Archive2009

Armagh Apple Blossom Festival – Bramley Seedling 200th Anniversary

Happy birthday Bramley Seedling. This year all of us cooks and chefs celebrate the bicentennial of our favourite cooking apple. Bet you didn’t know that it is two hundred years since, as a young girl Mary Anne Brailsford, planted an apple pip in the family’s Nottinghamshire garden. One of those pips emerged as a vigorous seedling around 1809.

A local butcher Matthew Bramley later bought the cottage and garden. His apple tarts must have caused a stir because local nurseryman Henry Merryweather came looking for a cutting from the tree. Matthew agreed, on condition that the slow growing apple would bear his name – hence the name Bramley Seedling – beloved of home cooks and chefs alike. Recently I travelled all the way to Ulster to celebrate with the Bramley Apple Growers who came together to put on a big celebratory bash during apple blossom season, you can’t imagine how lovely it was to drive through the Armagh country side when the orchards were in full bloom covered with pink and white blossom. There were beautiful old trees with gnarled branches, carefully pruned to allow light into the centre, still producing apples after 40 years, but also newly planted orchards to meet the upcoming demands.

Apples have been cultivated in Armagh for more than 3000 years, so the Bramley is just a blow in, in comparison to some of the others. Many of the orchardists are third or fourth generation growers. So the knowledge and growing skills have been passed from generation to generation. In recent years with help and guidance from Loughgall Research Station, apple growers have tweaked the Bramley to ensure that it keeps its shape during cooking for the bakery trade. I was nostalgic for the old Bramley which dissolved into a fluff when stewed or oozed out of its skin when it was roasted or baked. For those of you who are lucky enough to still have these old trees in your garden, prune them carefully and so preserve them well for posterity. Meanwhile one can buy the Armagh Bramley virtually year round, thanks to the efforts of the Armagh Bramley growers who store them carefully and sell them proudly through the length and breadth of Ireland. The growers have helped to highlight the need to protect apple orchards which can only be done by educating young people. Pamela Black and I did several cookery demonstrations with Bramley Seedlings in every recipe. The weather was mostly horrendous yet people poured in to support the Apple Blossom Festival. Nearly 7000 people attended the event which had attractions for growers, suppliers, retailers and there was a strong presence of Armagh Beekeepers Association to highlight the bee crisis. Bees are dying all over the world; some of the causes that have been cited are pesticides particularly those containing the active ingredient Imidacloprid, broadband (the signals are thought to disorientate bees) and GM (Genetically Modified) plants. The jury is still out.

Here are some simple and delicious recipes using Bramley Seedling apples.

Roast Rack of Spring Lamb with Fresh Mint Chutney

Serves 4-6

Many butchers will prepare a rack of lamb for you.

In Season

2 racks of Spring lamb (6 cutlets each)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Accompaniment

fresh mint chutney

Garnish

sprigs of fresh mint

Score the fat. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat the oven to 220°C\425°F\gas mark 7.

Sprinkle the racks of lamb with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast fat side upwards for 25-30 minutes depending on the age of lamb and degree of doneness required. When cooked, remove lamb to a warm serving dish. Turn off the oven and allow the lamb to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to re distribute evenly through the meat.

Carve the lamb and serve 2-3 cutlets per person depending on size. Serve with fresh mint chutney.

Fresh Mint Chutney (see Fool Proof Food)

Bramley Apple and Sweet Geranium Jelly

Makes 6-7 pots

6 lbs (2.7kg) crab apples or Bramley Seedlings

4 1/3 pints (2.7l) water

6-8 large sweet geranium leaves (Pelargonium Graveolens)

2 lemons, unwaxed organic

sugar

Wash the apples and cut into quarters, no need to peel or core. Windfalls may be used, but make sure to cut out the bruised parts. Put the apples in a large saucepan with the geranium leaves, the water and the thinly pared rind of the lemons, cook until reduced to a pulp, approx 30 minutes.

Turn the pulp into a jelly bag and allow to drip until all the juice has been extracted – usually overnight. Measure the juice into a preserving pan; allow 1 lb (450g) sugar to each pint (600ml/21/2 cups) of juice. Warm the sugar in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for about 10 minutes.

