Scones are now available in practically ever forecourt in the country, cheap, cheerful and extraordinarily good value - still there’s nothing quite like a tender buttery scone, fresh from the oven with homemade jam and cream. 

In the US, scones, or biscuits as they are called over there, can often be much more exciting and innovative than over here. The Americans are not content just to have a plain or fruit scone, they add lots of extra bits, craisins, dried cherries, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, crystallised ginger, or whatever the fancy takes.

Scones are flavoured with cocoa, coffee, orange, lemon, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger… 

Scones are often iced for extra excitement and may be served with maple syrup or honey or fruit butters. A big favourite, particularly in summer, is strawberry shortcake, which is made not with shortbread as we know it, but with a fresh buttery scone.

Simply split in half and fill, serve oozing with softly whipped cream and sliced sugared strawberries. 

I’ve been experimenting with a few variations on this theme, try chocolate shortcake with strawberry and cream or better still, sliced bananas, Nutella and cream – wow! You’ll never look back!

Fool Proof Food Recipe -

Mummy’s Sweet White Scones and variations

Makes 18-20 scones using a 72 cm (3inch) cutter
900g (2lb) plain white flour
170g (6oz) butter
3 free range eggs
pinch of salt
55g (2oz) castor sugar
3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
450ml (15floz) approx. milk to mix
For glaze:
egg wash (see below)
granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the scones

First preheat the oven to 250C/475F/gas 9.

Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a large wide bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the eggs with the milk, add to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board. Knead lightly, just enough to shape into a round. Roll out to about 22cm (1inch) thick and cut or stamp into scones. Put onto a baking sheet – no need to grease. Brush the tops with egg wash and dip each one in granulated sugar. Bake in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve split in half with home made jam and a blob of whipped cream or just butter and jam.
Back to top
Egg wash:
Whisk 1 egg with a pinch of salt. This is brushed over the scones and pastry to help them to brown in the oven.

Fruit Scones
Add 110g (4oz) plump sultanas to the above mixture when the butter has been rubbed in. Continue as above.

Lexia Raisin Scones
Add 110g (4oz) lexia raisins to the basic recipe and continue. 

Cherry Scones
Add 110g (4oz) of quartered glace cherries to the basic mixture when the butter has been rubbed in. Continue as above.

Craisin Scones or Dried Cherry Scones
Substitute 110g (4oz) of craisins or dried cherries. Continue as in master recipe.

Cinnamon Scones
Add 2-3 teaspoons of freshly ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.

Crystallized Ginger Scones
Add 110g (4oz) chopped crystallized or drained ginger in syrup to the dry ingredients and continue as above. 

Candied Citrus Peel Scones
110g best quality candied orange and lemon peel to the dry ingredients after the butter has been rubbed in, coat the citrus peel well in the flour before adding the liquid.

Cinnamon Scones
Add 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients in the basic mixture.
Mix 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 55g granulated sugar. Dip the top of the scones in the sugar mixed with the cinnamon.. Bake as above.

Poppy Seed Scones
Add 4 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients after the butter has been rubbed in, proceed as in basic recipe. 
Serve with freshly crushed strawberries and cream

Chocolate Chip Scones
Chop 110g best quality sweet chocolate, add to the dry ingredients after the butter has been rubbed in and proceed as above.

Craisin Scones
Add 110g dried cranberries (Craisins) to the dry ingredients after the butter has been rubbed in, proceed as above.

Scones with Orange Butter
Serve the freshly baked scones with orange butter.
Orange butter
3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
170g (6oz) butter
200g (7oz) icing sugar

Cream the butter with the finely grated orange rind. Add the sifted icing sugar and beat until fluffy. 

Lemon Scones
Substitute lemon for orange in the above recipe.

Useful tip:
Scone mixture may be weighed up ahead - even the day before. Butter may be rubbed in but do not add raising agent and liquid until just before baking.

