Archive2002

 
It always seems to be so difficult to decide just how much food one needs to have in for Christmas, I never seem to get it right.    Even my most meticulous plans change – late invitations mean that food is relegated to the back of the fridge and the best laid plans are cheerfully ditched for the sake of spontaneous conviviality.
Last week we were sorting through the miscellaneous items still in the fridge and pantry after the festive season.   We were resolutely making New Year resolutions to use up all those little bits that have been chucked into the freezer in a desperate effort to reduce waste when plans changed.
So what did I find?   Several bags of cranberries – they freeze brilliantly and can of course be made into cranberry sauce to accompany a juicy roast pheasant, guinea fowl or chicken at any time, but you may want to try something a little less predictable.  Throw a fistful into the dry ingredients when you are making scones, or add them to a muffin mix, the bittersweet flavour is a delicious surprise. 
We have also been putting cranberries into ice-cubes to use in drinks over the festive season.  They look pretty and taste good, particularly if you have time to prick them with a needle and soak the cranberries in a little simple sugar syrup beforehand.
A bittersweet cranberry sauce is delicious as a filling in a meringue roulade or in a feather light sponge with some softly whipped cream.  Our current favourite though is a caramelized cranberry tart given to me by Rosemary Kearney, a former student and teacher here at the school.  It is rich and intense and keeps well – a little slice is perfect with a blob of whipped cream after dinner.  
Many houses have a pot or two of mincemeat left over also, most recipes keep well, sometimes even for years, so there’s no great urgency to use it up, but when you begin to feel peckish again try making this mincemeat crumble tart or a mincemeat slice.  They are both so delectable that its almost worth making mincemeat specially to try them.  A layer of mincemeat is also delicious on the base of a Bramley apple tart. 
This Christmas I got a present of not one, but two beautiful Pannetone.  The rich, featherlight yeasted Italian cake wrapped in gold paper and silk ribbon, makes an irresistible nibble over Christmas and leftovers make the best bread and butter pudding.  Its certainly no hardship eating these leftovers.

Caramelized Cranberry Tart

Serves 8-10
1 x 9½ inch (24cm) sweet shortcrust pastry  tart shell, baked blind
Filling
10 fl ozs (285ml) heavy whipping cream
10 ozs (285g) granulated sugar
2½ fl ozs (65ml) water
10 ozs (285g) cranberries
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
¼ teasp. finely chopped orange zest
Preheat the oven to 325F/160C/regulo 3
Put the cream into a small saucepan, and scald over a medium-high heat.   Remove the cream from the heat and cover.  Set aside.
Put the sugar and water in a saucepan.   Stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.   Increase the heat to high and cook the sugar until it is chestnut in colour.   (Do not stir after you increase the heat.)  Remove the saucepan from the stove and slowly add half the cranberries, stirring until they release their juice and wilt slightly.
Slowly add the warm cream, stirring constantly.  Add the remaining cranberries.  Cool for  4 or 5 minutes and gently whisk in the egg and the orange zest.
Pour the mixture into the par-baked pie shell.  Bake until thick, golden and bubbly, about 1 hour.   Cool the tart on a wire rack before cutting.   Serve with softly whipped cream.

Cranberry Muffins

Makes 8
8 ozs (225g) white flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
5oz (140g) caster sugar
3oz (85g) butter
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
6floz (170ml) milk
4oz (110g) cranberries
1 muffin tray lined with muffin papers
Preheat the oven at 200°C. Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Stir in the sugar. Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Combine the beaten egg, vanilla essence and milk and add to the dry mixture. Combine with a fork to give a wet consistency. Fold in the cranberries gently. Spoon into the muffin cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well-risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar.

Ballymaloe Mincemeat Shortbread

Makes 16 or more if cut into small squares
Base
8 oz (225g) plain white flour
1 oz (25g) semolina
1 oz (25g) custard powder
2 oz (50g) icing sugar
7 oz (200g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
cold water to bind
14 oz (400g) homemade mincemeat
Topping
4 oz (110g) plain white flour
½ oz (15g) semolina
½ oz (15g) custard powder
1 oz  (25g) icing sugar
3½ oz (100g) unsalted butter
castor sugar for dusting
12 " x 8 "  (30.5cm x 20.5cm) Swiss roll tin, greased
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4/
To make the base.  Sieve the flour, semolina, custard powder and icing sugar into a bowl.  Mix well.  Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Carefully add just enough water to bring the mixture together.   Press the mixture into the greased tin, making sure it fills into the corners of the tin.
Spread the mincemeat on top, leaving a narrow border all around.
Next make the topping.  Sieve the flour, semolina, custard powder and icing sugar together and rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.   Spread the crumble mixture on top of the mincemeat and gently press down with your fingers to ensure an even cover.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown on top.  Cut into squares while still hot.   Sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and allow to cool in the tin.

Ballymaloe Mincemeat Crumble Tart

Serves 8-10

Crumble topping
4 ozs (110g) self-raising flour
3 ozs (85g) chilled butter, diced
3 ozs (85g) castor sugar
1 oz (30g) flaked almonds
Cake
6 ozs (170g) self-raising flour
4 ozs (110g) softened butter
4 ozs (110g) soft brown sugar
2 eggs preferably free range
2 teasp. pure vanilla essence
2 tablesp.  milk
13 lb (560g) home-made mincemeat
icing sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4.  Butter a 82 inch/21.5cm
spring form tin. 
To make the crumble topping
 Put 4 ozs/110g of flour and castor sugar into a bowl.  Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the almonds.  Keep aside.
To make the cake
Cream the soft butter in a bowl.  Add the soft brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one by one, add the vanilla essence and stir in the sieved flour and milk. 
Spoon the mixture into the greased tin.  Spread the mincemeat over the batter.  Sprinkle the crumble over the mincemeat.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  Remove the sides and dredge the cake with icing sugar.  Serve warm with softly whipped cream. 

