Regular readers of this column will know that I am deeply concerned about the deterioration in the national diet – the results of this rapid decline are evident to see in our ever-expanding waistlines and associated health problems. Consequently, I am an avid follower of research into the nutritive value of food. I firmly believe that the root of the problem is the dramatic change in how the majority of our food is being produced. Farmers are being forced to produce the maximum amount of food at the minimum cost and those who question this mantra are often made to feel like luddites by the agri-business sector.
The resulting food is less flavorful and less nutritionally complex.
However, a growing number of people are voting with their feet, flocking to the farmers markets to buy naturally produced local food in season.
Study after study now shows that vegetables, fruit and meat are substantially lower in vitamins, minerals and trace elements than they were 20-30 years ago, so its nice to have some positive news for a change.
At the recent Soil Association Conference in Newcastle , details of new research were announced highlighting that organic milk has higher levels of Vitamin E, antioxidants and Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Organically reared cows, which eat high levels of grass, clover pasture and grass clover silage, produced milk which is on average 50% higher in Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), 75% higher in beta carotene (which our bodies convert to Vitamin A) and two to three times higher in the anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthine than non-organic milk. The data supports the higher anti-oxidant levels reported by an Italian Research Council Study. In addition, the research team found higher levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids, confirming earlier research into raised omega 3 levels by the University of Aberdeen and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research.

Drinking a pint of organic milk a day provides 17.5% of the required intake of Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) for women and 14% of that for men, and as much beta carotene as some vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts.
The enhanced nutritional benefits of organic milk which costs about fifty cents a litre more than conventional, are due to the more natural diets of organic cows.
So what does Vitamin E, commonly known as the healing vitamin do, it is a group of compounds called tocopherols,of which alpha tocopherol is the most active. It acts as an antioxidant and protects against damage caused by free radicals, which also cause ageing.

Beta Carotene is also a powerful antioxidant which may help reduce the risk of developing cancer. A major study demonstrated that in order to enjoy its benefits, beta carotene must be obtained from food – if it is taken in supplement form it has no benefit.

Lutein and zeaxanthine are vitamins in the vitamin A family, which are also found in dark leafy green vegetables and eggs. It is thought that they help reduce the chance of getting cataracts, macular degeneration (deteriorating eyesight as we age) and atherosclerosis (when the blood vessels block up).

Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association commented on the research ‘This new research adds to the growing body of evidence proving the health benefits of organic food. A number of pioneering schools are serving organic milk, and there is now a strong case for the Government to ensure that such initiatives are extended across the country.’

These findings will confound those who argue that organic farming is based on wishful thinking rather than sound science. This research was announced just days after a study in the New Scientist revealed that organic tomato ketchup has three times as many cancer fighting components as the traditional variety.

Creme Caramel with Caramel Shards

Serves 6

Caramel
8oz (225g) sugar
5 fl ozs (150ml) water

Caramel Sauce
22 fl ozs (60ml) water

Custard
1 pint (600ml) milk * or 2 pint (300ml) milk and 2 pint (300ml) cream
4 eggs, preferably free range
2 ozs (55g) castor sugar
vanilla pod or 2 teasp. Pure vanilla essence (optional)

Caramel Shards

1 x 5 inch (12.5) charlotte mould or 6 x 3 inch (7.5cm) souffle dishes

First make the caramel. Put the sugar and water into a heavy bottomed saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Bring to the boil, remove the spoon and cook until the caramel becomes golden brown or what we call A chestnut@ colour. Do not stir and do not shake the pan. If sugar crystals form around the side of t1he pan, brush them down with cold water. When the caramel is ready for lining the moulds, it must be used immediately or it will become hard and cold. Coat the bottom of the charlotte mould or souffle dishes with the hot caramel. Dilute the remainder of the caramel with the 22 fl ozs of the water, return to the heat to dissolve and keep aside to serve around the caramel custard.

Next make the custard. Whisk the eggs, castor sugar and vanilla essence (if used) until thoroughly mixed but not too fluffy. Infuse the vanilla pod if using in the milk, bring to just under boiling point,-A cool @.Whether you are using a vanilla pod or vanilla essence, the milk must be brought to just under boiling point first. Pour the slightly cooled milk onto the egg mixture, whisking gently as you pour. Strain and pour into the prepared moulds, filling them to the top. 

Place the moulds in a Bain - Marie of simmering water, cover with a paper lid and bake in a moderate oven 160C/350F/regulo 4, for 35 minutes approx., for individual dishes, 1 hour approx. for a charlotte mould. Test the custard by putting a skewer in the centre ,it will come out clean when the custard are fully cooked.

Cool and turn out onto a round, flat dish or individual plates, put the remaining caramel around. Serve with a little softly whipped cream. Decorate with caramel shards (see below).

* Milk gives a smoother texture, cook in conventional oven rather than convection.
** Please remember to allow the custard to cool before whisking onto the egg yolks otherwise the eggs will curdle.

Caramel Shards

Boil sugar and water to the caramel stage - chestnut colour, cool slighty spoon on an oiled baking sheet or onto silicone paper. When cold and crisp use to decorate the creme caramels. Bigger pieces may be splintered into shards. 

Alternatively, put 4-6 ozs. Sugar either granulated or castor into a low sided stainless steel saucepan. Stir continuously over a medium heat until the sugar melts and caramelizes. When it has almost reached the “chestnut “ stage turn off the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes. 

Then spoon into shapes as above.

Macaroni with Mature Imokilly Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Macaroni cheese is one of my children's favourite supper dishes. We often add some cubes of cooked bacon or ham to the sauce with the cooked macaroni.

Serves 6

8 ozs (225g) macaroni
6 pints (3.4L) water
2 teaspoons salt
2 ozs (55g) butter
2 ozs (55g) white flour, preferably unbleached
1½ - 1¾ pints (900-1050 ml) boiling milk
3 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 ozs (145g) grated mature Cheddar cheese (We use our local Cheddar which is made at Mitchelstown and matured at Imokilly Creamery, Old Charleville is also excellent).

1 x 2 pint (1.1L) capacity pie dish

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the salt. Sprinkle in the macaroni and stir to make sure it doesn't stick together. Cook until just soft, 10-15 minutes approx. drain well.
Meanwhile melt the butter, add in the flour and cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk gradually, bring back to the boil, stirring all the time. Add the mustard, parsley if using and cheese, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add back in the cooked macaroni, bring back to the boil and serve immediately. 

Macaroni cheese reheats very successfully provided the pasta is not overcooked in the first place, it is very good served with cold meat, particularly ham.

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

Macaroni Cheese with Smoked Salmon
Add 4 ozs (110 g) of smoked salmon pieces to the macaroni cheese.

Macaroni Cheese with Mushrooms and Courgettes
Add 8 ozs (225 g) sliced sautéed mushrooms and 8 ozs (225 g) sliced courgettes cooked in olive oil with a little garlic and marjoram or basil and add to the Macaroni cheese. Toss gently, turn into a hot serving dish and scatter with grated cheese.

Parsley Sauce

Serve with boiled bacon or ham.

600ml (1pint) milk (not low fat)
50g (2oz) Roux – see below
salt and freshly ground pepper
a few slices of carrot, optional
a few slices of onion, optional
bouquet garni
25-50g (1-2oz) freshly chopped parsley

If using herbs and vegetables, put them in the cold milk and bring to simmering point, season and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain out the herbs and vegetables, bring the milk back to the boil, whisk in the roux until the sauce is a light coating consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add chopped parsley and simmer on a very low heat for 4-5 minutes.

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

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

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

A creamy rice pudding is one of the greatest treats on a cold Winter's day.

2 ozs (50g) pearl rice (short grain rice)
1 oz (25g) sugar
1 pint (600ml) milk
knob of butter

1 x 1 pint (600ml) capacity pie dish

Put the rice, sugar and a little knob of butter into a pie dish. Bring the milk to the boil and pour over. Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 1-12 hours. Its quite tricky to catch it at exactly the right stage. The skin on top should be golden, the rice underneath should be cooked through and have soaked up the milk but still be soft and creamy underneath. Time it, so that its ready just in time for dessert. Serve with cream and soft brown sugar. If it has to wait in the oven for ages it will be dry and dull and you'll wonder why you bothered.

Foolproof Food

Milk Shake

Serves 2

4 tablesp. jam – good quality apricot, strawberry or raspberry or fruit puree*
8-10 fl.oz milk

Whizz the jam and milk together in a blender. Taste.
Sweetened fresh fruit puree is best, but jam is probably more accessible.

Hot Tips

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group – first meeting for 2005 on 27th January
In the Crawford Gallery Café at 7.30pm – topic Italian Food
Admission €5 including tea, coffee and tastings

McGee on Food & Cooking- New edition now available of this invaluable cook’s reference book – a highly readable and fascinating guide, a must for anyone interested in food and the science, history and culture of cooking. McGee on Food and Cooking – an Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture published by Hodder and Stoughton, €30

Cookery Demonstration by Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, in aid of Tsunami Disaster Fund at Garryvoe Hotel on Thursday 3rd February at 8pm. Tickets €20 on sale at Ballymaloe Cookery School (Tel 021-4646785) Garryvoe Hotel (Tel 021-4646718) and the following outlets – Cork – The Crawford Art Gallery Café, Midleton – Hurleys Newsagents, Main St. Midleton, Shanagarry- Brodericks Supermarket, Garryvoe – Murray’s Shop, Castlemartyr – The Village Greengrocer.

Garden writer Joy Larkcom and her husband Don Pollard are opening their garden at Donaghmore Farmhouse, Lislevane, Bandon, Co Cork. in aid of The Hollies Fund Sunday January 23rd 2.00pm to 4.00pm Tel 023-40010

As we ease our way gently into 2005 and ponder New Year resolutions, it’s a good time to reflect on a fast growing pan-European epidemic that is already affecting our lives. 
Obesity is rising at an alarming rate, not only in Europe but also in every other ‘developed’ country in the world. Already obesity accounts for 2,500 deaths in Ireland every year, according to the Slán Report 2003. One in eight Irish people are obese and every second person is overweight. Rather than diminishing, the epidemic is expected to continue to rise. 
Obesity in Europe as a whole is five times more common now than it was after the second world war, and statistics indicate that the number of obese is doubling every 10 years and becoming increasingly prevalent among younger people with as many as 1 in 4 affected in some countries. At least 135 million EU citizens are affected and an estimated 70 million more in the countries seeking to join. 
A parallel increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has occurred. Although there are powerful genetic factors in some cases, the overwhelming influence for 99% of the population is environmental. It is no longer acceptable to blame the individual for their obesity, the causes are clearly societal.
Virtually every government in Europe is beginning to galvanise itself into action as their citizens become increasingly aware of the health consequences and costs to society arising from inappropriate diets and lack of physical exercise. The costs are at least on a par with those of tobacco and are of concern to all Finance Ministers.
The reasons are many and diverse but my gut feeling is that the principal cause is the way the majority of our food is being produced, which has resulted in an abundance of ‘cheap food’, lacking in flavour, often less complex nutritionally and therefore less satisfying and health giving.
This is infinitely more serious and difficult to tackle because of the agricultural policies which encourage maximum production at minimum cost. It is universally recognised that obesity is primarily diet induced, the result of a sustained excess of energy-dense food, high in fat and refined carbohydrates, as well as an insufficient intake of vegetables and fruit. Constant snacking has become a way of life, particularly in urban areas. This problem is exacerbated by increasingly sedentary lifestyles and changing environments which in reality curtail and discourage physical activity. However, physical inactivity alone does not explain the epidemic – there’s a bit of the jigsaw missing. 
At present, huge business interests are involved in both promoting sedentary behaviour and the passive over-consumption of food. Analysis of marketing strategies clearly shows a targeting of the young, particularly pre-school children, to establish brand preference of energy-dense food and drinks. Companies also lobby governments intensively and understandably feel under threat by proposals to hold them accountable, which may threaten their profits. 
This coincides with fewer people being able to cook which results in a growing reliance and dependence on convenience food.