American Strawberry Shortcake

Makes 18 scones

1 basic scone recipe (see recipe)
8oz (225g) Irish strawberries
2 teaspoons caster sugar
8½ fl.oz (284ml) carton double cream
2 teaspoons icing sugar

Garnish
6-8 whole strawberries
fresh mint or strawberry leaves
icing sugar
Prepare the scones according to the recipe. While they are baking, prepare the strawberries by washing, hulling and cutting into quarters. Toss with the caster sugar and set aside.

Shortly before serving, whip the cream with the icing sugar. Split the cooled scones and top the bottom half with a blob of sweetened cream and a few sugared strawberries. Add the tops, sieve a little icing sugar over and decorate with whole or halved strawberries and fresh mint or strawberry leaves.

Chocolate Scones or Chocolate Shortcake with Bananas

Makes 12-14 scones

450g (1lb) plain white flour
75g (3oz) butter
55g (2oz) castor sugar
25g (1oz) cocoa
2 free range eggs
pinch of salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
200ml (7floz) approx. milk to mix

Green and Black chocolate spread or Nutella
Softly whipped cream
Sliced bananas or raspberries

First preheat the oven to 250C/475F/gas 9.
Make the scones in the usual way. Bake in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes until well-risen and golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

To serve
Split each scone in half.
Smear generously with Green and Black Chocolate spread or Nutella. Top with a blob of cream and some sliced bananas or fresh raspberries. Enjoy! 
The secret of success:

Use a large wide bowl. 

Sieve the flour at least once. Use butter, it makes all the difference to the flavour. Rub the butter in coarsely. If the shortening is rubbed in too finely the scones will be dense and heavy. Resist the temptation to use a food processor, even though its fast - the scones will be close and leaden. 

Add all the liquid at once and mix quickly in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl, in ever increasing concentric circles. When you get to the outside of the bowl (a matter of seconds), the scone dough is made. 

Handle gently, don’t knead, just tidy and roll or pat into a round or square, stamp out as many scones as possible first time, re-rolled dough always results in tougher scones. 

Roll or pat to one inch thick, this really matters. If the dough is too thick, the scones will be cooked on top and underneath but still doughy in the centre, or they may topple over while baking.

If the dough is rolled too thinly, the proportion will be wrong - too much crust and not enough crumb. Put immediately into a fully preheated oven and bake.

Cool the scones on a wire rack as soon as they are baked. Freshly baked scones are best.

Top Tips –
Choose precooked bread carefully. It is frequently undercooked and consequently indigestible.
Richard Leigh-Graham sells delicious sublime buttery brioche at the Clonakilty Farmers Market every Thursday – cut into slices and freeze, so you can toast a piece for breakfast at a moment’s notice, also great with chicken liver pate.
Organico in Bantry is also famous for its range of organic breads – White, Granary, Wholemeal, Spelt, Rye Sourdough as well as scones, cakes, muffins, flapjacks…….
Barrons in Cappoquin for traditional bread baked in their traditional stone ovens – Esther and Joe Barron also run a lovely tea shop on the premises.
Collins Bakery in Youghal make lovely bread which they sell from their shop on North Main Street- loaves, grinders, rolls, wholemeal loaves and fruity bracks

Bagels, Tortillas and Pitta Bread are now widely available, pop some into your freezer - a brilliant standby when you want to make delicious sandwiches and wraps.
Blaas – the delicious Waterford speciality are available in shops and supermarkets all over the city.

Coming up soon at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Barbecue Courses Part 1 & 2 - 26 & 27th June
A Taste of California – 30th June
A Day in Tuscany – 1st July
Jams & Preserves made Simple - ½ day 2nd July
Course Schedule 2003

Some readers of my books will already be familiar with our three great convertibles – Tomato Fondue, Piperonata and Mushroom a la Crème. These three incredibly versatile recipes appear in virtually all of my 12 cookery books despite the fact that each has a different theme and I am careful to have as little repetition as possible. They earn their place in every single volume because they not only star as a vegetable in their own right but also form the basis of many delectable dishes.
Lets start with Tomato Fondue. This juicy melted tomato stew can be flavoured with just one herb – say basil, mint or marjoram, or it can be embellished with a mixture of fresh herbs in season. It can be made ahead and frozen as indeed can Piperonata and Mushroom a la crème.
Its delicious served as a vegetable with fish, chicken, guinea fowl, pork, particularly if the recipe includes a creamy sauce. 
Serve it as a sauce with chicken breast or with a piece of pan-grilled wild Irish salmon – one can easily imagine that it makes a perfect sauce for pasta, either on its own or with chorizo or kabanossi sausage and lots of freshly grated Desmond, Coolea or Baylough farmhouse cheese. Slather it across the centre of an omelette with a little knob of pesto for extra excitement or use it as a base to add beans or chick peas for a delicious bean stew. You can add it to your favourite recipe for mince to make it even more tasty.

