I have lived through a whole lifetime of emotions in the last seven days -joy, helplessness, gratitude, guilt, relief, loneliness, deep sadness, not necessarily in that order.  

During those seven days my eight siblings and I sat by our mother’s bedside, taking turns to watch  over her and hold her hand, as she gradually slipped in and out of consciousness and finally passed away gently in her sleep as dawn broke on April the 17th.

Mummy was in her early eighties and had been a widow for 45 years.   She was a woman of strong faith and was so looking forward to being with Daddy once again. She consoled us all by whispering that she was not frightened of death.   As she lapsed into a coma we longed for her to open her eyes just one more time, until my sister reminded us of how disappointed she was likely to be if she woke up to find us all peering anxiously at her, rather than meeting Daddy with his arms open wide.    During the long week with my brothers and sisters, there were several other comic moments, and even some laughter interspersed with sadness and grief as we reminisced and swapped memories.  

With hindsight those seven long days and nights were some of the most precious of my entire life.  How fortunate were my brothers and sisters and I to be able to spend that time uninterrupted, with the extraordinary woman of courage and fortitude who brought us into the world, and whose wonderful cooking brought joy and solace to family and friends for over eighty years. 

Our home was always full of the delicious smells of cooking. Among many things, Mummy taught each and every one of us how to bake and roast, braise and stew and the joy of sharing food and sitting around the kitchen table with family and friends.  

Mum loved to cook and was determined to feed us all lots of nourishing, wholesome food.  For many years she had a thriving kitchen garden ….she kept hens, fattened chickens for the table, we even had a house cow, an ill-tempered black Kerry who produced wonderful milk which we drank by the glassful.   The cream that rose to the top was poured over tarts and pies and the sour milk used for soda bread.  Mum had a wonderfully ‘light hand’ and baked brown soda bread virtually every day until recently.  Even after she had a stroke about five years ago, she would still make bread with her ‘good hand’.  One of my earliest childhood memories is of watching Mum baking bread, she tied on my little apron (which she had made for me), I’m sure I was much more of a hindrance than a help, but she always would give me a little piece of dough to make a little ‘cistín’ which I proudly baked beside her traditional loaf in the old Esse cooker.   When my brothers and sisters and I ran up the hill from the village school, particularly on Winter days, we’d be trying to guess what Mum might have for lunch (we called it dinner then!)   Would it be Scalloped potato with bits of kidney, a bubbly Beef or Lamb Stew, Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley Sauce, Stuffed Pork Steak with lots of Apple Sauce, or if it was Friday, a big bowl of Colcannon or Smoked Haddock.  If the CIE bus from Dublin to Cork had dropped off ‘fresh fish’ at Nancy Freeman’s shop in the village, it might even be our favourite – a fillet of plaice.   Roasts were a Sunday treat.   No matter how modest the meal there was always ‘sweet’, stewed fruit from the garden, rhubarb, gooseberries, blackcurrants, apples …. With Birds Custard or cream,  but would she have made a bubbly rice pudding with a golden skin on top, or a pie or most thrilling of all, a steamed sultana or jam pudding?.   I only hope that we hugged her enough or at least stopped to stay thank you for the many long hours she spent making and baking and sewing and growing for us.She and my eldest brother William brought me down to Ballymaloe in June 1967, to start my first real job.   She loved Ballymaloe and was so happy that I had found another mentor in Myrtle Allen, whose philosophy she so admired.I was 14 and at boarding school in Wicklow when my father Dick O’Connell passed away.  My youngest sister Elizabeth was posthumous, born a month after my father died.    One can but imagine what it must have been like to have been on one’s own with nine children at the age of 36.    Mum who adored my father, was heartbroken, but eventually picked up the pieces and began to learn about the business, put all of us through school and university and when we had flown the nest, started to cook in our own family pub The Sportsman’s Inn in Cullohill, Co Laois.   So many people looked forward to stopping off on the Cork to Dublin road, for her chicken pies, scones and crab apple jelly, apple or rhubarb tart with soft brown sugar and cream.   On her 70^th birthday she decided to ‘hang up her apron’ in the pub to do some things she hadn’t had time to do in her busy life.   She took woodwork classes, joined a literature group and started to paint in oils and watercolours under the tutelage of Jock Nichols.  She also got to play more golf and at 74 years of age won the Captain’s Prize in Abbeyleix, she also won Irish Independent golfer of the month in the Druid’s Glen, earning her the title of Tiger Lily in the Irish Independent.

Mum loved to picnic, there was always a picnic basket in the boot of the car, we picnicked for breakfast, lunch and tea, at home and abroad, and on one famous occasion we had Christmas dinner on top of Cullohill mountain.  She loved that mountain and greatly enjoyed hill walking.  At 70 years of age she climbed to Cnoc an Aifrinn, the highest peak of the Comeragh mountains, with the rest of us puffing and panting behind her.

Her spirit lives on in every picnic we share and every skill she taught us, and in the smell of Cullohill Apple Tart and Mummy’s Sweet Scones. Elizabeth O’Connell, nee Tynan, born  October 18^th 1925 – died April 17^th 2008.  

 

The Holy Communion and Confirmation season will soon be in full swing. A very special family day where three and sometimes four generations join together to celebrate the occasion. Grannies, grandpa’s, aunties, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters and special friends all dressed to the nines and laden with presents congregate far and wide. After the ceremony is over, it’s an opportunity for the kids to play together, teenagers to hang out and for grown-ups to catch up on each other lives.

Restaurants are booked up weeks ahead and entertaining extended families can run into many hundreds or even thousands of euros very quickly. So it is worth considering inviting them back to your place. Entertaining a crowd at home is nothing like as scary as you might think provided you plan ahead and choose the menu carefully. Friends and other family members are often delighted to be asked to help with the cooking and organisation. Of course a beautiful scalloped marquee in the garden is wonderful but if you need to spill out into the garden a couple of those cotton pergolas from a local discount store can be an inexpensive option. Creative kids and their pals can embellish the basic structure with ribbons and bows, tissue paper and tin foil and have lots of fun in the process.

Friends love to be involved and many will be happy to bring a dish if asked – this may take a bit of choreography. So suggest a starter, main course or pudding. Have a big bowl of salad leaves with a good dressing and a big plate of Irish farmhouse cheese with some crusty bread. If you have a really good deli or a Farmers Market close by, you will be able to get a selection of artisan cured meats, pâtes and salmon, as well as olives and smoked fish. It’s so easy to do an appealing array with Frank Hederman’s smoked mackerel, eel, salmon, haddock and mussles, a bowl of pickled cucumber, a bowl of homemade mayonnaise and a bowl of horseradish sauce. Guests could just help themselves. How delicious would that be? If you don’t feel like cooking at all, order a few delicious apricot frangipane tarts from Richard Graham Lee (023 55344) or if you are in the Bandon area pick them up at the Urru Culinary Store (022 53192) over-looking the river.

The first of the New Season’s fresh strawberries are now being harvested, how gorgeous and easy would it be to pile them up in bowls and serve them with caster sugar and thick Glenilen cream.

Don’t forget to make big jugs of homemade lemonade for the children and adults. A little Prosecco (sparkling Italian wine) for the adults will add even more bubble to the party. But if like me, you love to cook then here’s a simply delicious menu which can be made ahead.

Top Tips
Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Co Waterford with beautiful view over the bay has recently reopened after extensive renovations. It’s managed by Adrian Bartells, The young Dutch chef Martin Kajuiter is passionate about fresh, local produce and is serving some of the most delicious food I’ve tasted for as many a long day. The word is already out so book soon. Telephone: (024) 87800
– Celebrate your Local Artisan Food Producers with dinner at Nautilus Restaurant, Ballycotton – Wednesday May 7^th, seating at 7pm dinner 7.30pm – local cheese, free range chicken and mackerel will be featured on the menu – Members €45, non-members €55 – booking essential. Telephone: (021)-4646768 or 087-6135897 slowfood@cookingisfun.ie

Molecular Gastronomy – the latest developments between the kitchen and the laboratory 2-5pm Wednesday 7^th May 2008
At Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha St. in conjunction with the Institute of Food Science and Technology of Ireland (IFSTI)
Molecular gastronomy is a scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking – for anyone interested in the science of food, chefs and caterers looking to spice up their menus. Manufacturers and retailers looking for ideas for product development and anyone who likes to experiment at home.

Details from IFSTI – Telephone: (01) 8171338 ifsti@hotmail.com

Rillettes of Fresh and Smoked Salmon with lots of serving suggestions

This is a terrific standby recipe that can be tarted up in all sorts of ways or simply slathered on hot thin toast or crusty bread.
The texture of this pate should be coarse and slightly stringy – it should resemble that of pork rillettes, where the meat is torn into shreds with forks rather than blended. Don’t be spooked if the amount of butter you use – you’re not going to eat it all yourself! Serve as a canapé piped on thick slices of cucumber or for a posh starter you can line little moulds with a slice of smoked salmon and serve with cucumber pickle.

Serves 12-16

340g (3/4 lb) freshly-cooked salmon

340g (3/4 lb) smoked wild or organic Irish salmon

340g (3/4 lb) softened butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

a good grating of nutmeg

lemon juice to taste

For the Smoked Salmon

30g (1oz) butter

28ml (1/2 fl oz) water

clarified butter (optional)
Melt 30g (1 oz) butter in a small saucepan; add the smoked salmon and 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it no longer looks opaque. Allow it to get quite cold.
Cream the butter in a bowl. With two forks, shred the fresh and smoked salmon and mix well together. Add to the soft butter still using a fork (do not use a food processor). Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and lots of freshly gratede nutmeg. Taste and add lemon juice as necessary, and some freshly chopped fennel if you have it.
Serve in individual pots or in a pottery terrine. Cover with a layer of clarified butter or cling film. Serve with hot toast or hot crusty white bread. Salmon rillettes keeps perfectly in the refrigerator for 5 or 6 days or can be frozen for 3 – 4 weeks provided it is well sealed.

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Gratin of Chicken with Broccoli, Cauliflower or Zucchini

Serves 8-12

This is one of those dishes that can be mouth-watering or a complete disaster. Its success depends on the broccoli being carefully cooked so that it is bright green and just tender.

1 x 1.5kg (3 1/2 lb) chicken*, free range if possible

4 carrots, sliced

4 onions, sliced

sprig each of thyme and tarragon

a few peppercorns

600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock

900g (2 lbs) broccoli florets

250g (8ozs) mushrooms, sliced

scrap of butter

350ml (12fl ozs) milk

350ml (12 fl ozs) cream

4 teaspoons tarragon or annual marjoram

60g (2ozs) Buttered crumbs (mix 1ozs of melted butter with 2ozs bread crumbs)

50-100g (2 – 4ozs) grated mature Cheddar cheese

2 x lasagne dish (25.5 x 20.5cm) 10 x 8 inch

Put the chicken into a saucepan or casserole with the onions and carrots add a sprig of thyme, tarragon and a few peppercorns. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1- 1 1/4 hours or until the chicken is tender.

Meanwhile cook the broccoli florets in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and refresh under cold water, keep aside. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter on a hot pan season with salt and freshly ground pepper and keep aside also.

When the chicken is cooked remove the meat from the carcass, carve into bite-sized pieces.

Strain and degrease the cooking liquid, add the cream and milk, bring to the boil, add the tarragon or annual marjoram, simmer for a few minutes, thicken to a light coating consistency with roux, then add the chicken to the sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Butter an ovenproof lasagne dish, put a layer of broccoli on the base, scatter the mushrooms on top and cover with the creamy chicken mixture.

Mix the Buttered Crumbs with the grated cheese and sprinkle over the surface. Reheat in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes and flash under the grill until the top is crunchy and golden. Serve immediately.