What to do?
It is clear that there is a global epidemic on a scale which health services will be unable to cope with, the costs to us as tax payers and society in general is inestimable. Already it is estimated that 8% of overall health budgets in the EU is spent on obesity related problems, the most significant of which include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, certain types of cancer, and psycho-social problems. Obesity also increases the risk of dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, breathlessness, sleep apnoea, asthma, osteo-arthritis, hyperuricaemia and gout, reproductive hormone abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome, impaired fertility and lower back pain.
Time for action. Former Health Minister Michael Martin set up a Task Force in February 2004 – its time for radical thinking.
Education is a key factor.
1. Maternal nutrition has a major impact on the unborn child.
2. Breast feeding reduces the risk of obesity (Scandinavian countries have demonstrated how to dramatically increase breast feeding rates.)
3. Marketing of fast foods and sugar laden drinks, particularly to children, needs to be banned, or at least curtailed.
4. Vending machines selling soft drinks and fast food and confectionery should be banned in schools.
5. Teaching adults and children cooking skills should be a priority.
6. Fast food outlets should be required to supply comprehensive food and meat labelling.
7. Follow the Finnish approach which trebled national vegetable consumption over a 20- year period.
8. Encourage organic food production on a larger scale, develop local food links.
9. There is a dramatic reduction in the number of adults walking or cycling to school or work for a variety of obvious reasons. A network of cycle tracks and foot paths in tandem with a public awareness campaign, would provide enormous benefits. Both school and workplace would need to provide facilities. Pioneering work in these areas has also been done in Scandinavia, Spain and the Netherlands. 
10. Last, but not least, do an ad campaign to show how dumb and uncool it is to shove any kind of old rubbish into yourself, after all, in the worlds of Lady Eve Balfour ‘Our food should be our medicine’. So perhaps its time for the Departments pf Agriculture and Health to work hand in hand for the sake of the health of the nation. Clever television and bill board advertising to make people connect the food they eat with how they feel – ‘If you are what you eat I’m fast and cheap’ – a slogan seen on the T-shirt of a very large lady.

Ballymaloe Nut and Grain Muesli

This muesli bursting with goodness keeps in a screw top jar for several weeks. Measure the ingredients in cups for speed.

Serves 12

8 Weetabix
7 ozs (200g/2 cups) oatmeal (Quaker oats or Speedicook oatflakes)
1½ ozs (45g/½ cup) bran
2¼ ozs (62g/¾ cup) fresh wheatgerm
2¼ ozs (62g/½ cup) raisins
2½ ozs (62g/½ cup) sliced hazelnuts or a mixture of cashews and hazelnuts 
2½ ozs (62g/½ cup) soft brown sugar - Barbados sugar
2 tablesp. (2 American tablesp. + 2 teasp.) Lecithin* - optional

Crumble Weetabix in a bowl, add the other ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Keeps for 2-3 weeks in a cool place.
Serve with fresh fruit and fresh creamy milk.
*Available from Chemist or Health food shops - Lecithin comes from soya beans, it is rich in phosphatidyl Choline - an important nutrient in the control of dietary fat, it helps the body to convert fats into energy rather than storing them as body fat.
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Cruditees with Garlic Mayonnaise 

Cruditees with Aoili is one of my favourite starters. It fulfills all my criteria for a first course: small helpings of very crisp vegetables with a good garlicky home-made Mayonnaise. The plates of Cruditees look tempting, taste delicious and, provided you keep the helpings small, are not too filling. Better still, it’s actually good for you - so you can feel very virtuous instead of feeling pangs of guilt!
Another great plus for this recipe I’ve discovered is that children love Cruditees. They even love Aoili provided they don’t hear some grown up saying how much they dislike garlic, and you can feel happy to see your children polishing off plates of raw vegetables for their supper, really quick to prepare and full of wonderful vitamins and minerals. 
Cruditees are a perfect first course for Winter or Summer, but to be really delicious one must choose very crisp and fresh vegetables. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized bits so they can be picked up easily. You don’t need knives and forks because they are usually eaten with fingers. 

Use as many of the following vegetables as are in season:
Very fresh button mushrooms, quartered
Tomatoes quartered, or let whole with the calyx on if they are freshly picked
Purple sprouting broccoli, broken (not cut) into florettes
Calabrese (green sprouting broccoli), broken into florettes
Cauliflower, broken into florettes
French beans or mange tout
Baby carrots, or larger carrots cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long, approx.
Cucumber, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Tiny spring onions, trimmed
Red cabbage, cut into strips
Celery, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Chicory, in leaves
Red, green or yellow pepper, cut into strips 5 cm/2 inches long approx., seeds removed
Very fresh Brussels sprouts, cut into halves or quarters
Whole radishes, with green tops left on
Parsley, finely chopped
Thyme, finely chopped
Chives, finely chopped
Sprigs of watercress

A typical plate of Cruditees might include the following: 4 sticks of carrot, 2 or 3 sticks of red and green pepper, 2 or 3 sticks of celery, 2 or 3 sticks of cucumber, 1 mushroom cut in quarters, 1 whole radish with a little green leaf left on, 1 tiny tomato or 2 quarters, 1 Brussels sprout cut in quarters, and a little pile of chopped fresh herbs.
Wash and prepare the vegetables. Arrange on individual white side plates in contrasting colours, with a little bowl of aoili in the centre. Alternatively, do a large dish or basket for the centre of the table. Arrange little heaps of each vegetable in contrasting colours. Put a bowl of aoili in the centre and then guests can help themselves. 
Instead of serving the aoili in a bowl one could make an edible container by cutting a slice off the top of a tomato and hollowing out the seeds. Alternatively, cut a 4 cm/1½ inch round of cucumber and hollow out the centre with a melon baller or a teaspoon. Then fill or pipe the aoili into the tomato or cucumber. Arrange the centre of the plate of Cruditees.
Note: All vegetables must be raw.

Aoili

To your basic mayonnaise add the following.

1-4 clove of garlic, depending on size
2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Crush the garlic and add to the egg yolks just as you start to make the Mayonnaise. Finally add the chopped parsley and taste for seasoning.

Black-eyed Bean and Chick Pea Stew

Serves 6

½ lb (225g) dried black-eyed beans
½ lb (225g) chick peas
½ lb (225g) fresh mushrooms
6 tablespoons sunflower or arachide oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick 
5 oz (140g) onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
14 oz (400g) fresh or tinned tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 good teaspooon salt (it needs it, so don’t cut down)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander (fresh parsley may be subsituted though the flavour is not at all the same)
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

Accompaniment
Steamed Rice – see recipe

Soak the beans and chick peas separately, in plenty of cold water overnight. Next day cover each with fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes approx or until just cooked.
Cut the mushrooms intoc inch (3 mm) thick slices. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the whole cumin seeds and the cinnamon stick. Let them sizzle for 5-6 seconds. Now put in the onions and garlic. Stir and fry until the onion is just beginning to colour at the edge. Put in the mushrooms. Stir and fry until the mushrooms wilt. Now put in the tomatoes, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, pinch of sugar and cayenne. Stir and cook for a minute. Cover, and let this mixture cook on a gentle heat in its own juices for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat under the sauté pan. Drain the beans and chick peas, reserving the cooking liquid. Add to the mushroom base mixture, add salt and freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons of the fresh coriander and ¼ pint (150 ml) of bean cooking liquid and ¼ pt chick pea liquid.
Bring the beans and chick peas to boil again. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the beans and chick peas are tender. Stir occasionally. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of fresh coriander and mint. 
Serve with steamed rice and a good green salad.

Steamed Rice

Serves 4-6

18 fl ozs (510ml/2¼ cups) Basmati rice 
18 fl ozs (510ml/2¼ cups) water
½-1 teaspoon salt 

Measure the rice in a measuring jug. Wash gently in 2 or 3 changes of cold water. The final water should almost be clear. Drain the rice well in a sieve or fine strainer then tip it into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add equal volume of water and the salt. Stir to mix. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the absolute minimum, use a heat diffuser mat if available. Cover with a tight fitting lid - no steam must escape (use tin foil under the lid if necessary). 
Steam the rice for 15-20 minutes, take off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. The rice will now be dry and fluffy but will keep warm for up to 30 minutes. 

Citrus fruit Salad

In the winter when many fruits have abysmal flavour the citrus fruit are at their best, this delicious fresh tasting salad uses a wide variety of that ever expanding family. Its particularly good with blood oranges which appear in the shops for only a few weeks, so make the most of them. Ugli fruit, Pomelo, Tangelos, Sweeties or any other members of the citrus family may be used in season.

Serves 6 approx.

½lb (225g) Kumquats
12 fl ozs (350ml) water
7 ozs (200g) sugar
1 lime
½ lb (225g) Clementines
¼-½ lb (110g-225g) Tangerines or Mandarins
2 blood oranges
1 pink grapefruit
lemon juice to taste if necessary

Slice the kumquats into ¼ inch (5mm) rounds, remove pips. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat, add the sliced kumquats. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool. Remove the zest from the lime with a zester and add with the juice to the kumquats. Meanwhile peel the tangerines and clementines and remove as much of the white pith and strings as possible. Slice into rounds of ¼ inch (5mm) thickness, add to the syrup. Segment the pink grapefruit and blood oranges and add to the syrup also. Leave to macerate for at least an hour. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice if necessary. Serve chilled. 

Foolproof Food

Apple and Raisin Squares

These would make a delicious lunch box treat

8 ozs (225 g) self raising flour
8 ozs (225 g) oats
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
8 ozs (225 g) butter
8 ozs (225 g) sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 eating apples
4 ozs (110 g) raisins

Mix the flour, oats and bicarbonate of soda together. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together over a gentle heat and add. Line a tin with greaseproof paper. Press half the mixture into a lightly greased 92 inch square tin. Peel, core and chop the apple finely, mix with the raisins and sprinkle over, then spread the remaining oat mixture on top. 
Bake for 30 minutes 180C/350F/regulo 4, leave to cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares and transfer to a wire rack.
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Hot Tips

If you would like to improve your cooking skills watch out for the night classes starting in your local community college or school. 

An Grianan Adult Education College in Termonfeckin, near Drogheda, Co Louth, runs cooking classes taught by Marie McGuirk, as well of lots of other courses – a wonderful break. Tel. 041-9822119 admin@an-grianan.ie  for details, www.ica.ie  

Good Things in Durrus – Carmel Somers will be starting classes again soon – Tel. 027-61426

Ballymaloe Cookery School – new brochure on line www.cookingisfun.ie  info@cookingisfun.ie  

Dunbrody Abbey Cookery Centre- Campile, Co Wexford. www.cookingireland.com  Tel 051-388933 theneptune@eircom.net  

Ghan House Cooking School, Carlingford, Co Louth – Tel 042-937 3682 ghanhouse@eircom.net  www.ghanhouse.com

The new Belle Isle School of Cookery  Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh  www.irishcookeryschool.com
  info@irishcookeryschool.com  

Island cottage John Desmond & Ellmary Fenton, Island Cottage, Heir Island, Skibbereen,
West Cork, Ireland Tel: (353) (28) 38102 

For specialist cooking schools, cooking holidays and tours all over the world check out The Shaw Guide to Cooking Schools www.shawguides.com
 
Essential travelling companions - Georgina Campbell Ireland – the Guide 2005 – the best places to eat, drink and stay. 
Bridgestone Irish Food Guides – best places to stay, best restaurants, best places to eat, shop and stay. www.bridgestoneguides.com  
The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants 

Congratulations to Cully & Sully – on being runners up in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards – stock up on some of their delicious ready meals.