If you’d rather make a fish stew, add a mixture of fish and shellfish, some chilli to add a little extra zing and lots of fresh dill or maybe coriander, a little grated ginger is terrific too, as is a can of coconut milk and so on.
All one needs is a pot of Tomato fondue and a sprinkling of imagination – in the Caribbean they add spinach and lots of freshly chopped dill and serve it with fish – truly delicious.

Piperonata - the Italian Pepper and Tomato stew can also be used in a myriad of ways. It too is delicious with fish, and when paired with poached eggs it becomes the classic piperade. 
The sweetness of the peppers is particularly delicious with swordfish, tuna or monkfish. Piperonata, unlike the tomato fondue and mushroom a la crème can be eaten cold and is delicious with goat cheese or mozzarella. Drizzle with a little tapenade or pesto.

Deliciously rich and creamy, mushroom a la crème is irresistible with a succulent steak or juicy hamburger. Its also good with chicken breast and makes a perfect filling for a vol au vent or omelette. It makes the best mushrooms on toast and acts as a basis to use up little morsels of cooked chicken and ham. Add some cooked salmon and a few mussels or other shellfish, some chopped herbs, and hey presto you have a filling for pancakes or a pie which can be topped with pastry or potato. This mixture is also delicious as a filling for filo parcels.

Ring the changes by adding some freshly grated ginger and some toasted chopped almonds. We also spread a basic mushroom a la crème over a pizza base with lots of marjoram to make one of the most delectable of all pizzas.
Mushroom a la crème can also be made with wild mushrooms or a mixture of cultivated and wild.

So now you’ll understand why we virtually always have Tomato Fondue, Piperonata and Mushroom a la Crème in a fridge and also in the freezer – here are the recipes and I’m sure you will find even more exciting ways to use these great convertibles.

Piperonata

Serves 8-10

1 onion, sliced
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
6 large tomatoes (dark red and very ripe)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
A clove of garlic, crushed
A few leaves of fresh basil
Heat the olive oil in a casserole, add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, then add the sliced onion, toss in the oil and allow to soften over a gentle heat in a covered casserole while the peppers are being prepared. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds carefully, cut into quarters and then into strips across rather that lengthways. Add to the onion and toss in the oil; replace the lid and continue to cook.

Meanwhile peel the tomatoes (scald in boiling water for 10 seconds, pour off the water and peel immediately). Slice the tomatoes and add to the casserole, season with salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar and a few leaves of fresh basil if available. Cook until the vegetables are just soft, 30 minutes approx. 

Mushroom a la Creme

Serves 4

½-1 oz (15-30 g) butter
3 ozs (85 g) onion, finely chopped
½ lb (225g) mushrooms, sliced
4 fl ozs (100ml) cream
Freshly chopped parsley
½ tablespoon freshly chopped chives (optional)
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured; remove the onions to a bowl. Meanwhile cook the sliced mushrooms in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice . Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning, and add parsley and chives if used.

Note: Mushroom a la creme may be served as a vegetable, or as a filling for vol au vents, bouchees or pancakes or as a sauce for pasta. It may be used as an enrichment for casseroles and stews or, by adding a little more cream or stock, may be served as a sauce with beef, lamb, chicken or veal. A crushed clove of garlic may be added while the onions are sweating.
Mushroom a la Creme keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms with Goats Cheese, Pesto and Tomato Fondue

In the Summer we grow zucchini (courgettes) in both the Kitchen garden and the Green House, they produce hundreds of canary yellow blossoms. The female flowers produce the fruit but we use the male flowers in our salads, as a container for sauces and in soups. They are also utterly delicious stuffed with a few melting morsels, then dipped in a light batter and deep fried until crisp and golden. 

