Darina’s Saturday Letter

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Slow Food Nation

In 2001 Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation hit the book stands in the US. It rocked the consciousness of the nation and stayed on the New York best sellers list for more than two years.  Its revelations about how the fast food industry operates and how animals are reared and slaughtered on huge feed lots in the Mid-West forced Americans to think about animal welfare issues. It highlighted the appalling working conditions and pitiful rates of pay of the meat and migrant workers.

Since then McDonalds and other chains have undergone a metamorphosis as they adapt to the growing customer demand for ethically produced meat and more healthy food.  Other books, documentaries and films and acres of newsprint are helping to heighten awareness that things are going horribly wrong on many levels.

Even governments now are no longer in denial about climate change and global warming and even more importantly are beginning to face the decidedly uncomfortable fact that we can no longer really depend on cheap fuel. There is a huge urgency to prepare ourselves for a world fast approaching where fossil fuel will become so prohibitively expensive that we are forced to do without or find alternatives.

Let’s stop and think for a moment, take the dairy farmer. He picks up the phone to order diesel for his tractors “Sorry there won’t be another delivery for 4 months”.  An hour later the power goes.  The 100 cows need to be milked.  Where does he start, he can remember how to milk but how can he teach the younger workers.  The design of the milking parlor does not facilitate hand milking and where will he find a 3 legged stool.  Even if he does manage to milk, what will he do with it? If the milk tanker comes, the creamery would be in the same boat!

I’ll stop here but you must get the message.  This kind of scenario is hard to think about in fact most people are in complete denial that it or something similar is not as far away as we might think so we would do well to dwell on the new era we are going into and prepare.

At Slow Food Nation in San Francisco last weekend there was a lot of talk about transition farming and transition towns and villages.  Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced the London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy which encourages people to take a variety of measures to prepare for what is now completely inevitable.  It is not a case of if but when.

San Francisco and indeed most of California is unquestionably a place apart.  There is an awareness and consciousness about food and environmental issues.  I feel that for sure folks in Minnesota or Idaho may not see the same reality, even though they have many challenges.  Factory farming has so damaged the environment that farming is becoming impossible in some areas.  There are problems of soil fertility, soil erosion and chronic pollution.

In the U.S. there are more people in prison than there are farmers and the number of farmers has shrunk so dramatically that the National Census does not carry a category for farmers.  They must register under ‘Others’ – How can it have happened that we so undervalue the very people who provide us with our means of life.  But in the midst of despair and despondency there is certainly hope – something is definitely stirring at grass roots level.  People are no longer waiting for governments to do it, individuals and committees are taking the initiative themselves.  Slow Food and environmental activists are joining to develop local food initiatives.  Slow Food Nation attracted 60,000 visitors over a weekend of seminars.  Inspirational and visionary speakers brainstormed on a new way forward and how to bring about change and encourage sustainable food production world wide so that all food will nourish rather than merely fuel.  The new Declaration for  Healthy Food and Agriculture was launched and when it has been signed by more than 300,000 it will be presented to the incoming President of the United States as the voice of the American people that than the multi nationals.  Thousands and thousands of people ate, drank and were merry as they toasted the farmers, fishermen and artisans and celebrated the beautiful fresh produce of the Bay Area.  It was truly a life changing experience.  www.slowfoodnation.org

 

Crab Apple or Bramley Apple Jelly

 

Makes 2.7-3kg (6-7 lb)

 

2.7kg (6 lb) crab apples or wind fall cooking apples

2.7L (4 3/4 pints) water

2 unwaxed lemons

Sugar

 

Wash the apples and cut into quarters, do not remove either peel or core. Windfalls may be used, but make sure to cut out the bruised parts. Put the apples into a large saucepan with the water and the thinly pared rind of the lemons, cook until reduced to a pulp, approx. 3/4 hour.

Turn the pulp into a jelly bag* and allow to drip until all the juice has been extracted – usually overnight.  Measure the juice into a preserving pan and allow 450g (1lb) sugar to each 600ml (1pint/2 1/2 cups) of juice.  Warm the sugar in a low oven.

 

Squeeze the lemons, strain the juice and add to the preserving pan. Bring to the boil and add the warm sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Increase the heat and boil rapidly without stirring for about 8-10 minutes.  Skim, test and pot immediately.

Flavour with sweet geranium, mint or cloves as required (see below). 

 

Apple and Sweet Geranium Jelly

Add 6-8 large leaves of sweet geranium while the apples are stewing and put a fresh leaf into each jar as you pot the jelly.

 

Apple and Clove Jelly

Add 3-6 cloves to the apples as they stew and put a clove in each pot.  Serve on bread or scones.

 

Apple and Mint Jelly

Add 4-6 large sprigs of fresh mint to the apples while they are stewing and add 4-8 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint to the jelly just before it is potted.   Serve with lamb.

 

Apple and Elderberry Jelly

Add a fist or two of elderberries to the apple and continue as above. Up to half volume of elderberries can be used. A sprig or two of mint or sweet geranium or a cinnamon stick enhances the flavour further.

 

 

 

 

Meringue Roulade with Blueberries and Blueberry Coulis
Serves 6 – 8

 

4 organic egg whites

8 ozs (225g) castor sugar

1/2 pint (300ml) whipped cream

8ozs (225g) Irish blueberries

 

Garnish
Sprigs of Mint, Lemon Balm or Sweet Cicely

 

Accompaniment
Fresh Irish blueberry coulis (see recipe below)

 

Swiss roll tin 12 x 8 inch (30.5 x 20.5cm)

 

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

 

Put the egg whites into a spotlessly clean bowl of a food mixer.  Break up with the whisk and then add all the castor sugar together.  Whisk at full speed until it holds a stiff peak 4 – 5 minutes approx.

 

Meanwhile, line a swiss roll tin with tin foil, brush lightly with a non-scented oil (eg. sunflower or arachide).

 

Spread the meringue gently over the tin with a palette knife, it ought to be quite thick and bouncy. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.  Put a sheet of tin foil on the work top and turn the roulade onto it, remove the base tin foil and allow the meringue to cool.

 

Meanwhile make the blueberry coulis (see below). 

 

To Assemble

Spread the whipped cream and blueberries over the meringue, roll up from the wide end and carefully ease onto a serving plate. Pipe 6–8 rosettes along the top of the roulade, decorate with mint leaves.

Serve, cut into slices about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick accompanied by a little fresh blueberry coulis.

 

Note:  This roulade is also very good filled with raspberries, loganberries, sliced strawberries, peaches, nectarines, kiwi fruit, bananas, or mango and passionfruit.

 

Blueberry Coulis
Serves 8

 

8 ozs (225g) Irish blueberries

2 ozs (50g) icing sugar

 

Put the blueberries into the blender with the sugar, blend. Taste and add a little lemon juice if necessary. Store in a fridge. 

 

 

 

 

Rose Hip Syrup

Rose hips are new in season so make this delicious cordial bursting with Vitamin C; it’s also great with proccesso as an aperitif

 

Makes 2 pints

Use either wild rose hips – Rosa cavina  -  or the hips of Rosa rugosa

 

2 lbs (900g) Rosehips

4 ½ pints (2.6 L) water

1 lb (450g) sugar

 

Bring three pints of water to the boil.  Meanwhile chop or mince the rosehips

just as soon as they are ready add them to the water and bring it back to the boil.

Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 15 minutes.

Strain through muslin.  Put the pulp back into the saucepan, add another 12 pints

water and bring to the boil, infuse and strain as before.  Pour all the juice

into a clean saucepan, reduce uncovered to 1 2 pints.  Add in the sugar, stir to

dissolve and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

Pour the syrup into sterilized bottles.  Cover with screw top caps. 

Serve with ice cream or use as the basis for a drink.

 

Damson & Bramley Apple Tart
 

Serves 8-12

 

The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from ‘hot hands’ don’t have to worry about rubbing in the butter.  It is quite simply the best pie pastry.  Individual tarts may also be made.

 

Break all the Rules Pastry
225g (8oz) butter

50g (2oz) castor sugar

2 eggs, free range and organic

350g (12oz) white flour, preferably unbleached

 

Filling
700g (1 1/2lb) Bramley Seedling cooking apples

225g (½lb) or more wild Damsons

150g (5oz) sugar

Egg wash, made with one beaten egg and a dash of milk

Castor sugar for sprinkling

 

To Serve
Softly whipped cream

Barbados sugar (soft dark brown sugar, not Muscovado)

 

1 x 18cm (7 inch) x 30.5cm (12 inch) x 2.5cm (1 inch) deep or 1 x 23cm (9 inch) round  tin or 1 x 23cm (9 inch) square

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

 

First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over cream). Add the eggs and beat for several minutes. Reduce speed and mix in the flour. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 1 hour otherwise it is difficult to handle.  Having said that, I have on occasions bunged all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz bang, whizz bang made the pastry in a matter of seconds and rolled in out minutes later albeit with a certain amount of difficulty.  Even if it does break a little it responds very well to being patched and appears flawless and golden when it is fully baked.

 

To make the tart
Roll out the pastry 5mm (1/4 inch) thick approximately, and use about 2/3 of it to line a suitable tin. Peel, quarter and dice the apples into the tart, top with Damsons (don’t remove stones). Sprinkle with sugar. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and Barbados sugar.

 

Rhubarb Tart
Make in exactly the same way but use approx. 900g (2lb) sliced red rhubarb (about 1/2 inch thick) and approximately 370-400g (13oz-14oz) sugar.

 

 

 

FOOL PROOF FOOD

 

Irish Blueberry Drop Scones

 

 

Drop scones are so quick and easy to make, the blueberries make lovely addition.

 

 

Makes 24

 

 

10oz (275g) plain flour

1¾ oz (45g) sugar plus more for sprinkling on top

2 teasp. baking powder

¼ teasp. salt

3oz (75g) cold butter, cut into small pieces

2oz (50g) fresh or frozen Irish blueberries, thawed if frozen

1 large free range egg

6 fl.oz (175g) milk

 

 

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C/regulo 7)

 

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.   Rub in the butter until crumbs form.  Stir in the blueberries.

Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl.   Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the ingredients are moistened and bind together.  

Drop the batter in heaped tablespoons, 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake until golden brown for about 12 minutes.  Serve immediately.

 

HOT TIPS!

Mushroom Hunt

Sunday 5th October, Cavan – Grounds of Radisson SAS Farnham Estate

Dinner: The Old Post Inn, Cloverhill

Mushroom hunt & picnic: Adults €30 / 12-16yrs €15 / Under 12’s  €5

Mushroom hunt, picnic & dinner: Adults €60 / 12-16yr €40 / Under 12’s €20

Booking:Call 01-6779995 or email info@eurotoquesirl.org by Monday 29th September

 

On Sunday 28th September

Stephen and Sarah Canty of Food for Thought are supplying a sumptuous West Cork Picnic, with all local good clean and fair produce. Wines from our very generous sponsors Febvre and Co.

Adults €20, children €8, €15 for 2, €22 for 3

Bookings, Simone at Interior living, 11 Mac Curtain Street, tel 4505819 from 10am to 5.30pm Mon – Sat

 

Talk on Codex Alimentarius by Ian Crane

The UN plan to eradicate Organic Farming and to destroy the Natural Health Industry

Thursday September 25th at 8pm

Quaker Meeting House, Summerhill South, Cork City

Entrance Fee €5

 

Organic, Fresh and Fab

Next week is National Organic Week so you will be seeing lots of articles in the media extolling the virtues of all things organic for the next few days.  I’m certainly going to add my ‘tuppence halfpenny worth’ because I am totally convinced of the value of spanking fresh organic produce in terms of flavour and nutrition.

Problem is nowadays no one believes anything unless it has been scientifically proven and therein lies the conundrum.

Very little research has been done in the organic sector by comparison with the conventional sector, moreover it is extremely difficult to get research done or to get answers to basic questions.   One could be forgiven for thinking that there was no great hunger to prove that there may be health benefits.

In August 2000, Sir John Krebs, the then head of the Food Standards Agency in the UK, enraged the Soil Association and other certifying bodies by saying that there was absolutely no scientific proof that organic was better.  He stated “there is not enough information available at present to be able to say that organic foods are significantly different in terms of their safety and nutritional content to those produced by conventional farming.”

He challenged them to prove him wrong.  This galvanized the Soil Association and others to take action.  They collected all the research that had been done.   Anything that didn’t stand up to peer review was discounted and the remainder was published in a book entitled ‘Organic farming, food quality and human health’ – A review of the evidence’

(available from the Soil Association price £12 – ISBN 0 905200 80 2) Tel 0044 117 314 5000.  Since then a number of important research projects are underway in the University of Newcastle (www.ncl.ac.uk)

 

For all the recipes below please try and use as many organic products as is possible.

 

Organic Apple and Custard Tart

 

Pears, gooseberries, apricots, rhubarb and plums are also good and the custard could be flavoured with a little cinnamon instead of vanilla if you want to ring the changes.

Serves 10-12

 

Pastry

8 ozs (225g) plain organic flour

6 ozs (170g) butter

pinch of salt

1 dessertspoon icing sugar

a little beaten organic free range egg or egg yolk and water to bind

 

Filling

2-3 organic apples

1/2 pint (300ml) cream

2 large or 3 small eggs

2 tablespoons castor sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence 

4-6 tablespoons apricot glaze (see recipe)

 

1 x 12 inch (30.5cm) tart tin or 2 x 7 inch (18cm) tart tins

 

Make the shortcrust pastry in the usual way (see recipe) and leave to relax in a fridge for 1 hour. Line a tart tin (or tins), with a removable base and chill for 10 minutes. Line with paper and fill with dried beans and bake blind in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, paint the tart with a little egg wash and return to the oven for 3 or 4 minutes.  Allow to cool, then paint the base with apricot glaze.