Pannetone Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and Butter Pudding is a most irresistible way of using up leftover white bread - this is a particularly delicious recipe.
Serves 6-8
12 slices Pannetone or good-quality white bread, crusts removed
2 ozs (55g) butter, preferably unsalted
½ teasp. freshly-grated nutmeg or cinnamon
7 ozs (200g) Lexia raisins or plump sultanas
16 fl ozs (475ml) cream
8 fl ozs (225ml) milk
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teasp. pure vanilla essence or a dash of Eau de Vie or brandy
6 ozs (170g) sugar
1 tablesp.  sugar for sprinkling on top of the pudding
Garnish
Softly-whipped cream
1 x 8 inches (20.5cm) square pottery or china dish
Butter the pannetone or bread and arrange 4 slices, buttered side down, in one layer in a dish.  Sprinkle with half the nutmeg or cinnamon and half the raisins, arrange another layer of bread, buttered side down, over the raisins, and sprinkle the remaining spice and fruit on top.  Cover the raisins with the remaining pannetone or bread, buttered side down.
In a bowl whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla essence, eau de vie or brandy if using and sugar.  Pour the mixture through a sieve over the pudding.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top and let the mixture stand, covered loosely, at room temperature for at least 1 hour or chill overnight.
Bake in a bain-marie - the water should be half way up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake in the middle of a preheated oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 1 hour approx. or until the top is crisp and golden.  Serve the pudding warm with some softly-whipped cream

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

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

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

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

Lamb Tagine with Quinces

Serves 4

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

Salt and pepper

Olive Oil

2 onions, peeled and grated

3 tablesp. unsalted butter

1 cinnamon stick

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

½ teasp. saffron, crushed

2 lbs (900g) quinces

2 tablesp. honey

juice of ½ lemon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours.

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

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

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

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

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

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

wedges are tender but not falling apart.

---

Rocket Salad with Pomegranates and Toasted Hazelnuts

Serves 6

1 cup (scant 2oz) hazelnuts

1 pomegranate, (about ½ cup seeds)

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

½ tablesp. red wine vinegar

1½ tablesp. aged balsamic vinegar

6 tablesp. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

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

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

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

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

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

remove most of their skins, and chop them coarsely.

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

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

out. Remove the remaining ones with a spoon.

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

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

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

pomegranate seeds, toss again and serve.

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Upside-down Pear and Red Wine Tart

Makes one 10 inch tart, serves 6-8

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

pleasing when there is still red wine in your glass.

1 x 750ml bottle red wine

1 cup (7oz/200g) sugar

2 x 2 inch pieces of cinnamon stick

7 peppercorns

4 cloves

1 orange

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

this point.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

serve the leftover wine reduction as a sauce.

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Pork Loin stuffed with Wild Plums and Rosemary

Serves 6

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

this recipe.

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

2 shallots

1 bunch rosemary

2 tablesp. olive oil

2 tablesp. brandy

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

½ cup (4 fl.ozs) water

salt and pepper

2 lemons

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

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

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

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

scant half teaspoon, chopped.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let cool completely before stuffing the pork loin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

covered and refrigerated for up to a day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

serve.

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

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

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

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

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

2lbs (900g) pumpkin flesh

2ozs (50g) butter

2 onions, sliced

2 teasp. freshly chopped marjoram or thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

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

1 pint (600ml) milk

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

Garnish

4 streaky rashers

2 tablesp. whipped cream

1 tablesp. chopped parsley

First prepare the pumpkin.

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

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

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

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Lydia’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Sea Salt

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

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

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

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

crunchy.

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Beetroot Soup with Chive Cream

Serves 8-10

2lb (900g) beetroot

1oz (25g) butter

8oz (225g) onions

salt and freshly ground pepper

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

4fl oz (125ml) creamy milk

Chive Cream

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

Finely chopped chives

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

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

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Chilled Beetroot Soup

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

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

freshly ground pepper. Fold in some cream and yoghurt.

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

chopped chives.

Victoria Plum Jam

Makes 6-7 lbs (2.7-3.2kg)

4 lbs (1.8kg) Victoria or Opal plums

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

minimum)

1 pint (600ml) water

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

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Compote of Blackberry and Apples with Sweet Geranium Leaves

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

Serves 3 approx.

4 ozs (110g) sugar

8 fl ozs (250ml) water

2 large dessert apples eg. Golden Delicious or Worcester Pearmain

5 ozs (140g) blackberries

4 large sweet geranium leaves (Pelargonium Graveolens)

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

Serve chilled, with little shortbread biscuits.

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Fork Biscuits

Makes 45-50 biscuits approx.