The shocking news of the tsunami came as a sobering wake-up call in the midst of all the jollity of the festive season.
The horror of recent terrorist atrocities seemed to pale in comparison to the death toll in this natural disaster of epic proportions – we may never know exactly how many perished along the shores of the Indian Ocean but we all saw in horrifying detail the death, destruction, and heartbreak of those whose lives were shattered in just a few seconds.
Like September 11th, many people know or will know people who were affected.
We were all heartbroken to discover that one of our much-loved students who did a 12 week course with us in January 2000 perished – her sister is desperately badly injured and is fighting for her life in a hospital in Bangkok. Other acquaintances of our daughter were more fortunate, they had been camping on a beach in Phuket and decided to go rock-climbing that morning. They heard the commotion and looked down in horror to see the wave sweep over their camp spot and sweep away everyone and everything in its path – they are traumatized but safe.
Yet another friend of a friend holidaying in PhiPhi came back from lunch to find her deck chair seconded by a large gentleman who refused to move, furiously she moved to a place on higher ground - she survived and sadly he did not.
Others told us of their friends who opened their new hotel in Phuket on Christmas Eve, a husband and wife team – she is confirmed dead and he’s missing, as are three of their friends who went out for the opening to support them.
Whether one knows anyone or not is completely irrelevant – what has been exercising so many people’s minds is how can we help? Many people have already dug deep in their pockets and contributed to various charities, many of whom are working around the clock to reach the affected areas and deliver desperately needed supplies.
Yet the heartbreak goes on, many of these areas have no social services or health system, many not only lost their homes and belongings but all means of livelihood, their boats, nets, barrows, braziers, tools…. They will need support not just for weeks or months but probably years. So how can we raise money in our circle of friends or communities – everyone has been coming up with ideas and many fund-raising events are already underway.
How about an official day of mourning as was declared to show sympathy with the victims of September 11th terrorist attack in New York. This time however, people might choose to contribute their day’s wages to a fund in aid of the Tsunami victims.
As this is a cookery column, I’ve been thinking of suggestions connected with food. We can all make a difference in a delicious way. Invite friends around to dinner, charge €20 - €25 and gather a few prizes together for a raffle, sell tickets and sell a bit more.
Offer to cook dinner in a friend’s house for a fee – contribute to the fund. Restaurants could consider providing a donation box by the till – every little counts.
ICA Guilds whose membership includes so many fine cooks and bakers may want to organise bring and buy sales – a cake sale after Mass or Church is always a good time to sell goodies. Coffee mornings are another way of fund-raising. Many people have spare presents from Christmas which could be used as raffle prizes.
Children may want to make rice Krispie buns, cup cakes, oatmeal biscuits. Teachers and parents will want to be involved in this effort which also teaches children to be caring and socially responsible.
Home economics classes at school might bake and sell to their classmates. Stallholders at Farmers Markets might decide to donate a percentage of their day’s takings to the disaster fund. 
Shops and supermarkets might follow suit, some have already done so. Sports clubs will no doubt have ideas for ways of raising money. Golfing and tennis friends could consider a few charity games.
I will do a fund-raising demonstration on Thursday 3rd February at Garryvoe Hotel - full details from Ballymaloe Cookery School Tel 021-4646785. 

Here are a few suggestions for recipes to get things started.

Pork with Gentle Spices

Also delicious made with chicken breast, easy to reheat, serve with fluffy rice or orzo and a good green salad.
Serves 4-6

2 pork fillets or 675g (12lb) pork leg meat

1-2 teaspoons whole cardamom pods
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
30g (1oz) butter
110g (4oz) onions, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
150ml (3 pint) Home-made Chicken Stock 
150ml (3 pint) cream
Garnish
flat parsley or coriander

Press the cardamom pods and extract the seeds, grind to fine powder with the coriander and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a spice grinder.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add the onion and sweat over a gentle heat until soft. Trim the pork fillets of all fat and membrane. Cut into 2cm (:inch) slices or cubes, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, toss the fillets in the ground spices. Add to the onion and sauté gently for a few minutes. Cover the pan tightly and cook in a preheated oven 150C/300F/gas mark 2 for 15-20 minutes or until the pork pieces are cooked but still nice and juicy. (It may not be necessary to put the pork in the oven if using fillet). 
Remove the pork to a serving dish and keep warm. Put the casserole back onto the heat, add the stock and cream and reduce by half. Taste and adjust seasoning, add the pork pieces back into the sauce, allow to bubble for a minute or 2. * Serve on a hot serving dish garnished with flat parsley or coriander. 
· May be prepared ahead to this point. Reheat in a saucepan over a gentle heat. 

Beef Stroganoff

Another favourite – can be whipped up in a few minutes or reheated carefully.

Serves 6 – 8

50g (2oz) butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped finely
225g (8oz) mushrooms sliced
freshly grated nutmeg
750g (1lb 11oz) fillet of beef, cut into very thin strips
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
200ml (7fl oz) sour cream
1 teaspoon paprika, optional
salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt half the butter in a sautepan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add the chopped onions. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes approx, until the onions are soft but not colored.
While the onions are cooking sauté the mushrooms in the remaining oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Season the mushrooms with salt, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.
When the onions and mushrooms are cooked remove from the pan. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. When the butter starts to foam, add the beef and stir fry over a high heat until just cooked. Add the onions and mushrooms back into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg again if needed. Stir in the mustard, paprika and finally the sour cream. Continue to cook until the stroganoff is just bubbling.
Serve with Plain Boiled Rice 

Rice Krispie Buns

Makes 18 approx.

8 ozs (225g) best quality chocolate
3 ozs (85g) Rice Krispies
18 Smarties

Paper bun cases

Break up the chocolate and melt in a bowl over simmering water. Gently stir in the Rice Krispies. Fill the mixture into paper bun cases - about a dessertspoon into each. Top with a Smartie, allow to set before you start to nibble.

Coffee Cake with Chocolate Coffee Beans

A splendid cake, keeps well too. This cake may be baked in a larger tin to make it look more like a gateau.

Serves 8-10

8 ozs (225g) butter
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
8 ozs (225g) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 teasp. baking powder
4 eggs, preferably free range
scant 2 tablesp. coffee essence (Irel or Camp)

2" x 8" (5 x 20.5 cm) sandwich tins 

Coffee Butter Cream (see recipe)
Coffee Icing (see recipe)

Decoration
Hazelnuts or Chocolate Coffee Beans (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.
Line the bottom of sandwich tins, with greaseproof paper, brush the bottom and sides with melted butter and dust with flour.
Cream the butter until soft, add the castor sugar and beat until pale and light in texture. Whisk the eggs. Add to the mixture, bit by bit, beating well between each addition. 
Sieve the flour with the baking powder and stir gently into the cake mixture, finally add in the coffee essence and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes approx. in a moderate oven. When the cakes are cooked. The centre will be firm and springy and the edges will have shrunk from the sides of the tin. Rest in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto the wire rack, remove the greaseproof paper from the base, then reinvert so the top of the cakes don’t get marked by the wire rack. Cool the cakes on the wire rack. When cold sandwich the cakes together with Coffee Butter Cream and ice the top with Coffee Glace Icing . Decorate with Hazelnuts or Chocolate Coffee Beans
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Coffee Butter Cream Filling
2 ozs (55g) butter
4 ozs (110g) icing sugar (sieved)
1-2 teasp. Irel Coffee essence

Whisk the butter with the sieved icing sugar, add the coffee essence. Continue to whisk until light and fluffy.

NOTE:
If you would prefer to ice the cake with Coffee Butter Cream use 
8 ozs ( 225g) butter
1lb ( 450g) icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons of Irel Coffee

Coffee Icing

16 ozs (450g) icing sugar
scant 2 tablesp.Irel coffee essence
4 tablesp. boiling water approx.

Sieve the icing sugar and put into a bowl. Add coffee essence and enough boiling water to make it the consistency of thick cream.

Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans

Irresistible nibbles or great decorations for cakes, mousses, and chocolate or coffee desserts.

3 ozs (85g) dark chocolate, at least 54 per cent cocoa solids
4 tablesp. medium roast coffee beans

Melt the chocolate gently in a small bowl over a saucepan of hot water. When the chocolate is soft add the coffee beans. Stir gently to coat the beans, then lift them out with a fork and drop them one by one onto a plate or marble slab evenly covered with non-stick silicone paper. Leave to harden. Remove the beans with a palette knife and store in an air-tight jar. Alternatively, drop the wet chocolate-coated beans on to a plate or marble slab covered thickly with sieved good quality cocoa powder. Separate as above and leave to harden.

Foolproof food

Penny’s Vanilla Cupcakes

My daughter-in-law Penny is famous for her cupcakes

Makes 12

150g (5oz) butter (at room temperature)
150g (5oz) caster Sugar
150g (5oz) self raising flour
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract.

Icing
Icing sugar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 muffin tray lined with 12 muffin cases.

Decorations:
Dolly mixtures, hundreds and thousands, silver dragees, cherries and angelica, crystallized violets.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5.

Put all ingredients except milk into a Magimix, whizz until smooth. Scrape down sides of Magimix, then add milk and whizz again.
Divide mixture between cases in muffin tin.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 –20 mins or until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Spoon a little icing over each cupcake. Decorate with dolly mixtures, hundreds & thousands, cherries & angelica ‘’’’

Variations

Scented Geranium Cupcakes

8 medium sized Geranium Leaves.

Follow the master recipe but put the geranium leaves in to the milk and bring up to simmer. Allow to cool before adding to Magimix.
Put a crystallized rose petal on top of the icing for decoration.
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Hot Tips

Fund-raising Cookery Demonstration by Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, for Tsunami Aid, at Garryvoe Hotel on Thursday 3rd February at 7.30pm – booking essential. Tel. 021-4646785 for details. Theme – Stress-free entertaining for family and friends.

Fresh Brocco Shoots 
A unique blend of broccoli, alfalfa, clover and radish sprouts which are crunchy to eat, have a delicate spicy flavour and contain an abundance of nutrients. Just 20g will provide you with your recommended weekly intake of the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane - delicious in sandwiches, wraps, salads, stir-fry, omelettes, as a garnish and in juices or smoothies. info@halofoods.ie  www.halofoods.ie 

Irish Food Market Traders Association 
Is hosting a Conference in conjunction with The Farmers Journal – ‘Farmers Markets – A Positive Story’ at the Silver Springs Hotel, Cork on Monday 14th February from 10-5
For further information contact Caroline Robinson – carolinerobinson@eircom.net

Training Programme for Food Producers employing less than 10 people will be held at the IRD Duhallow Training Centre, Boherbue, Co Cork, starting on 20th January.
Aim of programme is to provide food producers with the necessary skills to sustain their small business, enhance their professionalism, sustain and create employment in rural areas and acquire the know how and expertise to develop their competitiveness and ensure long term viability. Details from Isobel Fletcher, 087-9794369 email: smallfood@eircom.net 

Midleton Farmers Market 
Will re-open on Saturday 15th January – Happy New Year to all our customers.

We may all flirt with the idea of doing something different for Christmas and occasionally we do, but inevitably, despite the deliciousness of the maverick choice there are always whimsical remarks tinged with nostalgia about the traditional roast turkey or goose with all the trimmings.

So this year let’s have ‘the works’, but in the interest of self-preservation in this season of peace and goodwill, make a detailed plan.

