lay the salmon fillet or supremes on top.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour or brush onto the salmon fillets on the fish side only. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes in you have a whole large piece of fish or 8 – 10 minutes for smaller pieces. You will know that the fish is cooked when you can easily flake the flesh using a fork.

Remove from the oven and flake the fish, if you wish, before serving with either steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables or noodles.

 

Bill Granger’s Vietnamese Rice Noodles and Sticky Prawns

 

Serves 4

 

250g (9oz) vermicelli

2 tablespoons light flavoured oil

16 large prawns, peeled and de-veined, tails intact

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves – crushed with the flat of a knife

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

4 tablespoons lime juice

small handful coriander leaves

1 cucumber, sliced

2 limes cut into wedges

 

Place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 6 – 7 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.

Place a wok or frying pan over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from the wok. Heat the remaining oil, then add the onion, garlic and chilli and stir-fry for one minute. Add the lime juice and remove from the heat.

Divide the noodles between four bowls. Top with the prawns, coriander and cucumber.

Serve with lime wedges.

 

 

April Bloomfield’s Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt, Eggs and Mint

 

These are not straight up Italian meatballs. The sauce has a bit of North Africa as well as the Mediterranean in it, so the dish is exotic and comforting at once. The sauce has a whiff of cumin and mint, both good friends to minced lamb. Just before I serve the meatballs, I add little blobs of yogurt, crack a few eggs into the pot and let them poach.

 

Serves 4

I.1kg boneless lamb shoulder cut into 2.5cm pieces

2 ½ tablespoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt

225g fine bread crumbs

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 

For the Sauce

 

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon Maldon or another flaky sea salt

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 Dutch or other spicy long red chillies, pierced with a sharp knife

1 800g tin peeled whole tomatoes, drained, trimmed and squished with your hands

about 125ml (4fl oz) whole milk Greek style yogurt

4 large eggs

 

For Finishing

 

a small handful of mint leaves, a small handful of small, delicate coriander sprigs

extra virgin olive oil

 

Special Equipment

 

Meat mincer or meat mincing attachment of a stand mixer. Make the meatballs: Put the lamb in a large mixing bowl, cover the bowl with Clingfilm and pop it into the freezer until the edges get crunchy, about 1 hour.

Toss the lamb well with the salt, then add the breadcrumbs and toss again. Use a meat mincer (or the mincing attachment of a stand mixer) to mince the mixture into a bowl. Put the mixture through the mincer once more.

Take a bit of the mixture in your hand, give it a few firm but still rather gentle squeezes, and roll it into a ball (you’re shooting for each one to be a little bigger than a golf ball) Over working the mixture is bad leads to tough meatballs, but this warning often makes cooks too timid when they form the balls: the outside of each ball should be smooth, with no big cracks or crags. Gently pinch any cracks closed so the ball doesn’t fall apart in the pan. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Add the oil to a 8 to 9 litre casserole with a lid, set the pan over high heat and swirl the oil in the pan. When it just begins to smoke, cook the meatballs in batches to avoid crowding, turning them occasionally with tongs, so they develop a beautiful shiny, deep-brown crust on all sides. You don’t want to cook them too fast. If you see any black spots, turn your heat down a little. Keep at it until you’re happy with the colour of each one, transferring them to a plate when they finish browning. It’ll take 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Drain half the fat remaining in the pot.

Make the Sauce: Lower the heat to medium high, add the onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly browned and the garlic smells toasty and is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin and chillies and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.  Turn the heat to low, add the tomatoes and simmer gently until the tomatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 10 minutes. Add 1 litre water and raise the heat to bring the sauce to the boil, and then turn it down to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer 500ml of the sauce to a blender; give it a whiz until its smooth and airy, stir in back into the sauce in the pot.

Return the meatballs and their juices to the pot and stir gently to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pot, tweak the heat if need be to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes to let the flavours come together.

Finish the dish: Turn the heat to low, add blobs of the yogurt and crack the eggs here and there into the sauce. Tear and sprinkle in the mint leaves and coriander and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Cover the pot and turn the heat to mediu, Cook until the egg whites have just set (I like my yolks a little runny) 10 to 15 minutes.

Eat it right away from the pot or divided among shallow, bowls, making sure everyone gets an egg and some yogurt.

 

Homemade butter adds a little je ne sais quoi to your table, look out for Cuinneog and Glenilen Butter, a taste of the past and the future. Each one has a distinctly different flavour, a taste of the lush green grass on that farm. www.cuinneag.com and www.glenilen.com

 

Floury Irish potatoes: If you hanker for a floury Golden Wonder or a few Kerrs Pinks get to the Midleton Farmer’s Market good and early on a Saturday morning and head for Willie Scannell’s stall.  The Market re-opens on Saturday 12^th January, 2013.

 

Trout Caviar from Goastbridge Farm in Co Kilkenny – you’ll find a myriad of ways to use it, we love it on a tiny potato cakes with sour cream, on scrambled eggs, atop a baked potato. www.goatsbridgetrout.ie

Don’t forget Penny Dinners, St Vincent de Paul and Shelter et al in the New Year. People were very generous around Christmas but there’s a long year ahead.

Phew! That’s Christmas over again for another year. We’re all settling back into a routine and there’s a palpable sigh of relief in many houses, no unrealistic expectations, no feelings of guilt, just settle down and maybe re-evaluate our life style and plan to plant a few vegetables maybe an apple tree…

Or maybe build a little chicken coop, and get a few hens. The wholesome left over household scraps of food can be fed to your hens who will reward you with the most delicious eggs a few days later. They must have grass otherwise the eggs will be not be anything like as good or as nourishing. The chicken coop can be moved around your lawn every few days so they have fresh grass and the manure will benefit your lawn so its ‘win win’ all the way.

My New Year resolution is to learn how to type – just as much of a mystery to me as cooking is to many others. What’s your challenging resolution? Could it be in the kitchen?  If you can’t cook, just learn how to cook, somehow, somewhere, it’s the easiest way to be happy, save money, keep healthy, endear you to your family and friends and cut down on garbage. The latter is because when you can cook there’s no need for cans and packets, plastic wrap or polystyrene trays. Just buy beautiful fresh ingredients when they are least expensive and in season and give the trimmings to your hens.

Take one step at a time – one practical suggestion to improve the family diet. Ban breakfast cereals, virtually without exception they are full of sugar and salt, empty calories and despite what it says on the packet are far from nourishing.

Much better to follow Michael Pollen’s advice – ‘Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognise as food.’ So let’s start with breakfast – the only food your great grandmother might recognise is porridge and its every bit as nourishing now as it was then, particularly if you buy Macroom stone-ground oatmeal. I’m also a big fan of Kilbeggan organic porridge, and of course Flahavans oatmeal is a wonderfully nutritious and satisfying food. Eat it as porridge with soft dark brown sugar and whole milk or incorporate it into a muesli or granola – so easy to make yourself. The second little decision that can have a major influence on the family diet is to eliminate squishy sliced pan totally from your diet.

Make it your total priority for 2013, ask a friend or neighbour to teach you just one dish at a time, maybe barter babysitting, mending, dog walking in exchange – no money need change hands.

Cooking really isn’t ‘rocket science’, like so many other skills in life its all about confidence and the quality of the raw materials and you do need some basic kitchen kit.  You simply can’t cook without a few basic utensils. Buy them one at a time and the very best you can afford – they should be good enough to last a lifetime.  I often give a present of ICM Pentole saucepan as a wedding present to young couples – not very romantic you might say – well I disagree, they will bless me every day when they cook in a beautiful stainless steel saucepan with 5 layers in the base so its almost impossible to burn something and if you do, it can be cleaned easily plus you will pass the saucepan on to grandchildren.

Happy cooking, may 2013 bring the blessing of many delicious meals around the kitchen table with family and friends.

 

Toasted Granola with Coconut and Cinnamon

 

This nourishing breakfast cereal, will keep several weeks in a Kilner Jar. Serve with sliced banana and whole milk or scatter over a bowl of natural yogurt.