8 ozs (225g) soft butter

4 ozs (110g) castor sugar

10 ozs (275g) self raising flour

Grated rind of one lemon or orange

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

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

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

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

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

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8
2lbs (900g) pumpkin flesh
2ozs (50g) butter
2 onions, sliced
2 teasp. freshly chopped marjoram or thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1½ tablesp. sugar (optional, depends on pumpkin)
1 pint (600ml) milk
10 fl.ozs (300ml) home made chicken stock (optional)
Garnish
4 streaky rashers
2 tablesp. whipped cream
1 tablesp. chopped parsley
First prepare the pumpkin.
The method you use will depend on how you intend to serve the soup. If you plan to serve it in a tureen or individual soup bowls, simply cut the pumpkin in half or quarters, scoop out the seeds and fibrous matter from the centre. Peel off the skin with a knife and cut the flesh into cubes.If however you would like to use the pumpkin shell for a more dramatic presentation then you’ll need to proceed with care. Slice a lid off the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and fibres. Save the seeds to roast (see below) and nibble as a snack. Then carefully scoop out the pumpkin flesh, a sharp edged tablespoon is best for this but be careful not to damage the pumpkin shell. You may need to do several times the recipe, using the flesh of a second pumpkin to fill the pumpkin tureen. Next make the soup – Melt the butter in a saucepan, when it foams add the onion and sweat for a few minutes until soft, add the chopped pumpkin and coat in the butter, add freshly chopped herbs, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar and the milk and stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin is cooked.
Liquidize, taste and correct seasoning if necessary. If it is a little thick, thin with some boiling chicken stock.
Cook the rashers until they are really crisp and cut into lardons. Pour the hot soup into a tureen or back into the pumpkin shell, swirl a little cream on top. Scatter with crispy bacon and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Lydia’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sea Salt
Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/regulo ¼.
Remove all the seeds from the flesh and rinse under cold water. Lay a single
layer on a baking tray and sprinkle generously with sea salt.
Put into the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, the seeds should be nice and
crunchy.

Beetroot Soup with Chive Cream

Serves 8-10
2lb (900g) beetroot
1oz (25g) butter
8oz (225g) onions
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pints (1.2L) home-made chicken or vegetable stock approx.
4fl oz (125ml) creamy milk
Chive Cream
4 fl oz (125ml) sour cream or crème fraiche
Finely chopped chives
Wash the beetroot carefully under a cold tap. Don’t scrub, simply rub off the clay with your fingers. You won’t want to damage the skin or cut off the top or tails because it will ‘bleed’ in the cooking. Put the beetroot into cold water, and simmer covered for anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size and age. Meanwhile chop the onions, sweat carefully and gently in the butter until they are cooked. The beetroot are cooked when the skins will rub off easily.
Chop the beetroot and add to the onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. * Put into a liquidiser with the hot chicken stock. Liquidise until quite smooth. Reheat, add some creamy milk, taste and adjust the seasoning, it may be necessary to add a little more stock or creamy milk. Serve garnished with little swirls of sour cream and a sprinkling of finely chopped chives.

Chilled Beetroot Soup

Proceed as in the master recipe above to *. Liquidise with just enough stock
to cover. The mixture should be smooth and silky. Season with salt and
freshly ground pepper. Fold in some cream and yoghurt.
Serve well chilled in small bowls with little swirls of yoghurt and finely
chopped chives.
Victoria Plum Jam
Makes 6-7 lbs (2.7-3.2kg)
4 lbs (1.8kg) Victoria or Opal plums
3-4 lbs (1.35-1.8kg) sugar, (taste the plums if they are very sweet use
minimum)
1 pint (600ml) water
Wash the plums and remove the stones. Save the stones and tie in muslin bag. Put the sugar into a moderate oven to heat for 10-15 minutes. Grease the preserving pan, put in the plums bag of stones and water, and cook until the plums burst. Add the hot sugar, stir until it has completely dissolved. Turn the heat to maximum and boil until the jam will set, approx. 15-20 minutes. Discard the bag of stones. Test, skim and pot into hot sterilized jars. Cover immediately and label.

Compote of Blackberry and Apples with Sweet Geranium Leaves

Make this simple compote while the blackberries are still on the hedgerows.
Serves 3 approx.
4 ozs (110g) sugar
8 fl ozs (250ml) water
2 large dessert apples eg. Golden Delicious or Worcester Pearmain
5 ozs (140g) blackberries
4 large sweet geranium leaves (Pelargonium Graveolens)
Boil the sugar, water and sweet geranium leaves for 1-2 minutes to make a syrup. Peel the apples thinly, keeping a good round shape. Quarter them, remove the core and trim the ends. Cut into segments 3 inch (5mm) thick. Poach them in the syrup until translucent but not broken. Just 3-5 minutes before they have finished cooking, add the blackberries, simmer together so that they are both cooked at once.
Serve chilled, with little shortbread biscuits.

Fork Biscuits

Makes 45-50 biscuits approx.
8 ozs (225g) soft butter
4 ozs (110g) castor sugar
10 ozs (275g) self raising flour
Grated rind of one lemon or orange
Cream the butter, add in the castor sugar, sifted flour and grated lemon or orange rind and mix just until it all comes together. Alternatively, place all four ingredients in the bowl of a food mixer and mix slowly until all the ingredients come together. At this stage the dough can either be used right away or put in the deep freeze or kept in the fridge for up to a week. When required, bring up to room temperature and form into small balls the size of a walnut. Flatten them out onto a baking sheet using the back of a fork dipped in cold water. Allow plenty of room for expansion. Bake in a preheated oven – 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 10 minutes approx. Sprinkle with Vanilla sugar. When cold, store in air tight containers.

On Sunday last, the East Cork Slow Food Convivium was launched with a Harvest Festival here at the Cookery School. We had lots of fun. It was a
beautiful September day, warm enough to sit out all afternoon. Readers of this column will be familiar with Slow Food, an international organisation
founded in Italy in 1986. Its aims are to promote conviviality in an increasingly frenetic world and to protect and safeguard the traditional
food cultures and artisanal producers around the world. It creates presidia around special products and brings those endangered ones into the Arc of Taste. Thus Slow Food have already saved many fine traditional products from extinction and highlighted their importance to the EU and national governments. At present they are involved in a crusade to protect Raw Milk Cheese and to safeguard the right of consumers to have access to their cheeses. Slow Food is now a strong and reasoned voice lobbying on these issues in Europe. You can help this cause by logging on and sending the following message ‘I too eat raw milk cheese’ to this email address rawmilk@slowfood.com . 
 