Serves 6-8 
Batter (excellent for fish fillets also) 
140g (5ozs) plain flour 
12 tablespoons olive oil 
Water
1-12 egg whites
Sea salt 
Sunflower oil for deep frying 
12 - 16 courgette flowers (or less) 
Filling 
175g - 225g (6 - 8ozs) fresh Irish goat=s cheese (I use St Tola, Croghan or Ardsallagh, each wonderful but different) 
3-4 teaspoons Pesto 
3-4 tablespoons Tomato fondue – see recipe
Accompaniment 
Tomato sauce or tomato fondue

First make the batter. Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil, stir and add enough water to make a batter about the consistency of thick cream. Allow to stand for at least 1 hour if you can. 
Just before cooking, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into the batter. Add salt to taste.
Heat the oil in the deep fryer until very hot. Remove the >thorns= from the base of the zucchini flowers and the stamens from the center. Hold a zucchini flower upright, open slightly and carefully. Put about 15g (2oz) goat=s cheese, 2 teaspoon pesto and 1 teaspoon of Tomato fondue into each. Twist the tip of the petals to seal. Dip in batter and drop into the hot oil. Fry on one side for about 2 minutes and then turn over. They=ll take about 4 minutes in total to become crisp and golden. 
Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately - just as they are or with hot Tomato Sauce or a little extra Tomato fondue. 

Crunchy Chicken and Mushroom Filo Pies 
Serves 6 as a main course – but these pastries can be made in different sizes and used as a canapé or starter also. 
1 packet filo pastry - use what you need and carefully freeze the remainder
Clarified Butter or melted butter
Mushroom a la Crème (see recipe)
340g (12oz) cooked chicken, diced 
225g (8oz) cooked ham or bacon, diced 
egg wash 
First make the Mushroom a la Crème. Add some coarsely chopped cooked ham or bacon and cooked chicken to the mushrooom a la creme. Taste and correct seasoning.
Defrost the filo pastry if necessary and unfold.
For Filo Parcels.
Brush the top sheet with melted butter. Put 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the centre of the sheet in about 6.5cm (2½inch) from the narrow end. Fold the pastry over the filling twice and then fold in one of the edges, roll over and then fold in the other side so there is even thickness of pastry at both sides. Continue to roll over to enclose the filling. 
Brush with egg wash and melted butter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/regulo 4 for 15-20 minutes depending on size.
For filo triangles
Cut each sheet in 4 lengthwise, brush each strip with melted butter, put a heaped teaspoon of filling near the end of the strip. Fold over and over from side to side to form a triangle. Brush with melted butter and egg wash. 
Serve with a good green salad and some spicy greens. 

Darina’s back to basics  

Tomato Fondue

Serves 6 approximately

115g (4ozs) sliced onions
1 clove of garlic, crushed 
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
900g (2lbs) very ripe tomatoes in Summer, or 2½ tins (x 14oz) of tomatoes in Winter, but peel before using
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste
1 tablespoon of any of the following;
freshly chopped mint, thyme, parsley, lemon balm, marjoram or torn basil
Heat the oil in a non reactive saucepan. Add the sliced onions and garlic toss until coated, cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added. Slice the fresh tomatoes or tinned and add with all the juice to the onions. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar (tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity). Add a generous sprinkling of herbs. Cook uncovered for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens. Cook fresh tomatoes for a shorter time to preserve the lively fresh flavour. Tinned tomatoes need to be cooked for longer depending on whether one wants to use the fondue as a vegetable, sauce or filling. Note: A few drops of Balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking greatly enhances the flavour.

Tomato Fondue with Chilli
Add 1 - 2 chopped fresh chilli to the onions when sweating.

Hot Tips
Bord Bia have just brought out new beef and lamb recipe cards- ‘Great beef for the Grill or Barbecue’ and ‘Its so Easy’ Lamb recipes. Look out for the cards in the supermarket and at the butchers shop – all recipes are available on line at www.bordbia.ie
Cork’s English Market has been listed among Europe’s top ten food markets in the current issue of the Observer Food Monthly, in the company of Borough Market in London, Les Halles de Lyons, The Pescheria in Venice and others.