Countdown to Christmas – A week or two before the big day snatch a few quiet moments, make yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, put your feet up and make a few detailed lists. I love to set up the crib first, to remind me of the raison d’être for the whole celebration and to get me into the true spirit of Christmas. Our grandchildren gather round to help, wide-eyed with wonder as they hear the story of Joseph and Mary and then place the little baby Jesus in his tiny crib. They love to help to bring in the holly and of course to decorate the Christmas tree. There’s nothing co-ordinated about our decorations, all the jingles and baubles collected over the past three decades, each with its own little story, hang in a haphazard way. Its fun to include some edible decorations on the tree, even tiny children can help to make popcorn garlands with a darning needle and thread, Dolly mixtures or little jellies also work well and can alternate with the glittering tinsel on the tree.

Older children can help to make little star-shaped biscuits. We thread a narrow ribbon through the top and they can be dangled from the branches. Finally the little candle holders are clipped onto the branches and the tiny wax candles are lit. Memories of my childhood come flooding back, for me this moment has always been one of the most magical parts of Christmas. We play Christmas carols and the grandchildren sing Jingle Bells and Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer with gusto and delight – Christmas is truly here.

Back to the kitchen, if you haven’t made the cake and pudding don’t worry, there’s still time. When the children were small I once made the cake on 23rd December, iced it on Christmas Eve and it was one of the nicest cakes we ever had, crumbly and delicious. Plum puddings too can be made close to the time. This year we’ve made lots of tiny pud bowls, just enough for 2-4 not very hungry people. We’ve even more individual ones in espresso cups, which worked really well and looked adorable. They’ll only take 20-30 minutes to cook through on Christmas Day.

One week or so ahead – make mincemeat and leave to mature. Make Cranberry Sauce. Order the goose or turkey if you prefer.

Weigh up mulled wine spices and wrap in twists of cling film or greaseproof paper.

Herb and bread stuffing can be made ahead and frozen. Extra bread crumbs can be stored for the bread sauce.

Several days ahead – make pastry and mince pies and freeze.

1-2 days ahead make smoked mackerel pate and refrigerate. Remember to buy some delicious crusty bread and pop a loaf or two into the freezer as a standby.

Made the trifle, some homemade mayonnaise, cover and refrigerate. Make the yule log, cover but don’t roll up.

The day before you plan to eat – lay the table and decorate – lots of holly, party poppers and Christmas crackers. Prepare the celery and sprouts and potatoes. Toss the latter in extra virgin olive oil, put into a plastic bag, twist the end tightly and pop it in the fridge. The potatoes will keep perfectly and taste delicious. Just cover the vegetables with damp kitchen paper – no vegetables benefit either flavour wise or nutritionally from being soaked in water overnight. In fact if the celery is cooked it will reheat perfectly.

If using the prawns, cook in the shell, cool and refrigerate, they would make a delicious light supper if you decide to have the pate for the main meal. Wash and dry the salad and make the dressing, (you’ll need it to aid the digestion).

On Christmas Day – decide on the time of the meal. Weigh the turkey or goose, calculate the cooking time. Pop into the oven and relax. Roll up and decorate the Yule log. Decorate the trifle and put on the sideboard.

Forty five minutes to one hour before the end of cooking time, put the potatoes on to roast. Put on the bread sauce (this can also be made ahead if you’d prefer). Make a little toast or a few crostini, top with smoked mackerel pate and dill, arrange on a plate. Chill wine or bubbly.

Just before serving, make the gravy, cook or reheat the vegetables. Pop the bird on your poshest serving dish and keep warm. Open a bottle of bubbly or prosecco, relax and pass around the crostini, have a toast.

Make your way to the table, tuck in and enjoy and all the rest of you don’t forget a hug for the cook and do all the washing up.

Merry Christmas to all our readers and may all your dreams come true in 2005.

Ballycotton Prawns with Homemade Mayonnaise

We get the most wonderful juicy prawns straight from the boats in Ballycotton.We eat them in several ways but they are best freshly cooked and served with homemade Mayonnaise and some crusty bread.

Serves 4

24 large very fresh prawns

4 pints (2.3 L) water
2 tablespoons salt

Accompaniment
4-8 tablespoons home-made Citrus Mayonnaise (see recipe)

Garnish
Wild watercress leaves
4 segments lemon

First Cook the Prawns
Bring the water to the boil and add the salt. Put the prawns into the boiling salted water and as soon as the water returns to the boil, test a prawn to see if it is cooked. It should be firm and white, not opaque or mushy. If cooked, remove prawns immediately. Very large ones may take ½ to 1 minute more. Allow to cool in a single layer.

Note: Do not cook too many prawns together, otherwise they may overcook before the water even comes back to the boil.

Put 5 or 6 cooked whole prawns on each plate. Spoon a tablespoon or two of homemade Citrus Mayonnaise into a little bowl or oyster shell on the side of the plate. Pop a segment of lemon on the plate. Garnish with some fresh wild watercress. Serve with fresh crusty brown soda bread and Irish butter.

Citrus Mayonnaise

Serve with cold cooked meats, fowl, fish, eggs and vegetables.

2 egg yolks, preferably free range
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard or pinch of English mustard
1 dessertspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
250ml(8 fl oz) oil (sunflower, arachide or olive oil or a mixture) - We use 175ml (6 fl oz) arachide oil and 50ml (2 fl oz) olive oil, alternatively use 7/1
grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon

Put the egg yolks into a medium size pyrex bowl with the mustard, salt and the lemon juice (keep the whites to make meringues). Put the oil into a measure. Take a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other and drip the oil onto the egg yolks, drop by drop whisking at the same time. Within a minute you will notice that the mixture is beginning to thicken. When this happens you can add the oil a little faster, but don't get too cheeky or it will suddenly curdle because the egg yolks can only absorb the oil at a certain pace. Taste and add a little more seasoning and lemon juice if necessary. Add the grated lemon rind.
If the mayonnaise curdles it will suddenly become quite thin, and if left sitting the oil will start to float to the top of the sauce. Should this happens you can quite easily rectify the situation by putting another egg yolk or 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water into a clean bowl, then whisk in the curdled mayonnaise, a half teaspoon at a time until it re-emulsifies.

Smoked Mackerel and Dill Pate with Cucumber Pickle

Serves 4

175g/6oz un-dyed smoked mackerel, de-skinned and boned
50g/2oz softened unsalted butter
25g/2oz soft full fat cream cheese
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve
dill fronds
clarified butter
dressed watercress leaves

Cucumber Pickle – see recipe

Place the mackerel, butter, cream cheese and lemon into a liquidiser. Blitz to form a smooth consistency. Tip into a bowl and fold in the herbs. 

Season to taste and then divide between four ramekins. Place dill fond on top and our over a little clarified butter. Chill for at least and hour.

Serve with Melba toast and watercress salad and cucumber pickle.

TIP
If you are not going to use this within 48 hours, cover the tops with a layer of clarified butter and they will keep for up to one week. To make clarified butter, simply heat butter gently in a small pan until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to settle for a minute or so, then carefully pour the clear liquid butter into a jug leaving all the milk solids behind.

Cucumber Pickle

Serves 10-12

1 kg (2 lb 4 ozs) thinly sliced unpeeled cucumber
3 small onions thinly sliced
340 g (12 ozs) sugar
2 level tablespoons salt
250 ml (8 fl ozs) cider vinegar

Combine the cucumber and onion sliced in a large bowl. Mix the sugar, salt and vinegar together and pour over cucumbers. Place in a tightly covered container in refrigerator and leave for at least 4-5 hours or overnight before using.
Keeps well for up to a week in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare a Duck or Goose for the Oven

1. First gut the bird if necessary and clean well.
2. Singe carefully over a gas jet.
3. Remove the wish bone from the neck end.
4. Goose - Tuck the wings in close to the body
Duck - use a sharp chopper to trim the wings just above the first joint nearest the
body
5. Goose legs leave intact.
Duck - chop off the knuckle just above the 'knee'
6. Season the cavity. Stuff with cold stuffing just before the bird goes into the oven.
7. Truss loosely with cotton string.

NB* It is not absolutely essential to chop the wings and legs of a duck unless you want a more formal restaurant presentation.

Old fashioned Roast Turkey with Fresh Herb Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce

Serves 10-12

This is my favourite roast stuffed turkey recipe. You may think the stuffing seems dull because it doesn’t include exotic-sounding ingredients like chestnuts and spiced sausage meat, but in fact it is moist and full of the flavour of fresh herbs and the turkey juices. Cook a chicken in exactly the same way but use one-quarter of the stuffing quantity given.

(4.5-5.4kg) 1 x 10-12lb, turkey with neck and giblets, free-range and organic

Fresh Herb Stuffing
170g (6oz) butter
340g (12oz) chopped onions
400-500g (14-16oz) approx. soft breadcrumbs (check that the bread is non GM)
55g (2oz) freshly chopped herbs eg. parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram, savoury, lemon balm
salt and freshly ground pepper

Stock
neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wingtips of turkey
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced onions
1 stick celery
Bouquet garni
3 or 4 peppercorns

For basting the turkey
225g (8oz) butter
large square of muslin (optional)

Cranberry Sauce (see recipe)
Bread Sauce (see recipe)
Garnish
large sprigs of fresh parsley or watercress

Remove the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey, for ease of carving later. Make a turkey stock by covering with cold water the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wingtips, vegetables and bouquet garni. (Keep the liver for smooth turkey liver pate). Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.

To make the fresh herb stuffing: Sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for 10 minutes approx., then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold. If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half-fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end.

Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 15 minutes approx. per lb and 15 minutes over. Melt 2 dessertspoons of butter and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter; cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 3-3½ hours. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin. The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with tin foil. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.

The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy. Cover loosely with greaseproof paper and roast in a preheated moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 1-1½ hours.

The turkey is done when the juices run clear. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices, they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy: Spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan. De glaze the pan juices with fat free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.

If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast
potatoes, and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
Serve with Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce

Bread Sauce

I love Bread Sauce but if I hadn’t been reared on it I might never have tried it – the recipe sounds so dull!

Serves

1 pint (600ml) milk
3-4 ozs (85-100g) soft white breadcrumbs
2 onions, each stuck with 6 cloves
2 ozs (55g) butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 fl ozs (75-100ml) thick cream
2 good pinches of ground cloves or quatre epices

Bring to the boil in a small, deep saucepan all the ingredients except the cream. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer gently on a very low heat or cook in a low oven 160C/325F/regulo 3, for 30 minutes. Remove the onion and add the cream just before serving. Correct the seasoning and add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

Quatre Epices is a French spice product made of equal amounts of ground white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.

Cranberry Sauce

Serves 6 approx.

Cranberry Sauce is also delicious served with roast turkey, game and some rough pâtés and terrines. 

170g (6oz) fresh cranberries
4 tablespoons water
85g (3oz) granulated sugar

Put the fresh cranberries in a heavy-based stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan with the water - don=t add the sugar yet as it tends to toughen the skins. Bring them to the boil, cover and simmer until the cranberries >pop= and soften, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved.
Serve warm or cold.
Note: Cranberry Sauce will keep in your fridge for a week to 10 days.

Creamed Celery

Serves 4 - 6

1 head of celery
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Roux
4-6 fl ozs (120-175ml) cream or creamy milk

Garnish: chopped parsley

Pull the stalks off the head of celery. If the outer stalks seems a bit tough, peel the strings off with a swivel top peeler or else use these tougher stalks in the stockpot. Cut the stalks into 2 inch (1cm) chunks.
Bring 3 pint of water to the boil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the chopped celery, cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until a knife will go through with ease. Remove celery to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Thicken the remaining liquid with the roux, add the enough cream to make sufficient sauce to coat the celery. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, pour over celery, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Note: Can be reheated successfully

Roast Potatoes

Everybody loves roast potatoes, yet people ask over and over again for the secret of golden crispy roast potatoes.