 

Serves 10-12

 

450g (1 lb) organic rolled oats (porridge oats)

110g (4ozs) flaked almonds

55g (2ozs) unsweetened coconut

55g (2ozs) sunflower seeds

30g (1oz) linseed

55g (2oz) bran

½ teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground

2fl oz (50ml) sunflower or grape seed oil

110g (4oz) brown sugar

150ml (5fl oz) honey

125g (4ozs) dried apricots, chopped

125g (4 ozs) raisins

 

2 large baking trays

 

Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C /Gas mark 3

Mix grains, seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Put the oil, honey and brown sugar into a saucepan, stir and bring to boil.  Stir the honey mixture into the oat mixture.  Mix carefully.

Divide evenly between the baking trays.  Bake in the oven for 20 -  30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until evenly golden.

Allow to cool.  Mix in chopped apricots and raisins.  Store in an airtight jar.

 

Ballymaloe Nut and Grain Muesli

 

This muesli, bursting with goodness keeps in a screw top jar for several weeks. Measure the ingredients in cups for speed. Lecithin comes from soya beans, it is rich in phosphatidyl Choline – an important nutrient in the control of dietary fat, and it helps the body to convert fats into energy rather than storing them as body fat.

 

8 Weetabix bars

7 ozs (200g/2 cups) oatmeal (Quaker oats or Speedicook oatflakes)

1 1/2 ozs (45g/1/2 cup) bran

2 1/4 ozs (62g/3/4 cup) fresh wheat germ

2 1/4 ozs (62g/1/2 cup) raisins

2 1/2 ozs (62g/1/2 cup) sliced hazelnuts or a mixture of cashews and hazelnuts

2 1/2 ozs (62g/1/2 cup) soft brown sugar – Barbados sugar

2 tablespoons Lecithin – optional

 

Serves 12

 

Crumble the Weetabix in a bowl, add the other ingredients and mix well.  Store in an airtight container.  Keeps for 2-3 weeks in a cool place.

 

Serve it with a sliced banana and whole milk.

 

Fresh Apple Muesli

 

This fruit muesli is served for breakfast right through the year at Ballymaloe House the fruit varies with the season.

 

Serves 4

 

4 heaped tablespoons rolled oatmeal (Quaker Oats)

8 tablespoons water

3 – 4 grated dessert apples (Worcester Permain, Cox’s Orange Pippin or Gala)

1 – 3 teaspoons Irish honey or to taste

 

Soak the oatmeal in the water for 10 or 15 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the apple on the coarse part of a box grater, no need to peel, pick out and discard the seeds, mix with the oatmeal. Sweeten to taste with honey, a scant teaspoon is usually enough but it depends on how sweet the apples are.

Serve with cream and soft brown sugar.

 

Macroom Oatmeal Porridge

 

Serves 4

 

Virtually every morning in Winter I start my day with a bowl of porridge.  Search out Macroom stoneground oatmeal from the last stone grinding mill in Ireland which has the most delicious toasted nutty flavour.  It comes in a lovely old-fashioned red and yellow pack which I hope they never change.

 

5 1/2 ozs (155g) Macroom oatmeal

32 fl ozs (950 ml) water

1 level teaspoon salt

 

Obligatory accompaniment!

 

Soft brown sugar

 

Bring 4 cups of water to the boil, sprinkle in the oatmeal, gradually stirring all the time.  Put on a low heat and stir until the water comes to the boil.

 

Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt and stir again.  Serve with single cream or milk and soft brown sugar melting over the top.

Left over porridge can be stored in a covered container in the fridge – it will reheat perfectly the next day.

 

 

 

Shanagarry Soda Bread

 

This is a more modern version of soda bread, couldn’t be simpler, just mix and pour into a well-greased tin – yields about 10 slices.

 

This bread keeps very well for several days and is also great toasted.

 

Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves

 

400g (14 oz) stone ground wholemeal flour

55g (3oz) plain white flour, preferably unbleached

1 level teaspoon bread soda, sieved (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey or soft dark brown sugar

1 egg, preferably free range

1 tablespoon of sunflower oil, unscented

425ml (15fl oz) buttermilk or sour milk approx. (put all the milk in)

Sunflower or sesame seeds optional

 

Loaf tin – 9 inches (23cm) x 5 inches (12.5cm) x 2 inches (5cm)

 

Preheat oven to 2001C/4001F/regulo 6.

 

Put all the dry ingredients including the sieved bread soda into a large bowl, mix well. Whisk the egg, add the oil and honey most of the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into an oiled tin or tins and bake for approx. an hour or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

 

Hottips

 

Spanish Point Sea Vegetables

At last we’re waking up to the wealth of sea-weeds and sea vegetables around our coast. Not just carrageen moss and dilisk but kombu, wakame, sea lettuce, kelp, sea spaghetti… all packed with vitamins, minerals and trace elements – great recipes on the website – www.wildirishseaveg.com

 

Irish Honey – I was not convinced about rape seed honey – in fact I was deeply prejudiced until I tasted Ballyvalla Honey from Slieverue in Waterford – phone 086-8168825 – waterfordbees@gmail.com

 

 

There’s lots of excitement about the flavour and health benefits of rape seed oil – only one does it for me – Kitty Colchester’s freshly pressed organic Second Nature Rape Seed oil from Urlingford in Co Kilkenny, look out for new flavours, lemon, mandarin, rosemary, chilli and garlic. www.secondnatureoils.com

 

The Restaurant Association of Ireland chief executive Adrian Cummins recently announced that there is a critical shortage of trained chefs – one of the very few areas where there are job opportunities at present – the next intensive 12 Week Certificate Course designed to teach students the skills they need to earn their living from their cooking starts Monday 7th January, 2013 -  www.cookingisfun.ie – watch a short video about the course  http://youtu.be/ZbHDi7SS2hY

By now the Christmas frenzy is building up. Hopefully the cake and plum pudding are made and you’ve decided whether its turkey or goose. Maybe you’ve plumped for a fine roast chicken, maybe a pheasant or a nice glazed ham. One way or the other you’ll probably have some little scraps left over that can be added to salads, a gratin or even a bubbly ‘mac and cheese.’ The latter is delicious cooked in tiny muffin tins lined with parchment till the edges get crispy – serve with drinks.

Fresh Brussels sprouts make delicious salads, peel off the outer leaves and mix with a good dressing and maybe some pumpkin seeds.  The classic Croque Monsieur is a posh cheese and ham sandwich – a real favourite with the French and a brilliant way to use up some thin slices of left over ham, everyone including kids will love it.

Offer to take your friends turkey carcasses, they may pity you but you’ll have the last laugh. The carcass makes a brilliant stock, good enough to sip as a soothing broth but also great as the basis of a light soup embellished with shreds of leftover turkey, pheasant, or chicken.

Left over pannetone or even barmbrack makes a terrific bread and butter pudding, you may want to add a few more sultanas and perhaps a scattering of diced ginger.

Mincemeat keeps well but it can used in so many yummy ways, with apple in tarts or tartlets, in a crumble or tray bake or even as a stuffing for a baked apple. Here’s a few suggestions to use up left overs in dishes I enjoy.

A Happy Christmas and hope 2013 brings much joy and the blessing of many delicious meals with family and friends around the kitchen table.

 

Turkey, Orzo, Pea and Spring Onion Broth

 

Super light and refreshing, a particularly delicious way of using up scraps of cooked turkey or other poultry.

 

Serves 6

 

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) turkey, chicken or pheasant stock

50g (2oz) orzo pasta

2 tender stalks celery, finely sliced at an angle

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

150 – 175g (5 – 6 oz) shredded cooked turkey, chicken or pheasant

110g (4oz) frozen peas

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 – 6 spring onions, sliced at an angle (depending on size)

lots of fresh coriander and/or fresh mint leaves

 

Bring the stock to the boil; add the orzo, celery and chilli flakes. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the pasta is just cooked, add the peas and shredded chicken. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with spring onions and lots of fresh coriander and/or mint.

 

Brussels Sprout Salad with Avocado and Toasted Pecans

 

Pumpkin seeds or hazelnuts would be good here also. If separating the leaves of the Brussels sprouts is too much of a mission, just shred them finely instead, however the individual leaves look and taste great.

 

 

(450g) 1lb fresh Brussels sprouts, leaves separated

2 ripe but slightly firm avocados

1 – 2 blood oranges (depending on size)

25 – 50g (1 – 2 oz) pecans, toasted

salt and freshly ground pepper

flat leaf parsley sprigs

 

Dressing

 

finely grated zest of 1 preferably organic lemon

2 tablespoons squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the salad dressing together.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/Mark 4. Toast the pecans in a single layer for 8 – 10 minutes. Peel the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts (keep the centres for another dish) Put into a bowl. Segment the blood oranges, add to the bowl. Whisk the dressing, add any spare orange juice and sprinkle some over the salad and toss gently. Turn out onto a wide platter, halve, stone and slice the avocado, arrange haphazardly op top. Sprinkle with warm toasted pecans, hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds and lots of flat parsley sprigs. Taste and correct seasoning.