Squeeze the lemons, strain the juice and add to the preserving pan, add a few more geranium leaves if the flavour is still very mild. Bring to the boil and add the sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly without stirring for about 8-10 minutes. Remove the geranium leaves. Skim, test and then pour the jelly into sterilized jars, put a sweet geranium leaf in each jar. Cover and seal immediately.

Bramley Apple Tart

The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from ‘hot hands’ don’t have to worry about rubbing in the butter.

Serves 8-12

Pastry

8 ozs (225g) butter

2 ozs (50g) castor sugar

2 eggs, preferably free range

12 ozs (300g) white flour, preferably unbleached

Filling

1 1/2 lbs (675g) Bramley Seedling cooking apples

5 ozs (150g) sugar

2-3 cloves

egg wash-made with one beaten egg and a dash of milk

castor sugar for sprinkling

To Serve

softly whipped cream

Barbados sugar

tin, 7 inches (18cm) x 12 inches (30.5cm) x 1 inch (2.5cm) deep

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.

First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over cream). Add the eggs and beat for several minutes. Reduce speed and mix in the flour. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours otherwise it is difficult to handle.

To make the tart

Roll out the pastry 1/8 inch (3mm) thick approx., and use about 2/3 of it to line a suitable tin. Peel, quarter and dice the apples into the tart, sprinkle with sugar and add the cloves. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and Barbados sugar.

Bramley Apple and Elderflower Fool

Serves 4 -5 approx.

1 lb (450g) Bramley Apples

3 – 4 Elderflower heads

4 ozs (110g) sugar

8 fl ozs (250ml) softly whipped cream

Garnish with elderflower heads and leaves

Peel and core the apples, cut into chunks and put into a saucepan. Add the sugar, elderflower heads and water, cover and cook on a gentle heat, stirring every now and then until the apples dissolve into a fluff. Rub through a nylon sieve or liquidise. Bramley apples can be very sour at the beginning of the season, taste and add a little more sugar if it seems too tart.

When cool, fold the softly whipped cream into the apple puree. Garnish with elderflowers.

Notes on Fruit Fools

Rhubarb and blackcurrants are strong in acid, so they must somehow be well diluted. Cooking in stock syrup and then stiffening them again with a little gelatine is one way. Otherwise, one must use a great deal of cream and egg white. The amount of cream used in a fool is up to one’s own taste. I personally do not like them to be too rich.

Note

: Chill all fools for at least 6 hours before serving.Variation

Apple and Elderflower yoghurt

Puree the apple and elderflower as above, substituting the softly whipped cream for 8 fl ozs (250ml) organic natural yoghurt

Roast Apples with Amaretto Cream

Serves 4

4 large Bramley seedling apples

50g (2oz) butter

50g (2oz) caster sugar

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons golden sultanas

150ml (1/4 pint) water (optional)

150ml (1/4 pint) cream

1 – 2 tablespoons amaretto

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

First core the apples and score the skin across the equator. Mix the butter with the sugar, lemon zest and sultanas. Spoon the butter mixture into the apples. Stand the apples in an ovenproof baking dish and add the water.

Roast for 30 – 45 minutes. The apples should be just beginning to burst – this is vital so hold your nerve, they should look fat and squishy. Meanwhile whip the cream and add amaretto to taste. Serve the apples straight from the oven with the amaretto cream and dust with icing sugar.

Variations

Stuff the apples with homemade mincemeat

Stuff the apples with cinnamon sugar

Roast apples unadorned. Proceed as above but omit fruit & zest, serve with freshly whipped cream and soft brown sugar. Divine.

Apple Fudge Cake

Serves 10

My daughter-in-law Penny gave this recipe to my other daughter-in-law Rachel and I am so happy she did.

2 large cooking apples, such as Bramleys

2oz (50g) dark brown sugar

Cake Batter

6oz (175g) butter

6oz (175g) light brown sugar

6oz (175g) self-raising flour

4 eggs

Fudge Sauce

4oz (110g) butter

4oz (110g) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

You will also need a 10 inch (25cm) sauté pan or a spring-form tin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4

Butter the sides of the tin and line the base with a disc of greaseproof paper. Peel and cut the apples into eights and arrange in a single layer in the tin (this will be the top of the cake when it’s cooked). Sprinkle over the 2oz (50g) dark brown sugar.