Gratin of Chicken with Courgettes/Zucchini

Substitute 900g (2 lbs) buttered courgettes cooked al dente for broccoli.

Gratin of Chicken with Cauliflower

Substitute cauliflower florets for broccoli in the above recipe.

Piperonata

This Mediterranean vegetable stew can be made in large quantities. It keeps in a fridge for several days. It freezes brilliantly and reheats perfectly.

Serves 8-10

1 onion, sliced

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

1 x 400g (14ozs) tin chopped tomatoes or 6 large tomatoes (dark red and very ripe)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

a clove of garlic, crushed

a few leaves of fresh basil

Heat the olive oil in a casserole, add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, then add the sliced onion, toss in the oil and allow to soften over a gentle heat in a covered casserole while the peppers are being prepared. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds carefully, cut into quarters and then into strips across rather that lengthways, alternatively cut the pepper flesh into 3/4 – 1″ squares. Add to the onion and toss in the oil; replace the lid and continue to cook.

Meanwhile, add the tin of tomatoes to the casserole. (If using whole tomatoes, peel them by putting them into a bowl and scald them in boiling water for 10 seconds, pour off the water and peel immediately, slice and add to the casserole). Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar and a few leaves of fresh basil if available. Cook until the vegetables are just soft, 30 minutes approx.

Colcannon

Serves 8 approx.

Songs have been sung and poems have been written about Colcannon. It’s one of Ireland’s most famous traditional potato dishes. It’s comfort food at its very best and can be made with cabbage or kale. Terrific for a party.

Did you ever eat colcannon

When ’twas made with yellow cream

And the kale and praties blended

Like a picture in a dream?

Did you ever scoop a hole on top

To hold the melting lake

Of the clover-flavoured butter

Which your mother used to make?

450g (1lb) kale or Savoy or spring cabbage

1.35kg (3lb) ‘old’ potatoes, e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks

250ml (8fl oz) boiling milk approx.

30g (1oz) scallion or spring onion, optional

salt and freshly ground pepper

55g (2oz) butter approx.

Scrub the potatoes, put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for ‘old’ potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put onto a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked.

Remove the dark outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the rest and cut into quarters, remove the core and cut finely across the grain. Cook in a little boiling salted water or bacon cooking water until soft. Drain, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little butter. If using kale, remove the central rib. Cook the kale in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on the type and maturity of the kale. Curly kale is sweetest after it has been mellowed by a few night frosts.

When the potatoes are just cooked, put the milk, and the finely chopped scallions into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pull the peel off the potatoes and discard, mash quickly while they are still warm and beat in enough boiling milk to make a fluffy puree. (If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes in the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the spade.) Then stir in the cooked cabbage and taste for seasoning. For perfection, serve immediately in a hot dish with a lump of butter melting in the centre.

Colcannon may be prepared ahead up to this point and reheated later in a moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4, for 20-25 minutes approx. Cover while reheating so it doesn’t get too crusty on top.

Honey and Mustard Dressing

Use to dress a large bowl of salad leaves.

6 fl ozs (150ml) olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils, eg. sunflower and arachide

2 fl ozs (50ml/ cup) wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teasp. honey

2 heaped teasp. wholegrain honey mustard

2 cloves garlic

Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well before use.

Lemon Meringue Roulade

V C

Serves 8-10

4 egg whites

8 ozs (225g) castor sugar

1/2 pint (300ml) whipped cream

Lemon Curd

4 ozs (110g) castor sugar

2 ozs (55g) butter

grated rind and juice of 2 good lemons

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (keep whites aside for meringue)

Garnish

sprigs of Mint, Lemon Balm or Sweet Cicely

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

Preheat the oven to 180C\350F\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 in one go. Whisk at full speed until it holds a stiff peak 4 – 5 minutes approx. Meanwhile line a swiss roll tin with tin foil, brush lightly with a non-scented oil (eg. sunflower or arachide). Spread the meringue gently over the tin with a palette knife, it ought to be quite thick and bouncy. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Put a sheet of tin foil on the work top and turn the roulade onto it, remove the base tin foil and allow the meringue to cool.

Meanwhile make the lemon curd.

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).

To Assemble

Spread the whipped cream and lemon curd over the meringue roll up from the narrow end and carefully ease onto a serving plate. Pipe 6 rosettes along the top of the roulade, decorate with mint leaves or lemon balm or sweet cicily leaves. Serve cut into slices about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick accompanied by a little more lemon curd if desired.

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Homemade Lemonades

We always keep some chilled ‘stock syrup’ in the fridge so its simplicity itself to make a variety of lemonades. They contain no preservatives so they should be served within a few hours of being made. Many different types of citrus fruit and flavoured syrups may be used.

To make the Syrup:

1 lb (450g) sugar

1 pint (600ml) water

Dissolve the sugar in water and boil together for 2 minutes. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator until needed.

Oranges and Lemonade

Makes 2.7l (4 1/2 pints)

4 lemons

2 orange

500ml (16fl oz) approx. stock syrup

1.5l (2 1/2 pint) approx. water

Garnish

Sprigs of fresh mint or lemon balm

Juice the fruit and mix with the stock syrup, add water to taste. Add ice, garnish with sprigs of fresh mint or lemon balm and serve.

Limeade

Makes 1.2l (2 pints)

5 limes

700ml (1 1/4 pint) water

300ml (1/2 pint) stock syrup

Garnish

Sprigs of fresh mint or lemon balm

Make and serve as above. Taste and add more water if necessary.

Ann Mulligan has wanted to run a B&B in Ireland as long as she can remember.   As a child in Wenatchee in Washington State, she was surrounded by family who loved to cook.   Ann’s grandmother’s cooking was legendary and her dad was a chef for many years.  He too encouraged her to cook with stories of the kitchens where he worked.  Mum was an especially good baker who welcomed an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.

By the age of eight Ann could make a mean scrambled egg, when her baby brothers gobbled it up appreciatively she was hooked.   Cooking became a creative outlet.  Soon she was making jams,  preserving fruit and vegetables and cooking dinner for the family.

Ann’s husband Jim is originally from Dublin but lived in the US.  He and Ann came on holidays to Ireland every year since 1975 and fell in love with Dungarvan and the surrounding area.  They decided they wanted to live here and searched for a site on which to build.

During one of the holidays in Ireland she had chanced upon the Ballymaloe Cookery School and eventually enrolled in January 2000.  After three busy months she was ready to open her B&B near Dungarvan,  in Co Waterford.

Ann and Jim have just four rooms but their guests return over and over again for the warm welcome and for Ann’s delicious food, so last winter she put pen to paper and wrote the Irish B&B Cookbook, a charming collection of the favourite recipes that have delighted guests at An Bohreen.  Lots of breakfast and dinner ideas which let others into the secret of why this little guesthouse is so successful. www.anbohreen.com

They have received the AA 4 diamonds award and the AA Super Supper, their accommodation is listed in Bridgestone’s 100 best places to stay in Ireland.

Ann uses local ingredients with a dash of ingenuity such as fish from Helvic Head, Irish Farmhouse Cheese and Murphy’s stout – to give her visitors a genuine taste of Ireland.     She believes that cooking seasonal food is essential for flavour – no amount of spicing or splashing with sauces can replace fresh taste.

Here are some of Ann’s tempting breakfast dishes.

The Irish B&B Cookbook by Ann Mulligan, published by Mercier Press.

 

An Bohreen Nut Granola

 

Makes about 1350g /50oz

 

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F)

 

300ml /12 fl oz honey

200ml/8 fl oz sunflower oil

455g/16oz oat flakes

200g/7oz barley flakes

200g/7oz wheat flakes

115g/4oz rye flakes

140g/5oz raisins

140g/5oz toasted and chopped hazelnuts

225g/8oz toasted sunflower seeds

225g/8oz toasted pumpkin seeds

55g/2oz chopped dried apricots

115g/4oz chopped dates

115g/4oz  of either pecans or walnuts (or some of each) toasted

225g/8oz  combination dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries

 

 

 

Combine the honey and oil in a small saucepan – warm just enough to melt the honey.  Whisk the honey and oil together. 

Combine the flakes in a large bowl.  Pour the honey-oil onto the flakes and stir well to mix.

Spread the flakes onto 2 or 3 baking sheets.  Bake in an oven at 180C (350F) for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.    Toast the grains but do not roast the grains.   Cool, stirring frequently to evenly mix the grains.   When cool add the fruit and nuts.   Store in an airtight container.

 

 

Brown Bread

 

Makes 1 loaf

 

Preheat oven to 200C (400F)

 

285g /10oz coarse wholemeal flour

170g/6oz strong white flour

2 heaped tbsps oat bran

1 tsp salt

½ tsp bread soda, sieve into flour

2 tsps soft brown sugar

375ml/15fl.oz buttermilk

1 egg

2 tbsps sunflower oil

 

 

Oil a 9x5x3-inch bread tin.   Place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.  Whisk together the buttermilk, sunflower oil, and egg.  Pour the mixture into the well and mix thoroughly.   The mixture should be wet and sloppy.  Pour it immediately into a prepared bread tin.   Cut a deep slit down the centre of the batter – this lets the evil fairies out.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Cool on the wire rack.   If a softer crust is desired wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel when removed from the oven, then cool on a wire rack.

 

Whiskey Seville Orange Marmalade

 

Makes 2-3 litres/64-96 fluid oz

 

 

900g/32oz Seville Oranges

1600ml/64 fl.oz water

1 lemon

1800g/64oz granulated sugar

50ml/2 fl.oz Irish whiskey

 

Wash the oranges and lemon to remove any wax.   Cut in half and squeeze out the juice.  Remove the pulp with a dessertspoon.  Combine the pulp and pips in a muslin cloth and tie into a ball.   Place the ball in a large bowl and cover with water.  Let stand while cutting rinds.

Cut each rind in half, then place on a cutting board and slice thinly.   Put into a bowl with the pulp ball, add the remainder of the water and soak overnight.

Pour the contents of the bowl into a large pan and bring to a boil.   Simmer for 2 hours or until the peel is soft when squeezed gently between your fingers.

Squeeze the liquid from the muslin ball into a pot.    While cooking, warm the sugar and jars in the oven.   Add the warmed sugar to the pot and stir well to dissolve.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the marmalade is set.  Add whiskey if desired.

Test the jam by dropping a bit of jam onto a chilled saucer, popping it into a freezer for a minute, removing it and pushing the jam with your finger.   If it is set, the jam will wrinkle when it is pushed.  If not, cook it gently for a few minutes and then re-test.

 

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

 

Makes 2-3 litres/64-96 fl.ozs

 

900g/32oz strawberries

900g/32oz rhubarb

1350g/48oz granulated sugar

 

Cut the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces.   Place these pieces in a large bowl, cover with 455g/16oz of sugar and let stand for 2 hours.

Crush the berries and place them in a large pot.   Add 455g/16oz of sugar and stir to combine.   Add the rhubarb mixture, then cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and cook until it is thick.  Test the jam by dropping a bit of jam onto a chilled saucer, popping it into the freezer for a minute, removing it and pushing the jam with your finger.  If it is set, the jam will wrinkle when it is pushed.   If not, cook it gently for a few more minutes and then re-test.

Pour the jam into clean hot jars.  Wipe the top of each jar with  a clean wet cloth to remove any splatters.  If you are using lids, place them in a saucepan with boiling water, boil for one minute and then place onto the jars.   Tighten the lids and leave to rest.  The jars should make a popping sound as they seal.

 

Store in a dark, cool place.