 

Peel the apples, quarter, core and cut into even slices about one-eight inch thick. Arrange one at a time as you slice to form a circle inside the tart, the slices should slightly overlap on the inside, fill the centre likewise. Whisk the eggs well, with the sugar and vanilla essence, add the cream. Strain this mixture over the apples and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4, for 35 minutes. When the custard is set and the apples are fully cooked, brush generously with apricot glaze and serve warm with a bowl of whipped cream.

 

NB:  The apricot glaze here is essential for flavour not just for appearance.

 

Shortcrust Pastry

Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop. Whisk the egg yolk and add the water.

Take a fork or knife (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect the pastry into a ball with your hands. This way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although slightly damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.

Cover the pastry with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes or better still 30 minutes. This will make the pastry much less elastic and easier to roll.

 

Organic Asian Chicken and Lettuce Rolls
 

This was one of our favourite recipes when Antony Worrall Thompson did a guest chef appearance at the Cookery School. We get our organic chickens from John Ahern at Born Free Organic Chicken, you can purchase organic chickens from him at the Midleton Farmer’s Market.

 

Serves 4

 

400g (14ozs) free range organic chicken mince 

1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced 

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

1 garlic clove, crushed  

1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 

2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts

1 carrot, julienne

2 tablespoons oyster sauce 

2 teaspoons clear honey

16–20 cos lettuce leaves 

Salt and freshly ground pepper

200g (7oz) brown basmati rice, cooked, to serve

lime wedges, to serve 

 

Mix the chicken mince with the chilli, spring onions, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the mince mixture for about 5 minutes, breaking the meat up with the back of a fork until golden brown.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

Add the coriander, cashews, carrot, oyster sauce and honey, stir to combine and continue to heat until the chicken is cooked through.  Taste and correct the seasoning.

 

Serve the mince with the lettuce leaves (each diner rolls the parcels themselves), cooked rice and lime wedges to squeeze – delish.  

Antony Worrall Thompson

 

Note: 25g (1oz) water chestnuts is a delicious addition to the above recipe.

 

 

Beef & Chorizo Stew

Serves 6-8

 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

110g (4oz) organic chorizo sausage, sliced 

1kg (2lb) organic stewing beef, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes

2 large onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons tomato puree

½ teaspoon paprika

1-teaspoon thyme leaves

4 tablespoons dry sherry

250ml (8 fl.oz)organic red wine

250ml (8 fl.oz) beef, chicken or vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over medium heat.   Add the sliced organic chorizo and cook until the oil begins to run, about 2-3 minutes.    Remove the chorizo and set aside in a bowl.   Increase the heat, add the organic beef to the pot and fry off in batches until sealed and well browned.  If the pan is over-crowded the meat will stew rather than brown.  Remove the beef from the pot and put in the bowl with the chorizo.

 

Add the onion to the pot (adding extra oil if required), and cook, stirring until golden and just starting to brown at the edges.   Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two 

Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.   Add the tomato puree, paprika and thyme and cook for a few seconds.   Then return the chorizo and beef to the pot.   Stir everything well, then add the sherry and wine, bring to simmering point, then add the hot stock or water.   Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours.   We prefer to cook it in a pre-heated oven, 160c/325F/gas 3.   Season cautiously, but taste first because if the sausage is salty you may not need any additional salt, just some freshly ground pepper.  Serve scattered with roughly chopped parsley. 

 

Smashed Potatoes
Serves 8

4 lbs (1.8kg) organic  potatoes

creamy milk

salt and freshly ground pepper

butter

4 scallions, optional

 

Scrub the potatoes really well, put into a saucepan.  Cover with cold water, add salt, bring to the boil and cook until almost tender.  Pour off most of the water.  Cover the saucepan and steam until fully cooked.  Drain off any remaining water.  Mash the potatoes coarsely with a potato masher; add some hot creamy milk, a large lump of butter, lots of salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add the finely sliced scallions, if using.  Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

 

Sadly there is no organic Irish butter it would be fantastic if someone could produce this to add to the wonderful array of organic products in Ireland.

 

Brown Soda Bread

 

275g/10 oz organic brown wholemeal flour (preferably stone-ground)

275g/10 oz organic plain white flour

1 teaspoon dairy salt

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

425ml/15 flozs approx. sour milk or buttermilk

 

First preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large wide bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in all of the sour milk or buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in a full circle starting in the centre of the bowl working towards the outside of the bowl until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well floured board. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS. Roll around gently with floury hands for a second, just enough to tidy it up. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches (5cm) approx. Sprinkle a little flour onto a baking sheet and place the loaf on top of the flour. Mark with a deep cross and bake in a hot oven 230C/450F/Gas 8 after 15-20 minutes reduce the heat to 200C/400F/GAS 6 for approx. 20-25 minutes or until the bread is cooked (In some ovens it is necessary to turn the bread upside down on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before the end of baking) It will sound hollow when tapped.  Cool on a wire rack.

Note:  One could add 25g/1 oz fine oatmeal, 1 egg and 25g/1 oz stick butter to the above to make a richer soda bread dough.

 

Chocolate and Rosemary Mousse with Pouring Cream
 

Serves 8

 

Lovely Jane Grigson, the legendary British country writer, gave me this recipe when she came to teach at the Cookery School in 1989.

 

225g (8oz) castor sugar

225ml (8fl oz) dry white wine

Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

600ml (1 pint) double cream

1 long branch of fresh rosemary

175g (6oz)  organic dark chocolate (Green & Black), chopped

 

Mix the sugar, wine and lemon juice in a stainless steel saucepan, stir until dissolved over a low heat.  Add the cream, bring to the boil – the mixture will thicken somewhat.  Add the rosemary and chocolate.  Stir, bring back to the boil then lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer very gently for 20 minutes.  It should be the consistency of thick cream.  Leave to cool, tasting occasionally to see if the rosemary flavour is intense enough.  Pour through a sieve into 8 ramekins or little shot glasses.  Cool, cover with cling film and refrigerate.

 

Serve with pouring cream and a sprig of rosemary.

Salad of Organic Salmon with poached egg and Organic Cheese

 

Serves 4

 

A mixture of organic salad leaves

 

170g (6ozs) of organic salmon

 

4 free-range organic eggs

 

Caesar Salad Dressing – see recipe

 

1oz (25g) freshly grated Mount Callan Organic Cheddar Cheese

 

First make the Caesar dressing – you will have more than you need for this recipe but it keeps for several weeks so save it in the refrigerator for another time.

Fill a small saucepan with cold water, add a little salt.  When the water is boiling, reduce the heat, crack the egg and allow it to drop gently into the water.  Cook in the barely simmering water for 4 to 5 minutes or until the white is set and the yolk is still soft. You may cook the eggs separately or together depending on the size of your saucepan.

Meanwhile heat a frying pan, add a little olive or sunflower oil and allow to heat, add the cubed salmon and cook turning regularly and gently until just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper

Put a little caesar dressing on the plate.  Quickly arrange a selection of lettuce and salad leaves on top.  Sprinkle the cubed salmon over the salad, top with a poached egg. Drizzle some caesar dressing over the poached egg and salad leaves. 

Sprinkle with freshly grated organic cheese (use a microplane or a fine grater) and a little chopped parsley and serve immediately.

 

Caesar Dressing

 

2 egg yolks, preferably free-range

2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 x 2oz (55g) tin anchovies

1 clove garlic, crushed

a generous pinch of English mustard powder

2 teaspoons salt

½tablespoon Worcester sauce

½tablespoon Tabasco sauce

6fl oz (175ml) sunflower oil

2fl oz (50ml) extra virgin olive oil

50ml (2fl oz) cold water

 

We make this dressing in a food processor but it can also be made very quickly by hand. Drain the anchovies and crush lightly with a fork. Put into a bowl with the egg yolks, add the garlic, lemon juice, mustard powder, salt, Worcester and Tabasco sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together.  As you whisk, add the oils slowly at first, then a little faster as the emulsion forms. Finally whisk in the water. Taste and correct the seasoning: this dressing should be highly flavoured.

 

Fool Proof Food

 

 

Organic Cheese Toasties

 

Makes 4

 

8 slices of best white sliced bread

 

2 ozs (55g) approx. butter

8 ozs (225g) coarsely grated or sliced Mount Callan Organic Cheddar Cheese

Chopped parsley

Freshly ground pepper

Garnish

A little salad

A few cherry tomatoes

 

Preheat a wide frying pan on a medium heat. 

Butter the bread slices, put one slice butter side down on the pan top with cheese. Finally press another slice of bread on top.  Smear a little butter onto the outside of the slice and flip over as soon as the base is nice and golden.  Cut into slices and serve on hot plates with a little salad and a few cherry tomatoes. 

 

HOT TIPS

 

A Taste of West Cork Food Festival is taking place in Skibbereen from the

16th – 21st September 2008

There will be open air food and craft market, gourmet barbecue, live music, healthy eating workshops, teddy bears picnic and many more entertaining activities.

You can see a full list of events on www.atasteofwestcork.com or contact

Eilis Coholan on 086 2223531

 

Inish Beg, Baltimore, County Cork

Inish Beg Cookery Courses Autumn 2008

Essentially Fish and a little bit of Duck – 2 day course 16th/17th October

Autumnal Ideas at Inish Beg – 2 day weekend course 18th/19th October

Tel: 028-21745 or email: cookerycourses@inishbeg.com

 

Erin Brockovich is coming to Dubin for National Organic Week

The Erin Brockovitch Fund-Raiser For GM-Free Ireland

Will take place in O’Reilly Hall, UCD

Saturday 20th September at 1pm

Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ie

 

Slow Food Ireland are holding a Old Fashioned Threshing Event

A family day at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Sunday 14th September 4, 2008 12-5pm

Tickets available on the day.

Rachel Allen – Book signing

Forgotten Skills Demostration

BRING LOTS OF FRIENDS!
 

Love Irish Lamb

Sheep Farmers not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe are having a particularly challenging time.   Several major supermarkets are offering 2 for the price of 1 which means the farmers get half the usual price for their produce.

I love lamb, the sweetness of Irish lamb reared on fresh grass is incomparable. Irish hill lamb is just coming into season so do ask your butcher for it.   It has a smaller leaner carcass and smaller cuts than the conventional lowland product, and due to the variation of vegetation it grazes on – heathers, grasses, furze – over extensive areas of hill and mountain, the meat has a sweeter and richer flavour.

 I was interested to taste some Blackface lamb in Skibbereen last week.  It has a distinctive flavour quite different to Suffolk or Suffolk Texel crosses, the lamb reared on the Knockmealdown mountains, tastes different again as do those from Wicklow and Connemara.  Why is it so difficult to identify the difference in butcher shops?

I and many chefs and customers would be interested to taste and compare individual breeds.  In other countries the demand for rare breed meat is gathering momentum – when we have it let’s flaunt it.  Butcher Andrew Sharpe from Cumbria has put Swallowdale and Herdwick lamb and mutton back on the menu, over 10 years ago he encouraged local farmers to sell directly to the public from the farmers market in Kendal.  The response was so overwhelming that they loaded up a van a few weeks later and headed for Borough Market, London, and customers went mad for it.  As a result they saved the livelihood of many of the sheep farmers in Cumbria.

In Ireland it’s all easy for chefs to be tempted to simplify their lives by ordering from a single catering supplier, individual joints arrive trimmed and identical and at a price. However, there’s a price to everything and if we don’t support all our farmers and serve our local lamb proudly it won’t be an option within a short time and then watch how the price will shoot up. According to Bord Bia Ireland produces about 60,000 tons of sheep meat annually, one third of this is consumed on the domestic market.  Average per capita consumption of lamb is about 5kg and this is about twice the average EU rate.  As well as being a source of protein, lamb is an excellent source of easily absorbed zinc, iron and vitamin B, especially B12.

Every scrap of lamb can be used.  A leg of lamb simply roasted can feed an entire family and depending on size can provide leftovers for tasty sandwiches or shepherds pie.  The loin provides two types of chops – side and centre loin and then there are meaty chump chops between the loin and leg.  The less expensive shoulder and neck make a delicious stew or the shoulder can be slow roasted for a joint that will have the entire family licking their lips.    Make a broth from the bones, add some diced vegetables and pearl barley and you’ll have the most comforting of soup.

Lamb shanks are still incredible value for money as is breast of lamb or lamb riblets which both children and adults adore.  I also love lambs kidneys which have to be the best value of all. 

Bord Bia also say that there is a growing trend towards purchasing value cuts such as burgers, diced and minced lamb which are useful for mid-week meal options.

Whichever joint we choose make sure its Irish.   Irish lamb is grass fed and free range.

 In the famous words of the late Jack Lynch ‘lets look after our own!’

Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Marjoram
 

Serves 10-15

1 leg of lamb 2.5-3kg (5 1/2 -6 1/2lb), boned and butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)

6 cloves garlic, cut into slivers

110ml (4fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons marjoram or oregano

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

 

A few hours before cooking scatter half the slivered garlic and chopped marjoram over the base of a large non-reactive dish. Drizzle with some olive oil. Slash the skin side of the meat here and there and lay on top of the garlic and herbs.  Sprinkle the remainder of the herbs, garlic and olive oil over the top.  Season with lots of freshly cracked pepper.  Cover and allow to marinade for a minimum of 2-3 hours or better still overnight.

 

Remove meat from the marinade, season with sea salt and cook on a pre-heated barbecue. Grill for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time for medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes and then carve into thin slices. Serve at once.

Alternatively cook in a preheated hot oven 230C/450F/gas mark 8 for 30-40 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

Rory O’Connell’s Spiced Lamburgers with Mint Chutney
 

Makes 8-12 depending on size

 

2lbs (900g) minced shoulder of lamb

8oz (225g) finely chopped onion

2oz (55g) butter

2 teaspoons of coriander, toasted and ground

2 teaspoons cumin seed, toasted and ground

salt and pepper

2 eggs

 

Accompaniments

Ballymaloe Tomato Relish, fresh coriander leaves, diced apple and banana,  Banana and Yogurt Raita and Poppodums are also good with these.