Bord Bia do trojan work to promote Irish food, both at home and abroad – they come up with so many exciting ideas that I often wonder whether they all stay awake at night dreaming up new ways to entice us to buy and try fresh Irish produce. Regular readers of this column will know that I too regularly exhort people to think fresh, local and seasonal and above all to think Irish as you fill your shopping basket – farmers and food producers are really having a tough time. We all seem to assume that cheap food is our right and so the primary producers are often forced to produce food below an economic level because of our unreasonable expectation. Nobody in business can continue for any length of time if they can’t cover their costs and make a reasonable profit to reinvest. If this continues, more and more farmers will be forced to sell the farms they love, otherwise they will be forced to intensify further, in which cases we will all be losers. The result will inevitably be less good quality, less flavour, poorer texture and often less nutritious. Also – sounds a bit melodramatic – no farms, no food – maybe a while off, but in the US 1000 acres of land a day are being lost to farming. In Ireland between 1991 and 2000 there was a drop of around 29,000 in the number of farmers.

On a happier note, back to Bord Bia who have encouraged our butchers shops to stock minced pork on a regular basis – its great value for money, it has all the high nutritional value of other meats and while it can be used in all your favourite mince dishes, it has the added advantage of combining really well with all the current popular flavours - ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, chilli etc., so you have available to you a host of delicious dishes. Especially good are the Chinese style dishes with minced pork like Spring Rolls, Chinese Dumplings, Sweet and Sour Meatballs.

So how about experimenting – for more information and recipes contact Bord Bia 

01-6685155, www.bordbia.ie

Minced Pork Sticks with Sesame Dressing

450g (1lb) minced pork

1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teasp. ginger
1 tablesp. soy /fish sauce
1 tablesp. basil, chopped
1 chilli, chopped
salt and black pepper
Dressing
1 tablesp. oil
1 tablesp. sesame oil
1 tablesp. Dijon mustard
½ tablesp. rice vinegar
1 tablesp. sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablesp. soy/fish sauce
½ teasp. sugar
1 chilli, chopped
2 tablesp. basil, chopped

Mix all the pork stick ingredients together and shape onto 12 skewers. Brush with oil and grill until fully cooked, 10-15 min. Mix the dressing together. Serve the sticks with the dressing, noodles and lime wedges.

Pork Burgers with Red Pepper and Mango Salsa

450g (1lb) minced pork
1 onion, finely chopped and sautéed in oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chilli, chopped
a handful of coriander and scallions, chopped
salt and black pepper
Red Pepper and Mango Salsa
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 red pepper,diced
a handful of coriander and scallions, chopped
2-3 tablesp. oil
1 chilli, chopped
½ teasp. sugar
juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
salt and black pepper

Mix the burger ingredients together. Shape into 4 burgers. Grill until fully cooked, 8-10 minutes. Mix the salsa ingredients together. Serve with the burger, bap and salad leaves.

Homemade Sausages with Bramley Apple Sauce

Makes 16 approx. - Serve 8

1 lb (450g) good fat streaky pork
2-4 teaspoons mixed fresh herbs eg. parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram and rosemary or sage
1 large clove garlic
1 egg, preferably free range
2½ ozs (70g) soft white breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A little oil

Mince the pork. Chop the herbs finely and mix through the crumbs. Crush the garlic to a paste with a little salt. Whisk the egg then mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Fry off a little knob of the mixture to check the seasoning correct if necessary. Divide into 16 pieces and roll into lengths. Fry gently on a barely oiled pan until golden on all sides. They are particularly delicious served with Bramley Apple Sauce and Potato Cakes.

Note: For Breakfast you may want to omit the herbs and garlic.

Bramley Apple Sauce

The trick with Apple sauce is to cook it on a very low heat with only a tiny drop of water so it is nice and thick and not too watery, always worth having in the freezer in little tubs in case you feel like a juicy pork chop for supper.