Duck or goose fat gives a delicious flavour to roast potatoes. Good quality pork fat or lard from free range pigs is also worth saving carefully for roast or saute potatoes. All three fats will keep for months in a cold larder or fridge.

Well, first and foremost buy good quality ‘old’ potatoes eg. Golden Wonders, Kerrs Pinks, Rooster or British Queens. New potatoes are not suitable for roasting.
For perfection peel them just before roasting. Do not leave them soaking in water or they will be soggy inside because of the water they absorb. This always applies, no matter how you cook potatoes. Unfortunately, many people have got into the habit of peeling and soaking potatoes even if they are just going to boil and mash them.
Dry potatoes carefully, otherwise they will stick to the roasting tin, and when you turn them over you will lose the crispy bit underneath. If you have a fan oven it is necessary to blanch and refresh the potatoes first, then proceed as below.
Heat the olive oil or fat in a roasting pan, toss the potatoes to make sure they are well coated in olive oil or fat. Roast in a hot oven, basting occasionally, for 30-60 minutes depending on size.
For perfection, potatoes should be similar in size and shape.

Traditional Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing and Bramley Apple Sauce

Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing is almost my favourite winter meal. However, a word of warning. A goose looks enormous because it has a large carcass. Many people have been caught out by imagining that it will serve more people than it does. Allow 450g (1 lb) in cooked weight per person. This stuffing is also delicious with duck but use one quarter of the quantity given below.

Serves 8-10

4.5g (1 x 10 lbs) approx. goose

Stock
Neck, giblets and wishbone of goose
1 sliced onion
1 sliced carrot

Bouquet garni
A sprig of thyme
3 or 4 parsley stalks
A stick of celery
6 or 7 peppercorns
Cold water to cover

Potato Stuffing
30g (1 oz) butter
450g (1 lb) chopped onions
450g (1 lb) cooking apples e.g. Bramley Seedling, peeled and chopped
1 fl oz (2-3 tablespoons) fresh orange juice
900g (2 lbs) potatoes
1 teaspoon each thyme and lemon balm
3 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the stuffing: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes; add the apples, herbs and orange juice. Cook covered until the apples are soft and fluffy. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their jackets until cooked, peel, mash and add to the fruit and onion mixture. Add the orange rind and seasoning. Allow it to get quite cold before stuffing the goose.

To prepare the goose: Gut the goose and singe off the pin feathers and down if necessary. Remove the wishbone from the neck end. Combine the stock ingredients in a saucepan, cover with cold water and simmer for 12-2 hours. Season the cavity of the goose with salt and freshly ground pepper; rub a little salt into the skin also. Stuff the goose loosely and roast for 2 hours approx. in a preheated moderate oven, 180 C/350 F/regulo 4.
Prick the thigh at the thickest part; the juices which run out should be clear. If they are still pink, the goose needs a little longer. When cooked, remove the goose to a serving dish and put it in a very low oven while you make the gravy.

To make the gravy: Spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting tin (save for sauteeing or roasting potatoes – it keeps for months in a fridge). Add about 1 pint (568 ml) of the strained giblet stock to the roasting tin and bring to the boil. Using a small whisk, scrape the tin well to dissolve the meaty deposits which are full of flavour. Taste for seasoning and thicken with a little roux if you like a thickened gravy. If the gravy is weak, boil it for a few minutes to concentrate the flavour; if it=s too strong, add a little water or stock. Strain and serve in a hot gravy boat.
Carve the goose and serve the Bramley Apple Sauce and Gravy separately.

Roast Duck with Traditional Potato Stuffing

Use ¼ or 1/3 of the Potato Stuffing recipe depending on the size of the duck. Serve with Bramley Apple Sauce.

Bramley Apple Sauce

The trick with Apple Sauce is to cook it covered on a low heat with very little water.

Serves 10 approx.

1 lb (450g) cooking apples, e.g. Bramley Seedling or Grenadier
1-2 dessertsp. water
2 ozs (55g) sugar, depending on how tart the apples are

Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut the pieces into two and put in a stainless steel or cast iron saucepan with sugar and water. Cover and put over a low heat. As soon as the apple has broken down, beat into a puree, stir and taste for sweetness. Serve warm.
Note: Apple Sauce freezes perfectly, so make more than you need and freeze in tiny, plastic cartons. It is also a good way to use up windfalls.

Ballymaloe Mince Pies with Irish Whiskey Cream

Makes 20-24 mince pies

Pastry
225g (8oz) plain flour
170g (6oz) butter
a pinch of salt
1 dessertspoon icing sugar
a little beaten egg or egg yolk and water to bind
egg wash

450g (1lb)Ballymaloe Mincemeat, see recipe below

Ballymaloe Mincemeat
Makes (3.1kg)

2 cooking apples, eg. Bramley Seedling
2 lemons
450g (1lb) minced beef suet or Kerrygold butter, grated
110g (4oz) mixed peel (preferably home made)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
225g (8oz) currants
450g (1lb) raisins
225g (8oz) sultanas
900g (2lb) Barbados sugar (moist, soft, dark brown sugar)
62ml (2½ fl.oz) Irish whiskey

Core and bake the whole apples in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/regulo 4 for 45 minutes approx. When they are soft, remove the skin and mash the flesh into pulp. Grate the rind from the lemons on the finest part of a stainless steel grater and squeeze out the juice. Add the other ingredients one by one, and as they are added, mix everything thoroughly together. Put into jars, cover with jam covers and leave to mature for 1 week before using.

Next make the shortcrust pastry.
Sieve the flour into a bowl, cut the butter into ½ inch (1cm) approx. cubes, toss into the four and rub in with the finger tips. Add the icing sugar. Mix with a fork as you gradually add in the beaten egg (do this bit by bit because you may not need all the egg), then use your hand to bring the pastry together into a ball: it should not be wet or sticky. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the pastry until quite thin – about of an inch, stamp out into rounds 3 inches (7.5cm) diameter and line shallow bun tins, put a good teaspoonful of mincemeat into each tin, damp the edges with water and put another round on top. Egg wash and decorate with pastry leaves in the shape of holly berries etc.
Bake the mince pies in a preheated moderate oven 180°C/350°F/regulo 4, for 20 minutes approx. Allow them to cool slightly, then dredge with icing or castor sugar.
Serve with a blob of whiskey flavoured cream.

Irish Whiskey Cream

225ml (8fl.oz) whipped cream

1 teaspoon icing sugar
12-3 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Fold the sugar and whiskey into the cream.

Traditional Irish Sherry Trifle – Elizabeth O’Connell

Sherry Trifle

The pudding to be avoided at all costs on most restaurant menus, can be a revelation when it=s made as it should be, with good home-made ingredients and lots of best-quality sweet sherry.

Serves 8-10

1 lb (450g) approx. home-made sponge cake or trifle sponges
(trifle sponges are lighter so you will need less)
1 pint (600ml) custard made with:
13 pints (750ml) rich milk
5 eggs, free range if possible
13 tablespoon castor sugar
: teaspoon pure vanilla essence
8 ozs (225g) home-made Raspberry jam
5-6 fl ozs (150-175ml) best quality sweet or medium sherry
– don’t spare the sherry and don’t waste your time with cooking sherry.

Garnish
1 pint (600ml) whipped cream
8 cherries or crystallised violets
8 diamonds of angelica

1 x 3 pint (1.7 L/72 cups) capacity glass bowl

Sandwich the rounds of sponge cake together with home-made raspberry jam. If you use trifle sponges, sandwich them in pairs. Next make the egg custard. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla essence. Heat the milk to the ‘shivery’ stage and add it to the egg whisking all the time. Put into a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon lightly. Don’t let it boil or it will curdle.
Cut the sponge into : inch (2cm) slices and use these to line the bottom of a 3 pint (1.7 litre) glass bowl, sprinkling generously with sherry as you go along. Pour in some home-made egg custard and then add another layer of sponge. Sprinkle with the remainder of the sherry. Spread the rest of the custard over the top. Cover and leave for 5 or 6 hours, or preferably overnight, to mature.
Before serving, spread whipped cream over the top, pipe rosettes if you like and decorate with cherries or crystallised violets and diamonds of angelica.

Sponge Cake – Whisked Method

Serves 8

5 eggs
5 ozs (140g) castor sugar
5 ozs (140g) flour

Filling
a of a pot approx. home-made raspberry jam
Castor sugar for sprinkling on top
2 x 9 inches (23cm) tins

Grease the tins carefully with melted butter, dust with flour, cut out a circle of greaseproof paper and fit it neatly onto the base of each tin. Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until it is a pale and fluffy mousse. When you lift the whisk, make a figure of 8 on top: it should hold its shape for several seconds. Put the flour into a sieve and sift about one-third gently over the mousse; fold in the flour with a spatula or a long-handled metal spoon (not a wooden spoon) and then sieve in some more; repeat until all the flour is lightly folded in. Turn gently in the prepared tins and bake in a preheated oven, 190°C/375°F/regulo 5, for 20 minutes approx., until cooked. Turn out on a wire tray, peel off the greaseproof paper and allow to cool.
This sponge would also be delicious filled with fresh fruit and cream.

Swiss Roll

Serves 8
4 ozs (110g) plain flour
4 eggs
4 ozs (110g) castor sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
6 tablespoons warmed home-made raspberry jam

1 x 10 inches (25.5cm) x 15 inches (38cm) Swiss Roll tin

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/regulo 5.

Line a large Swiss Roll tin with greaseproof paper cut to fit the bottom of the tin exactly. Brush the paper and sides of the tin with melted butter, dust with flour and castor sugar.
Sieve the flour. Put the eggs and castor sugar into a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Take it off the heat and continue to whisk until the mixture is cool again. (If using an electric mixer, no heat is required.) Add the water and vanilla essence. Sieve in about one-third of the flour at a time and fold it into the mousse using a large metal spoon.
Pour the mixture gently into the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. It is cooked when it feels firm to the touch in the centre. The edges will have shrunk in slightly from the sides of the tin. Lay a piece of greaseproof paper on the work top and sprinkle it evenly with castor sugar. Turn the Swiss Roll tin onto the sugared greaseproof paper. Remove the tin and greaseproof paper from the bottom of the cake. While the cake is still warm, spread it sparingly with home-made raspberry jam. Catch the edge of the paper nearest you and roll up the Swiss Roll away from you.

Suggestions for other fillings: If you are not using the Swiss Roll as a basis for Trifle there are many other fillings you might like to try, but roll the greaseproof paper into the Swiss Roll while warm and unroll it later when cold to fill if you are using whipped cream.
1 Mashed banana with lemon juice and whipped cream
2 Melted chocolate and whipped cream
3 Fresh strawberries or raspberries mashed with a little sugar and whipped cream
4 Other home-made jam and whipped cream.

Chocolate Yule Log

Chocolate Yule Log is usually made with a chocolate sponge Swiss roll but I prefer this sinfully rich version. There’s no need for any icing, it’s rich enough as it is!
Serves 10 approx.

6 ozs (170 g) best-quality dark chocolate
5 free range eggs
6 ozs (170 g) castor sugar
3 tablespoons water

Filling
½ pint (300 ml) double cream
1-2 tablespoons rum
icing sugar

1 x shallow Swiss roll tin
12 inches (30.5 cm) x 8 inches (20.5 cm)

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

Line a Swiss roll tin with oiled tin foil or bakewell paper. Separate the eggs. Put the yolks into a bowl, gradually add the castor sugar and whisk until the mixture is thick and pale lemon coloured. Melt the chocolate with the water in a saucepan over a very gentle heat, then draw aside while you whisk the egg whites to a firm snow. Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture. Stir a little of the egg white into the mixture, cut and fold the remainder of the egg whites into the mixture and turn it into the prepared tin. Cook in a preheated oven, bake for 15-18 minutes or until firm to the touch around the edge but still slightly soft in the centre. Wring out a tea-towel in cold water. Take out the roulade, cool it slightly, then cover with the cloth. (This is to prevent any sugary crust forming.) Leave it in a cool place. Provided the cloth is kept damp, it will keep for 2 days like this.