 

 

Foolproof Food

Irish Rarebit

 

 

Serves 3-4

 

455g/16oz aged Irish cheddar cheese

1 tbsp butter

200ml/8 fl oz Murphy’s stout, or a pale stout of your choice

½ tsp dry mustard powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne

2 vine ripened tomatoes

Brown bread, sliced and toasted

 

 

Grate the cheese.

Over a low heat melt the butter in the top of a bain-marie or double boiler.   Add the cheese, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.   As the cheese begins to melt, slowly add the stout.   Again, stir constantly to obtain a creamy texture.  Add the dry mustard, Worcestershire, and cayenne.   Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Toast the bread, place some tomato slices onto it and spoon the cheese sauce over the top.  Garnish with finely minced chives or parsley.

 

If bain-marie or double boiler is not available place a glass bowl over pan of boiling water and proceed.   Do not allow bottom of bowl to touch hot water; or mixture will cook, not melt.

 

Sausage Breakfast Bread Pudding

Serves 8

 

Preheat oven to 180C (350F)

 

455g/16oz bulk sausage meat

6 eggs

400ml/16 fluid oz milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced fine

1 tsp rubbed sage

6 slices white bread, crust removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

4-6 mushrooms, diced

170g/6oz grated cheddar cheese

 

 

Cook the sausage meat in a frying pan, and use a wooden spoon to break the sausage into smallish pieces.   Drain the pieces on a paper towel and set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the milk, mustard and sage.  Whisk to combine.

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.   Cover the bottom with bread cubes.  Sprinkle the sausage meat over the bread, then the apple, mushrooms and finally the grated cheddar cheese.   Pour the egg mixture over the contents of the baking dish.  Cover the mixture with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.  Bake uncovered at 180C/350F for 40-50 minutes or until the centre tests done, when a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Garnish with a grilled tomato.

 

Cheese Blintzes with Apple Sauce

 

Serves 4

 

 

 

Batter for blintz:

 

140g/5oz flour

Pinch of salt

75-100ml/3-4 fl oz milk

40g/1½ oz butter, melted

3 eggs

 

Cheese filling:

 

455g/16oz cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

¼ tsp cinnamon

55g/2oz caster sugar

Pinch of salt

½ tsp lemon zest, finely grated

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Apple Sauce:

 

455g/16oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

55g/2oz sugar, or to taste

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp water

 

 

Place all the ingredients for the cheese filling into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.   Keep in a refrigerator until needed.

Place the apples, sugar, cinnamon and water into a saucepan.  Cover with a lid and cook on low temperature until the apples cook into sauce consistency.   Check to prevent sticking.   Chill until needed.

Place the flour and salt into a food processor.   Combine the egg, milk, and butter in a mixing jug, then pour into a processor with the motor running and process until the mixture is smooth.

Heat a crepe pan over medium heat, and then brush with a few drops of oil.  Pour 55g/2oz of the batter into the pan (or enough to cover the bottom).  Tilt the pan to evenly distribute the batter.  When the blintz looks solid and pulls away from the edges of the pan (blintz will not be totally cooked, just solid enough to handle), turn it out onto parchment.   Place 1 tbsp of the cheese filling into the centre and fold over the opposite sides, repeat with the other two sides.  The blintz should look like a rectangular envelope.   Set them aside, cover with damp tea towel, repeat cooking process – the batter mixture should yield 8 blintzes.

To complete cooking – heat 150ml/6 fluid oz of oil in a deep-sided pan, oil should cover blintzes and fry them until they are golden brown.  Drain the blintzes on kitchen paper and serve with apple sauce on the side.

 

 

 

Hot Tips

 

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group next meeting on Thursday 14^th April at 7.30pm at Crawford Gallery Café, Emmet Place – Fresh Indian Spices and other Indian Foods with Arun Kapil of ‘Green Saffron’ – Learn how to use them in authentic, traditional family recipes.    €6 admission including tea & coffee.

 

Corned Mutton –

If you’re tiring of the usual meats, how about some corned mutton for a change.  The tradition is alive and well in the English Market in Cork – go upstairs to the Farm Gate Café where Kay Harte serves the most delicious corned mutton – Kay poaches the mutton and serves with caper sauce.     Traditional butchers, Paul and Alan Murphy, a father and son duo in the Market, corn the mutton specially for her.  Congratulations to both Kay and the Murphys for reviving a Slow Food tradition.

 

 

Launch of Slow Food Bantry –

To celebrate the launch of Slow Food Bantry join An Afternoon Tea Party at Organico Café on Sunday 20 ^th April from 3-5pm – Guest speakers Myrtle Allen, Giana Ferguson and Martha Cashman.  Tickets €10 (concessions for children), available from Organico Café, O’Connor’s Seafood Restaurant, Westlodge Hotel and Val Manning’s Emporium.   For more information contact Organico Café, Glengarriff Road, Bantry, 027-55905, www.slowfoodbantry.com

 

 

Crossed Grain is the members magazine of Coeliac UK

The magazine is distributed 3 times a year and contains news and views about gluten-free living and includes regular features such as product news    www.coeliac.co.uk

On a recent trip to India we travelled right into the central province of Madhya Pradesh to try to catch a glimpse of the famous Bengali tiger before it disappears entirely.   It was quite a mission – A flight from Mumbai to Nagpur, followed by a two hour jeep drive to Baghvan, a cc Africa game lodge on the edge of Pench National Park.

On the day of our arrival all the Indian newspapers carried headlines berating the  government for exaggerating tiger numbers. The latest Wildlife Survey of India indicated that numbers are less than 50% of the last survey.  This didn’t augur well for our chances yet every morning we struggled out of bed before dawn full of anticipation. We were picked up by a game warden and driven in an open jeep through the jungle tracks for 3-4 hours, our eyes peeled, ears pricked to pick up alarm calls.  We saw lots of spotted deer, langur monkeys, black buck, sambar, jackal, a herd of gaur and even a jungle cat, but not a whiff of a tiger or leopard.    The nearest we came to it were several sightings of fresh pok marks. Nonetheless there were compensations, the food at the Baghvan Game lodge was delicious.  Virtually every hotel and household in India makes homemade curd.  At Baghvan they serve it for breakfast in glasses with fresh pomegranate seeds and syrup on top.  Slices of ripe papaya embellished with coriander sugar, fresh pineapple was served with a perky chilli syrup.

There’s also a crunchy muesli made with cashew nuts, honey and sesame seeds, jugs of fresh orange or sweet lime juice.  Lots of fresh fruit, the most delish muffins, and a lassi of the day.  There was always an Indian speciality of course .   The chef made parathas and masala, omelettes with chopped chilli, onion, tomato, coriander and cheese added to the eggs from the local village.    All the other ingredients came from the organic vegetable garden in the grounds of the lodge.    The gardener Sunil makes compost which grows fresh herbs and vegetables in tiny sunken beds which can be flooded to save every drop of precious water.  Growing here is a real challenge, not just water shortages but one can’t rule out attacks from elephants, marauding monkeys or a hungry nocturnal porpoise.

The stuffing for the parathas varied daily, one day it was crushed fresh peas with chilli, cumin and coriander, the next a spicy mashed potato mix, the third, grated cauliflower with coriander and ginger.

They are eaten fresh off the griddle with a lime pickle which is definitely an acquired taste, but this was the most delicious I’ve tasted in India.

When we arrived in from the game trail the chef would be cooking some tasty snack in the open kitchen to tempt us. One day it was spinach pakoras, on another occasion it was paneer grilled over a lump of charcoal.   There were also sweet sticky jalabas for us to nibble.

The staff spent all their time planning little treats.  Every evening, guests had a new surprise, dinner by the pool in the moonlight, a barbecue under a giant neem tree, a romantic rose petal strewn table on the veranda, always delicious food, soup, a rice pilaff, a paneer dish, meat, fish or prawn curry, mixed vegetables, salad and of course daal.

Then kulfi, or gheer with pistachio nuts or a little carrot halva, which takes four or five hours of dedicated effort to make.

It was like one big house party, it is rare to have such good food even in the best hotels.  I avoid hotel buffets like the plague and in fact much of the best food I’ve eaten in India has been in street stalls and dhabas and of course in multi-generational private houses where the cooking skills are still passed down from grandmother to grandchild in the time- honoured way – a tradition that is all but lost in this part of the world.

Rata who manages Baghvan was kind enough to hand write some of the recipes for me to share with you.

www.ccafrica.com  www.tajsafaris.com

Baghvan Lodge is situated on the edge of Pench National Park in Central India, in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh.   Dominated by hills, forests and valleys, this national park derives its name from the Pench river, which meanders its way through the entire stretch of the 757 km² park.

Indian Paratha Bread

 

Makes 16

 

These roughly triangular breads get eaten all over India. Easy to make at home, all you need is a cast iron frying pan. In India ghee is used instead of oil.

 

175g (6oz) sieved wholemeal flour (weigh the flour after sieving, add the bran to the remainder in the bag)

185g (6 1/2oz) plain flour plus some extra for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter

200ml (7fl oz) water

Oil for frying and brushing

 

Put the wholemeal, white flour and salt into a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of oil over the top.  Rub the oil in with your fingertips. The mixture will resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add the water and gradually mix them together to form a softish ball of dough. 

Knead on a clean work surface for about 10 minutes. Rub the ball with dough with a little oil put into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rest for 30 minutes. 

Heat a cast iron frying pan on a medium-low flame. Knead the dough again, shape into a roll and cut into 16 equal pieces. 

 

Variations:

 

Potato Paratha

 

Basic paratha dough –as above

 

Potato filling:

450g (1lb) mashed potato

2 green chillies, chopped

4 tablesp. chopped coriander

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 teasp. cumin

1 teasp. grated ginger (optional)

Mix the mashed potato and other ingredients together to make a filling.

 

Make a batch of paratha dough as above. Roll out a ball of dough, dipping regularly in flour.  Roll it into a round about 5 inches (12.5cm) diameter.   Place 2 small tablespoons of potato filling on top.   Pinch the edges together. 

Heat a griddle or heavy iron pan.   Cook dry first on the hot griddle or pan, then rub a little butter on top, turn over and cook for a minute or two.   Spread a little butter on the other side.  Serve with pickles and raita.

 

Cauliflower Paratha

 

Paratha dough – as above

 

1 small cauliflower grated (raw)

Salt

Green chilli

Ginger

Roasted cumin powder

 

Mix the ingredients for the filling together and proceed as in potato paratha.

 

Green Pea Paratha

 

Blanched green peas

Oil

Cumin seeds

Salt

Ginger

Chopped green chilli

 

Make the filling and proceed as above.

 

 

Parathas may be reheated wrapped in tin foil in a moderate oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4, they take 5-10 minutes.

 

 

Khadi Paneer

 

Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main course

 

3 tablespoons peanut oil

4 tablespoons coarsely grated unpeeled ginger

2 sliced red onions (medium)

1 sliced green pepper (small)

3-4 ripe tomatoes

110g (4oz) peas, fresh or frozen

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

200g (7ozs) paneer (diced into 3/4 inch dice)

2 teaspoons Chana masala – available from Asian food shops

 

Put 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a kadhi or wok over a medium heat.  Add the grated ginger, stir, add the sliced red onions, green pepper, tomatoes and peas.  Add salt to taste and a good 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.  Finally add the diced paneer.  Stir and allow to cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add 2 teaspoons of chana masala.  Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes.   Taste and serve with chapatti, naan or parathas.

 

Cabbage Thoran (Kerela) Fogath (Karnataka) Poriyal (Tamilnadu)

 

I first came across this dish in Kerela but was interested to find it is also a much loved dish in Bengal.