1 lb (450g) cooking apples 
1-2 dessertspoons water
2 ozs (55g) approx. sugar (depending on how tart the apples are)

Peel, quarter and core the apples; cut the pieces in two and put them in a stainless or cast-iron saucepan, with sugar and water. Cover and cook on a very low heat until the apples break down in a fluff. Stir and taste for sweetness.
Serve warm and cold.

Penne with Pork Sausage, Cream and Basil

Serves 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (6ozs approx.), finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
250g Italian sausages or minced belly of pork, skinned and crumbled
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
300ml double cream
500g dried pasta
1 handful fresh basil, torn or watercress
salt and black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Heat oil in large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally over medium high heay, until just golden, - 5 minutes. Add minced pork and fennel seeds. Cook, stirring frequently to break up meat, until it browns, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the cream and simmer until just thickened – 1-2 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain reserving ½ cup pasta water. Add the pasta to the hot sauce. Add the torn basil leaves. Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed. Serve immediately with Parmesan.

OR

Penne with Pork Sausage, Cream and Basil al Forno

Turn into dishes and bake 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6 al forno for 15-20 minutes until slightly crisp on top. Serve with a good green salad.

Darina’s back to basics

Oatmeal Biscuits
A bikkie anyone can make, even complete beginners

This nutritious recipe makes 24 or even 32 biscuits, which keep very well in a tin, the children love to munch them with a banana, don’t compromise, make these with butter, the flavour is immeasurably better.

1 lb (450g) oatmeal (porridge oats)
12 ozs (340g) butter
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
1 tablesp. golden syrup
1 teasp. pure vanilla essence

Swiss roll tin 10 inch x 15 inch (25.5cm x 38 cm)

Melt the butter, remove from the heat add the golden syrup and pure vanilla essence, stir in the castor sugar and oatmeal and mix well.

Spread into a large swiss roll tin and bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 until golden and slightly caramelized about 30 minutes approx. Cut into 24-32 squares while still warm.

Note: Make half the recipe if a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33cm) swiss roll tin is used.

Oatmeal and Banana Crunch
For an instant pudding, cover an oatmeal biscuit with slices of banana, put a tiny dollop of cream on top and eat. Simply Delicious!
Loose crumbs can be scattered over some stewed apple for an instant crumble.

Hot tips

For free-range organic chickens contact Dan and Anne Ahern 021-4631058, also available at Midleton Farmers Market.
Organic Pork – Available at Midleton Farmers Market, or from Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd. Tel 023-48474, Gubbeen Smokehouse, Tel 028-27824.

I absolutely adore this time of year, everything in the garden is springing into life and the first of the new fruit and vegetables are just ready for picking. In the kitchen garden there are pale tender shoots of seakale hiding under the terracotta forcing pots and lots of delicate pink rhubarb stalks for tarts and compotes. Already we have had some spears of asparagus- just enough to have a tiny feast. 
Down in the wood the wild garlic has also made its appearance and we have been putting the tender leaves into green salads and soups and scattering the pretty white flowers as a garnish over salads and starters. However, the main excitement this week was when I took my reluctant and more than sceptical students on an expedition to gather young spring nettles and watercress to make soup. I cockily assured them that if one clasps the nettles firmly one doesn't get stung - 'We want a demonstration' they taunted, 'No problem' says yours truly who got roasted alive - Wow, Spring nettles really do sting! - so needless to say much hilarity at my expense so we quickly resorted to rubber gloves. - Here's our recipe for nettle soup which hopefully will purify the blood.
Watercress is much easier to pick, it can of course be bought in bunches in many supermarkets, but if you want to gather some yourself make sure the water in the stream is clean, no animals directly upstream. As children we always collected it in Spring, along the banks of the stream that flows through the Chapel meadows outside the village of Cullohill.