Sweat the finely chopped onions gently in the butter until cooked.  Put to cool and then add them to the minced lamb and spices.  Add the lightly beaten eggs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Form into burger or patty shapes and refrigerate until required.  Cook on a hot grill or frying pan according to your own liking.  Serve with  Ballymaloe relish, mint chutney, a little diced apple and banana and a dusting of paprika. 

Foolproof Food
Fresh Mint Chutney
 

This fresh chutney is often served in India with curries. It is good with grilled fish or roast lamb instead of mint sauce.  Surprisingly, even though it is uncooked, this chutney will keep for several days in a covered jar or plastic container in the refrigerator.

 

1 large cooking apple (we use Grenadier or Bramley Seedling), peeled and cored

a large handful of fresh mint leaves, Spearmint or Bowles mint

55g (2oz) onions

30-55g (1-2ozs) castor sugar (depending on tartness of apple)

salt and cayenne pepper

 

Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor, season with salt and a little cayenne pepper.

 

Tip: Serve mint chutney as a really yummy dip with poppodums before dinner as a simple starter.

 

Lamb Kebabs with Tsatsiki
 

Serves 8 approx.

 

Choose kebab skewers carefully. They need to be flat and at least 3mm (⅛inch) wide, better still 5mm (¼inch). If they are round, the meat will swivel as you try to turn it. Best barbecued but kebabs may also be pan-grilled.

 

900g (2lb) lean shoulder or leg of lamb

 

 Marinade    1

300ml (½ pint) natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

juice of ½ lemon

OR

Marinade  2

6 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon annual marjoram, rosemary or thyme leaves

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

salt and freshly ground pepper

 metal skewers or kebab sticks

Accompaniments – Tsatsiki
 

Mix either or both marinades, cut the meat into 2.5cm (1inch) cubes approx., season with salt and freshly ground pepper and put into chosen marinade for 1 hour at least.  Drain the meat and thread into metal skewers or kebab sticks.  Grill for 7 -10 minutes over a barbecue.  Turn and baste with the marinade, serve with a green salad and chosen sauce eg. Tsatsiki

 

Tzatziki

This Greek speciality is a delicious cucumber and yoghurt mixture and can be served as an accompanying salad or as a sauce to serve with grilled fish or meat.  Greek yoghurt is often made with sheep’s milk and is wonderfully thick and creamy.

 

1 crisp Irish cucumber, peeled and diced into ⅛-¼ inch dice approx.

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 heaped tablesp. of freshly chopped mint

 16 fl.oz (450ml) Greek yoghurt or best quality natural yoghurt

4 tablespoons cream

 

Put the cucumber dice into a sieve and sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for about 30 minutes.  Dry the cucumber on kitchen paper, put into a bowl and mix with garlic, a dash of wine vinegar or lemon juice and the yoghurt and cream.  Stir in the mint and taste, it may need a little salt and freshly ground pepper, or even a pinch of sugar.

 

Lamb Soup with Farmhouse Cheese – from Bord Bia                                       

Serves 4-6

675g neck or gigot lamb chops on the bone

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-2 bay leaves

1 litre water

25g butter

25g flour

250ml milk

75-100g grated Farmhouse Cheddar

3-4 carrots, diced

2 leeks, finely chopped

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

Salt and black pepper

 

To serve – Fresh mint/parsley, chopped 

Place the lamb on the bone into a saucepan.  Add the chopped onion, garlic and bay leaves and cover with the water.  Bring to the boil and simmer gently for an hour.  Remove the lamb and cut the meat into small pieces – discard the bones, but keep the lamb stock.

 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour.  Cook for a minute, stirring all the time and then add the milk.  Simmer the sauce for two minutes, add the cheese, the lamb stock, lamb pieces and vegetables.  Simmer gently for half an hour stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and lots of black pepper.  Serve with chopped mint or parsley.  It needs only crusty bread to complete the meal.

 

Lamb and Mushroom Korma – from Bord Bia

Serves 4

1 large onion, finely chopped

Groundnut oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablesp. fresh root ginger, grated

1 teasp. ground cumin

1 teasp. ground coriander

1 fresh chilli, chopped

3-4 cardamom pods, seeded and crushed

1 teasp. turmeric

1kg shoulder of lamb, well trimmed and diced

125ml Greek Style natural yoghurt, mixed with 1 teasp. cornflour

225g mushrooms, sliced

1 tablesp. lemon/lime juice

Salt and black pepper

 

 

Sauté the onions in the oil in a heavy saucepan until lightly golden.  Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, chillies, cardamom and turmeric and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add lamb and coat with the onion and spice mixture.  Stir in the yoghurt, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally or cook in the oven, Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F) for approximately 1 hour.

 

Add mushrooms and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes or until the lamb is tender.  Stir in the lemon/lime juice, season with salt and black pepper.  Garnish with a sprig of coriander or chervil and a fresh red chilli cut in half.

 

Delicious served with basmati rice.

 

Hot Tips

 

Bord Bia

Check out the Bord Bia website www.bordbia.ie for lots more delicious lamb recipes.

Great Taste Awards –

The Great Taste Awards, which is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and often referred to as the Oscars of the food industry, is this year celebrating its 15th anniversary.  www.finefoodawards.co.uk 

Congratulations to Caroline Rigney of Rigneys Farm, near Adare, Co Limerick

For winning Award for her pork products – Caroline will be taking part in Terra Madre Pork Workshop on Friday 5th September at WIT Tel 061 39 3988

Caroline also runs a very successful farm guesthouse on their working farm.
Email: info@rigneysfarm.com Website: www.rigneysfarm.com

Corrin Hill Ice Cream also wins Great Taste Award

Corrin Hill Ice Cream from Fermoy is celebrating after winning a prestigious Great Taste Award.  The Cork dairy has received Gold Great Taste Awards for Corrin Hill Strawberry Ice Cream and Corrin Hill Natural Frozen Yogurt.
The Hollies, Castletown, Enniskeane, Co Cork

The Hollies is a  centre for training in Practical Sustainability . The aim of the project is to create working examples of what a sustainable society might look like in the areas of housing, energy, gardening, economics and community development.  Since 2003 work has gone into building a cob house , gardens , an orchard and woodland. Various natural building techniques can be seen.  In 2006 as part of an educational project a new garden was developed to sell organic produce at the Bandon Farmer’s market. There is also a wetland area and pond.  Visit the website www.theholliesonline.com  for more information and photos of the gorgeous cob buildings you will find there.
 

Future Food

In the words of Lady Eve Balfour “Food is my subject so it concerns everyone”. Even those people who profess to have absolutely no interest in food have to eat.  Food is the fuel that nourishes our bodies, gives us strength and keeps us well. So the quality of the food ought to be of interest to each and everyone of us.  In an ideal world our food should be our medicine, providing the essential minerals and trace elements that our systems need for energy, vitality and the ability to concentrate.

For millions of people food is also their livelihood, over a third of the population are involved in primary or secondary food production, farmers, fishermen, restaurateurs, butchers, and marketers are all a vital part of the food chain.

At this point in history food production is at a cross-roads, the cost of fossil fuels is rising, there are food riots in over 30 countries world wide, the Word Trade Organisation policy has a major impact on how we proceed.

Despite our favourable growing conditions in Ireland, a small island off Europe can’t hope to compete on economies of scale with rising production costs.  The future prosperity of our farmers and food producers lies in producing the finest quality food that can guarantee a premium price.

Food with a story, we need to identify the breed, the feed, the variety, the pasture, the whole provenance.

Irish food will need a USP (Unique Selling Point) to compete. In a country that exports over 80% of its beef we need to ask ourselves, why should a consumer pay more for Irish beef .  The confident answer will need to be ‘because it tastes much, much better’, there will need to be a guaranteed ‘wow factor’ so we can justify a premium price.

I’m convinced we can do it but it may mean evaluating some of our present systems, flavour comes from breed and feed but that’s just part of the picture.  The slaughter process, the method of hanging and ageing are crucial to the quality of the finished product.

It all costs money. I like the system used by Tim Wilson at the Ginger Pig butchers shop in Borough Market and Moxton St in London.  All meat is dry aged and customers can choose whether they would like their rib of beef, for example, hung for 2,3,4 or 5 weeks and pay accordingly.  The customer is being educated to realize that ageing enhances both flavour and texture, but the extra time involved costs the butcher money so they need to pay more. When the end result really delivers flavour Ginger Pig customers are more than happy to pay for the oomph.

Tim Wilson is just one of the many delegates who think outside the box and will be in Waterford contributing to a work shop at Terra Madre on Friday 5th September 2008 in Waterford.

Terra Madre, a ground breaking event, will explore the future of sustainable food production in Ireland.  Terra Madre, hosted by Slow Food Ireland is predicted to be the most important food policy event in Ireland in 2008.   It is a gathering of food producers, together with chefs, scientists, academics, medics, policy-makers, writers, manufacturers, food enthusiasts and the general public from the 32 counties and a variety of world-class keynote speakers.

Slow Food Ireland is part of the Slow Food international movement which was set up in 1989 to help local producers compete with the mass advertising of processed foods by the major multinationals.  It promotes good, clean, fair, food, locally produced where possible. www.slowfoodireland.com  Terra Madre is an event none of us can afford to miss, we all need to make our voices heard.  Mark September 5th in your diary right away

Meanwhile visit the Terra Madre website and contribute your opinion to the blogs on over 50 food-related topics. www.terramadreireland.com 

Hot Tips

Sweet Corn

This is the time of year when Catherine and Vincent O’Donovan set up stall on the side of the main Cork to Innishannon road to sell juicy sweetcorn.   They are open every day and hope to have sweetcorn for the next two months.  Also available in Super-Valu in Bantry, Clonakilty, Carrigaline, Kinsale and Midleton, Superfruit in English Market and some farmers markets around Cork. Freezer orders also taken, contact 087-2486031

 

Castlefarm Cheese –

Congratulations to Peter and Jenny Young on the launch of the first Kildare Farmhouse Cheese – Castlefarm Cheese is Gouda type cheese – Castlefarm Natural is a plain milky cheese and Castlefarm Shamrock is a nutty flavoured cheese made with Fenugreek, both are covered in a distinctive green wax.  Available at Castlefarm Shop and Jenny’s stall at Athy Farmers Market on Sundays – www.castlefarmshop Tel 059-8636948 jenny@castlefarmshop.ie

Irish Seed Saver Association, Capparoe, Scariff, Co Clare

Forthcoming courses – Making Herbal preparations – Saturday 6th September. Introduction to Beekeeping – Saturday 13 & Sunday 14th September, Commercial Orchards – Wed 17th  September .For More Courses/Workshops 2008 click http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/course.php  Tel 061-921866

 

2nd Annual Harvest Festival in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim 13 & 14th September

Email:harvestfeast@googlemail.com  www.harvestfeast.ie   www.greenbox.ie 

 

 

Pasta with Chanterelles, Tapenade and Flat Parsley
 

I just got a basket of freshly picked chanterelles – delicious

 

Serves 4-6
 

225g (1/2 lb) Penne, Conchiglie or Farfalle

4.5L (8 pints) water

1 tablespoon salt

25g (1oz) butter

225-450g (1/2 -1lb) chanterelles or a mixture of wild mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper

120ml /4fl oz double cream

2-3 tablespoons Tapenade – see recipe

4 tablespoons snipped flat parsley

 

 

Bring a large saucepan of water to a fast rolling boil, add salt and pasta.  Stir and cook until al dente.  Meanwhile, gently wash the chanterelles under cold running water.  Trim the base of the stalks and discard.  Slice the mushrooms thickly.

 

Melt the butter in a frying pan on a high heat.  When it foams add the mushrooms.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook on a high heat, the juice will exude at first, but continue to cook until the chanterelles reabsorb the juices.  Add the cream and bubble for a few minutes.  Stir in the Tapenade.  Strain the penne and drain well, put back into the saucepan, add the sauce.  Sprinkle on the flat parsley, toss gently, turn into a hot bowl and serve immediately.

 

Tapenade

2 ozs (55g) anchovy fillets

3½ ozs (100g) stoned black olives

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

2-3 tablespoons (37ml) olive oil 

Whizz up the anchovy fillets (preferably in a food processor) with the stoned black olives, capers, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper.

Alternatively, use a pestle and mortar. Add the olive oil as you whisk and process to a course or smooth puree as you prefer.

Serve with: Cruditees or Bruschetta or Crostini with Lamb, Pasta..
Shanagarry Beef Stew

A good gutsy stew which can be made in large quantities – it reheats and freezes brilliantly.

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1.35kg (3 lb) well hung stewing beef or lean flank

2 large carrots cut into 1/2 inch (1cm) slices

285g (10 oz) sliced onions

1 heaped tablespoon flour

150ml (5fl oz) red wine

150ml (5fl oz) brown beef stock

250ml (8fl oz) homemade Tomato Purée, otherwise use best quality tinned tomato -pureed and sieved

175g (6 oz) sliced mushrooms

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim the meat of any excess fat, then prepare the vegetables. Cut the meat into 4cm

(1 1/2 inch) cubes. Heat the olive oil in a casserole; sweat the sliced onions and carrots on a gentle heat with a lid on for 10 minutes. Heat a little more olive oil in a frying pan until almost smoking.  Sear the pieces of meat on all sides, reduce the heat, stir in flour, cook for 1 minutes, mix the wine, stock and tomato puree together and add gradually to the casserole. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook gently. Cook gently for 2 1/2-3 hours in a low oven, depending on the cut of meat, 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms and add with the parsley to the casserole, 30 minutes approx. before the end of cooking.  Serve with Polenta, mashed potatoes or noodles and a good green salad.

Foolproof Food

Tomato Purée
 

We make lots of homemade tomato puree at the end of the Summer when the tomatoes are really ripe – it’s brilliant to have in the freezer for tomato soup, stews, casseroles etc.

 

900g (2 lb) very ripe tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

a good pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, put into a stainless steel saucepan with the onion, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Cook on a gentle heat until the tomatoes are soft (no water needed). Put through the fine blade of the Mouli-legume or a nylon sieve. Allow to get cold then refrigerate or freeze.