 

Mac and Cheese

 

Serves 6

 

Macaroni cheese is all over menus in the US, once again, comforting and delicious. We often add some cubes of cooked bacon or ham or a dice of smoked salmon or mackerel to the sauce with the cooked macaroni.

 

8 ozs (225g) macaroni

6 pints (3.4 litres) water

2 teaspoons salt

 

2 ozs (50g) butter

2 ozs (50g) white flour, preferably unbleached

1 1/2 pints (850ml) boiling milk

1/4 teaspoon Dijon or English mustard

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 ozs (150g) grated mature Cheddar cheese

1 oz (25g) grated Cheddar cheese for sprinkling on top

¾ – 1lb (350 – 450g) diced cooked ham, turkey, chicken, pheasant or a mixture

 

1 x 2 pint (1.1 litre) capacity pie dish

 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the salt. Sprinkle in the macaroni and stir to make sure it doesn’t stick together. Cook until just soft, 10-15 minutes approx. drain well.

 

Meanwhile melt the butter, add in the flour and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk gradually; bring back to the boil, stirring all the time. Add the diced cooked meat, mustard, parsley if using and cheese, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the cooked macaroni bring back to the boil, taste, correct seasoning and serve immediately.

 

Macaroni cheese reheats very successfully provided the pasta is not overcooked in the first place.  Turn into a pie dish, sprinkle grated cheese over the top.  Reheat in a preheated moderate oven – 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. It is very good served with cold meat particularly ham.

 

Top Tip: Macaroni soaks up an enormous amount of sauce.  Add more sauce if making ahead to reheat later.

 

Roast Apples with Mincemeat

 

Serves 4

 

Use Irish Bramleys and make sure to cook them until they burst.

 

4 large cooking apples, preferably Crimson Bramleys

4 tablespoons of homemade mince meat

a little water

softly whipped cream or crème fráiche

 

Core the apples and score the skin of each around the ‘equator’. Put the apples onto an ovenproof dish large enough to take them in a single layer without touching. Fill the center of each apple with mincemeat.

 

Pour a little water around and roast in a preheated moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for about 1 hour depending on the size. They should be fluffy and burst slightly but still be fat and puffy not collapsed. Serve as soon as possible with softly whipped cream or crème fráiche.

 

Croque-Monsieur

 

 

A croque-monsieur is the quintessential Parisian sandwich.   It’s really no more than a grilled ham sandwich topped with grated cheese, but it appears in many different guises.   Sometimes a croque-monsieur is topped with a thick Mornay sauce, or transformed into a croque-madame with the addition of a fried egg on top.

 

Makes 1

 

a dab of butter

2 thin square slices best quality white bread (pain de mie in France)

1 slice cooked ham, cut to fit bread

1oz (25g) sliced Gruyère cheese

1 beaten egg and some cream or milk

 

Butter the slices of bread on one side.  Place the slices of ham and cheese on one buttered side and cover with the other slice of bread.

Whisk the egg with the cream or milk. Dip both sides of the sandwich into the mixture.

Melt a little butter on a pan over a medium heat, cook first on one side, then on the other until the surface is golden and the cheese is soft and bubbly. Eat immediately while hot. Serve alone or with a good salad – Bon appetit!

 

Pannetone Bread and Butter Pudding

 

Bread and Butter Pudding is a most irresistible way of using up leftover bread, croissants, brioche or barmbrack – this is a particularly delicious recipe made with pannetone.

 

Serves 6-8

 

12 slices Pannetone or good-quality white bread, crusts removed

2 ozs (50g) butter, preferably unsalted

1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg or cinnamon

7 ozs (200g) Lexia raisins or plump sultanas

16 fl ozs (475ml) cream

8 fl ozs (225ml) milk

4 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or a dash of Eau de Vie or brandy

6 ozs (175g) sugar

1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling on top of the pudding

 

Garnish

softly-whipped cream

1 x 8 inches (20.5cm) square pottery or china dish

 

Butter the pannetone or bread and arrange 4 slices, buttered side down, in one layer in a dish.  Sprinkle with half the nutmeg or cinnamon and half the raisins, arrange another layer of bread, buttered side down, over the raisins, and sprinkle the remaining spice and fruit on top.  Cover the raisins with the remaining pannetone or bread, buttered side down.

 

In a bowl whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, eau de vie or brandy if using and sugar.  Pour the mixture through a sieve over the pudding.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top and let the mixture stand, covered loosely, at room temperature for at least 1 hour or chill overnight.

 

Bake in a bain-marie – the water should be half way up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake in the middle of a preheated oven, 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4, for 1 hour approx. or until the top is crisp and golden.  Serve the pudding warm with some softly-whipped cream.

 

Hot Tips

 

Stocking Fillers

Find of the week: I loved the Atlantic Seaweed Salt from the Organic Herb Company that I found on the tables at the glitzy Good Food Ireland Awards at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin recently, a perfect stocking filler.  www.organicherbco.com

 

Rattling your brains for a last minute present? Why not give a gift that will last a lifetime, a Ballymaloe Cookery School gift token, you too will get the benefit!  phone 021 4646785 or purchase online www.cookingisfun.ie

 

The sublime new seasons Capezzana Extra Virgin Olive oil has just arrived from Tuscany, at Ballymaloe Cookery School shop. There is no greater treat for your foodie friend, a drizzle makes everything into a feast! Also at the Ballymaloe stall in the Midleton Farmer’s Market on Saturday 22nd December from 8:30am to 2:00pm www.midletonfarmersmarket.com

 

Bridgestone Guides make a great little gift – 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland, 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland and The Irish Food Guide – evocative prose, no house should be without one even if it’s only to dream…

 

Five Stocking Fillers for the Wine Buff

Hugh Johnson’s pocket Wine Guide – a little gem for the wine buff in your life.  Vacu-Vin Wine pump is a brilliant toy, you can extract the air from a wine bottle and keep the wine in perfect condition for another night! Drop Stop – non drippers, a brilliant invention – flexible silver discs that be inserted into the neck of the bottle to avoid drips. Screwpull Cork Screw – a very expensive bottle opener but once again it’s a gift for life – I still have one after 20 years, while at least 10 others have come and gone.  Available in all good wine and kitchen shops.

 

By now the Christmas frenzy is building up. Hopefully the cake and plum pudding are made and you’ve decided whether its turkey or goose. Maybe you’ve plumped for a fine roast chicken, maybe a pheasant or a nice glazed ham. One way or the other you’ll probably have some little scraps left over that can be added to salads, a gratin or even a bubbly ‘mac and cheese.’ The latter is delicious cooked in tiny muffin tins lined with parchment till the edges get crispy – serve with drinks.

Fresh Brussels sprouts make delicious salads, peel off the outer leaves and mix with a good dressing and maybe some pumpkin seeds.  The classic Croque Monsieur is a posh cheese and ham sandwich – a real favourite with the French and a brilliant way to use up some thin slices of left over ham, everyone including kids will love it.

 

Offer to take your friends turkey carcasses, they may pity you but you’ll have the last laugh. The carcass makes a brilliant stock, good enough to sip as a soothing broth but also great as the basis of a light soup embellished with shreds of leftover turkey, pheasant, or chicken.

 

Left over pannetone or even barmbrack makes a terrific bread and butter pudding, you may want to add a few more sultanas and perhaps a scattering of diced ginger.

 

Mincemeat keeps well but it can used in so many yummy ways, with apple in tarts or tartlets, in a crumble or tray bake or even as a stuffing for a baked apple. Here’s a few suggestions to use up left overs in dishes I enjoy.

 

A Happy Christmas and hope 2013 brings much joy and the blessing of many delicious meals with family and friends around the kitchen table.

 

Turkey, Orzo, Pea and Spring Onion Broth

 

Super light and refreshing, a particularly delicious way of using up scraps of cooked turkey or other poultry.