To Serve
Whip the cream and flavour with the rum. Put a sheet of greaseproof paper onto a table and dust it well with sieved icing sugar. Remove the damp cloth from the roulade and turn the tin upside down onto the prepared paper. Remove the tin and peel the tin foil off the roulade carefully. Spread with the rum-flavoured cream and roll it up like a Swiss roll. Cut about one-third off the roll at an angle. Lift the roll onto a serving plate, arrange the smaller piece so it looks like a branch and dust well with icing sugar. Decorate with Christmas cake decorations, e.g. holly leaves, Santas, robins etc., sprinkle again with a little extra icing sugar and serve.

Mulled Red Wine

One of the easiest ways to entertain some of your friends before Christmas is to serve Mulled Wine and Mince Pies with lots of Whiskey Cream. At that stage they are still a novelty, whereas after Christmas people tend to groan, >Oh no, not Mince Pies again!=

Serves 8 approx.

1 bottle of good red wine
4 ozs (110 g) sugar
Thinly-pared rind of 1 lemon
A small piece of cinnamon bark
A blade of mace
1 clove

Put the sugar into a stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan, pour the wine over, add the lemon rind, cinnamon bark, mace and the clove. Heat slowly, stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved. When it is hot but not scalding serve in glasses with a wedge of lemon in each one if desired.

When one cuts through the leathery skin of a pomegranate Punica Granatum, for the first time, one can’t help but be thrilled – all those jewel-like seeds, little ‘rubies’ neatly arranged in a star-shaped pattern. When I was at hotel school in Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin in the late 60’s, the street traders in Moore Street called them wine apples. They sounded and looked so exotic with their little crown-like calyx, but I had no idea what to do with them.

They’re a bit strange if you just eat them like a fruit – lots of gritty pips if you decide to chew. Pomegranates are at their best at the moment – it’s the season.

They come from the Middle East and the Mediterranean and nowadays India, China and Saudi Arabia, the Central Valley in California. They flourish where summer temperatures reach 100F. They need a hot, dry climate to ripen which explains why my pomegranate ‘tree’ is not doing so well in Shanagarry!. The seeds vary in colour, sometimes they can be disappointingly pale, but if you have a choice seek out a variety called ‘Wonderful’ which has brilliant red seeds.

Although pomegranates are relatively exotic on our food scene, they have been part of the human diet for millennia, their cultivation pre-dates written history and in many Eastern cultures they are a symbol of fertility.

The seeds not only look, but taste delicious in couscous, sprinkled over salads, both sweet and savoury, and in Winter game casseroles.

Their sweet tart juice tenderises meats, especially lamb. One of my favourite new ingredients, Pomegranate molasses thick, syrupy, concentrated juice produced in the Middle East is now available in Asian shops, delis and some more adventurous supermarkets. The concentrated syrupy liquid is great in salad dressings, splashed into drinks, added to a marinade or just drizzled over cooked food. It keeps for ages so once you have a bottle in your cupboard, experiment, you’ll find lots of opportunities to use it.

Extracting the seeds – this can be, but doesn’t have to be a messy business.

Cut the fruit in half around the equator, some cooks suggest holding the pomegranate cut side down in the palm of the hand or on a plate, then bashing the upturned fruit with the back of a wooden spoon to loosen the seeds. This works pretty well but is certainly messy and a little hazardous when you remember that pomegranate juice leaves a stubborn stain on clothes, so cover up with a dark apron.

It may be a bit slower and more pernickety to cut the fruit in half and then break each half in two, flick out the seeds from each section, avoiding the creamy, yellow, coloured pith. 

Juicing - Some recipes call for pomegranate juice, I find that a citrus juicer works well. Fresh pomegranate juice or indeed just the seeds can have a dramatic effect on reducing the bad cholesterol in our system – another good reason to take advantage of the short season – you’ll find them in the shops from October to February. Unfortunately their appearance gives very little clue as to their ripeness but choose fruit that looks fresh, not dried out. Organic fruit have more seeds and less membrane. Markets and fruit shops sometimes cut one fruit in half to demonstrate the quality and colour of the seeds.

Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing

A versatile dressing, delicious with salad leaves, but also with grilled fish, grilled chicken and grilled vegetables.

Pomegranate molasses is made by reducing the juice of sour pomegranates to a thick dark brown syrup with a distinctive sweet-sour flavour, available from Asian shops, Mr Bell’s in Cork’s English Market, or a good delicatessen.

2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sugar
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp lemon juice
8 tbsp olive oil
salt, black pepper, extra sugar if necessary

Mix the garlic, cumin, sugar, pomegranate molasses and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little extra sugar if you think it’s a bit too sharp.

Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate Cocktail 
Mix freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice with Grenadine. Sweeten with stock syrup and dilute with still water or sparkling water. 
Serve with pomegranate seeds in ice-cubes and mint leaves 

Ruby Grapefruit and Pomegranate Sorbet

The jewel like seeds of the pomegranate look like glistening rubies and somehow appear very festive. A grapefruit sorbet is particularly versatile it can be served at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a meal and would make a delicious light refreshing starter on Christmas Day.

Serves 4-5

1 litre(1¾ pint) ruby grapefruit juice (10 grapefruit approx.)
225g (8oz) castor sugar approx.
1 egg white (optional)
1-2 pomegranates 

Garnish
2 pink grapefruit cut into segments
pomegranate seeds
Fresh mint leaves
8 chilled white side plates

Put the freshly squeezed grapefruit into a bowl add the sugar and dissolve by stirring it into the juice. Taste. The juice should taste rather too sweet to drink, it will loose some of its sweetness in the freezing.

Cut the pomegranates in half around the 'equator'. Open out and carefully flick the seeds into a bowl, discard the skin and all the yellow membrane.

Make the sorbet in one of the following ways.

Method 1. Pour into the drum of an ice-cream maker or sorbetiere and freeze for 20-25 minutes. Fold in the pomegranate seeds. Scoop out and serve immediately or store in a covered bowl in the freezer until needed. 

Method 2. Pour the juice into a stainless steel or plastic container and put into the freezer. After about 4-5 hours when the sorbet is semi frozen remove and whisk until granular. Return to freezer. Repeat several times. When almost frozen fold in the pomegranate seeds. Keep covered in the freezer until needed.

3. If you have a food processor, simply freeze the sorbet completely in a covered stainless steel or plastic bowl, then break into large pieces and whizz up in the food processor for a few seconds. Add one slightly beaten egg white, whizz again for another few seconds, then return to the bowl. Fold in the pomegranate seeds. Freeze again until needed.

To Serve:
Chill the plates in a refrigerator or freezer. 

Put 1 or 2 scoops of sorbet on each chilled plate, garnish with a few segments of pink grapefruit. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, spoon a little grapefruit juice over the segments, decorate with fresh mint leaves and serve immediately.

Ruby Grapefruit Sorbet

Proceed as above but omit the pomegranate seeds.

Meringue Roulade with Pomegranate Seeds and Rose Blossom Water
Serves 6 - 8

4 egg whites
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
½ pint (300ml) whipped cream
2 pomegranates
1-2 teaspoons rose blossom water 

Garnish
Pomegranate seeds
Rose petals if available (make sure the rose hasn’t been sprayed)
Berried holly

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, cut the pomegranates in half around the equator, open out and flick out the seeds. Sprinkle with a few drops of rose blossom water. 

Keep the seeds from half a pomegranate aside to decorate the roulade. 

To Assemble

Spread the whipped cream and remaining pomegranate seeds over the meringue, roll up from the wide end and carefully ease onto a serving plate. Pipe 6 –8 rosettes of cream along the top of the roulade, decorate with the reserved pomegranate seeds and rose petals if available. Surround with berried holly.

Serve, cut into slices about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick.

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

Ardsallagh Goat Cheese Salad with Rocket, Figs and Pomegranates

Serves 8

1 fresh pomegranate
4 small fresh Ardsallagh cheese or a similar fresh goat cheese
8-12 fresh figs or 
8-12 plump dried figs
Enough rocket leaves for eight helpings and perhaps a few leaves of raddichio
32 fresh walnut halves

Dressing

4 fl.ozs (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 tablesp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teasp. honey
salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut the pomegranate in half around the equator, break each side open, flick out the glistening jewel-like seeds into a bowl, avoiding the bitter yellowy pith.

Next make the dressing – just whisk the oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey together in a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Toast the walnut halves in a dry pan over a medium heat until they smell sweet and nutty. 

Just before serving, toss the rocket leaves in a deep bowl with a little dressing. Divide between eight large white plates. Cut each cheese into 3 pieces. 

Cut the figs into quarters from the top, keeping each one still attached at the base. Press gently to open out. Divide the cheese between the plates, three pieces on each, place a fig in the centre. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and freshly roasted walnuts. Drizzle with a little extra dressing and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Note: plump dried figs are best cut into slices and scattered over the salad.

Cool Yule Fruit Salad

Serves 10-15

Equal volumes of:

ripe melon, balled
ripe papaya, sliced thinly and cut into squares.
ripe mango, sliced
passion fruit seeds
ripe pineapple, diced
ripe kiwi, sliced and quartered.
ripe banana, sliced
pomegranate seeds 

A glass bowl
Lime Syrup

8 oz (110 g) sugar
8 fl oz (110 ml) water
2 limes

First make the lime syrup. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes; allow to cool. Meanwhile remove the zest from the lime either with a zester or a fine stainless steel grater and add to the syrup with the juice of the lime. 

Prepare all the fruits in individual bowls and cover with lime syrup.

Arrange the fruit in layers in a glass bowl. Cover and allow to chill and marinate for an hour at least.

To Serve
Ladle carefully into serving bowls so each guest gets a mixture of fruit. Serve alone or with softly whipped cream.

Foolproof Food

Mulled Red Wine

One of the easiest ways to entertain some of your friends before Christmas is to serve Mulled Wine and Mince Pies with lots of Whiskey Cream. At that stage they are still a novelty, whereas after Christmas people tend to groan, >Oh no, not Mince Pies again!

Serves 8 approx.

1 bottle of good red wine
4 ozs (110 g) sugar
Thinly-pared rind of 1 lemon
A small piece of cinnamon bark
A blade of mace
1 clove

Put the sugar into a stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan, pour the wine over, add the lemon rind, cinnamon bark, mace and the clove. Heat slowly, stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved. When it is hot but not scalding serve in glasses with a wedge of lemon in each one if desired.

Hot Tips

Some gift ideas:
Intensive Wine Course with Mary Dowey at Ballymaloe House – 11-13th March next – ideal Christmas present for a wine lover – Tel. 021-4652531 to book.

Every year I swear I’ll never ever again be wrapping and delivering presents on Christmas Eve, yet despite my endless resolutions I somehow end up doing just that the following year.

On one occasion I was so tired I managed to scrape the side of the car on the gate post on my way home, I was so blind with exhaustion. 

This year I’m determined to start earlier. I make endless lists, get some inspired ideas but then there are a few special people for whom I can’t seem to find something appropriate.

So for this column I’ll focus on pressies for foodie friends. 