Note: Tomato Purée is one of the very best ways of preserving the flavour of ripe, summer tomatoes for winter. Use for soups, stews, casseroles etc.

 

Fresh Sweetcorn with Marjoram
 

Fresh sweetcorn just quickly cooked and served with butter and sea salt is hard to beat, or try this delicious variation with marjoram.

 

Serves 6
 

 

6 ears of corn, preferable freshly picked!

salt and freshly ground pepper

30-50g (1-2oz) butter

1-2 tablespoons annual marjoram freshly chopped

 

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add salt.

Peel the ears of corn, trim both ends, drop into the water.  Cover the saucepan and bring back to the boil, cook for just three minutes.  You can just eat if straight off the cob with butter and sea salt at this stage if you prefer – children love it this way

Drain, allow to cool, then slice the kernels off the cob, melt a little butter in a saucepan, add the corn.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the marjoram, stir once or twice.  Taste, correct the seasoning.  Serve immediately.

 

Apple and Cinnamon Fritters

Serves 6

Apple Fritters have been one of my absolutely favourite puddings since I was a child – nothing changed, I still love them.  Try them with the new season’s Grenadier cooking apples.

 

4 cooking apples, Bramley Seedling or Grenadier

4 ozs (110g) plain white flour

pinch of salt

1 egg, free range if possible

5fl.oz (150ml) milk

sunflower or peanut oil for frying

8 ozs (225g) castor sugar

1 teasp. cinnamon

 

Sieve the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, whisk the egg slightly, pour into the centre slowly add the milk whisking in a full circle, gradually bring in the flour from the outside. Continue to whisk until the batter is light and bubbly. Peel and core the apples, cut into ¼ inch (5mm) thick slices. Heat about 1½ inches (4cm) of oil in a frying pan. Dip a few slices of apple into the batter one by one. Fry on both sides until crisp and golden, drain well. Add cinnamon to the castor sugar, toss each fritter in and serve immediately with softly whipped cream.

Banana Fritters

Bananas also make great fritters. Split in half lengthways and then in half again if you would like shorter pieces. Omit the cinnamon from the castor sugar if you want them unadulterated.

 

Blackberry and Apple Sponge Pudding

 

The blackberries seem to be late ripening this year due to the lack of sunshine, but feast on them when they do appear in pies, puddings, jam or just as they are.

 

Serves 4-6

 

1½lbs (675g) new season’s cooking apples

4-6ozs (110-175g) blackberries

1 tablesp. water

3-4ozs (85-110g) approx. sugar

2 sweet geranium leaves

For the topping:

2ozs (55g) butter

2ozs (55g) sugar

1 beaten egg, preferably free range

3ozs (85g) self raising flour, sieved

1-2 tablesp. milk

 

1 pie dish 1½ pint (900ml) capacity

 

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

 

Peel, core and slice the apples and put them in a heavy saucepan with the water, sugar and sweet geranium leaves. Cover and stew them gently until just half-cooked, then add the blackberries at the last minute.  Allow to cool a little, then tip into a buttered pie dish.

 

Cream the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the beaten egg by degrees and beat well until completely incorporated. Sieve the flour and fold into the butter and egg mixture.  Add about 1 tablespoon of milk or enough to bring the mixture to dropping consistency.  Spread this mixture gently over the fruit.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponge mixture is firm to the touch in the centre.  Sprinkle with castor sugar.  Serve warm with home made custard or lightly whipped cream

A Florentine Feast of Food .

Florence is hot in the summer, in fact on one day during a recent visit it was the hottest place in the whole of Europe, 39 degrees centigrade.  That sort of temperature renders most of us unable to function. Sight seeing becomes hard labour, even shopping seems too much of an effort.  Nothing for it but to follow the Florentine tradition and indulge in a long lunch followed by a siesta.

 

Many tourist spots especially places like Florence and Venice which have so many breath-taking artworks and masterpieces of architectural brilliance are sitting on an absolute goldmine, with an estimated 7 million tourists a year it is a sellers market, consequently, restaurant standards are not always what they should be.  If like me, food is an important part of your holiday experience it pays to do a bit of research and I am happy to pass on the results of mine.

 

Overall, Florentines themselves are still very traditional in their eating habits so the gastronomic scene is dominated by homely osterie and trattorie offering hearty cucina casalinga (home style cooking), prices are reasonable and food authentic.  If you have any interest in food, avoid menu tourismo like the plague and remember Florentines only eat pizza in the evening.  It only tends to be tourist joints that serve them at lunch time, always choose a Pizzeria with a wood-fired oven and ask for a  Florentine pizza with a thin crisp crust as oppose to the puffier Neopolitan style pizza.  Good options are Vico del Carmine, Via Pisana , Santa Lucia or La Poule Alle Mosse.

 

A full blown Italian meal will start with an Antipasto – a selection of hors d’oeuvre followed by Primo – a pasta, soup or risotto, Seconda is the main course, meat or fish with or without contorno, vegetables, formaggio (cheese) and dolce (dessert) will round off the meal.

 

Dolce tend to be fairly simple, the ubiquitous tiramisu, a chocolate cake or torta di nona or of course gelata. Ice cream lovers will be in heaven in Florence. There are old favourite haunts to choose from, but there are now some exciting new kids on the block threatening to knock local institutions like Vivoli and Perché No!  off their perch.  You must not miss Grom (via Del Campanile), Vesti, Albizi and Granita.

 

People watching on warm balmy evenings is of the greatest pleasures of a trip to Tuscany.  Choose one of the many cafes with tables outside to sip an aperitivo, Gilli with its belle époque interior, and Rivoire must not be missed.  Florian of San Marco Square, Venice fame, has just opened in Florence also.

 

My best new find on this trip was a classy contemporary sandwich bar calle ‘Ino’. Superb quality produce and just around the corner from the must see Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio. Great place to buy a picnic for the plane if you can’t make it to the San Lorenzo market (open daily).
We also made a pilgrimage to two of my favourite Florentine haunts, Osteria di Benci which does the best Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a pan grilled but still bloody T-bone steak cut from the famous Chianina beef.  Follow it with a Rucola salad dressed with a few drops of local extra virgin olive oi and Tuscan white beans anointed with the same.  There will also be tripe and ribollita.  My second favourite Ils Zibbibo is owned by a woman chef Benedetta Vitali, this simple neighbourhood restaurant with its fresh unfussy food is in Via di Tersollena about 10 minutes from the centre.  Benedetta was co-founder of Cibreo another Florentine institution.  If your budget cannot quite stretch to its steep prices, Ciberino around the corner in Via de Macci also serves great food with many tasty morsels of offal, certainly not for the faint hearted.  There’s lots more, Nerbone in Greve for cows udder and spleen sandwiches and the best pot au feu you’ll find in many a long day. 

 

For lovers of Tuscan salami famous Falori butchers are just across the Piazza.  I could go on, but you’ll need some time for sight-seeing and sampling the local wines – lots of more information in local guides.  Here are some simple recipes I enjoyed.

 

Chickpea Purée with Shrimp

From Adventures of an Italian Food Lover by Faith Heller Willinger

Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, New York

 

Serves 4

 

1 cup dried chickpeas

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 garlic clove

1 sprig fresh rosemary

16-20ozs (450g-600g) fresh shrimp, in shells

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

Put the chickpeas in a large pot, cover with about an inch of water, mix in 3 tablespoons sea salt, and soak for at least 12 hours.

Drain the chickpeas, rinse them, and put them in a 3-quart pot.  Cover with water by about 3 inches, then add the garlic and rosemary.  Over low heat, bring the water to a boil and simmer at least 1 hour, until the chickpeas are tender.  Add ½ cup boiling water if the liquid gets too low.

Purée the chickpeas with your method of choice.  You can rub through a sieve, but the fine disk of a food mill works well, too.  Puréeing with a processor or an immersion mixer grinds up all the skins and produces a less refined soup).  Thin the soup to desired consistency (a little thicker than heavy cream is ideal) with some of the chickpea broth; add boiling water if there’s no enough broth.  Season with salt and pepper , and serve warm.

Remove the shells and black veins from the shrimp.  Put them in a streamer basket over ½ cup of boiling water in a pot, cover, and steam for 2-3 minutes, until they turn pink.

Put one-fourth of the chickpea purée in each soup bowl, top each with 4 or 5 shrimp, then add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Serve

 

 

Ricotta-Stuffed Zucchini Flowers – Faith Heller Willinger

 

Serves 4-6

 

1cup ricotta, fresh, if possible, or sheep’s milk ricotta

12-16 fresh zucchini flowers

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Fine sea salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

 

If your ricotta is watery, drain it in a sieve to remove excess whey. Soak the zucchini flowers in cool water, then spin-dry in a salad spinner. Removing the stamens is unnecessary.

Pack the ricotta into a pastry bag – I use a disposable one and simply cut the tip off the end.  Insert the end of the pastry bag into the zucchini flowers and pipe one or two spoonfuls of ricotta into each.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet.  Place the stuffed flowers in the skillet in a single layer and place pan over the highest heat.  When the pan heats and the oil  begins to sizzle, cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the flowers are hot, steamed by the moisture of the ricotta.  Transfer to a serving dish and top with pepper and salt, minced basil, and the remaining extra virgin olive oil.

 

 

Melon Proscuitto

Serves 4-6

 

Eat as part of Antipasto

 

One ripe and juicy melon

Sea Salt

Cracked Pepper

 

Peel, deseed and slice the ripe melon

Arrange on a plate, Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Delicious, refreshing and so easy.

 

 

Smoked Gubbeen Crostata

 

Faith Willinger made these crostata for us in Florence with smoked mozzarella, but they are also delish with smoked Gubbeen.

 

Serves 4

 

Extra virgin olive oil

4ozs (110g) of coarse white bread crumbs

4ozs (110g) grated smoked Gubbeen

1 non stick pan

 

Optional Extras

Chopped zucchini blossom

Chopped parsley or marjoram

A little chilli pepper

 

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and toss in the bread crumbs and cook for 3-4 minutes or until starting to crisp. Grate the cheese into a bowl add the cooled breadcrumbs. This is delicious on its own but, if you want to add extra seasoning this is the moment.

Spread in a thin layer not more than ¾” (2cm) thick on the base of a non stick pan. Cook until pale golden on one side and flip over and continue to cook on the other side.

Cut into small wedges and serve as a nibbles with a drink or with a salad of mixed leaves and summer tomatoes.

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli
 

Makes about 36, serve 6 as a starter, 4 as a main course

 

Ravioli, those tiny stuffed pockets of pasta, may be made ahead and kept covered for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, depending on the filling, or may be frozen.  Make sure you defrost it thoroughly before cooking.

 

225g (8oz) fresh pasta dough – home made or good quality bought fresh pasta

 

Spinach and ricotta filling

225g (8oz) fresh spinach, without stems

110g (4oz) fresh ricotta

3 teasp. freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

110g (4oz) grated parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano (for serving)

 

First make the filling. 

Wash the spinach and cook in a covered saucepan on a low heat until the leaves wilt. Drain the spinach thoroughly and squeeze it dry. Allow it to cool, then chop it and mix with ricotta cheese, freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Roll out the dough until paper thin and divide in half. Brush one piece of dough lightly with water and put out teaspoons of filling at 4cm (1½inch) intervals. Cover with the remaining sheet of dough, press the top piece down gently to seal each mound of filling, making sure the all the air is released.

Cut into squares with a fluted pastry wheel or stamp out squares with a ravioli cutter. Cook immediately, or if they are not being cooked the same day, transfer to floured greaseproof paper and leave for 5-6 hours to dry, depending on the filling.

Poach the ravioli in a large saucepan of gently boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes, or ‘al dente’ and drain. Serve the grated Parmesan separately.

 

Tuscan Brownies

We have adapted Faith Willinger’s recipe slightly

 

Makes 16 squares

 

110g (4 oz) finest quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate

2fl oz (50ml/ â…“ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for preparing the pan

55g (good 2oz) plain flour, plus more for dusting the parchment

⅛  teaspoon of salt

2 eggs, at room temperature

175g (6oz/¾ cup) of castor sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50g (2oz/½ cup) chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup unsweetened whipped cream (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/Gas4.  Line an 8-inch (20.5cm) square baking pan with a lightly oiled and floured piece of parchment paper that’s larger than the pan by 2 inches (5cm).

Melt the chocolate over hot water or in a microwave and whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.  Cool the mixture.

Mix the flour with the salt.  Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thickened, around 5 minutes.  Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture, and combine well.  Fold in the flour and optional walnuts, then, pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes.  The top will be dry, though a toothpick inserted in the centre will be wet. Cool completely, then, cut into squares, using a knife with a serrated blade.  Serve with whipped cream.

 

Hot Tips

Youghal Medieval Weekend Family Festival– this Saturday and Sunday in the grounds of  St Mary’s College Gardens 4-8pm Saturday and 12-6 Sunday

Includes live music, family entertainment and a market – 024-20745

Congratulations to West Cork Producers Gubbeen and Ummera for winning awards in the prestigious Great Taste Awards in London –

Ummera Smoked Products from Timoleague won a much coveted Gold Great Taste Award in London for its Smoked Chicken and Organic Gravdlax.

Gubbeen Farmhouse Products were presented with four awards for their Gubbeen Cheese Oat Cakes, Smoked Streaky Bacon, Wild Venison Ham and their Unsmoked Ham which won a very prized 3 star which is through to the finals for Supreme Champion

www.ummera.com  Tel 023-46644   cheese@gubbeen.com  Tel 028-28231

 

2 day Gardening Course with Brian Cross at Ballymaloe House August 31st – September 2nd – www.ballymaloe.ie  res@ballymaloe.ie  021-4652531

Special packages available

 

Soil Association Organic Food Festival, Bristol 6-7 September 2008

www.soilassociation.org/festival
 

Pizza Defined

I haven’t counted for quite some time but I would guess that the cookbook library here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School must now contain in excess of 2000 books – mostly cookbooks, but also books on wine and other food related topics.   The library has grown gradually from a base of my own personal collection of nine or ten in 1983, with books on everything from traditional Irish cooking, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, Indian, baking, herbs, fish, meat, entertaining – from basic cooking techniques to weighty tomes on the science of cooking.