Put all the cake batter ingredients into a food processor and whiz to combine. Pour it over the apples and sugar. Cook in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is spongy in the centre. Wait for it to cool for 2 minutes before turning out.

Next make the fudge sauce. Combine and melt the butter, sugar and lemon juice. Stir and pour over the cake when it’s cool.

Taken from “Rachel’s Favourite Food” by Rachel Allen

Fool Proof Food

Fresh Mint Chutney

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

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

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

50g (2oz) onions

20-50g (1-2ozs) castor sugar (depending on tartness of apple)

salt and cayenne pepper

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

Thrifty tip

Save and freeze the water you have cooked your vegetables in to add to stocks and soups later – it will contain lots of vitamins and minerals.

Hottips

Gluten Free Food Festival at O’Connells in Ballsbridge

Rosemary Kearney who is co-author with Darina Allen of Healthy Gluten Free Eating, will be joining the chefs at O’Connells in Ballsbridge, at the Ballsbridge Hotel, Lansdowne Road, Dublin to create a gluten free menu for lunch and dinner on Saturday 23trd May and lunch on Sunday 24th May. To book telephone 01 6655940.

www.oconnellsballsbridge.com

Laying Hens

David Tyrell from Midleton, Co Cork has nine different breeds of laying hens for sale including Aracuanas and Cuckoo Marans (the only eggs that you won’t catch salmonella from because the egg shell does not have pores like other eggs) You can buy them as day old chicks right up to point of lay. Why not pick up a hen house at the same time – he has hen arcs that house six to eight hens that can be moved around small gardens or a stationary house and run for about 20 hens. David advises to get pure bred hens as they are better layers than the hybrid breeds. 087 0655646, tyrelldavid@gmail.com

For those who have an interest in food and a concern about food issues, the last Thursday of every month is worth marking in your diary – Cork Free Choice Consumer Group will have a speaker at the Crawford Art Gallery from 7:30pm to 10:00pm. The subject can be as varied as ‘Water, Grown your Own Vegetables, Vegetarian Food, Herbal Medicines, Bees, German Cuisine, French Cuisine, Grow your own Fruit and Nuts, Cheese Production and Bread’ It is always food related and is without exception worth making an effort to attend.
The Cork Free Choice Group aims to support and promote producers of high quality food in Co Cork, especially small specialist and traditional producers, to put them in contact with interested consumers and to create more awareness of availability and production methods. For more information contact 021-7330178 carolinerobinson@eircom.net
Sometimes there is a standing room only, as with recent “How to grow Year Round Vegetables” it was oversubscribed, over 50 people had to be turned away. Such is the burgeoning interest in vegetable gardening and self sufficiency.
On other occasions it is not full as with the recent brilliant talk by Daphne Lambert on “Plant Foods for Health and Vitality” (it was a beautiful evening perfect for gardening)
I was one of the fortunate ones who made it. Daphne Lambert is the owner of Greencuisine – A Healing Food Centre  in Herefordshire, UK, and is an award winning chef, nutritionist and author of “Little Red Gooseberries – Organic Recipes from Penrhos”  ISBN-13: 9780752838441. She also contributed to “A Slice of Organic Life” edited by Sheherazade Goldsmith ISBN – 13: 9780756628734
According to Daphne health and vitality is far more than just food, the strength of the community, music, dance, theatre, all contribute to our sense of wellbeing but Daphne decided to concentrate on nutrition and distil it down to its most important elements.