The number of escapees from the city looking for the good life in the country is really gathering momentum. It’s now at last becoming hip to grow one’s own vegetables, have a few hens and a growing number – wait for it – are even keeping a pig. These are the acolytes of Monty Don, Antony Worrall Thompson, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and James Martin. Virtually every magazine lifestyle supplement and Sunday supplement has evocative photos of new age farmers in green or even spotty wellies and Barbour jackets feeding the pigs or collecting the eggs – I’m all for it. Sting was one of the originals, but more recently Zac and Sheherazade Goldsmith and Roger Saul of Mulberry were the subject of colour spreads.

For these born again rural dwellers a pair of rare poultry, Ancona, Buff Orpington, Hebden Black, Speckledys - Will generate some terrific excitement on Christmas Day – a practical present which will provide a few eggs and maybe a clutch of chickens later in the year.

For the aspiring gardener a little hamper of vegetable seeds – say a few early potatoes, a mixture of lettuces and salad leaves, a packet of carrot seed, a few radishes, some beetroot and my favourite broad beans. You may want to add a beginners guide to vegetable gardening to get the whole project kick-started. A selection of little pots of fresh herbs and maybe a window box will also delight a green-fingered cook. You may even want to offer to plant them close to the kitchen door – parsley, thyme, chives, mint, marjoram and tarragon would make a good starter pack.

A cook will always welcome a rosemary bush, plant it for remembrance and remember it will only thrive in the house where the woman wears the pants! The aromatic spears can be plucked in every season to flavour lamb, chicken, pork, roast vegetables and jellies and sorbets. Choose a favourite farmhouse cheese and arrange for one to be sent by mail or courier once every 2-3 months. Alternatively choose a little hamper of Irish Farmhouse Cheese from Iago or On the Pig’s Back in the English Market in Cork, Sheridans in Galway or Dublin, or Peter Ward from Country Choice in Nenagh.

A gift token for the Midleton Farmers Market or tempting food and wine shops like Urru in Bandon or The Butlers Pantry in Dublin, or one of the Avoca Shops is bound to be a hit.

Look out for Richard Graham-Leigh’s delicious buttery cakes and pastries in Urru in Bandon or at Clonakilty and Fermoy Farmers’ Markets, they are quite simply the best ‘bought’ confectionery you are ever likely to find.

A side of smoked wild Irish salmon from Ummera, Belvelly, Dunn’s or Woodcock Smokery will remind your friends of how smoked salmon used to taste. We also love Bill Casey’s smoked salmon from Shanagarry. Native Irish oysters are in their prime at present, only in season when there is an R in the month. A couple of dozen oysters packed in a split timber box are a really special present for shellfish lovers. Its always good to include an oyster knife in case its been lost or mislaid – it’s a nightmare to open oysters without a special knife.

If you want to taste ham like it used to – try Fingal Ferguson’s ham from The Gubbeen Smokehouse – might be too late for Christmas but worth seeking out anytime.

A brace of pheasant, well hung with a little pot of bread sauce and some red currant jelly would be a treat, but imagine how gorgeous it would be to receive a really large joint of beef , a wing rib – dry aged and well hung – wrapped in greaseproof and brown paper and tied with butchers string, instead of a nasty sweaty plastic bag. As an extra treat, why not include some homemade horseradish sauce or some garlic mayo.

An exciting new cookbook is always a bonus for a foodie friend and a food guide eg. Georgina Campbell’s Ireland – The Guide – tried and tested recommendations of the best places to eat, drink and stay throughout Ireland or John and Sally McKenna’s Bridgestone Guides – 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland, 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland, Bridgestone Dublin Food Guide, Food Lovers Guide to Northern Ireland www.bridgestoneguides.com  These guides should be in the glove compartment of every car, they make terrific stocking fillers. These are just a few suggestions to add to the more predictable, but nonetheless welcome plum pud, mince pies and Christmas cake.

The following sauces as well as making great presents will be a wonderful standby in your own Christmas supplies.

Red Currant Jelly

Red currant jelly is a very delicious and versatile product to have in your larder. It has a myriad of uses. It can be used like a jam on bread or scones, or served as an accompaniment to roast lamb, bacon or ham. It is also good with some rough pâtés and game, and is invaluable as a glaze for red fruit tarts. 

This recipe is a particular favourite of mine, not only because it's fast to make and results in delicious intensely flavoured jelly, but because one can use the left over pulp to make a fruit tart, so one gets double value from the red currants. Unlike most other fruit jelly, no water is needed in this recipe.

We’ve used frozen fruits for this recipe also, stir over the heat until the sugar dissolves, proceeds as below.

Makes 3 x 1 lb (450g) jars

2 lbs (900g/8 cups) red currants
2 lbs (900g/8 cups) granulated sugar

Remove the strings from the red currants either by hand or with a fork. Put the red currants and sugar into a wide stainless steel saucepan and stir continuously until they come to the boil. Boil for exactly 8 minutes, stirring only if they appear to be sticking to the bottom. Skim carefully.

Turn into a nylon sieve and allow to drip through, do not push the pulp through or the jelly will be cloudy. You can stir in gently once or twice just to free the bottom of the sieve of pulp.

Pour the jelly into sterilised pots immediately. Red currants are very high in pectin so the jelly will begin to set just as soon as it begins to cool.

Cumberland Sauce

Serve with cold ham, turkey, chicken, guinea fowl, game or rough pâtés.

Serves 8-12 approx.

1 orange
1 lemon
225g (8oz) red currant jelly
3-4 tablespoons port
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a pinch of ground ginger

With a swivel-top peeler, remove the peel very thinly from the orange and half of the lemon (make sure there is no white pith). Shred into thin julienne strips, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain off the water and discard it, then refresh the peel under cold water. Strain and keep it aside.

Squeeze the juice from the fruit and put it into a stainless steel saucepan with the jelly and spices; allow it to melt down. Then add the peel and port to the sauce. Boil it rapidly for 5-10 minutes.

Test like jam by putting a little blob on a cold saucer. When it cools it should wrinkle slightly.
Cumberland Sauce may be served in a bowl right away or it may be potted up and kept until needed, like jam.

Horseradish Sauce

Horseradish grows wild in many parts of Ireland and looks like giant dock leaves. If you can=t find it near you , plant some in your garden. It is very prolific and the root which you grate can be dug up at any time of the year.

Serve with roast beef, smoked venison or smoked mackerel.
Serves 8 - 10

12-3 tablesp. grated horseradish
2 teaspoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 teaspoon mustard
3 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
8 fl ozs (250 ml) softly whipped cream

Scrub the horseradish root well, peel and grate on a ‘slivery grater’. Put the grated horseradish into a bowl with the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Fold in the softly whipped cream but do not overmix or the sauce will curdle. It keeps for 2-3 days: cover so that it doesn=t pick up flavours in the fridge.

This is a fairly mild horseradish sauce. If you want to really Aclear the sinuses@, increase the amount of horseradish!

Emmilines Peanut Brittle

Emmiline Weeks is a student on our current 12 week Certificate Course. She demonstrated this delicious peanut brittle for us. At home in Maryland she packs it into little cellophane bags tied with raffia as presents for her friends.

675g (1½lb) castor sugar
350g (12oz) golden syrup or light corn syrup
495g (18oz) peanuts (fresh roasted and salted)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
vegetable oil

Equipment
2 large baking sheets
candy thermometer
large pot
metal spoon

Oil 2 baking sheets (if they are small you will need 3). In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, golden syrup and 125ml (4floz/½cup) of water. Dissolve the sugar over a high heat. Once the sugar is dissolved reduce the heat to medium, insert the candy thermometer and bring to 120°C/230°F. At this stage, add the peanuts. You must stir constantly with a metal spoon, stir until it reaches 150°C/300°F – this will take around 30 minutes. Once it reaches 150°C/300°F, remove immediately from the heat and add the vanilla, baking soda and butter. Pour into prepared baking sheets and smooth out. Allow to cool for at least an hour. The brittle should lift easily from the pan, break into desired size.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Will keep for at least a week if not two.

Ballymaloe Chocolates

¼ lb (110g) chocolate

24-30 sweet paper cases
Chocolate Ganache
¼ lb (110g) best quality dark chocolate
¼ pint (150ml) cream
¼ - ½ tablesp. rum or orange liqueur

Garnish
Crushed praline or crystallized violets or unsweetened cocoa powder.

First make the chocolate cases. Melt the chocolate until smooth in a very low oven or in a bowl over simmering water. Put 2 paper cases together and spread melted chocolate evenly over the inside of the paper case with the back of a teaspoon. Check that there are no 'see through' patches when you hold them up to the light, if there are, spread a little more chocolate in that area, stand the paper cases in deep bun tins to keep the sides upright. Chill until they set hard, carefully peel the paper off the cases (it is a good idea to do a few extra cases to allow for accidents!).

Put the cream in a heavy-bottomed, preferably stainless steel saucepan and bring it almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. With a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate into the cream until it is completely melted. Transfer the chocolate cream to the bowl of a food mixer and allow it to cool to room temperature. Add the liqueur and whisk until it is just stiff enough to pipe.

To Assemble: Using a piping bag and a three-eights inch star nozzle pipe a rosette of the mixture into peeled chocolate cases. Decorate each one with a little crushed praline or a crystallized violet leaf or a dusting of unsweetened coca powder.

Sue’s Hazelnut Whirls
Place one toasted hazelnut in each of the chocolate cases. Pipe a rosette of ganache on top. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.

Lemon Curd

110g (4 oz) castor sugar

50g (2oz) butter
finely grated rind and juice of 2 good lemons
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)

On a very low heat melt the butter, add castor sugar, lemon juice and rind and then stir in well beaten eggs. Stir carefully over a gentle heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Draw off the heat and pour into a bowl (it will thicken as it cools.) 

Foolproof Food

Homemade Cheese Biscuits

They keep for several weeks in an airtight tin and also freeze well. These biscuits can be cut into squares, diamonds, or even star shapes for Christmas. You could give them with a present of some Irish farmhouse cheese.

Makes 25-30 biscuits

4 ozs (110g) brown wholemeal flour
4 ozs (110g) white flour, preferably unbleached
½ teasp. baking powder
½ teasp. salt
1 oz (30g) butter
1 tablesp. cream
Water as needed, 5 tablesp. approx.

Mix the brown and white flour together and add the salt and baking powder. Rub in the butter and moisten with cream and enough water to make a firm dough.

Roll out very thinly to one-sixteenth inch thick approx. Prick with a fork. Cut with 2½-3 inch (6.5-7.5cm) round cutter. Bake at 150C/300F/regulo 2 for 45 minutes approx. or until lightly browned and quite crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

White Cheese Biscuits

Use 8 ozs (225g) plain white flour instead of the brown and white: adjust liquid as needed.

Top Tips

Good Things in Durrus – will hold an Open Weekend on 11/12 December from 2-6 with stalls selling cakes and other goodies, and some local art. Tel Carmel Somers at 027-62896.

Smoked Salmon – 
Woodcock Smokery, (Sally Barnes) Castletownsend Tel 028-36232
Shanagarry Smokehouse, Tel 021-4646955
Ummera Smoked Products, Timoleague, Tel 023-46644
Dunns of Dublin, 01-8643100
Kinvara Smoked Salmon, 091-637489
Belvelly Smokehouse – 021-4811089

Gubbeen Smokehouse– 028-28231

Irish Society of Poultry Fanciers – tel 045 432325 – the preservation and survival of pure breeds including duck, geese and all fowl.