Some books sit virtually undisturbed on the shelves from one end of the year to the other, but then there are others that are in constant demand, eg River Café, Nigel Slater, Marcella Hazan, The Book of Ingredients, Harold McGee’s Science of Food – and then there are the books that disappear.   These are cookbooks that touch a chord and appeal so much that the ‘borrower’ can’t bear to return them.   After replacing the book several times we’ve learned over the years to eventually remove these favourites to the safety of my private stock.

I was reminded of this recently when a copy of ‘Pizza Defined’ arrived on my desk.  This little paperback by Bernadette O’Shea was originally published in 1997, when it went out of print I carefully hid my very precious only copy.  It has now been republished by Estragon Press,  there isn’t a better book on Pizza Cookery, or if there is I certainly don’t know of it.

This book, written by the indomitable Bernadette O’Shea, whose restaurant Truffles in Sligo became a magnet for food lovers during the 1990’s.   Bernadette retired from professional cooking after the publication of Pizza Defined and now cooks privately.   Her free-spirit and unique creativity live on in this delicious little book. 

It feels every bit as fresh and exciting today as it did when it was originally published.  The superb photographer Mike O’Toole and design by Nick Cann make ‘Pizza Defined’ a classic.

Basic Pizza Dough Ingredients


350ml (12 fl.oz) of lukewarm water (113F/45C)
20g (¾ oz) fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dried yeast 560g (1lb 2oz) strong white flour ¾ teaspoon salt 2¼ tablespoons olive oil 35g (1¼oz) extra flour for kneadingBernadette gives brilliantly detailed step-by-step instructions over 126 pages which guide even total novices through the process of making the dough and shaping the pizza.   I’ve just given the ingredients here so you’ll need to seek out the book to get the method which is brilliantly explained and not complicated.  When you’ve made the pizza dough the fun continues, there are lots of recipes for sauces and toppings.Pizza Defined by Bernadette O’Shea, published by Estragon Press €20.


 
Milleens Pizza
This is one step up from a pizza baked blind.  It doesn’t have a sauce, it doesn’t have Mozzarella, it doesn’t have any of the traditional things you associate with a pizza.When Milleens is cooked and melts, it has a buttery, slightly nutty sharp taste and the perfect pairing for that is sun-dried tomatoes, and a glut of soft herbs on top, always soft herbs: yellow marjoram, sweet marjoram, basil and oregano.  These suit the herbaceousness of one the great West Cork cheeses.
140g (5oz) basic pizza doughBasil oil or sun-dried tomato oil
85g (3oz) sundried tomatoes, excess oil squeezed out, shredded into strips85g (3oz) cream cheese85g (3oz) Milleens cheese, very finely slicedFresh herbs (marjoram, oregano, basil, yellow marjoram, lemon thyme etc.)Rosemary oil or sun-dried tomato oil

Place Pizza Tile on floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.Assembling the pizza –Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8 inch) circleBrush the surface with basil oil, or sun-dried tomato oilScatter the sundried tomatoes on top of the baseDot with cream cheese to prevent from burningCover with Milleens

Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 10 mins.

After cooking brush the outer edge of the pizza with either rosemary oil or olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and scatter over a generous amount of the fresh herbs.

CABBAGE PIZZA What do the Irish like? Bacon and cabbage!  What do the Irish eat? Bacon and cabbage! Or so we are told.People do love it, and it was inevitable that I would ask: can I interpret this on a pizza?  The answer was yes.  The genius of this pizza is in the classical combination of a great Parma ham with well-flavoured cabbage.  The funky idea, then, is the use of the pine nuts as both texture and for that nutty flavour which is an echo of the flavour of the cabbage, that hint of nutmeg.  The little drizzle of truffle oil, added right at the end just before serving, is there because of the prosciutto: they are made for each other.140g (5oz) basic pizza dough175g (6oz) cabbage, shredded40g (1½oz) butter3 tablespoons cream¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, grated2 tablespoons basic tomato sauce40g (1½oz) Parmesan, freshly grated

70g (2½oz) Mozzarella, grated

115g (4oz) cream cheese, crumbled

25g (10z) pinenuts

Parma ham

Truffle oil

Place Pizza Tile on floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.

To prepare cabbage

Cook and drain the cabbage and season with salt and pepper when still hot.  Add the butter, cream and nutmeg and toss to combine.Assembling the pizza Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8”) circle.  Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza 10mm (½”) in from the rim.  Sprinkle with Mozzarella, then the cabbage and dot with the cream cheese, sprinkle over Parmesan and finally the pinenuts.  Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 10 mins.  Remove from the oven and drape with thin slices of Parma and drizzle with truffle oil.

CALZONE

Tapenade & Grilled Red Peppers140g (5oz) basic pizza dough85g (3oz) Mozzarella, grated 2 tablespoons, black olive tapenade (see below)2 red peppers, grilled 25g (1oz) Parmesan, freshly gratedBasil oil or olive oilPlace Pizza Tile on the floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.

Assembling The Calzone

Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8”) circle. Place the filling over one half of the circle, making sure to leave a clean 10mm (½”) rim and then layer one ingredient on top of another. Begin with a layer of Mozzarella.  Cover with the tapenade, red peppers and Parmesan.  Fold the other half of the dough over the mixture and press the edges together.  Bake for approx. 20 mins in the hottest oven.  Check after 10 mins, and cover with tin foil if it browns too quickly.  Remove from the oven when cooked and brush with basil or olive oil.  Serve with pesto, or with the basic tomato sauce.

TAPENADE

 175g (9oz, 1 cup) black olives, pitted2 tablespoons capers 2 cloves garlic, minced3 tablespoons olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice2 anchovies

Pound all the ingredients together using a pestle and mortar until u reach the desired texture, which can be chunky of smooth.

LA PROVENCAL

This Provencal pizza uses both tomato sauce and Mozzarella, for those who like to always use them on a pizza.140g (5oz) basic pizza dough175g (6oz) onion confit – see recipe 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced10 olives1 clove garlic, very finely chopped2 tablespoons basic tomato sauce85g (3oz) fresh Mozzarella (optional)

140g (5oz) goat’s cheese

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Place pizza tile on the floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.Assembling the pizza  Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8”) circle.  Spread tomato sauce over the pizza 10mm (½”) in from the rim and top with the Mozzarella.  Place the tomato slices at the outer edge of the pizza, making sure not to overlap.  Pile the confit in the centre of the pizza.  Crumble the goat’s cheese around. Arrange the olives on top and sprinkle with the thyme and chopped garlic.  Bake in a preheated oven for approx. 10 mins.

Onion Confit:
85g (3oz) butter
3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced1 large teaspoon sugar225ml (8 fl.oz) red wine50ml (2 fl.oz) sherry vinegar1 tablesp Cassis

50ml (2 fl.oz) vegetable stock (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh thyme leaves

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a moderate heat.Add the onions, cover and cook for 10 minutes.Halfway through add the sugar, salt and pepper.Add the fresh thyme, wine, sherry vinegar and Cassis.  Give the pot a good stir and continue to cook for about 1 hour uncovered, over a low heat.

LEEK & BLACK PUDDING PIZZA

This pizza was my response to the clutch of new recipes which were part of the nouvelle cuisine in Ireland, when age-old ingredients such as black pudding were “outed”, it was one of those outed ingredients.  I remember as a child my mother making black pudding and my father frying either onions or leeks which we always ate with the pudding.  I love the look of the pizza.  I use Clonakilty black pudding and there’s nothing to beat it with beautiful, small young leeks, drizzled with a good strong rosemary oil.  I use Mascarpone because it doesn’t interfere with the flavour, shape or style of the other ingredients.140g (5oz) basic pizza dough115g (4oz) leeks, sliced Olive oilSalt and pepper2 tablespoons mascarpone 140g (5oz) black pudding, sliced25g (1oz) pine nuts

Rosemary oil

Place pizza tile on floor of oven.  Protect the base of your oven with cooking foil (if this pizza leaks it burns, prepare yourself for smoke!) Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature.

To cook the leeks  Saute the sliced leeks in a little olive oil until tender.  Alternatively toss in a little olive oil, place on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven. When cooked, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool.

Assembling the pizza  Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8”) circle.  Gently spread on the mascarpone with your fingers, making sure to leave a 1cm (½”) rim all around.  Pile the leeks in the centre.  Circle the pizza with the black pudding slices and scatter the pine nuts in between the black pudding and the leek.  Bake in a preheated oven for approx. 10 mins.  Drizzle with rosemary oil and serve

Pizza Margherita
 
There is a restaurant in Naples called Da Michele, one of the oldest pizza houses, where they only bake two types of pizza.  Neapolitan and Pizza Margherita, and they are jam packed, making pizzas non-stop, all day long.   Fabulous, beautiful flavours.  I have never had a Margherita or a Neapolitan anywhere in the world which tastes anything like it.  It is distinctly, completely, a Neapolitan activity.  We can only try to emulate it, we can never do more than that.
140 g (5oz) basic pizza dough3 tablespoons basic tomato sauce 55g (2oz) fresh, hand-rolled Mozzarella torn into pieces or diced 15g (½oz) Parmesan, freshly grated1 clove garlic, very finely sliced
Basil oil
8 fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste

Place the pizza tile on the floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8 inch) circleSpread the tomato sauce over the pizza, 10mm (½ inch) in from the rim.Scatter the Mozzarella slices on top of the sauce.Sprinkle on the Parmesan and garlic and drizzle with the basil oil.Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 10 mins.Serve garnished with the basil leaves.SEAFOOD PIZZA Bernadette liked to gather cockles and mussels herself, and added clams when she could get them.  She created the fennel sauce because shellfish love the flavour of aniseed

INGREDIENTS140g (5oz) basic pizza dough 85g (3oz) cockle meat85g (3oz) mussels55g (2oz) clams4 oysters2 tablespoons tomato & fennel sauce

1 tablespoon, parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped

METHOD Place pizza tile on the floor of the oven and preheat to maximum for one hour.

Preparing the shellfish Steam open the cockles, mussels and clams.  Remove from their shells and toss in the parsley and garlic.  Carefully open the oysters, removing any shell.  Place in a bowl and reserve.Assembling the pizza Stretch the dough into a 20cm (8”) circle.  Spread the tomato and fennel sauce over 10mm (½”) in from the rim and place in the preheated oven for 5 mins.  Take out and top with the mussels, clams and cockles.  Continue to cook for a further 3-4mins.  Place oysters on top and serve immediately.

NOTE: The measurements given are for shellfish meat, not including shells.

Hot Tips
 

Clandeboye Yoghurt
This is the most exciting new food product I’ve come across in ages – delicious Greek style yoghurt made on the Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, Co Down, from a blend of Holstein and Jersey Milk from their own herd which provides a creamy texture without high fat content.   Made by hand in their artisan dairy, the milk is prepared and cultured very gently over a twenty hour period in small batches.  This helps to create the exceptional flavour and texture.    Available in Northern Ireland and Sheridans Cheesemongers in Dublin.   www.clandeboye.co.uk

Gwen’s Chocolates new shop
Schull based chocolatier Gwen Lasserre has opened a new shop at 46 Main Street, Kinsale – in the centre of the old town – also a small café section serving French specialities like Croque Monsieur and Tarte aux Framboises.   Tel 087-0520796

Easy Entertaining with Rachel Allen – 15th September -due to popular demand
1 day demonstration course – two delicious 5 course menus for
Entertaining -  plus breads, petits fours, aperitifs … now booking.  Tel 021-4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie gift vouchers available. 
National Organic Week 15-21 September
www.bordbia.ie for details of events
 Good Things Café, Durrus, Co Cork
Open for the season – delicious menu of local foods – info@thegoodthingscafe.com
Tel 027-61426
 
 
  

    

   

   

 

Sweet Berry Bliss

Blackcurrants
 

Such a joy to have been able to feast on berries in season for the past few weeks.  If you were fortunate enough to have managed to source fruit from small producers who are growing varieties for flavour you will have had a real taste of summer.  Sadly, most commercial strawberry growers have gone over to El Santa a variety I now assiduously avoid, more often than not it disappoints particularly when heavily irrigated. I long for some growers to have the courage to grow at least a percentage of old varieties like Cambridge Favourite or Cambridge Vigour or Sovereign.
I know they are more difficult to handle, but there is a growing number of disillusioned consumers who would be prepared to pay more for a guaranteed burst of flavour.
One can of course get strawberries, raspberries and indeed red currants year round but gooseberries and blackcurrants are definitely a short seasonal treat. I adore blackcurrants and we eat them in many, many guises during the few productive weeks.  It is really worth making a few pots of jam to lather on scones or to make blackcurrant drinks to protect against colds in the winter.  Home made “Ribena” type drink is also fun and worthwhile to make as cassis.  Almost my favourite way to eat the fruit is stewed blackcurrants and cream. The fruit must be warm and the pouring cream very cold sooo divine and sooo simple.
A pear and blackcurrant compote is also very good and a blackcurrant and apple sponge pudding tends to get polished off in double quick time.
Blackcurrant Fool is may favourite fool of all and the leftovers make a delicious frozen parfait which is even better if served with blackcurrant coulis. A squeeze bottle of that is a terrific standby to have inside your fridge door to serve over vanilla ice-cream or to drizzle over a meringue roulade. 
Make haste the season is almost over so enjoy the blackcurrant harvest while you can.
Blackcurrant Coulis
8 ozs (225g) blackcurrants
1 cup syrup, 4-5 fl ozs (120-150ml) water* see below
 
Pour the syrup over the blackcurrants and bring to the boil, cook for 3-5 minutes until the blackcurrants burst.  Liquidise and sieve through a nylon sieve.  * Allow to cool.  Add 4-5 fl ozs (120-150ml) water.
Stock Syrup

1 lb (450g) sugar
1 pint (600ml) water
Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil.  Boil for 2 minutes then allow it to cool.  Store in the fridge until needed.
FOOLPROOF FOOD!
Poached Blackcurrants with Icy Cold Cream
12oz ( 340g) blackcurrants, strings removed

Stock Syrup (see recipe)

Icy cold cream

Cover the blackcurrants with stock syrup.  Bring to the boil and cook until the fruit bursts – this will take about 4 to 5 minutes.  Serve with warm shortbread biscuits and icy cold cream.