 

Serves 4-6

 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

a pinch of freshly ground cumin (jeera)

a pinch of turmeric powder

15 curry leaves, fresh or frozen

2 dry red chillies

200g (7ozs) grated fresh coconut

1 cabbage, washed and finely chopped/diced

 

 

Heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan to smoking point. Add the mustard seeds, cumin (jeera), turmeric, curry leaves, chilli.  Stir, add the coconut and cabbage and continue to stir-fry on a low heat (fire).  Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until cooked.  Taste and correct seasoning.

 

Tomato Khata

 

Serves 5-6

 

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

20g (3/4 oz) crushed garlic

2-3 green chillies, thinly sliced

10-15g (1/2 oz) mango ginger or ordinary fresh ginger, peeled and grated

500g (18ozs) chopped tomato

2-3 bay leaves

salt to taste

sugar

coriander leaf

 

Put oil into a wok, heat, add the mustard seed, garlic, chilli, ginger and chopped tomatoes and bay leaf.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes stir every now and then.  Add salt and sugar.  Taste and add fresh coriander.

 

 

Masala Baby Corn

 

Serves 4

 

1 tablesp. vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin (jeera)

50g (2ozs) onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ginger, chopped

1/4 teaspoon green chilli, chopped

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

100g (3 1/2 ozs) tomato, chopped

300g (11ozs) baby corn, diced

a pinch of garam masala

 

Garnish

1/2 teaspoon green coriander, chopped

 

Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin (jeera) and fry until it crackles and add the onion and ginger.  Fry until golden brown and add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add the tomatoes and baby corn, cover and cook for a few minutes.  Add a pinch of garam masala.  Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

 

 

Hot Tips

Enjoy A Taste of India with Darina Allen on Wednesday 17^th September 2008

9.30- 12.30 – Tel 021-4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie  info@cookingisfun.ie 

 

Cork City has at last recognised the importance of the great tradition of the crubeen and Katty Barry with the opening of An Crubin .A food and drink emporium with hosts Paul Lewis and Frank O Connell.

Together with An Crubin and Beamish, Cork City Slow Food Convivium is holding a traditional evening of pigs trotters,tails,ribs and cheek, with Arbutus artisan handmade breads and creamy pints of cool Beamish.

Venue   An Cruibin, on Thursday April 17^th, members €10, non-members €15

 

 

Slow Sausage Sunday –Sunday 27th April 2008

Wicklow Slow Food – The Garden Convivium

Venue: Rear 15A, Georges St Upper, Dún Laoghaire. Time 11.00am-14.00pm

This workshop will be aimed at children (ably assisted by an adult!). We will be making sausages from scratch, focusing on taste. The children will be mixing, filling and linking their own sausages by hand, in 1 kg batches, which they will all get to take home and cook.  As this event takes place in a real sausage kitchen, it will be cold and wet! So be sure to wear nice clean wellies and warm clothes You will also need an apron and a sense of fun! Booking is essential as places are limited. Please email to confirm by 24^th April. hick.edward@gmail.com Space at Hick’s is also limited… foldable buggies only please!

Cost: € 20.00 per child for members and €30.00 per child for non-members.

(Accompanying adults are free)

Special Offer  – Any non member who joins up on the day will get to attend for free!! Annual membership is €50 per person more info on www.slowfoodireland.com

The perception of the city of Calcutta , or Kolkatta as it is now called, is changing fast. At last it is beginning to acquire an image other than that of destitute poor and the Black Hole of Calcutta.

The economic boom in India means that third world meets first world on every street, Mercs glide alongside belching tuc tucs, glitzy shopping malls spring up in the midst of the roadside food stalls and dhabas.  Yet Calcutta is unique in India in retaining its trams, and is the only metropolis in the world to still have hand-pulled rickshaws.   You take your life in your hands every time you attempt to cross the street with a sea of honking yellow ambassador taxis, bicycles, tuc tucs and motorbike riders, some with funny helmets from World war two.

Unimaginable loads are carried on Honda heroes and old Enfield motorcycles, two adults and two children, sheets of glass or plywood propped up between the rider and the pillion passenger, building materials, crammed baskets, vegetables, live chickens, fish. ….  We once saw a water buffalo with feet tied squished into a tuc tuc.  Of course there are vibrant markets, fruit, vegetables and spice markets where vendors sit crossed legged on the ground calling to attract passers-by to their wares, which might be just a handful of vegetables or a couple of fish.   We rose at dawn to go outside to explore Calcutta ’s wetlands, not normally on a tourist itinerary, but this unique eco-system,  2000 hectares of lakes and marshland, an extraordinary eco achievement where the night soil of the city is piped out through a natural reed bed system.    This not only purifies the water but leaves it rich in mineral deposits and plankton, making it a prime producer of some of the world’s most sustainable fish on a massive scale – over 10,000 tons of fish a year is produced.    Furthermore a series of market gardens have been created on the rich fertile soil between the ponds, these produce lush vegetables and leafy greens, spinach, oracle, coriander, mustard greens, squash blossoms, coriander…..

We arrived in the little village of Bantala about 15 kilometres from the centre of Calcutta  soon after 7am just in time to catch the end of the fish auction.  Fishermen on bicycles, with saddles made from old tyres, arrived from the surrounding area with tin vessels called decki, covered with wet sacking attached to their carriers, these were full of live fish.  The fish merchants were waiting, sitting cross-legged in their latticed bamboo huts.  The fishermen cycled up, they upended their bicycles, front wheel in the air to tip the wriggling fish into the plastic barrels so the auctioneer could assess the quality of the catch.   The fish was weighed on huge balance scales, the bidding started, 46-48 rupees a kilo seemed to be the going rate that morning.  The fishermen, dressed in traditional dhoti would have waded knee deep in the shallow ponds for hours catching the fish with little nets and sometimes with their bare hands.

After the transaction, the fish is transported still live into the fish market in Calcutta , but they go along to a tea shack to enjoy a glass of chai, hot sweet spiced tea, swap fishy yarns before picking up some fresh vegetables from the roadside market to take home to make a simple stew.   Although many people are very poor the basic food is still very nutritious.

On the outskirts of the village we came upon an entire family on the roadside making chals kumar from gram flour mixed with ginger and chilli powder.   Three generations passing the skills from grandparents to grandchildren.   They picked off balls of dough and left it to dry in the sun on a sheet of canvas.    These provide little sundried nuggets, a nutritious staple to eat with gravy or daal.   In the city they are dried on the roof, but this skill is fast disappearing as more people become affluent and buy them ready made in packets, even though they are a vastly inferior product according to Ankur, our guide.

Back in the city, later in the morning, we headed for the bustling office district where the street food is at its most riveting.  Each stall has its own speciality.  There under makeshift awnings are charcoal stoves with kadhi full of oil to cook pakoras and shungara, the Bengali names for samosas. Little stalls piled high with biryani pots, mutton stew, daals, chow mein ( Calcutta has the oldest Chinatown outside China .)    Each stallholder offers up a puja (prayer) to the Gods before they start and there is always an auspicious symbol of limes and chillies strung together, hanging from the stall for good luck.

Several stalls were rolling out dough for a variety of breads, chapatti and luchi,  others slapped paper thin rounds of dough onto red hot upturned metal kadhi (wok like pot) to make romali roti (handkerchief bread) in seconds.   In fact some of the best food I’ve tasted comes from street stalls and dhabas in India .   It is freshly cooked and hot, and in my experience a much safer bet than lukewarm hotel buffets.  The complexity of the food and traditional cooking skills are mesmerizing.  The flavour of every thing I tasted was truly delicious – nourishing complex food.  The number of people that these and other street stalls feed every day is staggering, not just thousands but millions in Calcutta alone.

Eggy toast is another speciality, a sustaining snack for just 5 rupees,   Thick slices of partly toasted white bread were piled high.  There’s a shallow griddle pan on a kerosene stove. A little groundnut oil goes in, quick as a flash he whisks a fresh egg in a tin bowl, adds chopped onion, chilli, fresh coriander leaves, a good pinch of salt, straight onto the pan. The stack of toasted bread is dipped into this sizzling omelette like mixture, first one side is cooked on the smoking hot griddle, then the other – its done.  Cut in quarters, scatter on some rock salt and pepper, wrapped in newspaper 5 rupees, next please – so good and filling.   A glass of sweet spicy tea from a chai wallah and then a sweetmeat or two.  Bengalis have a compulsive love of sweets made from chana and jaggery, an acquired taste for a visitor.  Don’t leave Calcutta without tasting rosagulla and my favourite cooked yoghurt at Kewpies Restaurant, famous for serving Bengali home cooking.

The Calcutta Kitchen written by Simon Parkes, presenter on BBC 4’s Food Programme and Udit Sarkhel, of the best known Bengali chefs in Britain – has delicious recipes for Bengali cooking  and snapshots of the fish ponds, markets, artisan food producers, restaurants, clubs, cooks, gourmet, and street foods that play a part in the Calcutta’s rich culinary culture.  Here are some recipes from the book, published by Mitchell Beazley.

.

Aloo Makallah – Crusty potatoes

 

These potatoes serve as an accompaniment to almost every Jewish meal.  You can never make enough of them, so when cooking, use at least 4-5 per head! Ideally, use small potatoes and cook them whole; but if you use large ones, cut them in half or into quarters.  Try not to use new-season potatoes, as you need a bit of starch. 

 

Serves 4

16-20 small potatoes

1tbsp turmeric

salt

vegetable oil for deep frying

 

Peel the potatoes and place in a pot with cold water to cover.  Add the turmeric and salt to taste, and parboil for about 8-10 minutes.  Drain, dry and pierce at random with the tines of a fork.

Place the potatoes in a Karai or heavy wok, cover with cold oil, then bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer gently, moving the potatoes around, for about 20 minutes.  At this point, the potatoes can be removed and kept until almost ready to serve, if you wish. 

Simmer for another 8-10 minutes.  Once the potatoes start turning light golden, turn up the heat slightly and fry until they are a darker gold and crisp on the outside.

Drain well and serve immediately.

 

 

Bhapa Doi – Steamed Sweetened Yoghurt

 

This creamy, slice-able, textured pudding is similar to a crème caramel – one of my favourites.  The sweetness of the condensed milk works wonderfully with the acidity of the plain yoghurt.

 

Serves 4

 

800g (1lb 12 oz) natural yoghurt

300g (10½oz) sweetened condensed milk

seeds of 6 green cardamon pods

powdered in a mortar and pestle

8-10 saffron strands

 

Garnish

Sliced pistachio nuts

 

Heat some water in a steamer.  If you do not have a steamer, upturn a small, metal, flat-bottomed bowl inside a lager pot with a fitting lid.  Pour water into this and bring to a simmer.  Put the item to be steamed into a suitable dish, cover with clingfilm, and place on the upturned bowl to steam. 

Mix the yoghurt and other ingredients in a cool glass bowl and aerate it rapidly with a hand whisk.  Do not over-whisk for fear of the whey separating.  Pour it into 4 individual serving bowls, cover with clingfilm and put in the steamer or on to the upturned bowl.  Cover with the lid and steam on a steady simmer for 35-40 minutes. 

Carefully remove the bowls and leave to cool.  Remove the clingfilm and chill. 

Serve chilled, sprinkle with the sliced pistachio nuts. 

 

 

 

 

Roast bhetki Portuguese

 

Bhetki is highly prized by Bengalis for its flavour and lack of bones.  This recipe uses fillets, and most all fishmongers in Calcutta will fillet the fish for you.  The “Portuguese” connection is in the use of peppers and tomatoes.  Portuguese cooks were found in Park Street restaurants, and came from Portuguese settlements around Calcutta in places such as Bandel (famous for its many beautiful churches). 