The water must be constantly flowing, watercress is packed with vitamins and minerals and its peppery taste is irresistible in salads as well as soups – its at its best and must succulent at present.
The main course for our Easter lunch has to be lamb. You’ll need to order young Spring lamb a week or two ahead – I know many people choose salmon or turkey for Easter, but for me it wouldn’t be Easter without sweet, succulent Spring lamb. You’ll need to order it ahead from your local butcher. Leg, loin or shoulder can be roasted, the latter is the most delicious of all, but more of a challenge to carve than the leg. 
Young carrots would be delish and if available the first Irish potatoes. If not, why, not make a gratin of potato and spring onion and cook it underneath the lamb so that all the juices are absorbed by the potato – saves making gravy too.

Use the first mint leaves to make a simple mint sauce. Serve a green salad of young Spring leaves – sorrel, rocket, watercress, claytonia or just mixed leaves. Scatter a few primrose flowers over the top to emphasise Spring – yes, they are edible and delicious too.
For pud for our Easter lunch – Rhubarb Tatin served with soft brown sugar and cream.
After all of that you’ll enjoy a long walk in the country or along your local strand.

Have fun and happy Easter.

Watercress or Nettle Soup

There are references to watercress in many early Irish manuscripts. It formed part of the diet of hermits and holy men who valued its special properties. Legend has it that it was watercress that enabled St. Brendan to live to the ripe old age of 180! In Birr Castle in Co. Offaly, Lord and Lady Rosse still serve soup of watercress gathered from around St. Brendan's well, just below the castle walls.

Many older people particularly still like to eat nettles several times during the month of May to purify the blood and keep away arthritis for the coming year.

Serves 6-8
12 ozs (45g) butter
5 ozs (140g) peeled and chopped potatoes
4 ozs (110g) peeled and chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pint (600ml) water or home-made chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 pint (600ml) creamy milk
8 ozs (225g) chopped watercress or nettles (remove the coarse stalks)

Melt the butter in heavy bottomed saucepan, when it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the watercress. When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured add the stock and milk, bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the watercress or nettles and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes approx. until the watercress or nettles are cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Puree the soup in a liquidiser or food processor. Taste and correct seasoning.

Glazed Carrots

If you have never cooked carrots before you might like to try this method of cooking them. Admittedly it takes a little vigilance but the resulting flavour is a revelation to many people and you won’t cook them any other way again.

Serves 4-6
1 lb (450g) carrots, Early Nantes and Autumn King have particularly good flavour
½ oz (15g) butter
4 fl ozs (100ml) cold water
Pinch of salt
A good pinch of sugar
Garnish 
Freshly chopped parsley or fresh mint
Cut off the tops and tips, scrub and peel thinly if necessary. Cut into slices â…“ inch (7mm) thick, either straight across or at an angle. Leave very young carrots whole. Put them in a saucepan with butter, water, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and cook over a gentle heat until tender, by which time the liquid should have all been absorbed into the carrots, but if not remove the lid and increase the heat until all the water has evaporated. Taste and correct the seasoning. Shake the saucepan so the carrots become coated with the buttery glaze. 
Serve in a hot vegetable dish sprinkled with chopped parsley or mint.
Tip: It’s really important to cut the carrots into the same thickness, otherwise they will cook unevenly. 
You must keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn, particularly if its your first time. 

Roast Spring Lamb with Mint Sauce

Young Spring Lamb is sweet and succulent and needs absolutely no embellishment apart from a dusting of salt and pepper and a little fresh Mint Sauce.
For me this is the quintessential taste of Easter.

Serves 6-8
1 leg of Spring lamb
salt and freshly ground pepper
Gravy
1 pint (570ml) lamb or chicken stock
a little roux
salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish
Sprigs of fresh mint and parsley
Mint Sauce 
If possible ask your butcher to remove the aitch bone from the top of the leg of lamb so that it will be easier to carve later, then trim the knuckle end of the leg. Season the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put into a roasting tin.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4. Roast for 1-1¼ hours approx. for rare, 1¼ -1½ hours for medium and 1½- 2 hours for well done, depending on size. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove the joint to a carving dish. Rest the lamb for 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile make the gravy. Degrease the juices in the roasting tin, add stock. Bring to the boil and whisk in a little roux to thicken slightly. Taste and allow to bubble up until the flavour is concentrated enough. Correct the seasoning and serve hot.