For our Slow Food Harvest Festival – Meredith Benke, co-ordinator of the East Cork Convivium and Clodagh McKenna who co-ordinates the West Cork Convivium cooked a buffet of seasonal local food with lots of enthusiastic help from our students – Deirdre Hilliard’s Thai Chicken Soup, Crostini of Ardsallagh Goat Cheese, Bill Casey’s Smoked Salmon, Chicken Pie made with Dan Aherne’s organic chickens, Frittata with our own free range eggs and roast pumpkin and red onion, Kinoith Roast Pork, a selection of delicious salads, crusty apple pie with apples from the orchard, crushed Derryvilla Farm Blueberries, Shanagarry Autumn Raspberries from Walsh’s farm with Kingston’s clotted cream, a selection of farmhouse cheeses from Ardsallagh, Durrus, Clonmore and Gubbeen.  More than twice the anticipated number of people came to share the afternoon
but somehow the food lasted to the end with Giana Ferguson of Gubbeen cooking up a delectable Paella for the finale.  We had invited food producers to bring the fruit of their labours for people to taste and enjoy, Nuala O’Donoghue drove all the way from Derryvilla Farm near Portarlington with the last of the season’s blueberries and their delicious preserves and relishes. Dan and Anne Aherne brought their organic
free range chickens from their farm near Midleton, Elizabeth Moore, Wendy England and Mary O’Connell brought cakes and biscuits, Derry Tyner made mouth-watering crepes and Cork chocolate maker Eve St Leger brought a huge display of her irresistible chocolates which she spread out under her umbrella in the shade of the beech hedges. 
 
Our local farmers Patrick and Mary Walsh brought their superb Kerrs Pink potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips and turnips. Also from Shanagarry village were Bill Casey and his daughter Sinead with their organic smoked salmon. Frank Krycwzk and Fingal Ferguson travelled from near Schull in West Cork to bring us their salami, bacon, sausages and of course Gubbeen cheese. Local cheesemaker Jane Murphy brought her fresh and mature Ardsallagh goat cheese, we also had Clonmore goat cheese a new discovery for me, Tom Biggane had journeyed from Charleville to give us a taste of his excellent hard cheese. Marc O’Mahony brought organic fruit and vegetables from Kilbrittain. 
 
The children played happily in the sandheap in the midst of it all and Rory Allen with David Kearns from Nashville and Kate one of our students, provided some terrific music.  Susan Turner gave an inspirational talk on heirloom tomatoes and seedsaving,  This year we grew more than 35 varieties of tomato in the greenhouse so Susan had a terrific selection for people to taste and compare – a truly convivial afternoon – if you would like to become a Slow Food Member or to have more information on Slow Food, log onto www.slowfoodireland.ie  or contact Meredith Benke at mbenke@hotmail.com 

Meredith’s Apple and Blackberry Crisp

This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook, my mother’s faithful kitchen companion during the years of my childhood in Alabama.  The recipe is written in American cup measurements.
 
4 cups eating apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼" thick; about 6 medium
apples
¾ cup (3oz/75g) fresh and well rinsed blackberries
¾ cup (5oz/150g) packed soft light brown sugar (if not available try ½ cup
soft dark brown and make up the rest with castor sugar)
½ cup (2½ oz/60g) cream flour
½ cup (1½ oz/35g)rolled oats
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (generous 2½ oz/60g) soft butter
Heat oven to just above moderate, about 190 C. Blend all ingredients except apples and blackberries until mixture is crumbly. Toss apples in a tablespoon or so of additional castor sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Add berries and toss only to distribute through the apples. Place in a baking dish. A terracotta ‘cazuela’ or casserole results in a dessert with a very
rustic and homey feel. Spread crisp mixture over apples, and bake 30-35 minutes until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve with cream or ice cream.
 
Peter Luke’s Paella Valenciana
Giana Ferguson gave us her Dad’s recipe for his favourite Sunday lunch dish.
 
1 chicken, preferably free range and organic, jointed, deboned and chopped
2 dozen mussels in their shells
1lb (450g) prawns in their shells
1lb (450g) squid
4-6 soft Spanish Chorizo
1 cup per 2 people of round Spanish rice
green and red peppers
garlic
tomatoes
bay leaves
saffron
white wine
onions
stock
 
Brown the chicken pieces and put aside. Clean, chop and lightly fry the squid, put aside with chicken.
Sweat onions and garlic with pepper, add the bay leaves and reserve. Take one box of saffron and add to warm water and leave to infuse. Fry the rice in the paella dish in olive oil until the oil is hot and the rice translucent and not quite browning.
In a proportion of approx. ? cup of good stock to one cup of rice, flood the rice in the paella dish and add the saffron liquid – it is a bad idea to stir as the rice becomes glutinous so shake the paella to keep it from sticking and to help it absorb the stock.
Meanwhile sweat the mussels in white wine and shelling some, leave a few in their half shells as garnish. The chorizo can be lightly fried at this time too (or done much earlier – keep some for tapas.) Add the prawns (again leaving some with their coats and whiskers on for garnish)
Add the prawns, first, then the mussels which mustn’t overcook then as the rice swells with the absorbed stock, tomatoes in quarters, the chicken, chorizo and squid. Allow to heat thoroughly through while the rice absorbs the rest of the stock without becoming tight.
Season with generous amounts of pepper and salt (unless your stock is already salted) and garnish with the half mussels, the whiskery prawns, some loosely chopped flat parsley and a few nasturtium flowers – add a good few quartered lemons and serve hot in the paella – Salut.

Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

Serves 6 approx.
This soup may be served either hot or cold, don't hesitate to put in a good
pinch of sugar, it brings up the flavour.
1½ ozs (45g) butter
three-quarter lb (340g) pumpkin flesh
three-quarter lb (340g) Irish carrots, chopped
4 ozs (110g) onion, chopped
5 ozs (140g) potatoes, chopped
salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
2 pints (1.1L) homemade light chicken stock
2½ fl ozs (62ml) creamy milk, (optional)
Garnish
a little whipped cream
sprigs of savoury, optional
croutons
Melt the butter and when it foams add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add a sprig of savoury, cover with a butter paper (to retain the steam) and a tight fitting lid. Leave to sweat gently on a low heat for about 10 minutes approx. Remove the lid, add the stock and boil until the vegetables are soft. Pour into the liquidiser and
puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a little creamy milk if necessary. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprig of savoury. Serve with  crispy croutons.

Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Salad with Rocket leaves and Parmesan

Shavings
Serves 4
2 large onions, sliced
12 ozs (340g) mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Rocket leaves
Shavings of Parmesan
Heat a little olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook the onion gently over a low heat. Stir every few minutes so that they brown evenly. This operation may take 20-30 minutes, the onions should be slightly caramelized in oil. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms and saute on a hot pan. Season each batch with salt and freshly ground pepper, a very little crushed garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the onion to the mushrooms as soon as they are cooked and taste.
Correct seasoning if necessary.
To serve : Put a few rocket leaves on each plate, sprinkle a few mushrooms over the top, decorate with shavings of Parmesan

For just a few weeks now we can enjoy Irish eating apples. Last year we had a fantastic crop of apples, every tree was laden so we had masses to eat and share. This Autumn however, the orchard is almost bare – apples are few and far between. The weather was bad during apple blossom time in May, so the set was bad. Nonetheless we have enough Worcester Pearmain to enjoy for a few weeks and there will be a few Cox’s Pippin later on, they don’t usually ripen until the end of October but are certainly worth the wait. We’ve got a reasonable crop of Egremont Russet on just six trees trained over arches in the fruit garden. This area is more sheltered which could account for the increase in yield.

For the past few weeks we’ve been enjoying the first cookers, a variety called Grenadier, baked and in pies, tarts and sauce. This is a delicious bitter-sweet variety which tides us over until the Arthur Turner are ripe, and eventually in October we can pick the king of cookers, Bramley Seedling. This variety stores well in a cold garage or shed. Years ago, when I was a child, our gardener Pad made a straw lined pit in the garden to store the apples for winter use. Of course they deteriorated a bit as the winter progressed but they kept remarkably well, so many of these skills are lost nowadays, and even my children think I’m loopy when I talk of burying apples in the ground to store them. After all, one can buy ‘perfectly good’ apples in the shops at any time – the reality is however, that the commercial crops are harvested under-ripe, and even though they are kept perfectly in stores, they never quite look and taste the same as the home-grown apples. The latter are ripened to maturity on the tree, consequently, when they are cooked or baked, they break down into a delicious fluff characteristic of the Bramley,

For that reason its really worth considering a couple of apple trees. Most gardens would have space for 2 or 3 at least, and of course its worth planting varieties not available commercially. In fact, if you have space, its worth considering a small orchard. With a little research, one can plant a variety of apple trees, from the deliciously scented and curiously named Irish Peach (also known as Early Croston) which ripens in late July , to Ardcairn Russet (discovered in Cork) which remain on the trees until November and will store for months. Contact Anita Hayes of Irish Seedsavers, in Capparoe, Scariff, Co Clare for advice. She and her team have a wonderful collection of Irish apple trees which they continue to add to every year, over 70 varieties available at present, some were bred specially for certain areas, eg.Ballyvaughan Seedling is particularly suited to the soil and microclimate in that coastal area of Co. Clare. Late January into February is the time to plant so there is still time to do some research – the pleasure you will get from picking your own apples is certainly worth the little effort it takes to plant a tree.

Meanwhile, watch out for Irish apples in the shops, Bride Valley Fruit Farm near Tallow, Co Waterford have their apples in the shops now and also sell both eating and cooking apples directly from the farm. David Keane’s delicious apples and pears from their orchard in Cappoquin are being harvested at present, his wife Ju Ju has started to make the new season’s Crinnaghtaun Apple Juice. Last year we sent several tons of ripe apples up to Con Traas near Cahir in Co. Tipperary to be crushed into juice which we enjoyed all winter – this year we’ll have none – such are the vagaries of nature. Con’s own orchard hasn’t suffered too much, he is happy with the crop and will be busy producing his own Karmine apple juice, Philip and Oran Little from the Little Orchard Company farm in Piltown Co, Kilkenny also bring their apples to Con for pressing, they sell the juice at Midleton Farmers Market and the Galway Market. In the Dublin area David Llewellyn sells his apple juice at Temple Bar Market every Saturday, as well as having it for sale in shops and delis in Dublin.

Apple and Cinnamon Fritters

Serves 6 approx.
Apple Fritters have been one of my absolutely favourite puddings since I was a child – nothing changed I still love them.
4 cooking apples, Bramley Seedling or Grenadier
4 ozs (110g) plain white flour
pinch of salt
1 egg, free range if possible
¼ pint (150ml) milk
sunflower or peanut oil for frying
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
1 teasp. cinnamon
Sieve the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, whisk the egg slightly, pour into the centre slowly add the milk whisking in a full circle, gradually bring in the flour from the outside. Continue to whisk until the batter is light and bubbly. Peel and core the apples, cut into ¼ inch (5mm) thick slices. Heat about 1½ inches (4cm) of oil in a frying pan. Dip a few slices of apple into the batter one by one. Fry on both sides until crisp and golden, drain well. Add cinnamon to the castor sugar, toss each fritter in and serve immediately with softly whipped cream.

Banana Fritters

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

Tarte Tatin

The Tatin sisters ran a restaurant at Lamotte-Beuvron in Sologne at the beginning of the century. They created this tart, some say accidentally, but however it came about it is a triumph – soft, buttery caramelised apples (or indeed you can also use pears) with crusty golden pastry underneath. It is unquestionably my favourite French tart!