 

Serves 6

 

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) turkey, chicken or pheasant stock

50g (2oz) orzo pasta

2 tender stalks celery, finely sliced at an angle

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

150 – 175g (5 – 6 oz) shredded cooked turkey, chicken or pheasant

110g (4oz) frozen peas

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 – 6 spring onions, sliced at an angle (depending on size)

lots of fresh coriander and/or fresh mint leaves

 

Bring the stock to the boil; add the orzo, celery and chilli flakes. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the pasta is just cooked, add the peas and shredded chicken. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with spring onions and lots of fresh coriander and/or mint.

 

 

Brussels Sprout Salad with Avocado and Toasted Pecans

 

Pumpkin seeds or hazelnuts would be good here also. If separating the leaves of the Brussels sprouts is too much of a mission, just shred them finely instead, however the individual leaves look and taste great.

 

 

(450g) 1lb fresh Brussels sprouts, leaves separated

2 ripe but slightly firm avocados

1 – 2 blood oranges (depending on size)

25 – 50g (1 – 2 oz) pecans, toasted

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

flat leaf parsley sprigs

 

Dressing

 

finely grated zest of 1 preferably organic lemon

2 tablespoons squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the salad dressing together.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/Mark 4. Toast the pecans in a single layer for 8 – 10 minutes. Peel the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts (keep the centres for another dish) Put into a bowl. Segment the blood oranges, add to the bowl. Whisk the dressing, add any spare orange juice and sprinkle some over the salad and toss gently. Turn out onto a wide platter, halve, stone and slice the avocado, arrange haphazardly op top. Sprinkle with warm toasted pecans, hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds and lots of flat parsley sprigs. Taste and correct seasoning.

 

Mac and Cheese

 

Serves 6

 

Macaroni cheese is all over menus in the US, once again, comforting and delicious. We often add some cubes of cooked bacon or ham or a dice of smoked salmon or mackerel to the sauce with the cooked macaroni.

 

8 ozs (225g) macaroni

6 pints (3.4 litres) water

2 teaspoons salt

 

2 ozs (50g) butter

2 ozs (50g) white flour, preferably unbleached

1 1/2 pints (850ml) boiling milk

1/4 teaspoon Dijon or English mustard

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 ozs (150g) grated mature Cheddar cheese

1 oz (25g) grated Cheddar cheese for sprinkling on top

¾ – 1lb (350 – 450g) diced cooked ham, turkey, chicken, pheasant or a mixture

 

1 x 2 pint (1.1 litre) capacity pie dish

 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the salt. Sprinkle in the macaroni and stir to make sure it doesn’t stick together. Cook until just soft, 10-15 minutes approx. drain well.

 

Meanwhile melt the butter, add in the flour and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk gradually; bring back to the boil, stirring all the time. Add the diced cooked meat, mustard, parsley if using and cheese, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the cooked macaroni bring back to the boil, taste, correct seasoning and serve immediately.

 

Macaroni cheese reheats very successfully provided the pasta is not overcooked in the first place.  Turn into a pie dish, sprinkle grated cheese over the top.  Reheat in a preheated moderate oven – 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. It is very good served with cold meat particularly ham.

 

Top Tip: Macaroni soaks up an enormous amount of sauce.  Add more sauce if making ahead to reheat later.

 

Roast Apples with Mincemeat

 

Serves 4

 

Use Irish Bramleys and make sure to cook them until they burst.

 

4 large cooking apples, preferably Crimson Bramleys

4 tablespoons of homemade mince meat

a little water

softly whipped cream or crème fráiche

 

Core the apples and score the skin of each around the ‘equator’. Put the apples onto an ovenproof dish large enough to take them in a single layer without touching. Fill the center of each apple with mincemeat.

 

Pour a little water around and roast in a preheated moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for about 1 hour depending on the size. They should be fluffy and burst slightly but still be fat and puffy not collapsed. Serve as soon as possible with softly whipped cream or crème fráiche.

 

Croque-Monsieur

 

 

A croque-monsieur is the quintessential Parisian sandwich.   It’s really no more than a grilled ham sandwich topped with grated cheese, but it appears in many different guises.   Sometimes a croque-monsieur is topped with a thick Mornay sauce, or transformed into a croque-madame with the addition of a fried egg on top.

 

Makes 1

 

a dab of butter

2 thin square slices best quality white bread (pain de mie in France)

1 slice cooked ham, cut to fit bread

1oz (25g) sliced Gruyère cheese

1 beaten egg and some cream or milk

 

Butter the slices of bread on one side.  Place the slices of ham and cheese on one buttered side and cover with the other slice of bread.

Whisk the egg with the cream or milk. Dip both sides of the sandwich into the mixture.

Melt a little butter on a pan over a medium heat, cook first on one side, then on the other until the surface is golden and the cheese is soft and bubbly. Eat immediately while hot. Serve alone or with a good salad – Bon appetit!

 

 

Pannetone Bread and Butter Pudding

 

 

Bread and Butter Pudding is a most irresistible way of using up leftover bread, croissants, brioche or barmbrack – this is a particularly delicious recipe made with pannetone.

 

Serves 6-8

 

12 slices Pannetone or good-quality white bread, crusts removed

2 ozs (50g) butter, preferably unsalted

1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg or cinnamon

7 ozs (200g) Lexia raisins or plump sultanas

16 fl ozs (475ml) cream

8 fl ozs (225ml) milk

4 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or a dash of Eau de Vie or brandy

6 ozs (175g) sugar

1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling on top of the pudding

 

Garnish

softly-whipped cream

1 x 8 inches (20.5cm) square pottery or china dish

 

Butter the pannetone or bread and arrange 4 slices, buttered side down, in one layer in a dish.  Sprinkle with half the nutmeg or cinnamon and half the raisins, arrange another layer of bread, buttered side down, over the raisins, and sprinkle the remaining spice and fruit on top.  Cover the raisins with the remaining pannetone or bread, buttered side down.

 

In a bowl whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, eau de vie or brandy if using and sugar.  Pour the mixture through a sieve over the pudding.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top and let the mixture stand, covered loosely, at room temperature for at least 1 hour or chill overnight.

 

Bake in a bain-marie – the water should be half way up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake in the middle of a preheated oven, 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4, for 1 hour approx. or until the top is crisp and golden.  Serve the pudding warm with some softly-whipped cream.

 

 

Hot Tips

 

Stocking Fillers

Find of the week: I loved the Atlantic Seaweed Salt from the Organic Herb Company that I found on the tables at the glitzy Good Food Ireland Awards at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin recently, a perfect stocking filler.  www.organicherbco.com

 

Rattling your brains for a last minute present? Why not give a gift that will last a lifetime, a Ballymaloe Cookery School gift token, you too will get the benefit!  phone 021 4646785 or purchase online www.cookingisfun.ie

 

The sublime new seasons Capezzana Extra Virgin Olive oil has just arrived at Ballymaloe Cookery School shop. There is no greater treat for your foodie friend, a drizzle makes everything into a feast! Also at the Ballymaloe stall in the Midleton Farmer’s Market on Saturday 22nd December from 8:30am to 2:00pm www.midletonfarmersmarket.com

 

Bridgestone Guides make a great little gift – 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland, 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland and The Irish Food Guide – evocative prose, every house shouldn’t be without them even if it’s only to dream…

 

Five Stocking Fillers for the Wine Buff

Hugh Johnson’s pocket Wine Guide – a little gem for the wine buff in your life.  Vacu-Vin Wine pump is a brilliant toy, you can extract the air from a wine bottle and keep the wine in perfect condition for another night! Drop Stop – non drippers, a brilliant invention – flexible silver discs that be inserted into the neck of the bottle to avoid drips. Screwpull Cork Screw – a very expensive bottle opener but once again it’s a gift for life – I still have one after 20 years, while at least 10 others have come and gone.  Available in all good wine and kitchen shops.

Just back from the 2012 edition of the international Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, Slow Food’s biannual event which brings together small-scale farmers, artisan producers, fishermen, experts, academics, chefs and young people from over 160 countries. A mind blowing event and an increasing important forum of exchange between producers, consumers and experts on a variety of food issues from biodiversity, food waste, animal welfare, seed saving and patenting of seed. Edible Education and school gardens, land grabbing…indigenous people and local food sovereignty

The opening speech was given by the Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva. He emphasised the close links between Slow Food and the FAO, with a focus on the problem of hunger in the world. “We can unite our forces in the fight for sufficient food for everyone,” he said. He identified food waste as a crucial problem. “If we managed to cut total food loss and waste by half we would have enough food to feed 1 billion more people”, he said. Da Silva’s message was clear: “with hunger, the only number acceptable is zero”.