Blackcurrant Fool
Serves 6 approx.

350g (12oz) fresh blackcurrants, frozen blackcurrants may be used

Stock syrup (see recipe)

Whipped cream

Cover the blackcurrants with stock syrup. Bring to the boil and cook until the fruit bursts about 4-5 minutes. Liquidize and sieve or puree the fruit and syrup and measure. When the puree has cooled, add up to equal quantity of softly whipped cream, according to taste. Serve with Jane’s biscuits.

Note: A little stiffly beaten egg white may be added to lighten the fool. The fool should not be very stiff, more like the texture of softly whipped cream. If it is too stiff stir in a little milk rather than more cream.

Alternative presentation, chose tall sundae glasses.  Put 2 fl ozs (50ml) of blackcurrant puree into the base of the glass, top with a layer of softly whipped cream, another layer of blackcurrant puree and finally a little more cream.  Drizzle a little thin puree over the top, serve chilled with shortbread biscuits.

Blackcurrant Ice Cream

Left over blackcurrant fool may be frozen – it makes a delicious ice cream.  Serve with blackcurrant coulis made by thinning the blackcurrant puree with a little more water or stock syrup.

Frosted Blackcurrant Parfait with Blackcurrant Coulis
Serves 10 approx

Pour the blackcurrant fool into a loaf tin lined with pure cling film.  Cover and freeze.  Serve cut in slices with blackcurrant coulis drizzled over the top.

Blackcurrant Jam

Makes 8-9 lbs (3.4-4 kilo) jam

4 lbs (1.8 kgs) fresh or frozen blackcurrants

2 pints (1.1 litres) water

5 lbs (2.3 kgs) white granulated sugar

Remove the stalks from the blackcurrants, put the fruit into a greased preserving pan, add the water and cook until the fruit begins to break. Put the sugar into a stainless steel bowl and heat for almost 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 150C/300F/regulo 2. (It’s vital that the fruit is soft before the sugar is added otherwise the blackcurrants will taste hard and tough in the finished jam). Add the heated sugar and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Boil briskly for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Skim, test and pot. 

BLACKCURRANT AND APPLE PUDDING
Serves 4-6

1½lbs (675g) cooking apples

4-6ozs (110-175g) blackcurrants, already strung

1 tablesp. water

3-4ozs (85-110g) approx. sugar

For the topping
2ozs (55g) butter

2ozs (55g) sugar

1 beaten egg, preferably free range

3ozs (85g) self raising flour, sieved

1-2 tablesp. milk

1 pie dish 1½ pint (900ml) capacity

Set the oven to 200C/400F/regulo 6.

Peel, core and slice the apples and put them in a heavy saucepan with the water, blackcurrants and sugar, cover.  Stew them gently until just soft, then tip into a buttered pie dish.

Cream the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the beaten egg by degrees and beat well until completely incorporated. Sieve the flour and fold into the butter and egg mixture.  Add about 1 tablespoon of milk or enough to bring the mixture to dropping consistency.  Spread this mixture gently over the apple.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponge mixture is firm to the touch in the centre.  Sprinkle with castor sugar.  Serve warm with home made custard or lightly whipped cream

COMPOTE OF POACHED PEARS WITH BLACKCURRANTS
Serves 6

6 pears, Conference, Doyenne de Comice or William

6-8ozs (175-225g) blackcurrants

4 ozs (110g) castor sugar

10 fl ozs (300ml) cold water

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan or casserole and bring slowly to the boil.  Peel, halve and core the pears being careful to keep a good shape.  Add to the syrup.  Place a greaseproof paper lid on top of the pears and then a tight fitting lid on the casserole.  Place the casserole on a medium heat.  Cook for 15-20 minutes, adding the blackcurrants after 10 minutes.  Continue to cook until pears are tender. Serve chilled in the syrup.

Cassis Recipe
Skye Gyngell from Petersham Nurseries Café made this delicious drink when she was here with us last year as our guest chef.
650g (1 ¼lb) blackcurrants

650g (1 ¼lb) caster sugar

750ml (1 ¼ pints) (1 bottle red wine)

500ml (18fl ozs) good brandy  (Skye uses Julian Temperley’s Somerset Cider Brandy available at different ages: 5, 7 & 10 years) www.ciderbrandy.co.uk.
Place blackcurrants in a large, heavy based pan. Add the sugar, wine and brandy, stir and bring to the boil. Continue to stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Use a sieve to strain. Store in a glass jar or bottle.

Home made Ribena
This concentrated blackcurrant cordial packed with vitamin C is delicious diluted with sparkling or plain water or sparkling wine – it keeps for several months in a cool place.
1.12kg (2½ lb) blackcurrants
2.6kg (5½ lb) sugar
4L (scant 7 pint) water
225ml (8fl oz) white wine vinegar
Boil the blackcurrants and water together in a stainless steel saucepan for 15 minutes. Strain and add the sugar to the liquid. Add the white vinegar. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour into sterilized bottles and seal well.

Jane’s Biscuits – Shortbread
Makes 25

170g (6oz) white flour

110g (4oz) butter

55g (2oz) castor sugar

Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter as for shortcrust pastry. Gather the mixture together and knead lightly. Roll out to 7mm (¼ inch)  thick.  Cut into rounds with a 6cm (2½ inch) cutter or into heart shapes.  Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 to pale brown, 10 – 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.

Serve with fruit fools, compotes and ice creams.

HOT TIPS!

Ovencraftsman Hendrick Lepel presents BUILD YOUR OWN BREADOVEN.

A 2 day workshop in Breadoven Building near Kealkil (Westcork).

During the 2 day workshop you will be learning to build and Outdoor Oven.  This unique event, held during the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of August, priced at 120Eur/Person including lunch for the 2 days, is limited to only 8 participants!
For booking & further details contact
Ovencraftsman Hendrik on 086 8838400 or email to kirdnehl@hotmail.com
Gwen’s Chocolates new shop
Schull based chocolatier Gwen Lasserre has opened a new shop at 46 Main Street, Kinsale – in the centre of the old town – also a small café section serving French specialities like Croque Monsieur and Tarte aux Framboises.   Tel 087-0520796

Easy Entertaining with Rachel Allen – 15th September -due to popular demand
1 day demonstration course – two delicious 5 course menus for

Entertaining -  plus breads, petits fours, aperitifs … now booking.  Tel 021-4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie gift vouchers available. 

National Organic Week 15-21 September
www.bordbia.ie/organicform  to order point of sale material to highlight any events being organized for National Organic week.

Good Things Café, Durrus, Co Cork
Now open for the season – delicious menu of local foods – info@thegoodthingscafe.com

Tel 027-61426

A Star of the Sea

Recipes
  1. When I first came to Shanagarry crabs were considered to be a nuisance by most fishermen because they found their way into the lobster pots and were much less lucrative to sell. Tommy Sliney, the legendary Ballycotton man who sold his fish from a donkey and cart on the pier occasionally brought us a few, and it was always a cause for celebration We’d prepare all the other ingredients and then my father-in-law, Ivan Allen, would mix and taste the Dressed Crab.    Serves 5-6 as a main course   15 ozs (425g) crab meat, brown and white mixed (2 or 3 crabs should yield this) 3 -3 1/2 ozs (75-95g) soft white breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons tomato chutney or Ballymaloe Tomato Relish 1 oz (25g) butter generous pinch of dry mustard or 1 level teaspoon French mustard salt and freshly ground pepper 6 fl ozs (175ml) white sauce, see below   Topping 4 ozs (110g) buttered crumbs, see recipe below   Scrub the crab shells, mix all the ingredients except the buttered crumbs together, taste carefully and correct the seasoning. Fill into the shells and sprinkle with tops with the buttered crumbs.   Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4, until heated through and brown on top (15-20 minutes approx.). Flash under the grill if necessary to crisp the crumbs.   Note: 1 lb (450g) cooked crab in the shell yields 6-8 ozs (170-225g) approx. crab meat depending on the time of the year.   White Sauce 1/2 pint (300ml) milk a few slices of carrot a few slices of onion a small sprig of thyme a small sprig of parsley 3 peppercorns 1 1/2 ozs (45g) roux, salt and freshly ground pepper  This is a marvelously way of making white sauce if you already have roux made. Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion, peppercorns, thyme and parsley. Bring to the boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Strain out the vegetables, bring the milk back to the boil and thicken with roux to a light coating consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. Buttered Crumbs 1 oz (25g) butter 2 ozs (50g)) soft white breadcrumbs  Next make the buttered crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool.   Spicy Crab Cakes

The common brown crab is fortunately still abundant in Irish waters, its meat is sweet and succulent when freshly cooked and picked. Sadly not everyone tastes it like that.   The majority taste crab meat after it has been defrosted, the result is stringy, watery and lacking in flavour.
It comes as a surprise to some to hear that crabs contain not just white meat, but brown meat also.   The white meat comes from the claws, both large and small and there are also rich pickings in the leg sockets if you have a crab pick and a little patience.
The creamy brown meat comes from the body of the crab, it is rich and delicious and greatly contributes to the flavour of potted crab, dressed crab or crab mayonnaise.
At Ballymaloe House and the Cookery School we have always had a policy of buying whole crabs rather than crab claws which are unquestionably more popular.   This discourages the unscrupulous practice of pulling the large claws off and discarding the bodies, a practice which fishermen condemn themselves and deny exists.
In reality, crabs do become entangled in the nets and claws do occasionally get broken even when they are extracted with great care.   If a crab is thrown back into the sea with one large claw intact, it can feed itself and will grow another claw within a short time.  If both claws are missing, it simply starves to death.
When buying crab –

  1. Choose a crab with all the claws intact.
  2. It should feel heavy for its size
  3. Crabs, like other species can be male or female, the females are easy to recognize, they have a larger flap underneath.Female crabs generally contain more meat than males.   Crabs must be either alive or cooked when you buy them.  

   4.   Do not cook a dead crab.  When they die they become toxic quite quickly, its         impossible to tell the state of deterioration so do not take a risk.
 

Crabs are in season from April to September. Towards the end of the season the females tend to have an increased roe content in the body which is orangey red in colour.  This is of course edible but it is different in flavour and texture to the usual body meat.
Crab shells have lots of flavour so reboil with a fish stock to give a rich broth for a fish soup.
Here are some of my favourite crab recipes to entice you to experiment.
 How to Cook Crab
 Put the crab/s into a saucepan, cover with cold or barely lukewarm water, (use 6 ozs (175g) salt to every 2.3 litres (4 pints/10 cups water).  This sounds like an incredible amount of salt but try it: the crab will taste deliciously sweet.  Cover, bring to the boil and then simmer from there on, allowing 15 minutes for first 1 lb (450g), 10 minutes for the second and third (I’ve never come across a crab bigger than that!).  We usually pour off two-thirds of the water half way through cooking, cover and steam the crab for the remainder of the time.  As soon as it is cooked remove it from the saucepan and allow to get cold.
 
To extract the crab meat from the shell and claws:
First remove the large claws and the small claws ensuring that you tug them out of the socket with a juicy bit of white meat at the end.  Hold the crab with the underside uppermost and lever out the centre portion – I do this by catching the little lip of the projecting centre shell against the edge of the table and pressing down firmly.  The Dead Man’s Fingers (lungs) usually come out with this central piece, but check in case some are left in the body and if so remove them.
 Press your thumb down over the light shell just behind the eyes so that the shell cracks slightly, and then the sac which is underneath can be removed easily and discarded.   Everything else inside the body of the crab is edible.  The claws contain the white meat and the body has lots of brown creamy meat. The soft meat varies in colour from cream to coffee to dark tan, and towards the end of the season it can contain quite a bit of bright orange coral which is stronger in flavour.  Scoop it all out and put it into a bowl.  There will also be one or two teaspoonsful of soft meat in the centre portion attached to the small claws – add that to the bowl also.  Scrub the shell and keep it aside if you need it for dressed crab.
Holding this piece in the palm of your hand scrape the morsels of white meat out from the leg sockets, first downwards and then flip it over and do it upwards.  Put white meat into a bowl.
Crack the  large claws with a hammer or weight and extract every bit of white meat from them, poke out the meat from the small claws also, using a lobster pick, skewer or even the handle of a teaspoon.
 
Mix the brown and white meat together or use separately, depending on the recipe.
 Ivan Allen’s Dressed Crab
 

 

When I first came to Shanagarry crabs were considered to be a nuisance by most fishermen because they found their way into the lobster pots and were much less lucrative to sell. Tommy Sliney, the legendary Ballycotton man who sold his fish from a donkey and cart on the pier occasionally brought us a few, and it was always a cause for celebration We’d prepare all the other ingredients and then my father-in-law, Ivan Allen, would mix and taste the Dressed Crab.
  

Serves 5-6 as a main course
 

15 ozs (425g) crab meat, brown and white mixed (2 or 3 crabs should yield this)
3 -3 1/2 ozs (75-95g) soft white breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato chutney or Ballymaloe Tomato Relish
1 oz (25g) butter
generous pinch of dry mustard or 1 level teaspoon French mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 fl ozs (175ml) white sauce, see below
 

Topping

4 ozs (110g) buttered crumbs, see recipe below
 

Scrub the crab shells, mix all the ingredients except the buttered crumbs together, taste carefully and correct the seasoning. Fill into the shells and sprinkle with tops with the buttered crumbs.
 

Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4, until heated through and brown on top (15-20 minutes approx.). Flash under the grill if necessary to crisp the crumbs.
 