Soil – the Fundamental Element.
All good food comes from fertile soil but nowadays we rarely get our hands dirty any more.  There are more micro organisms in a handful of rich organic soil than there are humans on earth. Our gut hasn’t changed for over 10,000 years; it’s an extraordinary eco-system. Plant life is what supports us, but nowadays our systems are being challenged with all kinds of alien foods that are difficult and in some cases impossible to digest. Daphne’s hypothesise is that we are not just what we eat but what we digest. Healthy vibrant soil grows healthy mineral rich food, minerals are spark plugs of life, we cannot survive without them, and they are required to activate 20,000 enzyme reactions in the body.
Daphne, who is a hugely successful practicing nutritionist and herbalist, says that in her experience, lack of minerals is at the base of virtually every condition she looks at. There has been a dramatic loss of minerals particularly trace elements over the last 50 years.
Sodium 49% potassium 16% magnesium 24% calcium 46%  iron 27% copper 76% zinc 59% minerals in agricultural soil worldwide have fallen by 72%  if minerals are not in the soil they will not be in the plants  and our bio-chemistry is dependant on minerals.
In the words of Lady Eve Balfour – one of the founders of the Soil Association – that the health of humans, animals and soil are one “indivisible whole” and that biological balance begins and ends with a “truly fertile soil”.

Wild plants
Wild plants contain most minerals, then home-grown organic, commercial organic and least are found in chemically grown plants. As every organic, biodynamic and good farmer knows it is vital to feed and enrich soil with humus and well rotted compost.
We need 92 minerals and trace elements for optimum health; ideally we should be getting those from our food not from bottles of supplements.

Some foods have far greater health enhancing properties than others providing us not only with the chemical components of carbohydrates, protein, fats minerals and vitamins but a living energy. Living energy is found in biogenic foods which includes sprouted seeds and freshly gathered young green leaves, these foods have the restorative power to enhance our vitality and life force Bio-active foods are raw organic vegetables and fruits these are important to help sustain a healthy life force

Bio-static foods are cooked organic vegetables, fruits, grains and eggs; they provide warmth and energy but are very limited in the subtle energies that feed our life force
Bio-acidic foods are highly processed chemical foods especially white sugar & white flour products and factory farmed meat, these foods increase toxicity in the body so disrupt and deplete our vitality and our living energy
Nettles are one of the most nourishing foods we can eat – young leaves can picked at present and can be cooked and used like spinach, made into juice or nettle tea. According to Fitz Albert Popp wild organic food supports us most physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Fermented foods
Fermented foods are another group of foods vital for health but most lacking in our Western diet. Examples of this are sauerkraut, Korean Kimchi, Nepalese gundrie, miso, and tempeh. Grain ferments include ogi, amazake and kvass.
Dairy ferments – yoghurt and keffir. The process of fermenting harnesses microorganisms in the environment produces alcohol, lactic acid and acetic acid. It preserves food, retains nutrients and stops spoilage.
Fermented foods create nutrients, microbial cultures create b vitamins and anti-oxidants. They are powerful healing foods.

Seaweeds
Seaweeds are another vitally important food group, according to Daphne; they are “the richest source of organic minerals and vitamins as well.” We should eat a little seaweed every day for balance and energy. Seaweeds are an excellent source of calcium, iodine (lack of iodine contributes to colds and flu and in extreme cases to goitre) they is rich in potassium, manganese, zinc, boron and silicone.
Seaweed is also good for blood pressure nails, glossy hair… The algenic acid binds with heavy metals (have you still got your iodine tablets?)
Seaweeds are easy to use; Wakame seaweed has 11 times more calcium than milk and in the correct ratio. Kelp for example can be added to soups, stocks and bean stews, to increase mineral content. Nori, mainly used to wrap sushi rolls can also be snipped into salads. Dilisk or dulse so beloved on Irish coastal communities is high in iron, can be added to breads, soups, biscuits and mashed potatoes.
Carrageen Moss is probably the best known and most widely used of all the seaweeds and is, in my estimation a wonder food for children, adults and animals.
Don’t forget how important seaweed is an a fertiliser for the land so next time you are walking along the beach after a storm, fill a few bags with seaweed, take it home and use it on your vegetable patch. It doesn’t need to be composted. For more information about Daphne Lambert’s Healing Food Centre and courses visit http://greencuisine.penrhos.com/courses/ or telephone 0044 1544 230720.

Here are a few simple, healthy and delicious recipes from Daphne Lambert.