A series of speakers then took their turn on stage, bringing stories from every corner of the globe and inspiring both outrage and hope with their experiences. Their stories were recounted through the “words of Terra Madre”, key themes that define the Slow Food movement’s primary concerns. Carlos Vanegas Valdebenito from Chiloé Island, Chile, spoke poetically of Earth. Indian activist and Slow Food vice-president Vandana Shiva talked about Seeds: the “genocide” of farmer suicides in her country and the scandal of biopiracy. Carmen Martinez, from the Slow Food Tehuacán Amaranth Presidium in Mexico, talked about Water, and Dario Fo, Nobel Laureate in Literature, about Hunger, with a bravura performance in the Commedia dell’Arte tradition telling the story of a starving peasant. After a musical interlude from Roy Paci and a multi-ethnic group of musicians, Nikki Henderson from the People’s Grocery in Oakland, California and Alice Waters, Slow Food vice-president and chef, talked about Education. Sergej Ivanov from Serbia spoke about biodiversity, Yoko Sudo from Fukushima, Japan about Energy and Edward Mukiibi, coordinator of the Thousand Gardens in Africa project in Uganda, about Network.

Salone del Gusto is the biggest food fair in the entire world, bigger than SIAL in Paris or the Fancy Food Fair in New York, except it’s all made up of artisan food producers, olive oil and wine makers. Over 200,000 people pour into it over a weekend and leave with bags bulging with foods not just from Europe but from all over the world.

Terra Madre – this is the 5th year. Delegates from 93 countries spoke succinctly for just 5 minutes at the two day Slow Food International Congress which ran concurrently with Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre this year. Slow Food is now emerging as a very strong political voice on a global scale and Terra Madre is showing the way towards a new sustainable form of agriculture which many governments are reluctantly been forced to consider.

The Slow Food Youth Movement has really gathered momentum since the last Terra Madre event in 2010. It’s particularly strong in the Netherlands, Germany, UK and US.

The fight against Food Waste has become a major focus for Slow Food. At present approximately 40% of the food harvest goes to waste. Several countries have brilliant initiatives to heighten awareness of this problem and redistribute ‘food waste’.

In Berlin the Slow Food Youth had a Schnippeldisco (chopping disco) where more than 200 people chopped 1.2 tonnes of discarded vegetables and made massive pots of soup as an ‘act of culinary resistance’ that filled the tummies of 8,000 people next day. Next one is on January 19th in Berlin – I’m hoping to go!

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JUWFaY0T4Q a brilliant You Tube on the event.

We all need as many thrifty tips for Christmas as possible in this economic climate. I’ve just been to the shops and seen breadcrumbs for sale for more than the price of a loaf of bread for a 250g (9oz) bag, so let me share the secret of how to make your own – it’s so easy and they freeze perfectly for stuffings, gratins, croquettes or buttered crumbs.

 

How to Make Your Own Homemade Bread Crumbs

 

First save all left over white bread, for white bread crumbs, cut off the crusts (save for dried crumbs) (see below).

 

Tear each slice into 3 or 4 pieces, drop into a liquidiser or food processor, whizz for 30 seconds to a minute, hey presto – bread crumbs.  Use immediately or freeze in convenient size bags for use another time.  If you use crumbs include the crusts.  The breadcrumbs will be flecked with lots of crust but these are fine for stuffings and any other dish where the crumbs do not need to be white.

 

Before the days of liquidisers and food processors, we made bread crumbs by grating squares of stale bread or the coarsest part of a box grater.  The breadcrumbs were not as uniform as those made in a whizzer but will be absolutely fine.

 

Dried Bread Crumbs.

 

Put the crusts off the bread slices, spread out on a baking tray.  Bake in a low oven (100°C/220°F/Gas Mark 1/4) for 2 – 3 hours.  Cool, liquidise the dry crusts a few at a time into fine bread crumbs.  Sieve and store in a screw top jar or a plastic box as until needed.  No need to freeze, they keep for months.  Use for coating cheese or fish croquettes

Make Your Own Suet

 

Of-course one can buy suet ready-prepared in packets but it’s very easy to do it yourself at home. Your butcher will probably give you the suet for free because there is so little demand.  Coeliacs need to be aware that ready-prepared suet usually contains white flour.

 

Suet comes from the fat that protects the beef kidney. Suet and dripping (the rendered suet) seem to have fallen out of favour, but chips fried in beef fat and potatoes roasted in it are lovely. The flavour is much better and, incidentally, beef dripping has more vitamin B and despite its reputation is considerably better for you than cheap, trans-fat ridden cooking oils. People now make plum puddings with butter because they’re so paranoid of eating the wrong kinds of fat, but I’m still a great fan of the traditional plum puddings made in the classic way with suet, as they have a better flavour and texture. Serve these on hot plates, though, because if suet congeals it’s distinctly unappetising. Use for Plum Pudding or many other comforting suet puddings.

 

Strictly speaking, beef dripping is the fat and the meat juices that render out of a joint of roast beef while it’s cooking, whereas suet or tallow is fat just rendered from fat surrounding the beef kidney. However, nowadays the term ‘dripping’ is colloquially used to refer to all of these.

 

How to Prepare your own Suet and Save Money

 

Start by asking your butcher for the fat that surrounds beef kidneys.

 

Remove and discard the papery membrane and any red veins or fragments of meat. If you’re not meticulous about this, these bits will deteriorate and the suet won’t keep properly. The fat will separate into natural divisions. Chop it coarsely and either mince or whizz it in a food-processor for a minute or two until it’s evenly grainy (years ago, people used to grate suet on a simple box grater). Refrigerate and use within a couple of days, but if it has been properly trimmed it will keep for weeks in a fridge.

 

Homemade Croutons

 

A terrific standby at any time but particularly around Christmas. Croutons can be made even a day ahead with oil flavoured by sprigs of rosemary, thyme or onion. Cut into cubes or stamp out into various shapes – stars, clubs, diamonds or hearts or whatever else takes your fancy – and sprinkle over salads or serve with soups.

 

Serves 4

 

slightly stale white bread, 5mm (1⁄4in) thick

olive oil or sunflower

 

First cut the crusts off the bread, then cut into 5mm (1⁄4in) strips and finally exact cubes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. It should be at least 2cm (3⁄4in) deep and almost smoking. Put a tin sieve over a Pyrex or stainless-steel bowl.

Add the croutons to the hot oil. Stir once or twice; they will colour almost immediately. When the croutons are golden brown in colour seconds later, pour the oil and croutons into the sieve and drain on kitchen paper. Reheat the oil to cook another batch or use for another purpose.

 

Cheat’s Tarts with Various Fillings

 

Usually I’m frightfully snooty about sliced bread but this a brilliant trick shown to us by one of my favourite cookery writers Eric Treuille when he came to teach at the school a few years ago. It makes crisp little tartlets perfect as a base for canapés.

 

Here are a number of fillings one could use. Look in your fridge, experiment and use fresh herbs and herb flowers. Unfilled Cheat’s Tarts will keep in an airtight tin for several days.

 

Wild Salmon Pâté with cucumber pickle and dill, Chicken Liver Pâté with sun blush tomatoes, Goat cheese and kumquat compote, Goat cheese with pesto and cherry tomato

Prawns or shrimp with guacamole and coriander, Crab Mayonnaise with grape tomatoes

Smoked mussels with mayo, Goat cheese, pequillo pepper and basil leaves

 

 

sliced white or brown bread (sliced pan)

 

rolling pin

tray of mini muffins buns

cutter 4.5cm (1 3/4 inches)

 

Preheat the oven 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.

 

Cut the crusts off the bread. Roll the bread very thinly with a rolling pin, it should be completely flat. Stamp out rounds with a 4.5cm (1 3/4 inches) cutter. Fit into the mini muffin tins. Bake for 5 – 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and fill as desired.

 

Mulled Wine Spices

 

Serves 8 approx.

 

Just before the festive season we make up lots of little packages with the sugar, spices and thinly pared lemon rind so when the pals arrive it’s just a question of opening a bottle of wine and warming it in a stainless steel saucepan with the spices.  Leftover mulled wine keeps for a few days and reheats perfectly.