 

Serves 4

 

1 large piece bhetki, or cod or halibut fillet, about 800g (1lb 12oz)

 

juice of 1 lemon

salt

1cm (½in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed

2 tbsp vegetable oil

a few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped

 

Sauce

50g (1¾oz) butter

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp red chilli powder

a pinch of granulated sugar (or, more interesting, 2 tbsp port)

1 green sweet pepper, seeded and diced

1 red sweet pepper, seeded and sliced

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

200g can chopped tomatoes

 

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4

 

Wash the fillet of fish and pat dry.  Use, whole or, depending on the size of your oven and your dish, cut in half.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice and salt to taste.  Make a paste in the blender with the ginger, garlic and black peppercorns, and rub this into the fish.  Leave to marinate, covered, for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the garlic and onion, and cook for 2 minutes, until translucent.  Add the turmeric, chilli powder and sugar (or port), and fry for a minute.  Add the green and red peppers and sauté for a minute.  Add the fresh and canned tomatoes and stir.  Cook on a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.  Taste for seasoning. 

 

While this is cooking, heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan or casserole.  Brown the fish briefly on both sides, taking care not to break it while turning.  Top the fish with the thickened sauce, and put the dish into the oven for about 15 minutes, covered.  Turn up the heat to 190C/375F/gas mark 5, and cook the fish for another 3-4 minutes, uncovered.  Serve immediately with some crusty Portuguese-type bread. 

 

 

 

Kuku – Spicy Spinach and Herb Omelette

 

This is an Armenian dish, normally eaten as a precursor to a meal, not a starter, or as a late-morning light meal, served with crusty Armenian bread.  This bread is a bit like ciabatta or country rolls, with a crust created by wood-fired ovens (there are quite a few wood-fired Armenian bakeries in Calcutta ).

 

Serves 4

250g (9oz) fresh spinach leaves

250g (9oz) fresh coriander

250g (9oz) spring onions with green stalks

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp Madras curry powder

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Wash, drain well, and chop the spinach, coriander and spring onions.  Sprinkle with salt and leave for an hour.  Gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible, using your hands (you don’t want to break up the leaves too much).

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and add the baking powder, curry powder, flour and greens, flour and greens.  Mix together. 

Heat the oil in a large omelette pan and pour in the egg mixture.  Scramble it lightly, then allow it to set, covered with a dinner plate, for about 2 minutes.  The top should set fully.

The omelette can be folded over and then sliced, or left whole like quiche and cut into wedges or quarters.

 

Foolproof Food

Chai

 

250ml (9fl oz) full fat milk

2-3 cardamom pods

2.5cm (1inch) piece of cinnamon

3 peppercorns

3 teaspoons loose tea leaves

500ml (18fl oz) boiling water

sugar

 

Put all the ingredients except the tea leaves and the sugar into a saucepan, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Bring back to the boil, add the tea leaves, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 1-2 mins.  Turn off the heat and allow the leaves to settle.  Serve in tea cups.

 

Hot Tips

Slow Food for Kids at Hosfords Garden Centre in West Cork on Sunday 6^th April

Official opening by Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso,  market, cookery demonstration, worm composting demonstration, clown, demonstrations on growing vegetables and much, much more Tel 023-39159, www.hosfordsgardencentre.ie  www.slowfoodireland.com  

 

Mallow’s First Farmers Market, today 5^th April at Bank Place – between Mallow Travel and O’Flynn’s Furniture outside URRU Culinary Store 10.30am – 1pm

Leading Irish farmhouse cheeses like Ardrahan, Hegarty’s Cheese, Fermoy Natural Cheese Company, organic fruit and vegetables…. The market will run on alternate Saturdays to the Kilavullen Farmers Market, offering a weekly market option for the region.

 

Spring Gardening Workshop At Country Choice, Nenagh, Co Tipperary with Jim Cronin from 7.00-10.00pm – Planning and Planting, Sowing Tips, Container Gardening, Natural Pest and Disease Control – Grow your own vegetables!

Contact Country Choice at 067-32596 to book place or email peter@countrychoice.com

 

Conference 18 & 19^th April – The Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists –

The Complexity of Herbal Medicine and the Implications for Research – at Cork Institute of Technology – enquiries to Frances.Lynch@cit.ie Tel 021-4326885

Hugh Fearnley -Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver’s recent campaign to highlight the fate of intensively produced chicken has helped to focus attention on the real price of cheap food in health, socio-economic and animal welfare terms. It doesn’t make easy viewing but the quality of the food we eat and feed our families is such an important issue that we simply cannot justify shrugging our shoulders and saying – we don’t care two tuppenny hoots as long as the end result is cheap food. It is difficult to justify putting animals or birds through unnecessary stress and suffering just to shave another few cents off the price. A free range organic chicken will cost you anything between 13 and 16 euros, whereas two intensively produced chickens, particularly those produced ‘off shore’ can be bought two for the for price of one for about €5.99 depending on size . By now many readers will be muttering ‘its all very fine for her’ – the perception is that I can afford it, but the reality is not about being able to afford it, its about priorities – we all make time and money for what we perceive to be important. Think about it, how much did you spend on booze or even magazines last week? How much did that mobile phone or those fancy runners cost? When we ask ourselves these questions we realize that it is all about our sense of values.

Every culture around the world has similar sayings about the importance of food to our very existence. “We are what we eat”, “Your health goes in through your mouth”, “Our food should be our medicine”….

Yet nowadays many of us do not connect the food we eat with how we feel and perform.

We shovel any kind of old rubbish into ourselves and then wonder why we aren’t feeling full of energy and vitality. We can’t do anything about our genes but we can certainly do something about the quality of the ‘fuel’ we put in the tank to keep ‘the machine’ ticking over.

An equally important question which neither Hugh nor Jamie posed, was what exactly is in the feed the birds are fed which enables them to grow at such astonishing speed?

Chicken is by far the cheapest and most popular meat, yet when I was a child, chicken, even though we reared our own, was a rare and truly delicious treat.

At that time farmers’ wives all over the country had a few laying hens and many reared birds for the table. The introduction of the deep litter and intensive production systems, in combination with stricter health and safety regulations, hastened the demise of the small flocks around the country. This time-honoured system had provided pin money and superb free range chicken and eggs for people in virtually every parish in Ireland .

I personally regret the loss of this type of production. It was, and can be again, part of our traditional food culture and our rural skill base.

Those of us who are part of the growing Farmers Market network, experience at first hand the deep craving and growing numbers of people who are seeking out this kind of food, and more importantly are prepared to pay for it.

The skill of rearing poultry is still in folk memory and I’ve been battling for some time now for a simple set of regulations that are proportionate to the risk involved and that would encourage and facilitate the re-establishment of this kind of local food production around the country.

Now that Minister Trevor Sargent is chairing the Artisan Industry Committee, I am hopeful that this vision can become a reality.

The older generation are the guardians of the traditional food production skills, lets learn from them before its too late.

If you would like to be able to rear birds in this way or have access to truly free range or free range organic birds, please log onto www.soilassociation.org

We also have a course on ‘How to keep a few chickens in the garden’ on Saturday 19th April 2008.

Pan Grilled Chicken breasts with Parsley salad and Sundried tomatoes

Separate the fillet from the underneath side of the meat, cook separately or slice thinly at an angle and quickly stir-fry. The chicken breast cooks more evenly when the fillet is removed.

Serves 8

8 Chicken breasts

olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Basil Dressing

175ml (6fl.oz) extra-virgin olive oil

50ml (2fl.oz) white wine or rice wine vinegar

Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

1 garlic clove

10-15 basil leaves

1 finely chopped shallot (optional)

Parsley Salad

4 handfuls destalked Italian and curly parsley

Worcester sauce

8 chopped sundried tomatoes

slivers of Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)

First make the dressing, whizz the basil with the oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic and seasoning in a liquidiser or food processor. Keep aside.

Just before serving cook the chicken breasts.

Heat a cast iron grill pan until quite hot. Brush each chicken breast with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill for about a minute, then reverse the angle to mark attractively, cook until golden

Brown on both sides. The grill pan may be transferred to a moderate oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4. Be careful not to overcook the chicken breasts, they will take approx. 15 minutes in total.

To Serve

Put a pan-grilled chicken breast on each plate. Toss the parsley in a little of the basil dressing, sprinkle with a little Worcester sauce. Put a portion of parsley on each plate, sprinkle with a few pieces of sundried tomato and slivers of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with Rustic roast potatoes or Buffalo chips.

Thai Chicken, Galangal and Coriander Soup

Serves 8

A particularly delicious example of how fast and easy a Thai soup can be. Serve in Chinese porcelain bowls if available. The kaffir lime leaves and galangal are served but not eaten. The chilli may of course be nibbled. Prawns and shrimp can be substituted for chicken in this recipe with equally delicious results.

900ml (32fl oz) homemade chicken stock (see recipe)

4 fresh lime leaves

2 inch (5cm) piece of galangal, peeled and sliced or less of fresh ginger

4 tablespoons Fish sauce ( Nam pla)

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

225g (8oz) free range organic chicken breast, very finely sliced

230ml (8fl oz) coconut milk (use CHAOKOH brand)

1-3 Thai red chillies

Fresh coriander leaves – about 5 tablespoons

Put the chicken stock, lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice into a saucepan. Bring to the boil stirring all the time, add the finely shredded chicken and coconut milk. Continue to cook over a high heat until the chicken is just cooked 1-2 minutes approx. Crush the chillies with a knife or Chinese chopper add to the soup with some coriander leaves, cook for just a few seconds. Ladle into hot chinese bowls and serve immediately.

Note: We usually use one red Thai chilli – number depends on your taste and how hot

the chillies are.

Blanched and refreshed rice noodles are also delicious added to this soup – hey presto, you have a main course. Serve in wide pasta bowl with lots of fresh coriander scattered over the top.

Top Tip: Fresh lime leaves are not available in every village shop so buy them anytime you spot them and pop them into a bag in your freezer.

Foolproof Food

Roast Chicken Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms and Pancetta

Serves 8

Bubbly super chef Merrilees Parker did this yummy recipe when she came to teach at the school in April 2004, we have adapted it somewhat but it really was her idea. A great recipe for using up delicious morsels of roast chicken – be sure to include the crispy skin. Alternatively use pan-grilled chicken breasts.

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

225g (8oz) pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, rind removed and cut into 1cm (¼ inch) lardons

500g (16oz) spaghetti or linguine

150ml (½ ) pint double cream

225g (8oz) sliced Portobello or field mushrooms

12oz (¾lb) leftover roast chicken or pangrilled chicken breast, coarsely shredded

2 tablespoons thyme leaves (preferably lemon thyme) or annual marjoram

110g (4oz) mixed salad leaves – rocket or baby spinach leaves would be terrific, roughly chopped

110g (4ozs) freshly grated Parmesan

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 5.7 litres (10 pints) of water to the boil in a large saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of salt. Then curl in the pasta, stir gently. Bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cover with a tight fighting lid and leave the pasta to cook for 5 minutes approximately until al dente.

Meanwhile heat a wok or a large heavy frying pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and then the bacon lardons. Cook over a high heat for 4-5minutes until really crispy. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining oil and the sliced mushrooms. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and cook for a further 3-4 minutes over a high heat.

Drain the pasta. Tip into the wok or frying pan on top of the mushrooms. Add the crispy bacon, thyme leaves or marjoram and coarsely shredded chicken and toss really well. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Pour the cream into the pan, bring to the boil. Taste and correct the seasoning then toss thoroughly again.

Finally add the fresh leaves and half the Parmesan, mixing gently. Give the dish one last toss and serve immediately in warmed deep bowls with the remaining Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Sticky Chicken Thighs with Soy and Ginger sauce

Serves 10

Marinade:

225ml (8fl oz) soy sauce

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 chillies finely chopped

10 free range and organic chicken thighs

Accompaniment:

Cucumber wedges

Spicy green salad (see recipe)

Sweet chilli sauce

Lime wedges

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl or pie dish. Slash the skin of the chicken thighs. Put into a pie dish, cover with the marinade and turn well to coat. Cover and keep refrigerated for at least an hour or even overnight.