Mint Sauce

Traditional Mint Sauce made with tender young shoots of fresh mint only takes minutes to make. Its the perfect accompaniment to Spring lamb but for those who are expecting a bright green jelly, the slightly dull colour and watery texture comes as a surprise. Thats how it ought to be, try it.

2 tablesp finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablesp. sugar
6-8 tablesp boiling water
2 tablesp. white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put the sugar and freshly-chopped mint into a sauce boat. Add the boiling water and vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to infuse for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Roux
4 ozs (110g) butter
4 ozs (110g) flour

Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Use as required. Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred. It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.

Gratin of Potato and Spring Onion

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 bacon or a lamb chop cut into dice, so it can be a sustaining main course or a delicious accompaniment as served here with Easter Lamb.

Serves 4 as a main course
Serves 6 as an accompaniment
3 lbs (1.5kg) 'old' potatoes, eg. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
2 bunches of spring onions
1 oz (30g) butter
3-6 ozs (85-170g) Irish mature cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2-: pint (300-450ml/13-1: cups) homemade chicken, beef or vegetable stock
Oval ovenproof gratin dish - 122 inch (31.5cm) long x 2 inch (5cm) high
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/regulo 6. 

Slice the peeled potatoes thinly, blanch and refresh. Trim the spring onions and chop both the green and white parts into approx. 3 inch (5mm) slices with a scissors or a knife.

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

Bake in a preheated oven for 1-13 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.

Rhubarb Tarte Tatin

This delectable tart is an adaptation of a traditional recipe which was originally cooked in a bastable over the open fire – everyone adores it.

One could also add a couple of teaspoons of freshly grated ginger to the rhubarb, but try it unadorned at first, its seriously good.

Serves 8-10
In season: late spring
900g (2lb) red rhubarb
255-285g (9-10oz) granulated sugar

Topping
310g (11oz) flour
20g (¾oz) castor sugar
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
55g (2oz) butter
1 egg
175ml (6floz) full cream milk, approx
egg wash
granulated sugar

23x5cm (9x2inch) round tin. We use a heavy stainless steel sauté pan which works very well, if you don’t have a suitable pan, par cook the rhubarb slightly first.
Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/regulo 8
Trim the rhubarb, wipe with a damp cloth and cut into pieces about 2.5cm (1inch) in length. Put into the base of a tin or sauté pan, sprinkle with the sugar. We put the stainless steel sauté pan on a low heat at this point while we make the dough.

Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg with the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid all at once and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and roll into a 23cm (9inch) round about 2.5cm (1inch) thick. Place this round on top of the rhubarb and tuck in the edges neatly. Brush with a little egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. 

Bake in the fully preheated oven for 15 minutes then, reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/regulo 4 for a further 30 minutes approx. or until the top is crusty and golden and the rhubarb soft and juicy.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes. Put a warm plate over the top of the sauté pan, turn upside down onto the plate but be careful of the hot juices. 
Serve warm with soft brown sugar and cream.

Top Tips 

Wild garlic
Wild Garlic also known as Ramsoms (Allium Ursinum) and Three cornered Garlic (Allium Triquetrum), also known as Snowbells, are in full bloom all around the countryside at the moment - many people will recognize them and smell them, as they go for walks, but not many realize that they are, not merely edible but a most delicious addition to sauce, salads and soups.

Fresh Mint
Bunches of fresh mint are now available in the supermarkets, spearmint has the most delicate flavour. Use for Mint sauce or make a fresh mint infusion –bring fresh cold water to a boil. Scald a china teapot, take a generous pinch of fresh spearmint leaves and 
crush them gently in your hand. The quantity will depend on how intense an infusion you enjoy. Put them into the scalded water. Pour the boiling water over the leaves, cover the teapot, and let them infuse for 3-4minutes. Serve immediately in china cups.

Easter Eggs 
All the shops have a range of Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies – look out for little ones to hide around the garden for the Easter Egg hunt – Marks and Spencer, Lily O’Brien and locally made Eve Chocolate and O’Conaills who sell at Midleton Farmers Market. Have a tempting peep at Hot Chocolate in Cork’s Castle Street.