 

1 bottle of good red wine

 

100-g (3 1/2oz) sugar, depending on the wine

thinly pared rind of 1 lemon

1 small piece of cinnamon bark

1 blade of mace

1 clove

 

1 square of muslin

 

Put the sugar, lemon rind, cinnamon bark, mace and the clove into a little square of muslin, tie with cotton string. Just add to a bottle of good red wine – warm slowly.  Serve hot, but not scalding otherwise your guests will have difficulty holding their glasses.

 

Hot Tips

Shanagarry OOOOBY (Out of Our Own Back Yard) Group along with other local producers will hold their Christmas Market on Sunday 16th December from 12pm to 4pm at the 18th Century Kilmahon House Courtyard, beside Stephen Pearce Pottery in Shanagarry, East Cork. Make lighter work of Christmas with homemade stuffing, pates, puddings, chutneys and ‘just out of the ground’ fresh produce from OOOBY.

Mahon Point Special Christmas Market – Saturday 22nd December 10am – 2pm www.mahonpointfarmersmarket.com

Waterford Winterville Festival runs until Sunday 23^rd December www.winterval.ie.

 

Traditional Farm Poultry – Robbie Fitzsimmon from East Ferry Free Range is still taking orders for his plump free-range turkeys, geese and chicken for Christmas feasting.

086 8548574 info@eastferryfreerange.com

 

Festive Afternoon Tea – Get together with new friends, old friends or best friends for a special and indulgent Christmas treat – Festive Afternoon Tea in front of a roaring fire in the drawing room at Knockeven House in Cobh, Co Cork – how tempting does that sound? phone 021 4811778 or email info@knockevenhouse.com

 

 ‘Pop-Up Christmas Wine Shop’ in The Grain Store – Ballymaloe House every weekend until Christmas – Saturdays 11.00am – 4.00pm Sundays 12.30pm – 4.00pm. Wondering where to find something quirky but delicious to serve for the festive season? Ballymaloe House Sommelier Colm McCan who will offer some brilliant advice and tempting tastings.

021 4652531-0 www.ballymaloe.ie

 

 

The wild game season is well and truly under way again, I love game but lots of people have been telling me that they haven’t the foggiest idea how to go about preparing or cooking it. So who better than George Gossip to give us all a Master class in everything from how to identify the birds to plucking, gutting, stuffing, trussing …

George is unquestionably the best game cook I know and a brilliantly entertaining teacher with an irreverent sense of humour. He and his wife Susie own Ballinderry Park, a beautiful Hidden Ireland guest house near Ballinasloe in Co Galway which they restored from an advanced state of dereliction. He loves and is deeply knowledgeable about the countryside and the environment and has been cooking and enjoying game for a very long time hence his extensive repertoire of both traditional and contemporary recipes.

 

For many plucking is a forgotten skill but if you are fortunate enough to get a present of a brace of pheasants in the feather it’s a bit embarrassing to have to ask the person to pluck them as well! So George showed us just how quickly one can pluck a bird. Do it outdoors or in the garage, tune in to your inner hunter gatherer, listen to your favourite music and enjoy! After a bit of practice, it’ll take less than 10 minutes.

 

Pigeons can be dealt with even faster, just insert your thumb under the breast bone of the un-plucked bird and draw both skin and feathers back off the breast, then detach from the carcass and discard the rest. You can of course pluck the entire bird but there’s very little meat on the legs and it tends to be tough and chewy.

I know it’s tempting to skin pheasants as well but try to resist because you’ll lose so much flavour. Furred game is hung by the back legs and feathered game by the head.

 

Hanging times depend on the weather and your preference.

Some people, me included, like game to taste really gamey, others prefer a milder flavour, it’s a matter of personal preference.

If the weather is mild, a couple of days will be long enough but during a frosty spell, game can hang for longer. A cool dry airy place is best and both birds and furred game are best hung individually rather than in pairs.

Game carcasses make a fantastic stock, the bones can be augmented with trimmings of birds that may have been badly shot. If you have some really intensely flavoured stock you might like to make petit pots de gibier. Pheasant will be in season until 31^st January and certainly makes a welcome change from the eternal trinity of beef, chicken and farmed salmon.

Venison too is widely available; a haunch will feed 20 or more for a dinner party. The seared loin is easier but the minced shoulder and belly make fantastic venison sausages – and George’s recipe is the best I have come across. Rabbit is classified as vermin not game and certainly deserves a revival. I love rabbit and wish I could find it more often on a restaurant menu.

George introduced us to this recipe for Carpaccio of Rabbit which comes from Lindy Wildsmith’s excellent book Cured.

We served it on rocket leaves with some myrtle (myrthus ugni) berries.

Another delicious surprise was Heston Blumenthal’s Choucroute Recipe, it’s sort of a cheat recipe for sauerkraut but so good and a brilliant accompaniment to game.

 

 

Seared Carpaccio of Rabbit Loin

 

The loin is the crème de la crème of the rabbit meat.  A truly delicate and dainty dish.

 

Serves 4 as a starter

 

1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed

4 rabbit loins cut from 2 jointed rabbits

 

To Joint a Rabbit Loin

 

Run a sharp, short-bladed knife close to and along the length of the spine.  Pull the loin away from the spine.  Run the blade under the loin cutting it free from the bone.  The first loin is now detached from the bone.  Repeat on the other side.  The two loins should now be detached from the bone.

 

Mix the finely chopped parsley, salt and crushed coriander seeds together.  Level the seasoning out on a chopping board and roll the lamb in it until completely and evenly coated.  Wrap in Clingfilm and freeze for a couple of hours or overnight.

 

When ready to serve, heat a frying pan large enough to contain the rabbit loin over a high heat.  Add enough oil to cover the base of the pan and put the rabbit loin in the pan.   Cook the rabbit loins until golden, but this will only take a minute or two, as they are very tender.

 

Cut the loins into 2cm (3/4 inch) thick slices and garnish with purple radish sprouts and rocket.

 

Venison Sausages

 

We like a very coarse meaty sausage with no extraneous ingredients. We do not use oatmeal or rusk, and the addition of diced bananas or cranberries is definitely not for us. That said, we do like plenty of good Dijon mustard and venison sausages are the perfect foil for spicy or fruity sauces and chutneys.

 

Natural Sausage Casings

 

5.4kg (12lbs) chopped venison (we used shoulder)

900g (2lbs) pork fat

900g (2lbs) lean pork meat

100g (31/2oz) salt

7g (3/4oz) ground black pepper

7g (3/4oz) ground nutmeg

slightly more than 7g (1/4oz) ground ginger

slightly more than 7g (1/4oz) ground cloves

water

 

Soak the sausage cases the previous night.

 

Next day, chop meats, mix together and mince. Add the seasonings gradually and fry up a number of little burgers to check that the flavouring is to your liking. Take great care not to over-salt.

 

When you are happy with the taste, add sufficient water to make the mixture malleable, and fill the casings, twist and link the sausages, and hang them up in hanks to dry.

 

These sausages do not contain preservative and should be eaten within four or five days unless you possess a Vac-pack machine which will allow you to keep them a little longer. And, as they do not contain any garlic, they freeze very well and are an ideal lunch or supper dish.

 

Uses

 

Venison Bangers ’n Mash, or with Colcannon

 

Or fry 6 sausages in olive oil with 3/4lb sliced potatoes, four medium onions (cut lengthwise in quarters) and half a dozen small carrots until cooked. Then, season and serve with plenty of mustard and a good strong salad.

 

Venison Sausages make good sausage rolls and they are good cold for picnics too.

 

Pheasant with Chorizo, Bacon and Tomatoes

 

The pheasant from a driven shoot rarely has quite as much flavour as a wild bird. This Spanish-style recipe is a particularly good one because the chorizo contributes lots of extra oomph!