Note: 1 lb (450g) cooked crab in the shell yields 6-8 ozs (170-225g) approx. crab meat depending on the time of the year.
 

White Sauce

1/2 pint (300ml) milk
a few slices of carrot
a few slices of onion
a small sprig of thyme
a small sprig of parsley
3 peppercorns
1 1/2 ozs (45g) roux,
salt and freshly ground pepper
 
This is a marvelously way of making white sauce if you already have roux made. Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion, peppercorns, thyme and parsley. Bring to the boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Strain out the vegetables, bring the milk back to the boil and thicken with roux to a light coating consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Buttered Crumbs

1 oz (25g) butter
2 ozs (50g)) soft white breadcrumbs
 
Next make the buttered crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool.
 

Spicy Crab Cakes

75g (3oz) butter
4 tbsp white wine
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
450g (1 lb) crab meat
200g (7oz) white bread crumbs
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped coriander
6 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1\2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1\2 tbsp soy sauce
 
Seasoned flour
Beaten egg
breadcrumbs
 Melt the butter in a pan with the wine and garlic, add the crab meat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper. Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl, and add the crab meat. Shape into patties, dip in seasoned flour, beaten eggs and then in breadcrumbs. Then either deep fry, or pan fry in some olive oil.
 
Chunky Tomato Salsa
 200g (7ozs) (2 or 3) ripe tomatoes, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) chunks
1 spring onion, chopped, or 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar
1 dessertspoon (approx) lime or lemon juice
 
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.
 
Crab Mayonnaise
 
Serves approx. 4-6
 Crab Mayonnaise is very versatile. It is delicious used as a filling for cucumber or tomato ring or as a stuffing for tomatoes. It also marries very well with a simple tomato salad for a first course for a dinner party.
We also serve Crab with Mayonnaise on brown bread at Ballymaloe House. This is simply a slice of buttered brown yeast bread with a lettuce leaf and a tablespoon of crab mayonnaise on top, garnished with watercress or parsley.
 
5 ozs (140g) crab meat, (mixed, white and brown crabmeat)
6-8 fl ozs (175-250ml) mayonnaise, (see recipe on website)
½ tsp. finely grated onion
Garnish: Small lettuce leaves or garden cress or watercress
 Mix the crab meat with 2-3 tbsp of mayonnaise and a little finely grated onion. Taste and season if necessary.
Note: Sometimes if the crab meat is quite strong tasting we add a little French dressing as well as the Mayonnaise. If the mixture is a little bland a pinch of mustard can bring up the flavour.
 
Stanley Mosse’s Potted Crab
 
Many years ago we dropped in to see our friends the Mosses in Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny – well inland.   They had just cooked the box of crabs they had brought fresh up from the boats at Dunmore East in Co. Waterford.
We were given a great welcome: another pair of hands to extract the juicy white and brown meat.  Stanley Mosse then made up lots of this potted crab which we ate gluttonously on hot buttered toast.
 
Serves 8-10 as a starter
 5 ozs (140g) mixed brown and white cooked crab meat.
4 ozs (110g) softened butter
1-2 teaspoons finely chopped parsely
lemon juice to taste
 
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or, better still, whizz them in a food processor.  Taste carefully and continue to season until you are happy with the flavour: it may need a little more lemon juice.   Press the mixture into a pottery bowl, cover and refrigerate.
 Rachel’s Crab and Prawn Coconut Soup
 
Serves 2
 This soup is delightfully rich and flavoursome but as it contains milk rather than cream it will not leave you feeling sluggish.
 
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
½ tsp grated ginger
1 tsp lemon grass, finely chopped
200g (7oz) crab meat
500ml (18fl.oz) fish or light chicken stock
1 x 165g tin coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
50g (2oz) raw prawns, peeled
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
juice of  ½ lemon
¼ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (leaves and stalks)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

 In a large saucepan on a medium heat, heat the oil, then add the garlic, ginger, lemon grass and crab meat.  Toss on the heat for a few minutes until light golden.  Add the stock, coconut milk and fish sauce.   Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and add the prawns.   Cook for 1-2 minutes (simmering all the time) until the prawns are cooked.  Then add the spring onions, lemon juice, chilli and coriander, season to taste and serve.
 Hot Tips for July 26th
 SCHULL AGRICULTURAL SHOW – Sunday, 27th July, The Town Park, SchullThis is an unusual Show in that it has a very strong Food Connection – Ted Berner
and Fingal Ferguson of WILDSIDE CATERING will be there with Spits full of local pigs and lamb

The Farmer’s Market also will have all the local foods for sale and sampling – local horses,a fun dog show and also a Children’s Corner with a difference, very hands on and great fun for all the family!  Show Secretary Joe Ahern:  028 28707

Growing Awareness presents Permaculture Gardens Workshop with Graham Strouts – Sunday 27th July
At Derryduff, Coomhola, Bantry, Co Cork
Learn about the principles of Permaculture by making an ‘instant’ mulched garden, use perennials, and design a ‘forest garden’ including tree crops, fruit trees and bushes, perennial vegetables and other perennial plants. Cost €40 waged or €25 unwaged, Pre-booking essential – contact Graham on 086-8539900 or 027-66931or email graham@zone5.org 
Slow Food Ireland Terra Madre – WIT Waterford 4-7 September
www.terramadreireland.org
 ‘How to cure a pig in a day’ with Phillip Dennhardt at Ballymaloe Cookery School
On 16th September – now booking – Tel 021-4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie
 
 

Icing on the Cake

Claire Ptak had planned to move to London with her then boyfriend, an English chap named Damian, then she was offered a job as pastry chef at the famous Chez Panisse in Berkeley in California. This is any chef’s dream job, beautiful seasonal ingredients to work with and a passionate team of foodies to bounce ideas off. So she took the job and began a long-distance relationship.   

The desserts at Chez Panisse are not wild and fancy concoctions incorporating a trillion elements.  Instead they are simple fruit tarts, cake, fruit salads, fools and mousses that reflect the seasons and the produce of the local farmers and farmers market.  Alice Waters has been known to serve just one perfect peach in pristine condition from Frog Hollow Farm for pudding.

Claire finally married Damian and now lives in London where she has developed a cult following for her cup cakes.  She sells nine different varieties at her Violet Cakes stall at Hackney Farmers Market every Saturday morning

www.violetcakes.com 

There are perennial favourites like Vanilla Bean, Valrhona Chocolate  and Salted Caramel and her signature cup cakes with violet essence buttercream icing and decorated with crystallized violets.   At present she has added an elderflower cupcake, raspberry, strawberry and cherry and blackberry will soon follow.

Recently she came along to the school and enchanted the students with her beautiful cakes.

The melt-in-the-mouth pressed chocolate cake was decorated with fragments of gold leaf.  The tender little poppy seed cake was iced with elderflower icing and served with a green gooseberry compote.

Claire chose her favourite Devil’s Food cup cakes with marshmallow icing to share with the students. 

Oreo Cookies are the quintessential American cookies.  Claire made a delish home-made version and sandwiched them together with espresso and vanilla bean filling.

She also made two delish sandwiches – radish and sea salt and garlicky egg mayonnaise toasts -  so  so  good

.Next time you are in London at the weekend, why not pop out to Claire at Hackney Market and join the queue for her cup cakes.   Alternatively you could make your own or seek out Phillip Dennhardt’s Stolen Diamond stall at Mahon Farmers’ Market on Thursday or Midleton on Saturday.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Gold Leaf and Chartreuse Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Serves 8-10
 
For the Cake:
100g (3 1/2 ozs) unsalted butter

120g (4ozs) dark chocolate, chopped into smallish chunks plus an extra chunk for decoration

3 organic free-range eggs, separated

100g (3 1/2 ozs) caster sugar

pinch salt

cocoa powder for dusting

real gold leaf for decoration, available from art supply shops (optional)

For the Chocolate Sauce:
100g (3 1/2 ozs) dark chocolate (at least 66% cocoa solids) eg Valrhona 70%
1 dessertsp. water

2 dessertsp. cocoa

1 dessertsp vanilla extract

For the Cream:
280ml (9 1/2fl ozs) double cream
6 teaspoons  caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-6 teaspoons Chartreuse

1 x 16cm (6 1/4 inch) round and 6cm (2 1/2 inch) deep cake tinPreheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 (no fan). Butter the sides of a 16cm (6 1/4 inch) round cake tin and place a round of baking parchment in the bottom.Place the butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a bowl of just simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, until just melted. Remove from the heat and let it rest in an area of the kitchen away from any draft, which will cause the chocolate to seize up.Place the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand whisk) fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for 1 minute then add half of the caster sugar (reserving the other half for the egg whites) and beat until light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.Scrape the yolk and sugar mixture into the chocolate and fold together gently. It will be swirled, which is what you want. Don’t be tempted to over-mix at this stage.In a clean, dry bowl, start whisking the egg whites in the same manner as above. Once the sugar has been added, whip up to almost stiff peaks. This will also take a few minutes. Fold this into the chocolate mixture and transfer to the prepared cake tin.Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the cakes rises up, cracks slightly, and feels firm to the touch yet with a wobble. The skewer test does not work with this cake, because it wants to be quite wet inside when it is done. Over baking it will only dry it out. Let cool in the tin. The cake will sink quite a lot, which is what you want. Run a knife around the edge and place a plate on top of the cake before inverting it. Remove the tin and peel back the parchment paper before placing the cake on your desired cake stand or serving dish. Turn the kettle on and boil some water. Place your extra little piece of chocolate in a ramekin or small heat-proof dish. Fill a slightly bigger bowl with about 2 cm (3/4 inch) of boiling water and place the dish with the chocolate inside that. This is an easy way to melt a small amount of chocolate without burning it. Dust the cake with a little cocoa powder, scoop the melted chocolate into a little button on the top of the cake and let it cool and firm up. Take a piece of gold leaf the same size as your drop of chocolate and rub onto it or delicately lift it off of its paper and place on the chocolate. Use an art brush or pastry brush.For the Chocolate sauce:
Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water.
Whisk in the cocoa, water and vanilla.

For the Chartreuse Cream:
Lightly whisk the cream and add all the other ingredients. Stop whisking before you think it is done, as it will get a little thicker as it sits.  Keep soft.
To ServeDrizzle a little sauce and place a piece of cake on top of that and add a dollop of cream alongside.

Poppyseed Cake with Elderflower Icing and Gooseberry Compote

Serves 6Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus 35-40 minutes baking time, cooling time, and 10 minutes decorating time.For the cake:
165g (6ozs) unsalted butter, softened
110g (4ozs) caster sugar

zest of 1 lemon, (juice reserved for the icing, if making lemon icing, leave lemon out if using elderflower cordial in the icing)

25g (1oz) poppyseeds

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

200g (7ozs) self-raising flour

140ml (5fl ozs) milk

3 organic free-range egg whites

For the icing:
125g (4 1/2ozs) icing sugar
9-12 teaspoons elderflower cordial

10g (1/2 oz) poppyseeds

elderflower blossoms to decorate

For the Compote:
300g (11ozs) gooseberries, topped and tailed
sugar to taste (maybe 100g)

80ml (3fl ozs) Elderflower cordial

1 elderflower head

1 x 16cm (6 1/4 inch) round and 6cm (2 1/2 inch) deep cake tinPreheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 2 1/2 (no fan). Butter the sides of a 16cm (6 1/4 inch) round cake tin and place a round of baking parchment in the bottom.Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium for at least 5 minutes until pale and fluffy and nearly doubled in size. If you don’t have a mixer, use a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease.Add the poppyseeds, lemon zest, vanilla extract and orange blossom water and mix through. Add half of the flour and mix, alternating with half the milk until all is incorporated. Take off the mixer and transfer to another large bowl.Clean and dry the mixing bowl, change to the whisk attachment, and whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. It should be quite loose, so underwhip, rather than overwhip. Alternatively use a hand whisk. Just be sure the bowl you use is free from any grease or oil residue, or your whites will not whip up. Stir in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Transfer to your prepared tin.Bake in the centre of the oven for 60 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin. Meanwhile, make the gooseberry compote by washing the berries, putting them into a small saucepan with a little water so that they don’t scorch, and the sugar. Cook over moderate heat and bruise them up with a wooden spoon when they are soft enough. Add the cordial and trim the blossoms from the head of Elderflower and stir it all together and let cool.  Add a little more cordial if necessary and taste for sweetness, add more sugar if necessary.Run a knife around the edge and place a plate on top of the cake before inverting it. Remove the tin and peel back the parchment paper before placing the cake on your desired cake stand or serving dish. Whisk together the icing sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice to form a thick paste. Spoon onto the cake and using the back of the spoon, push the icing to the edges, coaxing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with poppyseeds and a few elderflower blossoms and serve with the compote.Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Fluffy Marshmallow Icing
 For the cupcakes:
220g (8ozs) self-raising flour
125g (4 1/2 ozs) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

450g (1lb) caster sugar

4 free-range eggs

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

350ml (12fl ozs) buttermilk (or if you don’t have that, semi-skimmed milk and a 3 teaspoons lemon juice

140g (5ozs) melted unsalted butter

100ml (3 1/2fl ozs) brewed espresso or strong coffee

100ml (3 1/2fl ozs) water

For the Icing:
3 free-range egg whites
450g (1lb) icing sugar

120ml (4fl ozs) water

4-5 teaspoons  golden syrup (can be used instead of corn syrup)

pinch salt

4 teaspoons  vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

Decoration
candied flowers to decorate, rose petals, violets or Johnny jump ups.
Cupcake tinsPaper cases