Hidden Ireland Guide 2005 now available –
A unique collection of historic private houses throughout Ireland which combine stylish accommodation with great hospitality. Ideal for weekend breaks, house parties, workshops or corporate retreats. Full details of locations and rates from brochure or www.hiddenireland.com  or Tel 01-6627166

Every morning when I see the gardeners coming in with baskets of freshly picked vegetables and herbs, I feel thrice blessed. Beautiful salad leaves, zucchini blossoms, a myriad of little leaves, misuna, mibuna, texel greens, orach, rocket leaves, sorrel and a variety of edible flowers for delicious salads. We still have some broad beans, beetroot, several varieties of kale and rainbow chard. The heirloom tomatoes are tailing off now as are the cucumbers, still there’s lots to choose from. I’m a hopeless photographer but I often feel like grabbing my camera to record the bounty. Today the impulse was irresistible when I saw Eileen manoeuvring a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins and squash up from the greenhouse. A myriad of shapes and sizes – Little Gem and crookneck squash, hubbard, turks turban, acorn, delicata, butternut squash, several huge pumpkins, a few Jack o lanterns’ and a variety of gourds. They looked like a glorious ‘still life’, Eileen and Kay arranged them in clusters on the window sills, along the shelves and piled them into wonderful pyramids in the centre of the dining room and serving tables. They looked so stunning sitting on the crimson leaves of the Virginia creeper and the Actinidia Kolomikta.

The whole school looks as though it was decked out for a Thanksgiving celebration

Almost immediately the displays prompted the inevitable questions what’s the difference between a squash and a pumpkin, how do you cook them, how do they taste, which pumpkin is best for a particular recipe.

Well having consulted a number of sources I’m still not totally clear about what exactly constitutes a squash or a pumpkin. Of all the families of fruit and vegetables I’ve come to the conclusion that pumpkins and squashes must surely be the most confusing. Not only are there hundreds of varieties but some go by a multitude of names.

Roughly they seem to divide in to Summer squashes and pumpkins and marrows and winter squashes and pumpkins and edible gourds – botanically speaking they are all members of the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cucumbers, melons and decorative gourds. The majority of the summer squash are native to Central America and Mexico, while many of the winter squash originated in the Argentine Andes. Squash grows in both bush and vine forms, both are easy to grow and a few plants will provide you with enough squash to share with all your family and friends.

The blossoms of all squash from courgettes onwards are edible and delicious. The golden petals look wonderfully exotic in green salads. For a really impressive first course stuff each blossom with a little soft goat cheese or Mozzarella and a dab of pesto and perhaps a morsel of sun blushed tomato. Twist the tops of the petals together to seal, dip in a light batter and fry quickly. Serve immediately while they are crisp and plump. 

Squash or zucchini blossoms are a favourite filling for quesadillas in Mexico, serve with salsa.

Its usually better to harvest the male blossoms (the females have the fruit on the end), but be sure to leave a few on the plant to ensure pollination. 

For optimum flavour don’t harvest winter squash until we’ve had a cold snap, as with swede turnips a touch of frost enhances their sugar content. Winter squash harvested unblemished will keep in a cool dark place, eg a garage or garden shed, for up to 6 months.

Nutrition – Somehow I’d always supposed that squash and pumpkins weren’t up to much nutritionally but on the contrary, apparently a study done at the University of California at Davis, found Winter squash to be among the most nutritious vegetables, rivalling cabbage, carrots, spinach and potatoes. They are a tasty source of complex carbohydrates and fibre and provide iron, niacin and potassium. The orange flesh is high in beta carotene, the source of Vitamin A, the more orange the flesh the higher the content. Don’t forget to dry the seeds, add them to breakfast cereals, breads or simply sprinkle them with sea salt and nibble to your hearts content. 

Best flavour Squash

Butternut squash - smooth pale tan skin, longish neck, excellent flavour and texture.

Acorn – named for its shape, dark green skin is most common but it also comes in shades of orange and cream.

Delicata – another of my favourites – green cream, yellow and orange stripes, try to find small ones – dry, sweet tasting flesh, great for baking and stuffing.

Hubbard – an old favourite, shaped a bit like a spinning top, pale green to bluey-grey, dull orange flesh, good for baking, roasting, soups or add chunks into Winter stews.

Spaghetti marrow – an oval shaped pale yellow squash with flesh that forms long spaghetti like strands when its cooked. Bake or boil, serve with a gutsy Bolognese type sauce, or a garlic and parsley butter.

Little Gem – a dark green/black tasty little squash the size of a cricket ball, mature in early August and can be stored till Christmas. The deep yellow flesh is moist and sweet. They can be boiled whole and eaten with butter and cinnamon. Very popular in South Africa.

Turks turban, easy to recognise, so beautiful you’ll be reluctant to cook this vividly coloured squash – its good but not quite as tasty as some of the other varieties.

Beef and Pumpkin Stew

Serves 6

1½ lb (700g) stewing beef
olive oil
8oz (225g) onion
8oz (225g) carrot
8oz (225g) pumpkin
8oz (225g) parsnip
salt and freshly ground pepper
½ pint (300ml) water or beef stock

Cut the meat into 1½ inch (4cm) chunks approx. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, toss the meat in the hot pan, transfer to a casserole, then toss the vegetables in the hot oil and add to the meat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add ½ pint (300ml) water or beef stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour.

Serve with fluffy mashed potato or colcannon

Granola

A toasted grain cereal.

Serves 20

12 ozs (340g) honey
8 fl ozs (225g) oil eg. sunflower or arachide
1 lb 1 oz (370g) oat flakes
7 ozs (200g) barley flakes
7 ozs (200g) wheat flakes
3½ ozs (100g) rye flakes
5 ozs (140g) seedless raisins or sultanas
4 ozs (110g) peanuts/hazelnuts, or cashew nuts split and roasted
1oz (25g) pumpkin seeds toasted
2¾ ozs (75g) wheatgerm and /or millet flakes
2 ozs (55g) chopped apricots and or chopped dates etc. are nice additions too

Mix oil and honey together in a saucepan, heat just enough to melt the honey. Mix well into the mixed flakes. Spread thinly on two baking sheets.

Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 20-30 minutes, turning frequently, making sure the edges don't burn. It should be just golden and toasted, not roasted!

Cool and mix in the raisins or sultanas, roasted nuts, toasted seeds, chopped dates, apricots and wheatgerm. Store in a screw top jar or a plastic box, keeps for 1-2 weeks.
Serve with sliced banana.

Stuffed Courgette Blossoms with Goats Cheese, Pesto and Tomato Fondue

In the Summer we grow courgettes (zucchini) in both the Kitchen garden and the Green Houses they produce hundreds of canary yellow blossoms. The female flowers produce the fruit but we use the male flowers in our salads, as a container for sauces and in soups. They are also utterly delicious stuffed with a few melting morsels, then dipped in a light batter and deep fried until crisp and golden. 
Serves 6-8 

Batter (excellent for fish fillets also) 
140g (5ozs) plain flour 
1: tablespoons olive oil 
Water
1-12 egg whites
Sea salt 
Sunflower oil for deep frying 
12 - 16 courgette flowers approx.

Filling 
175g - 225g (6 - 8ozs) fresh Irish goat=s cheese (I use St Tola, Crogan or Ardsallagh, each wonderful but different) 
3-4 teaspoons Pesto 
3-4 tablespoons Tomato fondue 

First make the batter. Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil, stir and add enough water to make a batter about the consistency of thick cream. Allow to stand for at least 1 hour if you can. 

Just before cooking, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into the batter. Add salt to taste.

Heat the oil in the deep fryer until very hot. Remove the >thorns= from the base of the courgette flowers and the stamens from the centre. Hold a courgette flower upright, open slightly and carefully. Put about 15g (2oz) goat=s cheese, 2 teaspoon pesto and 1 teaspoon of Tomato fondue into each. Twist the tip of the petals to seal. Dip in batter and drop into the hot oil. Fry on one side for about 2 minutes and then turn over. They=ll take about 4 minutes in total to become crisp and golden. 

Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately - just as they are or with hot Tomato Sauce or a little extra Tomato fondue. 

Creamy Winter Squash Soup

– from James McNair’s Squash Cookbook, published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco

He usually prepares this soup with pumpkin, other winter squash such as ‘Buttercup’, ‘Butternut’, or ‘Hubbard’ can be used with excellent results.
Serves 6

To prepare an edible serving bowl, cut off and reserve the top of a large whole squash of the same type used to prepare the soup. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy portions, replace the top, and wrap the stem with foil to prevent it from burning. Place in a shallow pan containing about ½ inch of water and bake in a preheated oven 350F/180C/gas 4, until the pumpkin is tender but still holds its shape, about 1 hour.

4 tablesp. unsalted butter
1 cup (4 oz) chopped leek, white part only
½ cup (2oz) chopped shallot
1½ lbs (700g) pumpkin, or other winter squash, peeled, cleaned, and cut into 
½ inch chunks, or 3 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or other winter squash from about 1½ lbs (700g) raw squash.
1 quart homemade chicken stock or chicken broth
1 cup (8fl.ozs) heavy whipping cream or light cream
1 cup (8fl.ozs) freshly squeezed orange juice
½ teasp. ground ginger
salt
freshly ground white pepper
crème fraiche or sour cream
chopped toasted hazelnuts for garnish
minced orange zest for garnish

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leek and shallot and sauté until very tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the pumpkin or other squash and chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. (If using pumpkin or other squash puree, simmer about 15 minutes.)

Working in batches, transfer to a food processor or blender and puree. Place in a clean saucepan, add the cream, orange juice, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Place over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot; do not boil. Carefully pour into baked pumpkin shell if desired (see above). Ladle into preheated bowls, add a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream, and garnish with toasted hazelnuts and orange zest.

Note: To toast hazelnuts, place in a shallow pan in a 350F/180C/gas 4 oven, stirring frequently, until the nuts are golden under their skins. Transfer to a plate to cool. Rub nuts between fingertips to remove skins.

Foolproof Food

Wholemeal Bread with Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves

400g (14 oz) stone ground wholemeal flour
55g (3oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 level teaspoon bread soda, sieved (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)
1 teaspoon salt
25g (1oz) pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon honey
1 egg, preferably free range
1 tablespoon arachide or sunflower oil, unscented
425ml (15fl oz) buttermilk or sourmilk approx. (put all the milk in)
extra pumpkin seeds to scatter on top

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

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

Put all the dry ingredients including the sieved bread soda into a large bowl, mix well. Whisk the egg, add the oil and honey most of the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into an oiled tin or tins. Scatter some pumpkins seeds on top. 

Bake for 60 minutes approx, or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.


Hot Tips

Muck and Merlot – Tom Doorley is one of Ireland’s best known commentators on food and wine. He has been at the forefront of the organic movement in Ireland, championing small producers. In his recent book Muck and Merlot, Tom shares his passions, his opinions, his curiosities, his grievances and the commonplace miracles of his life. Muck and Merlot, published by O’Brien Press, €19.95

Sweet and Simple – The fruit company Fyffes have recently launched a range of fresh fruit packs, sliced apple, sliced apple and grapes, and seedless grapes. Designed to appeal to busy people and concerned parents looking for a healthy addition to the school lunch box. Available nationwide €1 per pack. An idea for the ‘trick and treaters’ this Hallowe’en.

The popular and weekly tv programme ‘The Restaurant’ in which a celebrity prepares a three course meal for three well known food critics, is one of the nominees for Best Lifestyle Prgoramme.

Sarah Raven’s Garden and Cookery School in East Sussex – offers a huge variety of courses in gardening, keeping livestock, flower arranging, cooking – in a wonderful location – with guest chefs like Mary Berry, Antonio Carluccio, Monty Don – special courses running up to Christmas – festive flowers and wreaths, deck the house ……. For details contact 0845 050 4849 – email: school@thecuttinggarden.com   for a brochure. 

Stream Farm, Dallington, East Sussex is an ancient hall house in unspoilt acres of its own farmland – It’s a wonderful place to stay if you are in that part of the country and is very convenient if attending a course at Sarah Ravens. Contact Tam Lawson, tel 01435 830223. mobile 07710 482430 email:lawsontam@hotmail.com