 

Serves 6
2 pheasants, each cut into 4 serving portions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
175g (6oz) good-quality streaky bacon cut into 1cm (1⁄2in) cubes
2 garlic cloves
2 large onions, sliced
450g (1lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes)
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons good-quality paprika – preferably sweet Hungarian
225g (8oz) chorizo sausage, sliced
thyme leaves and lots of parsley sprigs

Pilaff Rice, to serve

I cut the legs into two, the wings into two (assuming they are intact and not shot-off as sometimes happens) and take the breasts off the bone and cut them into two or three – along the seams rather than across the grain. The carcass can then be used to make a game stock. If this is done in advance the stock is used for cooking the pilaff rice.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until the fat runs and the bacon begins to crisp around the outside. Transfer to a casserole. Add the pheasant pieces to the frying pan and brown lightly a few at a time. Remove and add to the casserole.
Add the garlic and onion to the frying pan, toss, cover and sweat gently for 4–5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the chopped tomatoes and the salt, pepper and paprika (if you’re using tinned tomatoes, you might need a little sugar to help the flavour). Increase the heat. Add the chorizo. Cook briskly until the sauce thickens slightly.
Return the bacon and the pheasant pieces to the tomato sauce. Add the wings and thigh pieces first, and the breast sections a little later, because they will require less cooking. The casserole will need about 25 minutes in total. Check the seasoning. If the sauce has become too thick, stir in a little stock or water. Scatter with the thyme and flat parsley.

Serve the pheasant, surrounded by pieces of chorizo and bacon, on
a bed of pilaff rice – accompanied by a good green salad.

 

 

Heston Blumenthal’s Choucroute Recipe

100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter (I use salted)
400g  (14oz) peeled and finely sliced onion (approx 6 medium onions)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon juniper berries wrapped in a muslin bag (I use about 11/2 tablespoons and I don’t bother with the bag)
300ml (12fl oz) Gewurztramminer (I just use white wine)
50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar (I add more to taste)
salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 savoy cabbage
1 tablespoon groundnut or rapeseed oil
30g (1oz) smoked bacon lardons

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Sweat the onion, garlic and juniper berries until the onions are soft and lightly coloured (approximately 20 minutes).

Add vinegar and reduce for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Strain the onion and reserve both the onion and the liquor.

Cut the cabbage in half and remove the tough core. Separate the leaves and cut them into 5mm strips.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the bacon and cook until lightly coloured. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Add cabbage to the pan and cook for approximately seven minutes. Mix in the onion, bacon and reserved cooking liquid and cook for another five minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

Check seasoning before serving. Heston Blumenthal says season with salt and pepper but I have been known to add more vinegar!

 

Jane Grigson’s Petits Pots De Gibier (Little Game Custards)

 

 

“For each person allow one (egg) yolk and 100 ml (3.5 oz) skimmed strained rich game stock. Beat together, add seasoning and pour into buttered custard cups. Put on the lids, stand in a pan of simmering water on top of the stove, and leave it for half an hour. Serve with toast or with the sandwiches of the following recipe.”

 

 

George Gossip finds it best as a starter for a rather smart dinner party, usually accompanied by Melba Toast. The choice of wine is difficult. Perhaps a very good sherry!

 

Hottips

 

By George! Game Courses with George Gossip at Ballinderry Park, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

One day game course with game lunch and dinner on Tuesday 8th January 2013 with B&B available in the beautifully restored 18th century country home.

End of Season Game Weekend at Ballinderry Park – Friday 8th and Saturday 9th February 2013 which includes two nights B&B and two game dinners. George will do his excellent game cookery demonstrations on both dates - to enquire and to book phone 09096 86796 - www.ballinderrypark.com

A Call to Arms – Open meeting to discuss genetically modified organisms (GMOs). An Taisce will hold an open meeting on Saturday 8th December at 2pm at An Taisce, Tailors’ Hall, Back Lane, Dublin.

Join the discussion on GMOs, specifically the Teagasc trial on blight resistant GM potatoes, an opportunity for us to educate ourselves on the complex and important subject of GM issues for the future. John Sweeney – President of An Taisce will be the Chair. No admission charge but booking essential…  http://antaisce.eventbrite.ie/ to register.

Ballymaloe Cookery School 2013 Course Schedule Brochure arrived hot off the press last week – phone 021 4646785 to request one in the post.

There are still a few places left on Rachel Allen’s two and half day Festive Entertaining Cookery Course at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Tuesday 11^th to Thursday 13^th December, to book – www.cookingisfun.ie or phone 021 4646785

 

Teresa Barry at Barry’s Garden Centre in Inch, Killeagh has special Gift Fruit Plant Packs –an ideal Christmas present the whole family will benefit from for years. The pack includes strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries, all perfect for cultivating in a small garden. Teresa will you give you good advice on how to plant and how to get the best yields – http://barrysgardencentre.ie/ phone 086 2508437

Can you imagine that a book with recipes that don’t contain dairy, sugar or wheat, vaporised out of my ‘in tray’ in double quick time a few weeks ago and hasn’t been seen since.  Annoying as that may be, this is definitely a compliment to the authors of Guilt Free Gourmet and of course indicates a growing demand for ‘free from’ recipes – the biggest growth area in food.

I particularly wanted to browse through the book because it was written by a recent graduate of the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Jordan Bourke did a 12 Week Certificate Course with us here in April 2010. He was ‘properly’ interested in food and flavour and super fresh produce. After the course he was snapped up by Skye Gyngell at the Michelin starred Petersham Nurseries in London.

Jordan is originally from Dublin but has lived in London for almost 10 years now, his passion for healthy food runs in the family. His sister Jessica with whom he wrote this book is a much sought after nutritional therapist. Jordan cooks for private clients in London specialising in cooking food for optimum health, weight loss and nutrition.

Their first book was written in response to countless pleas from clients, friends and family for the recipes for the indulgent yet guilt free food they tasted. Where have we heard that before – all sounds a bit too good to be true? Well, I have to tell you that Jordan and Jessica are the real deal and the book delivers what it ‘says on the tin’

By the way, Jordan now also gives cooking classes in Clapham, London with Tara Wiggley another Ballymaloe Cookery School graduate who worked at Moro with Sam and Sam Clarke. She currently works at  Ottolenghi in London with Yotam and Sami developing and testing recipes.

 

Jordan and Tara’s next cookery class is on Friday 7^th December for details visit www.jordanbourke.com

 

The Guilt Free Gourmet by Jordan and Jessica Bourke is published by Ryland, Peters & Small Ltd.

 

Jordan Bourke’s Beetroot Burgers with Wholegrain Mustard Mayonnaise

 

There is no question that reducing the amount of meat in your diet is not only good for your health but also for the planet. So before you go running for the hills at the mention of a ‘veggie’ burger, at least taste this one before you make any judgments. It is not an attempt to replicate a beef burger but it is very similar in texture, just as satisfying, and has gone down really well with my carnivore friends.

 

handful of fresh dill

handful of fresh parsley

leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme

350g (12oz) beetroot, grated

150g (5oz) carrot, finely grated

120g (4 ¾ oz) oatmeal

3 eggs

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

wheat-free bread rolls

rocket

cherry tomatoes, halved

 

Jordan’s Wholegrain Mustard Mayonnaise

 

300 ml good extra virgin olive oil

300ml (10fl oz) sunflower oil

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

squeeze of lemon juice

3 teaspoons wholegrain mustard

 

Slaw

1⁄2 small celeriac, cut into thin matchsticks

1⁄2 red cabbage, very thinly sliced

2 carrots, shredded

1 red onion, thinly sliced

small handful of hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

2 eating apples

grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1⁄2

 

Makes about 10

 

Finely chop the herbs. Thoroughly combine with the beetroot, carrot, oatmeal, eggs, onion and garlic in a bowl, making sure the eggs and herbs are evenly distributed. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.

To make the wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, you can use a food processor or an electric whisk. Either way, combine the oils in a jug. Put the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in the food processor bowl or a mixing bowl. As you start to process/whisk, very slowly feed in the oils a little at a time until the mixture begins to emulsify and come together. Once this happens you can add the oil a bit faster, but never be tempted to fire it all in otherwise the mayonnaise will split. I always have a little cup of boiling water ready, as a few drops added in when it is looking like it might split usually brings it back together. Once you have added all the oil, stir in the wholegrain mustard and refrigerate until needed.

To make the slaw, combine the celeriac, cabbage, carrots, onion, hazelnuts and most of the parsley in a bowl. When you are ready to serve the slaw, cut the apple into thin half-moon slices, getting rid of the core, and mix into the bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons of the wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon oil, the lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper and mix well with your hands. Taste and if necessary, add a little extra salt, olive oil or wholegrain mustard.

Preheat the oven to 180ËšC (350ËšF) Gas 4.