For the cupcakes, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and bicarbonate and set aside.Whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.  Mixture will be very runny.Add the melted butter first to the measured out coffee and water, and then into the egg and buttermilk mixture. This will help to avoid the melted butter going into hard lumps when it hits the cold buttermilk. Whisk all together and sift in the dry and whisk again to incorporate fully.Pour the mixture into a small jug, a few cups at a time and use the jug to pour the mixture into your prepared cupcake tins.  Fill half way up.Bake at 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 until springy and firm. About 10 minutes for mini cakes and 15-20 for standard cupcakes.For the Icing:
In a heatproof (pyrex)  bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients and place over a saucepan of boiling water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl or it will cook the egg whites). Heat until hot to the touch, remove and beat with an electric mixer until stiff.
Put the icing into a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe large blobs onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate with candied flowersChocolate Wafer Cookies
 These are like Oreo cookies
 
Makes 6 logs – this is for a big quantity – you can scale it down yourself if you like
– icing quantities would need to be adjusted also.
  Ingredients
 12ozs (350g) butter
1lb 2ozs (500g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 free-range organic eggs
5ozs (150g) cocoa powder

13ozs (375g) plain flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Icing
 
2 1/2 fl ozs (65ml) milk

4ozs (110g) unsalted butter

1lbs 1ozs (475g) icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 scraped vanilla bean

Violet Icing
 
7fl ozs (200ml) milk

13ozs (375g) unsalted butter

 3lbs 5ozs – 4 1/2lbs (1.5kg – 2kg) icing sugar

6 teaspoons violet essence

Expresso Icing
 
3 3/4 fl ozs (112ml) cold coffee

1 1/4 fl ozs (38ml) milk

10ozs (280g) butter

1.5kg (3lbs 5ozs) icing sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Armagnac brandy

2 1/4 teaspoons fresh coffee grounds

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

First make the logs.
Cream together the butter and the sugar together very well.  Add the vanilla extract and eggs.  Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt.  Roll into logs and freeze.
Slice the log into 1/2cm (1/4 inch) thick and bake at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 8-10 minutes – let cool on parchment paper.For the icing.
Cream the butter and half the icing sugar.  Add the liquid.  Then cream in the rest of the icing sugar on a low speed – about 3 minutes until creamy.
Pipe a blob of icing in the centre of one biscuit, then press another on top so you can just see the icing coming through.Foolproof Food

Butter and Radish Sandwiches with Sea Salt

Very much like cucumber sandwiches, but with that little bite that radishes have. If you can get really fresh bunches from your farmer’s market with dark green stems intact, use the greens in your sandwiches as well. When they are young, the greens have a wonderful flavour of their own.Serves 6-8Preparation Time: 10 minutes2-3 bunches of the freshest baby radishes you can findfresh unsalted butter, softened

sea salt, such as Maldon

small loaf of sliced white bread

Undo the radish bunches, put them in a bowl and cover with cold water. The sandy dirt will sink to the bottom and the cold water perks up the leaves if you are using them. Set aside.Lay out your slices of bread and spread a nice even layer of butter on each.Remove the radishes from the water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Cut off the greens and either set aside or discard. Slice the radishes into thin discs.Arrange the radishes, slightly overlapping on half of the bread slices. Sprinkle with salt. Lay a couple of green leaves on each slice (if using), then place the remaining buttered slices of bread on top to form the sandwiches.Cut the crusts off with a serrated knife and cut each sandwich into three strips. Serve Immediately.Hot Tips
 L’Atmosphere Restaurant, 19 Henrietta St. Waterford. Tel 051-858426
Arnaud, Mary and Patrice Garreau run this great little French restaurant – delicious keenly priced food – like eating in a good French bistro – early bird menu, daily specials, a  la carte, good French breads – Arnaud runs his own French bakery – delicious desserts – friendly service and children welcome. 
Cooking Classes with Rory O’Connell at Snugboro, Ballycotton, Co Cork, now booking for the autumn
A day of cooking and gardening, 12 & 13th September, Autumn Cooking, 16th October
– special courses also arranged – www.rgoconnell.com rory@rgoconnell.com
Tel 086-8516917
 
Midleton and Area Chamber
present an  Exclusive Midsummer Party at Capella Resort and Spa, Castlemartyr

Sunday July 27th, 5pm till late

A 5 star evening not to be missed!  Sumptuous BBQ and fine wines. Renowned 10 piece band, Brass & Co. & much more fun and entertainment.  Special accommodation rates also available.  Tickets available through Chamber office 021-4613483

 

 

Cooks Share Skills

 Food crosses every border. We all have to eat so when we cook and share together, a special bond is formed.

The influx of immigrants from the Eastern European countries during the past five or six years has greatly enhanced our economy and enriched our culture.

At Ballymaloe we have some wonderful Polish, Lithuanian, Czech , Croatian and Russian staff working with us.   Each has their own traditions and indigenous foods and most importantly cooking skills.

I once asked a lovely lady from Lithuania who applied for a job, if she could cook, she was completely baffled by the question – “Of course I can cook, everyone cooks, one has to be able to cook to survive.” How true.

Recently the East Cork Slow Food Convivium created an event around Eastern European Food so we could learn more about it.

We had three cooks, Julija Makejeva who has worked with us here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School for the past three years.

Kate Zalesski from Poland, whom I met a few weeks ago at the open day on Jenny and Peter Young’s farm, lives near Naas, Co Kildare and cooks a wide variety of vegetarian food which she sells at the Naas Farmers Market, Kate operates under the name of Green Harvest.

Katrina Kollegaeva from Estonia was with us for few weeks working in the gardens.

Kate cooked the famous Beetroot Soup – Borscht –, Potato and Cheese Pierogi, Blueberry Buns and Kulebiak, a Cabbage and Mushroom Pastry garland.
Then Julija rolled up her sleeves and made Tsepeliny (Lithuanian national dish).  First she grated the potato, then squeezed out the liquid and saved the starch as though she was making boxty.  This was mixed with the potato and wrapped around a tasty mince mixture.   These were poached for 40-45 minutes and then served with a sauce of sour cream and bacon.
Julija’s husband and her little boy Denis came to watch and he told me how proud he was of his Mama.

Kate’s husband Ralf also drove her down from Naas and their daughter Anya came too, she was dressed up in her best spotted apron and the cutest shoes, ready to help her Mum to fill the pierogi and spoon fresh blueberry purée into the buns.  It was a delight to see the traditional cooking skills being passed from mother to daughter.

Russian Salad, which is what Julija calls Vinigret, was next and I’m delighted to report that it was quite unlike any Russian salad I’ve ever eaten before.  Julija’s version is tossed in a light dressing rather than lots of globby mayonnaise – deliciously light and moreish.

Oladushki, or fluffy pancakes have already been absorbed into our repertoire.  The batter is made in minutes, spoonfuls are cooked in a little sizzling butter on a frying pan until the bubbles burst on one side, then they are flipped over until golden on the other side.   They are served with a choice of three toppings – sour cream mixed with raspberry jam, or sour cream mixed with soft brown sugar or honey.  They are Denis’s favourite breakfast, they were easy and so delicious – so do try them.

It was a wonderful convivial event where the audience participated in filling the pierogi and blueberry muffins and everyone tucked in at the end.

Foolproof food
Beetroot Soup ( BORSCHT )
 
Serves 6
 6 medium beetroots, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 carrots, chopped2 sticks celery, chopped2 large cabbage leaves, cut roughly and chopped 1 onion, chopped2 or 3 bay leaves6 cups (2 pints/1.2L) vegetable or chicken broth

5 medium -sized potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 

freshly squeezed lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper

sugar

1 cup (8fl.oz/225ml) sour creamfresh dill for garnishCook the chopped onion in a little oil until lightly browned.Place the beetroot, carrot, celery, cabbage, onion and bay leaves into a pan, cover with broth. Add salt and cook until vegetables are tender -  about an hour.Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water, until tender. Strain off the liquid.  Set aside.When the beets are soft add lemon juice,salt ,pepper, sugar.Ladle the soup over the potatoes.Dollop with a generous spoon of sour cream, garnish with the snipped dill.Kulebiak – Cabbage and Mushroom Pastry
 
Serves 5
 Delicious eaten with Borscht.  Dough:
1 kg (2¼lb) plain flour
375 g (13oz) butter100g (3½ oz) fresh yeast3 Tbs sugarpinch of salt250-300 ml (9-10fl.oz) sour cream.

Stuffing:2 lb (900g) white cabbagefew dried wild mushrooms1 onion, chopped4 tbsp sunflower oilsalt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse and cook the mushrooms, and cut into small cubes.  Shred cabbage, add cubed mushrooms and chopped onion, oil and a little mushroom stock and cook until tender on a low heat flame, for about 20 minutes. Steam off liquid at end. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it cool.First make the dough. Mix the yeast with sugar. Cut butter into flour, add sour cream, yeast mixture and salt and knead into dough.  It should be firm enough to be rolled out. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.Sprinkle some flour on a board. Roll the dough out into a rectangular piece, about 5mm (¼ in) thick. Spread the cooled cabbage mixture along the edge of dough and roll into a swiss roll. Place the dough on a greased baking tray in a circle, brush with milk, cut half way into the dough every few inches.  Cover, allow to rise, and when it has doubled in size, bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas 4 for 35-45 minutes.These are great hot or cold.Oladushki (Russian Fluffy Pancakes) with Sour Cream and Raspberry Jam
Serves 4
160g (5 1/2 ozs/scant 1 1/2 cups) white flour
225 ml (8fl ozs/1 cup) buttermilk
2 free-range organic eggs
1/2 teaspoon breadsoda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, for pan frying
 First, measure the buttermilk into a small bowl and sprinkle the baking soda on top and leave for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the mixture bubble.   Whisk the egg, salt, and sugar into the buttermilk mixture.   Next, slowly add the flour to the batter by whisking until mixture appears to have an even consistency, set aside. 
Heat a frying pan on a medium high heat. Add a little vegetable oil. Fill the pan with 5-6 tablespoonfuls of batter spaced evenly apart. Fry until golden brown, flip once bubbles have appeared on the surface and popped. Repeat frying process until all of the batter is used. Serve with dips (see below).
 
Serving SuggestionsMake several dips by mixing sour cream with raspberry jam 50/50; sour cream with brown sugar, and honey. Tsepeliny (Lithuanian national dish)
  Serves 3-5
 1.5-2 litre (2½ -3½ pints) of salted boiling water             3 large potatoes
            
             1 onion, grated              Salt and freshly ground pepper             200 g (7oz) minced pork            1 onion, finely chopped

1 egg

Sauce:
125 g (4½ oz) smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons

125 g (4½ oz) sour cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish:
Snipped parsley

Muslin clothBring the water to the boil in a large saucepan.Peel the potatoes. Finely grate them together with 1 onion. Put the potatoes and the onion into the muslin cloth, and squeeze the excess liquid out into a bowl. Then, carefully pour the liquid into a smaller bowl, so that the starch left at the bottom of the first bowl stays at the bottom of the bowl. Take half of the starch left behind and mix it into the boiling water so that there are no lumps.Make the filling by mixing the mincemeat with 1 beaten egg, 1 chopped onion, and salt and pepper. Set aside.Next, add the remaining half of the starch to the bowl of potato/onion mixture. Mix it well, divide it into 3-5 equal portions. Take one portion and put it into your palm, flatten so it is approx. 1 centimeter high; put a tablespoon of the mincemeat mixture into the centre and seal the potato mixture around it.  Slip the tsepeliny into simmering water and cook uncovered for 40-45 minutes.Just before the tsepeliny are ready, fry the bacon lardons in a frying pan until they release the fat and are crispy.  Add the sour cream and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Serve tsepeliny per person, topped with the sour cream/bacon sauce.

Scatter with freshly snipped parsley

Blueberry Buns
 500g/1lb 2oz strong flour2 tsp dried yeast
2 tbsp melted butter12 fl.oz (350ml/1 1/2 cups) warm milk2 tbsp sour cream4 tbsp sugarVanilla extract

200g (7oz) blueberries4oz (110g/½ cup) sugar1 glass 3½ – 4 inches in diameter for cutting dough.Prime the yeast in warm water. Leave for 5 minutes, until dissolved. Mix with flour. Add sugar, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Knead until smooth, add melted butter and knead until absorbed and the dough is shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with tea towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.Meanwhile put the blueberries and sugar into a saucepan and cook them for about 20 minutes to make jam.When the dough is ready divide it into two parts, roll them out on floured surface. Cut out the circles with a glass. Place a teaspoon of jam in the center and cover with another dough circle. Seal the edges .Let the buns to rise for 20 min. Brush with milk and bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas4, for 20-25 minutes.Dust with icing sugar. These are lovely while still warm with milky coffee.Hot Tips
 
Asian Kitchens – another addition to Cork’s culinary scene –
Unit 6&7, Camden Wharf, Carroll’s Quay, Cork, tel 087 902 3068
Wonderful Asian cook Wasinee Beech and her husband Len have just opened their new Asian food shop, so for authentic ingredients pay them a visit. 
  The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has announced a national food labelling public consultation calling on Irish consumers and interested parties to express their views and opinions on food labelling.  This process is in light of an EU proposal to amend labelling regulations, which will ultimately ensure greater food safety protection by allowing consumers to make informed decisions on food purchases.  The public is urged to visit www.fsai.ie to communicate its views on all food labelling issues that are of interest to them.  The consultation phase will run for over two months and the closing date for responses is 19th September 2008.  All comments will be considered in the FSAI submission to the Department of Health and Children and will form the structure of Ireland’s national policy on food labelling
 Slow Food East Cork
Learn how to prepare, cook and extract meat from Ballycotton Crabs with Darina Allen on Tuesday 15th July 2008 at 7.30pm at Ballymaloe Cookery School –
Dressed Crab, Crab Mayonnaise, Spicy Crab Cakes, Potted Crab ….
€30 for Slow Food Members, €40 for non-Members – booking essential Tel 021-4646785
slowfood@cookingisfun.ieIghtermurragh Allotments, Ladysbridge, Co Cork
Allotment Gardening Information Day – Saturday 19th July 2-5pm
Guest speaker Michael Brenock – view progress and discuss future plans – allotment holders will talk about their experience and new prospective holders very welcome.
Tel 021-4667330   086-3003810  
   

   

 

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