To serve:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4. Drain the chicken pieces and save the marinade for basting. Arrange skin side up in a roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes approximately and then baste every 10 minutes or so with some of the extra marinade.

Serve with cucumber wedges about 6cm (2 1/2 inches) long and cut at an angle, spicy green salad, lime wedges and a bowl of sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Spicy Green Salad

Sweet and sour dressing:

2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons castor sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons Nam pla (fish sauce)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 handful fresh coriander leaves

1 handful flat parsley leaves

1/2 handful mint leaves

4 spring onions, white and green part, sliced at an angle

4 finely shredded kaffir lime leaves (optional)

1-2 large red chillies thinly sliced

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and stir to dissolve. Continue to boil for 1-2 minutes, or until it becomes liquid. Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice. Pour into a jam jar or small bowl.

Put the coriander, parsley and mint leaves into a bowl, add the sliced spring onions, shredded kaffir lime leaves and thinly sliced chilli.

Just before serving toss with enough dressing to make the leaves glisten. Serve as soon as possible.

Hot Tips

First Waterford Festival of Food

Will take place from 11-13^th April in Dungarvan. Friday opening ceremony with Minister Cullen in Town Hall, followed by food trails in local restaurants, special menus featuring local producers.

Saturday will have seminars with top chefs and food writers – Richard Corrigan, Paul Flynn, Regina Sexton, Biddy White-Lennon, Eunice Power. Workshops and story telling for younger food fans. Sunday – Farmers Market Extravaganza in Grattan Square launched by Darina Allen. www.waterfordfestivaloffoodcom for further information or tel 058-21104

Wild Garlic is now in Season

Pick it in the wild or at the Farmers Market in Mahon Point on Thursday or Midleton on Saturday.

Look out for the heritage Blue Potatoes exclusive to Superquinn for a limited period

First grown in Scotland a century ago, these potatoes were re-introduced in a limited edition recently by Peter Keogh & Sons Cream of the Crop, a Dublin potato growing and packaging company. The have a dark purple skin and deep indigo-blue flesh and retain their colour when cooked. They have a nutty taste and steam and fry well.

Chocolate is inextricably linked with the Easter celebration, so in this weekend’s column I’ll focus on chocolate, one of the most exciting ingredients in the chef and cook’s repertoire.

Gone are the days when ‘scotchoc’ was our only option, unlike many other ingredients the quality and availability of chocolate seems to get better and better. As the consumer gets rapidly more sophisticated, the demand for dark chocolate has for the first time outstripped milk chocolate. Specialist chocolatiers are sourcing quality cocoa beans from around the world, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Chocolate is now talked about in the same way as fine wines.

The botanical name for the cocoa tree is Theobroma Cacao meaning ‘food of the gods’.

It grows in a narrow band around the world, 20º on either side of the Equator. The cocoa pods begin life as tiny white flowers emerging directly from the trunk and lower branches of the tree.

They gradually swell and ripen to form beautiful large pods which contain 30-40 seeds or beans nestled into white pulp.

Criollo, Forastro and Trinitario are the main varieties, each has its own unique and distinctive flavour. Virtually no other food has such a variety of complex flavours – a mind blowing 300 chemical compounds and 400 aromas have been identified in the cocoa bean.

Apart from its addictive flavour, the health-giving benefits of chocolate have been recognized for centuries and more recent research has proved beyond doubt that really good quality chocolate not only alters the mood and evokes happiness, but also gives an adrenalin rush more potent than coffee or tea. Not only is chocolate high in minerals – magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron and calcium, but it is high in antioxidants which we are told help to reduce heart disease and cancer.

Seek out a good brand of chocolate and preferably Fair Trade also – there are lots of names- Valrhona, Green & Black, Menier, Suchard, Lindt, Callebaut, Leonidas….. Choose chocolate with a high cocoa butter content. Milk: at least 10% cocoa mass and at least 12% milk solids. Dark: 50-70% cocoa solids. White Chocolate is not strictly speaking a chocolate, it contains no cocoa mass and is merely a mixture of cocoa butter, sugar and flavouring, buy the best quality otherwise it will be difficult to melt.

Melting chocolate

Good chocolate melts beautifully but be careful not to overheat.

Chocolate needs to be melted with great care. It burns easily and is then irretrievable. White chocolate is particularly sensitive.

Below is the method that we use: Break the chocolate into even-size pieces. Put into a pyrex bowl over a saucepan of water and bring slowly to almost simmer­ing point. Turn off the heat immediately and allow the bowl to sit over the saucepan. The water must not boil as the chocolate softens. Stir occasionally. Do not allow even a drop of water to get into the chocolate or chocolate will block or seize. If this happens no amount of stirring will remedy the situation however if a few drops of vegetable oil or clarified butter are added it will loosen the mixture to the extent that it can be blended with other ingredients.

Note: If you need a large quantity of chocolate, do it in batches.

Chocolate may also be melted in the microwave in a pyrex or plastic bowl. Different brands melt at different rates.

A new book for chocolate lovers called ‘101 Best Loved Chocolate Recipes’ has just been published by Hotel Chocolat – it includes favourite recipes from some well known chefs worldwide. Here is a selection from the book.

No-bake Chocolate Slice – Australian Women’s Weekly

24 slices

90g butter, in pieces, plus extra to grease

200g white marshmallows

1 tbsp water

200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

125g digestives or rich tea biscuits, coarsely chopped

125g glacé cherries, halved

75g roasted hazelnuts, halved

50g walnut halves, broken into pieces

Topping:

200g dark chocolate

60g butter

Grease two shallow 8cm x 25cm oblong baking tins (or plastic containers with similar dimensions).

Line the bases and sides with baking parchment, allowing the paper to extend 2cm above the long edges.

Put the marshmallows, water and butter into a medium saucepan and stir constantly over a low heat until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the biscuits, cherries and nuts, and stir gently until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture between the baking tins and spread evenly (do not crush the biscuits). Cover and chill for 1 hour.

For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter together in a pan over simmering water. Stir until smooth and let cool slightly. Spread the mixture evenly over the no-bake slices and chill for 1 hour or until firm.

Lift the chocolate slices out of the tins, using the paper, then peel off the lining paper. Cut each slice into 12 pieces.

Jane Suthering’s Chocolate Mud Pie

Serves 10-12

Pastry:

125g plain flour

15g cocoa powder

40g icing sugar

75g unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

Filling:

175g dark chocolate

175g unsalted butter

175g light or dark muscovado sugar

2 tsp instant coffee powder

3 eggs, plus 1 egg white

142ml carton whipping cream

100g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

Whiz all the ingredients for the pastry in a food processor to make a firm dough. Roll out thinly and use to line a 25cm fluted flan tin – use all the pastry and don’t worry if you have to patch it! Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas5

Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the filling, slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over a very low heat. Take off the heat and beat in the remaining ingredients.

Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for about 25 minutes until lightly risen and just firm. Leave to go cold before serving, sliced into wedges.

Alastair Hendy’s Swiss Chocolate Cake

8-12 slices

180g butter, plus extra to grease

210g shelled, skinned hazelnuts

20g plain flour

280g, dark, bitter chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces

200g caster sugar

6 medium eggs, separated

To serve:

Icing sugar

Whipped whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Grease a 24cm springform cake tin. Scatter the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 8 minutes until they smell lightly toasted. Tip onto a plate and allow to cool, then grind the nuts to fine crumbs and mix with the flour.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure the water isn’t in contact with the bowl) and leave until melted, then take off the heat.

Beat 130g of the sugar with the butter and egg yolks until pale and creamy. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff. Mix the melted chocolate with the egg yolk and sugar mixture, then gently mix the hazelnut flour mixture through this. Finally fold through the beaten egg whites.

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for around 60-70 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin a little, then transfer to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar – don’t fret if the cake sinks a little and cracks, its all part of the charm. Eat slices tidal-waved with whipped cream.

Anne Willan’s Chocolate Tartlets

With candied orange

Candied orange zest and a luscious dark chocolate ganache form the filling for these stunning tartlets. Serve them within a few hours of making – for afternoon tea or as in indulgent dessert.

Makes 8

Pastry:

175g plain flour, plus extra to dust

½ tsp salt

100g caster sugar

3 medium egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g butter, in pieces, slightly softened

Filling:

4 oranges

150g sugar

250g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), chopped

125ml double cream

90g butter

2 tbsp Grand Marnier

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mound on the work surface and make a well in the centre. Put the salt, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and butter into the well and work these ingredients together with the fingertips of one hand until thoroughly mixed and the sugar is partially dissolved. Gradually draw in the flour until the dough comes together, then knead lightly until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Pare the zest from the oranges with a swivel peeler and cut into fine julienne strips, using a large knife. Put the orange zest strips in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain.

Squeeze the juice from the oranges and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar and heat gently until dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the julienne zest and lower the heat. Simmer very gently, without stirring, until the zests are translucent and very tender, and almost all the liquid has evaporated; this will take 30-40 minutes. If the pan appears to be becoming a little dry before they are done, add a little water. Lift out the julienne with a slotted spoon, spread them on a sheet of baking parchment and leave to cool and dry. Strain the syrup and set 2 tbsp aside in a small pan.

Heat the oven to 190C/gas 5 and butter eight 8cm tartlet tins. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each one into a ball, roll out to a 10cm round and trim the edges with a 10cm pastry cutter. Line the tartlet tins with the pastry rounds, pressing well into the base. Prick the bases with a fork and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

If you have more tartlet tins, place a second one in each pastry case, so it keeps its shape during baking. Otherwise, line the cases with greaseproof paper and dried beans or rice to weight it down. Set the tins on a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until the cases are golden brown and cooked. Leave to cool in the tins, then carefully remove.

To assemble, reserve about 2 tbsp of the orange zest julienne for decoration. Chop the rest, and spread evenly in the tartlet cases.

For the ganache filling, tip the chocolate into a small bowl. Put the cream, butter and reserved 2 tbsp orange syrup into a pan and heat gently until the butter is melted. Bring just to the boil, then pour onto the chocolate and let it stand for 1 minute until melted. Stir the mixture until smooth, then stir in the Grand Marnier.

Pour this ganache into the tartlet cases, covering the orange zest completely and filling the cases almost to the rim. Tap gently on the work surface to level the ganache. Leave the tartlets at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes, but don’t refrigerate. Just before serving, top with the reserved candied orange zest.

Foolproof food

Rose Elliot’s Berry Skewers with White Chocolate Sauce

Makes 20

200g mixed berries (such as small strawberries, large blueberries, raspberries)

White Chocolate Sauce:

100g white chocolate, in pieces

120ml double cream

To make the sauce, melt the chocolate, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Put into a small serving bowl and set aside to cool.

Spear one or two berries onto each of 20 small wooden skewers or cocktail sticks – enough for a mouthful. Arrange the skewers around the bowl of dip and serve.

Hot Tips

Joy Larkcom, renowned vegetable gardener, horticulturist and garden writer will be the Guest Speaker at the next meeting of Ladysbridge & District Flower & Garden Club at Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe, Co Cork on Monday 31^st March at 8pm – all welcome, non-members €10 – come and see how to grow vegetables and salad crops creatively – slides will be shown.