Serves 6-8
2¾ lbs (1.24 kg) approx. Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin or Bramley Seedling cooking apples
6 ozs (170 g) puff pastry or rich sweet shortcrust pastry
4 ozs (110 g) unsalted butter
8 ozs (225 g) castor sugar
Heavy 8 inch (20.5 cm) copper or stainless steel saucepan with low sides
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/regulo 7 for puff pastry.
For shortcrust -180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.
Peel, halve and core the apples. Melt the butter in the saucepan, add the sugar and cook over a medium heat until it turns golden – fudge colour. Put the apple halves in upright, packing them in very tightly side by side. Replace the pan on a low heat and cook until the sugar and juice are a dark caramel colour. Put into a hot oven for approx. 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry into a round slightly larger than the saucepan. Prick it all over with a fork. Cover the apples with the pastry and nick in the edges. Put the saucepan into the fully preheated oven until the pastry is cooked and the apples are soft-25-30 minutes approx.

Take out of the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes or longer if you like. Put a plate over the top of the saucepan and flip the tart on to a serving plate. (Watch out – this is a rather tricky operation because the hot caramel and juice can ooze out!). Reshape the tart if necessary and serve warm with softly whipped cream.

Blackberry and Apple and Sweet Geranium Jam

 

Makes 9-10 x 450 g/1 lb jars approx.

All over the countryside every year, blackberries rot on the hedgerows. Think of all the wonderful jam that could be made – so full of Vitamin C! This year organise a blackberry picking expedition and take a picnic. You’ll find it’s the greatest fun, and when you come home one person could make a few scones while someone else is making the jam. The children could be kept out of mischief and gainfully employed drawing and painting home-made jam labels, with personal messages like Lydia’s Jam – keep off! , or Grandma’s Raspberry Jam. Then you can enjoy the results of your labours with a well-earned cup of tea.

Blackberries are a bit low in pectin, so the apples help it to set as well as adding extra flavour.
2.3 kg (5 lbs) blackberries
900 g (2 lbs) cooking apples (Bramley, or Grenadier in season)
1.625 kg (4½ lbs) sugar (use ½ lb less if blackberries are sweet)
8-10 Sweet Geranium leaves
Wash, peel and core and slice the apples. Stew them until soft with 290 ml/½ pint of water in a stainless steel saucepan; beat to a pulp.

Pick over the blackberries, cook until soft, adding about 145 ml/¼ pint of water if the berries are dry. If you like, push them through a coarse sieve to remove seeds. Put the blackberries into a wide stainless steel saucepan or preserving pan with the apple pulp and the heated sugar. Destalk and chop the sweet geranium leaves, add and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Boil steadily for about 15 minutes. Skim the jam, test it for a set and pot into warm spotlessly clean jars.

Maria Tajero learned how to made cheese from her mother and grandmother.   When we arrived, she sprinkled a few drops of rennet into a large saucepan of fresh milk which she had been slowly warming on the side of her stove.  She stirred it gently, covered the saucepan and left it to sit for about 30 minutes. While the curd was coagulating, we went out into the stone shed behind the kitchen to start the bread-making. The old wood-burning oven was tucked into one corner.
 
In Galician homes, bread is traditionally made about once a week, not in a bowl but in a waist high covered wooden chest with a drawer underneath for rolling pins . Maria had already filled the chest with flour – enough to make bread for the family for a week or ten days. When we came in on the
operation, a sponge of sourdough bubbled in the centre of the flour. Maria added copious amounts of warm salty water – enough to make a softish dough which we helped to knead.  She, then covered it with a folded sheet and gently closed down the lid of the box to allow the dough to rise. She and her husband Pepe then lit the 50 year old oven which was already filled with wood and some gorse. While the oven heated and the bread rose, we returned to the cheese making. By now, approximately 40 minutes later, the milk had coagulated into a soft curd, Maria cut the curd gently with a knife, then left it to sit while the whey gradually started to separate. About 10 minutes later she handed me a mug and indicated that I should gradually take away the whey (destined for the pigs)- sadly I don’t speak Spanish. When it became difficult to take out any more, we carefully lifted the curds into a plastic colander and drained them well, pressing down gently on the cheese and turning it over several times to get a firm shape. Sometimes the cheese is salted at this stage or it can be cut into slices and eaten fresh with sugar or honey.
 
When the cheese-making was finished, the oven was hot and most of the timber had burned, but there was still lots of ash. Maria grabbed a pole
and made a broom (a belacho) of fresh rushes tied securely with twine. With quick sure movements she brushed out the ash, then tested the heat by throwing a fistful of flour into the oven, it sparked instantly - too hot so we waited for the oven to cool slightly. Meanwhile the dough had more than doubled in bulk in the covered wooden chest, we knocked it back and formed it into 12 loaves. The last two had a spicy chorizo sausage hidden in the centre and were called ‘Bolo’. These were covered with a sheet while Pepe and Maria worked together to slide them into the oven one by one on the timber peel. The ‘bolo’ went in last after they had been wrapped in huge kale leaves. One loaf was flattened and dimpled with the fingertips like a focaccia. Those loaves were to be eaten first. They take a shorter time to cook and are eaten fresh. The larger loaves take approx. 2 hours in the wood burning oven and are stored after they have been cooled on a wire rack.
 