To make the burgers, form about 10 patties with your hands. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over low heat and fry the burgers until just browned – 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Toast the bread rolls or pita bread, if you like. Cut them open and spread the wholegrain mustard mayonnaise on the inside. Add the rocket, some halved tomatoes, some slaw and a burger.

 

Jordan Bourke’s Polenta Pizza

 

Polenta can be served in soft and gloopy form, or it can be cooked a little further to dry it out and then grilled/broiled to achieve a firmer, ‘breadier’ base layer. Either way it can be dreadfully bland if it’s not seasoned generously. I love this grilled version, as it soaks up all the juices from the toppings served with it and it has a satisfying texture. Totally guilt free, as it is made from corn, this is a fantastic lunch or dinner dish to share with friends.

 

2 teaspoons bouillon stock powder

200g (7oz) polenta/yellow cornmeal

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

6 garlic cloves, crushed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 head of rainbow or Swiss chard

extra virgin olive oil

200g (7oz) girolle/golden chanterelle mushrooms

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

1 egg

bunch of fresh marjoram

large baking sheet, oiled

 

Serves 6

 

Bring 1 litre water to the boil and add the bouillon powder. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the polenta/cornmeal, whisking all the time until blended. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, add half the lemon zest and juice, 4 of the crushed garlic cloves, the thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper and gently cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until the polenta pulls away from the side of the pan and is very thick.

Meanwhile, bring another pan of water to the boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the chard for about 3–4 minutes until the thick part is just tender, but not limp. If the root end of the chard is very thick, separate it from the leaves and boil each part separately until just tender. Remove, drain and season with some salt and oil.

In the meantime, don’t forget to stir the polenta!

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another pan over medium–high heat. Fry the mushrooms for about 2 minutes or until just golden and tender. Add 1 of the crushed garlic cloves and stir for 30 seconds to release the garlic flavour, but don’t let it burn. Transfer to a bowl, toss with the parsley and season with salt, the remaining lemon zest and juice, and some olive oil.

When the polenta is ready, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread out to a thickness of about 2 cm. Allow to cool and firm up for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill.

Scatter the mushrooms and chard over the top of the polenta. Crack an egg carefully into the middle and grill for about 4–5 minutes or until the egg is cooked.

Meanwhile, pull the leaves off the marjoram stalks and finely chop. Mix the chopped leaves with the last crushed garlic clove and mix with enough oil to form a loose marjoram oil.

Remove the polenta from the grill, slide onto a board and drizzle the marjoram oil over the top. Serve immediately.

 

Jordan Bourke’s Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Soup with Basil Oil & Vegetable Crisps

 

I can’t tell you how comforting this soup is. The sweet smoked paprika and the gentle heat from the chilli warm up even the most wind-swept and bitterly cold winter days. The root vegetable crisps work very well with it, adding a lovely and satisfying crunch. Try and get the Spanish brands of sweet smoked paprika that come in little tins, as they have excellent flavour.

 

300g (10 ½ oz) baby plum tomatoes – as ripe and red as you can find

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 red onions, chopped

2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 red peppers, seeded and chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into cubes

700ml (1 ½ pints) vegetable stock

2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika

8–10 fresh basil leaves

vegetable crisps (you can get these in good supermarkets and any root vegetable will do, eg. parsnip, sweet potato or beetroot)

 

Serves 6–8

 

Preheat the oven to 180ËšC (350ËšF) Gas 4.

Toss the tomatoes in a little oil and salt on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until they have shrivelled up a bit and the skins have popped open.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat, add the onions, chillies and garlic and sweat out until the onions are translucent. Add 2 pinches of salt. Add the peppers and potato and cook over low–medium heat for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.

Add the roasted tomatoes and all the juices and the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are completely soft. Using a food processor or blender, liquidize the soup until smooth. Return to the pan and add the paprika. Season to taste – it will need more salt and some pepper.

Finely chop the basil and mix together with tablespoons olive oil. Ladle the soup into bowls, then with a teaspoon swirl some of the basil oil over the top and lightly place a few vegetable crisps in the middle of the soup. Serve immediately.

 

Guilt-free because…

Red peppers are high in a number of important antioxidants. It is the combination of vitamins C, E and the carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin) that ensure they pack a strong nutritious punch. Zeaxanthin is found in high levels in the retina of the eye, which means red (bell) peppers should form part of any diet used to help those with macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also known to improve the elasticity of the skin as well as a reduction in skin lipid oxidation, a common cause of skin aging.

 

Jordan Bourke’s Chocolate Tart

 

Convincing people that food, especially desserts, made without sugar, wheat and dairy can actually taste good, let alone delicious, is an almost impossible task, which is why I adore this chocolate tart. It will convert even the greatest cynics who protest that no dessert free of sugar, wheat and dairy could possibly taste as good as their more sinful cousins. After tasting this, I guarantee your family and friends will admit defeat and beg you for the recipe, as well as another slice!

sea salt

100 g (3 ½ oz) best-quality dark/bittersweet chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

 

Base

10 pitted dates

150 g (5oz) pecans, lightly roasted

125 g (4oz) Scottish oat cakes

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

 

Filling

3 avocados, not too firm

4 tablespoons coconut oil

6 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon carob powder

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons date syrup

 

20-cm/8-inch spring form pan, base lined with parchment paper

 

Serves 10–12

 

To make the base, blitz the dates in a food processor, then add the rest of the ingredients and a pinch of salt and blitz until everything comes together into

a sticky ball.

Press into the baking pan so that you have an even and smooth base for the tart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes until set.

To make the filling, cut the avocados in half, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a food processor. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the remaining ingredients apart from the coconut oil, and blitz until smooth.

Melt the coconut oil in a pan over the lowest heat possible – this will only take a few moments. Turn on the food processor and pour the coconut oil into the mixture through the funnel. Once combined, pour the mixture onto the set tart base and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or if you want it to set quickly, freeze it.

When you are ready to serve, warm the chocolate to just above room temperature to make it easier to grate. I find leaving it beside the oven when you are cooking for about 10 minutes does the trick. You want the chocolate to be just beginning to soften – not in any way gooey or melting, just not rock solid, so it grates easily in long strips.

Pop the tart out of the baking pan and transfer to a plate. Liberally grate the chocolate over, so it piles up high. The tart should be served fridge-cold so that it stays reasonably firm. It keeps wonderfully well and can easily be made a day in advance.

 

Guilt-free because…

 

Avocados are high in essential omega fats, which are food for the brain, nervous system, skin and hair. Contrary to popular belief, avocados do not make you fat! In fact, studies have shown that those who have high amounts of healthy fats like avocados (and indeed coconut oil) in their diet are more likely to be a healthy weight.

 

Hot Tips

 

Gloucester OId Spot Pork -two young lads aged 14 and 18 from Co Carlow bought their first pigs in 2008, they now have 40 pigs – wouldn’t one of those make a super Christmas pressie? – 059 9155058 – patrickmcinerney@me.com

 

Rocket Fuel – I love the way so many people are dreaming up new food products to sell. Possibly the best place to find innovation is at Farmer’s Markets. The Rocket Man aka Jack Crotty is now also doing a great granola and a drink labelled ‘Rocket Fuel’, a scary looking pink blueberry and ginger cordial that warms the cockles of your heart either hot or cold – so good – www.mahonpointfarmersmarket.com Jack Crotty – 086 822 9624

 

Free Range Birds for Christmas – Still time to order your free range Goose or a beautiful  Bronze Turkeys now from Dan and Ann Aherne from Ballysimon, Midleton, Co Cork or find them at Midleton Farmers Market very Saturday – 021 463 1058 – 086 165 9258.

 

Festive Wine Course with Colm McCan and Peter Corr at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Thursday 13^th December at 2:00pm to 5:30pm – €95.00 – 021 4646785 to book – www.cookingisfun.ie

 

Darina’s Book of the Week – Ever wondered how some of the classic dishes got their name, Beef Wellington, Tarte Tatin even a Reuben sandwich, what has meringue with ice-cream got to do with Alaska? Does chicken Kiev come from Kiev? Who was Arnold Bennet who created that wonderful smoked haddock omelette. Who invented Oysters Rockefeller, was it the president himself or was it created in his honour? Well, ‘Who Put the Beef in ‘Wellington’’ by James Winter has all the answers – published by Kyle Books.