EUROPAIN 2008, the International trade show for the bakery, patisserie and ice cream industry, will open its doors from March 29th to April 2nd at PARIS PORTE NORD VILLEPINTE. With an overall exhibition area of 80 000 m2, EUROPAIN 2008 will bring together more than 600 exhibitors from 32 countries. Register on-line www.europain.com

Feale Valley Slow Food Convivium

A celebration of Food through Literature on Sunday April 6^th from 2-5pm at the Seanchai Centre in The Square, Listowel, where the lives of North Kerry’s most famous writers are celebrated. Drinks reception and tour of the centre followed by a buffet lunch featuring locally-sourced food and the best of local entertainment in song and story. Tickets Members €30, non members €35

From San Diego to Stuttgart, Sydney to Wales, there seems to be a growing focus on using local produce. Local is no longer a derogatory term, it’s the coolest word in the foodie’s dictionary.
In California, top restaurants are vying with each other to source the freshest local produce for their menus. Some are proudly highlighting that the salad greens, vegetables or fruit were picked just 5-6-7 hours earlier. Dan Barber at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York, has a greenhouse beside the restaurant, he regularly serves tiny raw vegetables as s starter, miniscule carrots, beets, fennel… plucked from the soil in the minutes earlier, specially to thrill his guests.
On my last trip to the West Coast everyone seemed to be talking about sourcing the ‘food of their neighbourhood’. Farmers Markets are thriving and most have a very strict local food policy, the wonderful climate during the growing season ensures abundance and a wide variety of produce. Everyone seemed to be talking about food, not just the latest restaurant, but where to source the best heirloom tomatoes, beets, artichokes, free range chickens, rare breed pork, day boat fish. … Everywhere, restaurants, delis, food shops were highlighting local, seasonal produce and educating their customers about variety and breed. There seemed to be a hunger to learn more about how food was grown and produced and at last the farmers’ and food producers’ names are coming to the fore and they are getting the long overdue credit for producing quality. Restaurants are serving their local food proudly, a rare enough occurrence here in Ireland where we have plenty to be proud of.
As I travel around the country I despair that so few country hotels and restaurants highlight any local food or producers on their menus. On a recent trip to Kilkenny, I ate in a city centre hotel, the menu gave me no clue where I was, I could have been in Italy, Thailand or Sydney. There was certainly no indication that I was even in Ireland, where was the meat from the local farmers, is there any fish in the Nore any longer, or even Dunmore East? How about a little Irish soda bread instead of the ubiquitous par-baked bread and doughy rolls. When I asked about the provenance of the meat there seemed to be confusion, and the waiting staff didn’t seem to even recognize the word Lavistown when I asked if I might have a little piece of the farmhouse cheese made just a few miles outside the city by Roger and Olivia Goodwillie.
In the Farmer’s Diner in Vermont in the US, the menu says ‘Food from here’ – How wonderful it would be to travel around the country and taste the food of that place, the hinterland of Abbeyleix, Ballina, Enniscorthy, Tullamore … Most chefs now, virtually buy all their food from a central distribution system, most of it pre-packed and portioned, even vegetables come peeled and packed in a chemical solution. This is not only for economic reasons but also because it means less hassle with HACCP paperwork to satisfy the health inspectors.
Those of us who are in the hospitality business depend on our local customers to support us throughout the year, why should we expect them to support us if we don’t put at least some money back into our own community and buy the produce of our local farmers and food producers and support local butchers and bakers.
Time for all of us to become proactive and ask more questions about the menus. Each and every one of us can make a difference to the Irish economy, by how we choose to spend our euros.
Patrick Walsh 021-4646836, Bill Casey 021-4646955, Frank Hederman 021-4811089
James Veale 021-4661362, James Howard, Sunnyside Fruit 025-36253, Siobhan Barry, Midleton Farmers Market – 021-4883034, Ballycotton Seafood, 021-4646522, Cuthberts Bread widely stocked in East Cork – 021-4634181
Hot Tips
Nautilus Restaurant at the Inn by the Harbour, Ballycotton
Leo and Nessa Babin are serving delicious food on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6.30-9.00 and lunch on Sunday from 12.30-5pm – overlooking the harbour in Ballycotton – Steak and Chips, Boeuf Bourgignon, Fish and Chips, Butternut Squash Risotto, Indian Lamb Curry …. Crème Brulee, Chocolate Brownie, Apple Tart –
Booking recommended Tel 021-4646768, 087-6135897

Good Things Café, Durrus, Co Cork
Carmel Somers at Good Things in Durrus received great praise in the 2008 Bridgestone Guide for her delicious ham sandwich – made with local ham and crusty bread – one of the restaurants around the country that does highlight local. Congratulations also to Good Things for having been recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award for the third year in a row, only one of twelve restaurants in Ireland to receive the award which recognises ‘good food at moderate prices’. Tel: 027-61426 www.bridgestoneguides.com

Lafont Porcelain Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware available from URRU shops in Mallow and Bandon – Round French oven, Oval au Gratin , Buffet Casserole, Skillet, Pan Grill – in wonderful colours with hardwood knobs. Mallow – 022-53192, Bandon 023-54731 – nip in for a look and enjoy a delicious coffee and sweet bite or a light lunch.

Pangrilled Ballycotton Herrings with Grainy Mustard Butter

Serves 6 as a starter
Herrings have been scarce this year but I keep hoping for a delicious feast.

6 fresh herrings, gutted, scaled and washed

Seasoned flour

Grainy Mustard Butter
1 teaspoon grainy mustard eg. Moutarde de Meaux
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
3 ozs (85g) melted butter
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

First make the Mustard Butter. Cream the butter in a bowl, add the mustards and the finely chopped parsley, a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. Form into a roll in pure clingfilm or greaseproof paper and allow to harden or make into pats. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat a cast iron pangrill over a medium heat until quite hot. Slash the herrings at an angle in three places on each side. Coat with well seasoned flour, spread a little soft butter over one side of each herring. Lay the herrings butter side down, not touching on the hot pan, they should sizzle. Reduce the heat immediately and cook for approximately 3 minutes on that side before turning over. Continue to cook until golden on both sides. Serve immediately on hot plates with two slices of Grainy Mustard Butter per fish. Garnish with a sprig of flat parsley and a segment of freshly cut lemon.

James Veale’s Roast Guinea Fowl with Potato and Parsnip Crisps and Sunnyside Farm Red Currant Sauce

Serves 4

1 Guinea fowl

Stuffing:
45g (1½oz) butter
85g (3oz) chopped onions
65 g (generous 2½oz) breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs, e.g. parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram
salt and freshly-ground pepper

Potato and Parnsip Crisps
Redcurrant Sauce

Gut the Guinea fowl if necessary and remove the ‘crop’ which is at the neck end; wash and dry well.
To make the stuffing: Melt the butter and sweat the onions until soft but not coloured, then remove from the heat. Stir in the soft white breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, season with salt and freshly-ground pepper and taste. Unless you are about to cook the bird right away, allow the stuffing to get quite cold before putting it into the bird. Season the cavity with salt and freshly-ground pepper and stuff the guinea fowl loosely. Smear the breast and legs with soft or melted butter. Roast in a preheated moderate oven, 190C/375F/gas mark 5, for 1¼ hours approx. Test by pricking the leg at the thickest point: the juices should just run clear.
Meanwhile make the Redcurrant Sauce and the Potato and Parsnip Crisps.
Spoon off any surplus fat from the roasting pan (keep it for roasting or sautéeing potatoes). Deglaze the pan with game or chicken stock. Bring it to the boil, and use a whisk to dislodge the crusty caramelized juices so they can dissolve into the gravy. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper, taste and boil until you are happy with the flavour. Pour into a hot gravy boat.
Carve the guinea fowl into four portions giving each person some brown and white meat. Spoon a little gravy over the meat. Pile some Potato and Parsnip Crisps over the top. Garnish with large sprigs of watercress and serve with Redcurrant Sauce .

John Howard’s Sunnyside Farm Redcurrant Sauce

Serves 4-6

A simple, delicious sauce which is unbelievably quick to make. It goes well with lamb, guinea fowl, ham and pate de campagne. Frozen redcurrants may be used.

150g (5½oz) sugar
125ml (4fl oz) water
140g (5oz) redcurrants

Remove the strings from the redcurrants if necessary.
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Toss in the redcurrants, bring back to the boil, cook uncovered for 4 or 5 minutes or until the redcurrants burst. Serve hot or cold.

Tip: Keeps for several weeks in a covered jar in the fridge and may be reheated gently.
Redcurrants freeze brilliantly, just pop them into the freezer in the punnet or a plastic bag. If you shake the bag when frozen the berries will fall off the strings – much easier then painstakingly removing the stings when they are fresh. Discard the strings before using the berries.

Gratin of Patrick Walsh’s Potatoes with Bill Casey’s Shanagarry Smoked Salmon

Serves 4-6

There are really two recipes in one here, the basic recipe is a particularly good version of the classic French potato dish Gratin Dauphinoise which is delicious served with a simple roast or grill. Here we’ve added little strips of Bill Casey’s smoked salmon to make a favourite supper dish. Serve with a green salad.

2 lbs (900g) even sized ‘old’ potatoes, eg. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
salt and freshly ground pepper
9 fl ozs (275ml) milk
9 fl ozs (275ml) double cream
small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
freshly grated nutmeg
4-6 ozs (110-170g) Irish smoked salmon
1 tablesp. parsley, chopped
1 tablesp. chives, chopped

4 small ovenproof gratin dishes 4½ inch (11.5cm) bottom and 6 inch (15cm) top

Peel the potatoes with a potato peeler and slice them into very thin rounds (one-eight inch/3mm thick). Do not wash them but dab them dry with a cloth. Spread them out on the worktop and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, mixing it in with your hands. Pour milk into a saucepan, add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add the cream, garlic and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg, continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the potatoes do not stick to the saucepan. Just as soon as the potatoes are cooked put a layer into 4 ovenproof gratin dishes, sprinkle each with some parsley and chives, add 1-1½ ozs (30-45g) smoked salmon cut into 3 inch (5mm) strips, cover with another layer of potato.
Reheat in a bain-marie in a preheated oven, 200C/400F/regulo 6, for 8-10 minutes or until they are bubbly and golden on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives.
Note: You could substitute the smoked salmon for some of Frank Hederman’s Smoked Mackerel.

Siobhan Barry’s Kale Colcannon

Serves 8 approx.

Songs have been sung and poems have been written about Colcannon. It’s one of Ireland’s most famous traditional potato dishes. It’s comfort food at its very best and can be made with cabbage or kale. Terrific for a party.

450g (1lb) kale or Savoy or spring cabbage
1.35kg (3lb) ‘old’ potatoes, e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
250ml (8fl oz) boiling milk approx.
30g (1oz) scallion or spring onion, optional
salt and freshly ground pepper
55g (2oz) butter approx.

Scrub the potatoes, put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for ‘old’ potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put onto a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked.

Remove the dark outer leaves from the cabbage. Wash the rest and cut into quarters, remove the core and cut finely across the grain. Cook in a little boiling salted water or bacon cooking water until soft. Drain, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little butter. If using kale, remove the central rib. Cook the kale in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on the type and maturity of the kale. Curly kale is sweetest after it has been mellowed by a few night frosts.

When the potatoes are just cooked, put the milk, and the finely chopped scallions into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pull the skin off the potatoes and discard, mash quickly while they are still warm and beat in enough boiling milk to make a fluffy puree. (If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes in the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the spade.) Then stir in the cooked cabbage and taste for seasoning. For perfection, serve immediately in a hot dish with a lump of butter melting in the centre.
Colcannon may be prepared ahead up to this point and reheated later in a moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4, for 20-25 minutes approx. Cover while reheating so it doesn’t get too crusty on top.

Cuthbert’s Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

Serves 6-8

This is a variation on basic bread and butter pudding. If you like, leave out the marmalade and serve plain, or add chopped rhubarb, chopped chocolate, grated lemon or orange zest, raisins, sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg etc. This is a great way to use up stale bread, and in fact is better if the bread is stale.