A little of each batch of uncooked dough is saved to start the next batch.   Nowadays Maria makes the bread for her family but in the past she also baked for the market in the local village of Castro de Ribeiras de Lea, described in last week’s article. We left laden with bread, cheese and some of Pepe’s delicious home made salsichon, communicating our thanks through smiles and hugs and the translation of Alexandra, daughter of Totin and Loli whose house we had rented. Alexandra had travelled from Santiago de Compostela, and had given up her afternoon so we could have this wonderful experience.  She too was fascinated to learn more about the traditional food culture of her native Galicia.   Interested in renting a house in Galicia? Contact Aideen Bernardez by e-mail  aideen.bernardez@teleline.es  or by phone 00 34 981 56 90 10

Home Made Cottage Cheese

This is a basic recipe for a soft cheese, it can be sweet or savoury, depending on what yummy additions you make to the finished product.
 
Yields 450g (1lb) cheese approx.
2.3L (4 pints) full cream milk
1 teaspoon liquid rennet
good quality muslin or cheesecloth
 
Put the milk into a spotlessly clean stainless steel saucepan. Heat it very gently until it is barely tepid. Add the rennet stirring it well into the
milk, (not more than 1 teaspoon,) too much will result in a tough acid curd.  Cover the saucepan with a clean tea towel and the lid. The tea towel
prevents the steam from condensing on the lid of the pan and falling back onto the curd. Put aside and leave undisturbed somewhere in your kitchen for 2-4 hours by which time the milk should have coagulated and will be solid.  Cut the curd with a long sterilized knife first in one direction then the other until the curd is cut into squares. Heat gently until the whey starts to run out of the curds.
It must not get hot or the curd will tighten and toughen too much. Ladle into a muslin lined colander over a bowl. Tie the corners of the cloth and
allow to drip overnight. Next day the curd may be used in whatever recipe you choose.

Home made Cottage Cheese with Fresh Herbs and Crackers

Serves 6 approx.
225g (8oz) home made cottage cheese (see recipe)
1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs - parsley, chives, chervil, lemon balm
and perhaps a little tarragon and thyme.
salt and freshly ground pepper
single Cream - optional
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
Home make crackers (see recipe)
 
Sieve the home-made cottage cheese. Mix in the freshly chopped herbs and garlic if using. If it is too firm, stir in a little cream. Season to
taste. It may even need a pinch of sugar. Fill into a pretty bowl and serve with home made crackers.

Homemade Crackers

Makes 25-30 biscuits
115g (4oz) brown wholemeal flour
115g (4oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
25g (1oz) butter
5-6 tablespoons cream
 
Mix the brown and white flour together and add the salt and baking powder.  Rub in the butter and moisten with cream enough to make a firm dough.  Roll out very thinly - one-sixteenth inch thick approx. Prick with a fork.  Cut into 2 inch (5cm) squares. Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for 20-25
minutes or until lightly browned and quite crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Ballymaloe White Yeast Bread

This loaf is always served in a traditional plait shape in Ballymaloe but it can be shaped in many forms, from rolls to loaves or even in to animal
shapes! It is a traditional white yeast bread and once you have mastered this basic techinique the sky is the limit.

Makes 2 x 1 lb (450g) loaves
20g (¾oz) fresh yeast
425ml (15 floz) water
30g (1oz) butter
2 teaspoons salt
15g (½ oz) sugar
675g (1½ lbs) strong white flour
Poppy seeds or Sesame seeds for topping – optional
2 x loaf tins 13 x 20cms (5″ x 8″)

Sponge the yeast in 150ml (5fl oz) of tepid water, leave in a warm place for about five minutes. In a large wide mixing bowl, sieve the flour, salt and sugar. Rub in the butter, make a well in the centre. Pour in the sponged yeast and most of the remaining lukewarm water. Mix to a
loose dough adding the remaining liquid or a little extra flour if needed
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, cover and leave to relax for 5 minutes approximately. Then knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth, springy and elastic (if kneading in a food mixer with a dough hook, 5 minutes is usually long enough).
Put the dough in a large delph bowl. Cover the top tightly with cling film (yeast dough rises best in a warm moist atmosphere).
When the dough has more than doubled in size, 1½ – 2 hours, knock back and knead again for about 2 to 3 minutes. Leave to relax again for 10 minutes. Shape the bread into loaves, plaits or rolls, transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a light tea towel. Allow to rise again in a warm place, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size.
The bread is ready for baking when a small dent remains when the dough is pressed lightly with the finger. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with
poppy or sesame seeds if using them. Or dust lightly with flour for a rustic looking loaf. Bake in a fully preheated hot oven, 230C/450F/regulo 9 for 25 – 35 minutes depending on size. The bread should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
To make a plait- Take half the quantity of white yeast dough after it has been ‘knocked back’ , divide into three equal pieces. With both hands roll each one into a rope, thickness depends on how fat you want the plait. Then pinch the three ends together at the top, bring each outside strand into the centre alternatively to form a plait, pinch the ends and tuck in neatly. Transfer onto a baking tray. Allow to double in size. Egg wash or dredge with flour.

A Galician Bobo

Make the yeast bread dough as above. Divide in half. Roll into a rectangle, slice 2 small chorizo in half lengthways. Lay the pieces of
chorizo on the dough, fold in the sides to cover. Pinch with your fingers to seal, turn over, allow to rest until double in size. Bake in a preheated
oven 230C/450F/regulo 8, for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 200C/400F/regulo 6,
for a further 20-30 minutes, or until crusty and golden.
 

The girls had already been asking aloud why we needed to drive for hours into the wilds of Galicia to find what sounded to them like a home from
home. Eventually down a winding country lane in a woodland clearing, we found O Paco, an enchanting 200 year old stone farmhouse with characteristic scalloped slate roof. The owners, who didn’t speak a word of English, were waiting greet us and proudly showed us round the grounds. They indicated that we could help ourselves to beans, chilli, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and other fresh produce from the vegetable garden. On the way back up to the house we passed apple trees, raspberries and wild mint, and the henhouse where 5 hens and an impressive looking Galician cockerel strutted their stuff.
We collected the warm freshly laid eggs from the nests and made our way towards the 200 year old farmhouse which was furnished
traditionally, with simple country furniture, jamon and other cured hams hung over the open fireplace in the sittingroom. We were shown each room
individually and finally we arrived in the kitchen where they had thoughtfully laid out some wonderful cured meat, a basket of fresh produce,
some fruit and crusty bread from the bakery in the nearby village of Castro de Ribeiras de Lea.  They had also gone to considerable efforts to collect tourist information in English, and maps of the area so we could explore. Further exploration into the outbuildings revealed a huge trampoline, a billiard table and a large selection of games.
The pool was deep enough to dive comfortably and there were lots of seats, umbrellas and masses of comfy cushions to relax. The owners, having heard of our interest in farming and food production, had organised for us to visit a local farm where the owners Pepe and Maria Tajero Lorenzo make cheese and bake bread in the traditional way in their wood burning oven.  They have a 40 hectare farm -some cows, sheep and pigs and farm primarily to supply their own needs and the needs of their local market. They had worked hard through the years and now semi-retired had a very comfortable lifestyle and farmhouse. They were very conscious of the value of the traditional way of life and the importance of passing on these values to their children and grandchildren.
Like the majority of their neighbours they grew their own vegetables, had hens, milk from their cows and reared a few pigs. The pigs were fattened
from scraps and home- produced grain and were killed around November. All the neighbours helped to cure the meat, the hams were salted for jamon, the shoulders cured, the streaky pork made into pancetta. Less choice cuts were made into salchicha and chorizo, which were filled into the intestines.  The fillet was cured to make loma, blood and other pieces of pork and offal were made into a blood sausage called morcilla. The tail, ears, feet, were all cured and relished. The head was made into a delicious confection similar to our brawn. Every scrap was used and shared with family,
neighbours and friends who reciprocated when they were curing their own pigs. This immediately conjured up memories of my childhood in Co Laois and holidays in Co Tipperary where the ritual of killing and curing the bacon and making black and white pudding was the highlight of every year.

Garlic Soup – Sopa de Ajo

1¾ pints (1 litre) water
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 eggs, (or one per person)
16 slices toasted white bread
4 thin slices Serrano ham
Put the water on to boil in a large saucepan. Chop the garlic and brown in
the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the paprika, being careful not to let it
burn. Mix a little of the paprika with some water and add it to the boiling
water. Boil for a few minutes. Cut the ham into strips, fry lightly, then
add to the water. Toast the bread and use to line a soup tureen. Add the
eggs, 1 per person, then pour on the hot soup. Allow the eggs to cook a
little, then serve immediately.

Hake with Clams and Peas – Merluza con Almejas Y Guisantes

12 pieces of hake, each weighing about 5oz (150g)
16 teaspoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1 small glass white wine
24 clams
10oz (275g) peas
3 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 hard boiled eggs
flour for frying
Chop the garlic and parsley very finely. Wash the clams under cold water.
Hardboil the eggs, peel and cut into quarters.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic. Coat the hake in flour and add a
little salt. When the garlic starts to brown add the fish to the pan.
Stir the contents with a zig zag movement. After 5 minutes turn the fish
over and stir again. Gradually add the white wine, then, still stirring, add
about 10 tablespoons of water or fish stock if available. Finally, add the
peas, followed by the hard-boiled eggs. Stir again, then add the chopped
parsley.
Serve with triangles of fried bread.

Beef with Pine Kernel and Olive Sauce – Carne con Salad de Pinones Y
Aceitunas

18oz (500g) beef cut into 1½-2 inch (4-5cm) chunks
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
2oz (50g) pine kernels
4 sprigs of parsley
3½ fl.ozs (100ml) olive oil
1 hard boiled egg
14fl.ozs (400ml) water
1 teasp. paprika
3½ oz (100g) pitted green olives
Heat the oil in a large casserole. Fry the beef until it starts to brown,
then remove from the casserole and put to one side.
Using the same oil, lightly fry the chopped onion, then add the paprika,
followed by the water, fried beef, olives and some salt.
Cover the casserole and cook over a low heat until the meat is tender,
45mins – 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and the garlic, unpeeled, in a non-stick pan,
turning them frequently. When they are ready, peel the cloves of garlic,
and peel and remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
In a mortar, mash the pine kernels, parsley, garlic and tomato flesh, then
add the mixture to the meat when it is cooked.
Finally, finely chop the boiled egg and sprinkle it over the other
ingredients. Boil for 5 minutes and serve.

Lemon Ice-cream – Helado de Limon

9 fl.ozs (250ml) milk
1 egg
5oz (150g) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
zest of ½ lemon
Separate the egg and beat the yolk with the milk. Gradually mix in the
sugar, then the lemon juice and zest. Beat the egg white until stiff and
add to the other ingredients. Put in the freezer. When the mixture starts
to freeze, remove from the freezer and beat again. Put it back in the
freezer until it is ready.
Meanwhile, chill the dishes in which the icecream will be served. Decorate
with mint leaves.

Basque Lemonade – Ardaurgozatza

Wash 8 lemons thoroughly, then peel off the rind without the pith. Leave to
soak in 2 litres of water for 24 hours. The following day, add 1 litre of
red wine and 1 litre of white wine, both chilled. Mix well and chill
thoroughly. Serve right through dinner, from the appetizers to the dessert.
Coquitos
9 oz (250g) desiccated coconut
9 oz (250g) sugar
3 eggs
Beat the eggs, add the sugar and then the coconut. Mix well. Grease a
baking sheet with oil and spoon on the mixture in small mounds.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 160C/325F/ regulo 3, until golden.