12 slices of good –quality white bread, eg Cuthberts from Midleton, crusts removed
50g (1 3/4 oz) soft butter
3 tablespoons marmalade
450ml (16fl.oz) cream
225ml (8fl.oz) milk
4 eggs
150g (5 1/2 oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

To Serve
softly whipped cream
marmalade sauce

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Butter the bread and spread marmalade on each slice. Arrange the bread in the gratin dish or in individual cups or bowls (cut the slices if you need to). I like to have overlapping triangles of bread on the top layer.
Place the cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to just under the boil. While it’s heating up, in a separate bowl whisk the eggs and the sugars, then pour the hot milk and cream in with the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour this custard over the bread and leave it to soak for 10 minutes. Place in a bain marie (water bath) and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The top should be golden and the centre should be just set. Serve with softly whipped cream and marmalade sauce (see below).

Note: If you want to make this a day ahead of time, don’t heat up the milk and cream, just pour it cold over the bread.

Marmalade Sauce

1 jar (400-450g/14ozs – 1lb) 3 fruit or homemade marmalade
60ml (2 1/2 fl ozs) water
juice of 1/2 – 1 lemon

Put the marmalade into a saucepan. Add the water and the juice of 1/2 – 1 lemon to taste. Heat all the ingredients gently. Place in a jug and serve with the bread and butter pudding.

When I was an eager little scholar at the village school in Cullohill, Co Laois,  in the mid 1950’s, we all learned a variety of life skills, Miss Carroll showed generations of girls how to knit and sew, turn the heels of socks, do meticulous buttonholes and delicate embroidery.  Where oh where is the little gingham apron I made and the dirndl skirt which was my pride and joy. 
When Spring came around we were brought out into the field behind the school which served as a playground to learn how to sow potatoes. While the boys helped to dig the ground, the girls learned how to cut the ‘scoláns’ (seed potatoes) so there was an eye or sprout on each piece.   We planted them into the ground and heaped up the drills, then got on with our school work.  We kept an eye out and they sprouted and grew.
Nowadays academic skills are valued much more than life skills, most adults, not to speak of children, have totally lost track of how food is produced and where it comes from.   How fortunate are the kids who go to schools that have a garden patch.  I dream that every school will have a vegetable patch so children can learn the excitement of sowing a seed and watching it grow.
This week, Minister for Food and Horticulture, Trevor Sargent, launched a terrific initiative to celebrate the ‘Year of the Potato’.   A potato growing kit has been sent (courtesy of An Post) to every national school in the country, a brilliant idea dreamed up by Agri-Aware.     It was a huge logistical operation.   Can you imagine delivering sixty tons of compost, two tons of seed potatoes, eight thousand growing bags and classroom wall charts to almost 4,000 primary schools across the country.

Pupils and their teachers all over the country have by now been challenged to sow the seed potatoes in February and are hoping to harvest their crop in June.  The pupils will create a class scrapbook and monitor the potato plant’s progress with diagrams, photographs and written observations. The harvested crop will then be washed and weighed and the scrapbook sent for assessment.  Participating schools have the chance to win over €10,000 to develop a school garden. 
The aim of the ‘Meet the Spuds’ initiative is to educate primary pupils on how potatoes grow and their nutritional, historical and cultural importance in Ireland.  Pupils from three Dublin schools, Gael Scoil Balbriggan, Pope John Paul’s School, Malahide and St. Brigid’s in the Coombe,  arrived at the Jeanie Johnston Famine ship on 5th February 2008 for a spud voyage to learn about the importance of the potato in Irish life over the last 150 years.  They were entertained by Darragh McCullough of ‘Ear to the Ground’, Paula Mee, Nutritionist and Michael Hennessey of Teagasc.     They got the kids all excited about the potato and the importance of this magic tuber in Irish life over the last 150 years. 
The potato is the fourth most important food crop in the world, the Irish consume more spuds per head than any other country in Europe.  ‘Meet the Spuds’ is an excellent opportunity for teachers to encourage healthy eating among their pupils and educate them about Irish farming in a practical and hands-on manner.  Agri-Aware Chairman, Mairead Lavery and Padraig Walsh, President of the IFA were also very excited about the project.
Let’s hope this sows the seeds for a love of gardening in our kids and young people – lets have cooking classes in all our schools next Minister!

Baked Potatoes
 

Serves 8
 

Better not to wrap baked potatoes in tin foil as this softens the skins and spoils the flavour; it can even make them wet and soapy.
 

8 x 225g (8oz) old potatoes, e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
sea salt and butter
 

Choose large potatoes. Scrub the skins of the potatoes very well. Prick each potato 3 or 4 times and bake in a preheated hot oven 2001C/4001F/gas mark 6 for 1 hour approx. depending on the size. When cooked, serve immediately while skins are still crisp and make sure to eat the skins with lots of butter and sea salt.
 

There are so many good things to eat with baked potatoes, here are just a few suggestions.
 

1.         Garlic mayonnaise with tuna fish
2.         Garlic butter with crispy rasher
3.         Creme Fraiche with smoked salmon and chives
4.         Creme Fraiche with roast pepper and a drizzle of pesto
5.         Creme Fraiche with hot crispy chorizo and chives
 

Potato and Fresh Herb Soup
 

Serves 6

 

Most people would have potatoes and onions in the house even if the cupboard was otherwise bare so one could make this simply delicious soup at a moment’s notice.

 

55g (2oz) butter

425g (15oz) peeled diced potatoes, one-third inch dice

110g (4oz) diced onions, one-third inch dice

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

1-2 tablespoons in total of the following; parsley, thyme, lemon balm and chives

900ml (1½pints) home-made chicken stock or vegetable stock

120ml (4fl oz) creamy milk

 

freshly chopped herbs and some chive or thyme flowers in season

 

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them in the butter until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with a butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes approx. Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil, when the vegetables are soft but not coloured add the freshly chopped herbs and stock and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning. Thin with creamy milk to the required consistency.

Serve sprinkled with a few freshly-chopped herbs and some chive or thyme flowers in season.

 

Potato and Roast Red Pepper Soup

 

Serves 6

 

Basic recipe as above, omit the herbs.

 

4 red peppers

sprigs of flat parsley

 

Roast or chargrill the pepper, peel and deseed, save the sweet juices carefully puree the flesh with the juices. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Make the soup as in the original recipe.

Just before serving swirl the red pepper puree through the soup or simply drizzle on top of each bowl. Top with some snipped flat parsley you might try adding one or two roast chilli to the pepper for a little extra buzz – Serrano or Jalapeno are good.

 

Potato and Parsley Soup

Omit herbs in the soup.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley to the soup just before blending.

 

Potato and Mint Soup
Omit herbs in the soup.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of spearmint or bowles mint to the soup just before blending. Sprinkle a little chopped mint and a swirl of soft cream over the soup before serving.

 

Potato and Tarragon Soup
Add 1½ tablespoons of tarragon to the soup with the stock. Puree and finish as in the master recipe. Sprinkle a little freshly snipped tarragon over the top of the soup before serving. A zig zag of soft cream is also delicious.

 

Potato, Chorizo and Parsley Soup
We love Fingal Ferguson’s Gubbeen chorizo, so much that we dream up all sorts of ways of using it. The strong hot spicy taste adds lots of oomph to the silky potato soup.

 

18 Slices of chorizo

snipped flat parsley sprigs

 

Omit the herbs in the original recipe. Just before serving cook the slices of chorizo for a minute or two on each side on a non stick pan, oil will render out of the chorizo.

Serve three slices of chorizo on top of each bowl, sprinkle a few flat parsley sprigs on top,  drizzle a little chorizo oil haphazardly over the soup and serve immediately.

 

Potato and Melted Leek Soup

Serve a spoonful of melted leeks on top of each helping of soup. Scatter with snipped chives and chive flowers in season.

 

Potato Soup with Parsley Pesto

One of Rory O’ Connell’s way to embellish potato soup. Drizzle a little parsley pesto  over the top of each bowl just as it goes to the table.

 

 

Ulster Champ

 

Serves 8
 

1.8kg (4 lbs) ‘old’ potatoes eg. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
450g (1 lb) young peas, shelled weight
8 tablespoons chopped parsley
600ml (1pint) milk
salt and freshly ground pepper
50-110g (2-4ozs) butter (traditionally, strong country butter would have been used)
 

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, drain well, dry over the heat in the pan for a few minutes, peel and mash with most of the butter while hot. Meanwhile bring the milk to the boil and simmer the peas until just cooked, 8-10 minutes approx. Add the parsley for the final 2 minutes of cooking. Add the hot milk mixture to the potatoes. Season well, beat until creamy and smooth and serve piping hot with a lump of butter melting in the centre.

 

Potato Wedges with Sweet Chilli Sauce & Sour Cream

 

 

Serves 4
 

1½lbs (680g) rustic roast potatoes (see recipe below)
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Sour cream
 

To Serve
When the rustic roast potatoes are crisp and golden.  Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.  Season with salt.
Serve immediately in a deep bowl with a little bowl of sweet chilli sauce and sour cream on each plate.
 

Note: Deep-fried cooked potato may be used instead.
 

Rustic Roast Potatoes

Serves 4-6

6 large ‘old’ potatoes eg. Golden Wonder or Kerrs Pinks

Olive oil or beef dripping (unless for Vegetarians)-duck or goose fat are also delicious

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/regulo 8.   Scrub the potatoes well, cut into quarters lengthways or cut into thick rounds ¾ inch (2cm) approx.   Put into a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and toss so they are barely coated with olive oil.   Roast in a preheated oven for 30-45 minutes depending on size.  Sprinkle with sea salt and serve in a hot terracotta dish.

Rustic Roast Potatoes with Rosemary

6 – 8 rosemary sprigs

Add a few sprigs of rosemary or some coarsely chopped rosemary with the olive oil and proceed as above.  Serve garnished with fresh sprig of rosemary.

Rustic Roast Potatoes with Garlic Cloves

18 garlic cloves

Proceed as above, add the garlic after the potatoes have been cooking for 10 – 15 minutes. Toss in the oil.  Keep an eye on the garlic cloves, they will probably be cooked before the potatoes, if so remove and keep warm in a serving dish.    

Press the soft sweet garlic out of the skins and eat with the crispy potatoes
 

Hot Tips
 

Samhlaíocht 2008 Easter Arts Festival, Tralee, Co Kerry
Samhlaiocht is actively involved in community based arts projects that involve working with individuals, groups and schools in the organization of cultural and artistic events.

This year’s theme is ‘Planet Earth’ – the festival will include a Multicultural Slow Food Event on Saturday 22/23 March at KDYS, Denny St. Tralee, Co Kerry.  They are seeking food vendors to take stands at the event – for more details contact June Carey or Karen Maunsell, Samhlaiocht, The Old Presbytery,

20 Lower Castle St.

, Tralee, Co Kerry, Tel. 066-7129934

 

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group
Anyone who would like to receive notice of forthcoming Cork Free Choice Consumer Group meetings please contact – Helen McGonigal at hcmg@eircom.net  – unfortunately the email addresses have all been lost due to a computer crash – so those who have been on the mailing list in the past also need to contact Helen.

 

Fairtrade Fortnight 25 February – 9^th March 2008
Recent years have seen a huge growth in support for, and availability for FAIRTRADE Mark products. Much of this support is driven by the activities of volunteers and voluntary groups around Ireland. At the moment there are 61 Fairtrade Towns Committees in Ireland and 31 of them have met the criteria to become Fairtrade Towns.During  Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 many of these groups are organising events in their areas and welcoming producers from developing countries to their towns.  Look out for events in your local area – www.fairtrade.ie