Daphne Lambert’s Hijiki-Carrot Salad

Serves 6

110g (4 oz) carrot
50g 2 (oz) hijiki
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons tamari
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon orange juice
Salt and pepper
110g (4oz) very finely sliced Chinese cabbage
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds

Soak the hijiki in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and cover with fresh warm water and soak for a further 30 minutes and drain.
Grate the carrot and put into a bowl with the hijiki.  Blend the dressing ingredients together and pour over the carrot and hijiki and leave to marinade.
Arrange the cabbage on four plates.  Spoon the hijiki-carrot mixture on top and scatter with sesame seeds.

Daphne Lambert’s Avocado & Spiced Lentil Salad

Serves 4

110g (4 oz)
2 carrots cut into fine julienne strips
1 spring onion, finely sliced or small leek
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 avocados
A selection of salad leaves (rocket, garden cress, spinach, cos, mizuna)

Combine the green lentils, carrot, spring onions and garlic in a bowl.  Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, curry powder, cumin and cayenne together and pour over the lentil mixture.  Cut the avocados in half, remove the stone and peel.  Divide the salad between four plates.  Place an avocado half with the hole uppermost in the middle of each salad, pile the lentils into the cavities and serve.

Daphne Lambert’s Alfalfa, Spinach & Dulse Salad

Serves 4

2 large handfuls of spinach
2 large handfuls of alfalfa sprouts
1 handful of dulse, rinsed and finely chopped
4 tablespoons pine kernels
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt & pepper
10 finely shredded basil leaves

Finely shred the spinach and put in a bowl.
Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice,  salt & pepper and mix into the spinach, add the sprouts and dulse, scatter over the  pine kernels & basil and serve

Daphne Lambert’s Sprouted Seed Salad

Serves 6

3 oz (75g) sprouted sunflower seeds
3 oz (75g) sprouted lentils
2 oz (50g) sprouted alfalfa
2 oz (50g) sprouted wheat
1 yellow pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 clove garlic crushed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
2 teaspoons tamari
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh fennel

In a bowl combine the sprouts and the peppers.  Whisk the remaining ingredients together, pour over the sprouts and peppers and gently toss together.

Daphne Lambert’s Sprouted Quinoa Salad

Serves 6

8 oz (225g) sprouted quinoa
30 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ cucumber, diced
6 sticks celery, finely sliced
small bunch of mint, chopped

Combine all the ingredients together.  Pour over the dressing made from blending the following ingredients…

Juice & zest of 1 lime and of 1 orange
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons hemp oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Daphne Lambert’s Dulse & Potato Soup

serve 6

30g (1¼ oz) dried dulse
1 carrot, chopped
1 medium floury potato, diced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 leek, white part only & chopped
60g (2½ oz) butter
½ teaspoon salt

Soak the dulse for 5 minutes.  Melt the butter in a large pan and soften the vegetables over a gentle heat.  Add the stock and drained dulse and simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes.  Process in a food processor and serve in individual bowls

Ballymaloe Homemade Yoghurt

Making one’s own yoghurt is a very satisfying and easy thing to do. This recipe will yield about 2 1/2 pints of yoghurt.

2.3l (4 pints) milk
300ml (1/2 pint) double cream
250g (9 ozs) live yoghurt

Place milk in large saucepan and bring to the boil.  Turn down to a gentle simmer and reduce by a third, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and transfer contents to another container. Add the cream and stir well. Allow to cool. When the milk has cooled to the point that you are able to hold your finger in it for a count of ten, add yoghurt and stir well. It is important that the milk is not too hot when the bacteria are added, because it will be killed. Leave to stand overnight or until set in a warm place.  The longer the mixture is kept warm the better because the bacteria love a little bit of heat.  The yoghurt should thicken at lower temperatures but it may take longer to do so.  A classic place is in the airing cupboard but covering in cling film and wrapping in towels helps a lot. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week/ten days.

Food Proof Food

Nettle Tea
Bring fresh cold water to the boil.  Scald a china tea pot, take a handful of fresh nettle leaves and crush them gently. Wear gloves for this. The quantity will depend on how intense an infusion you enjoy.  Put the crushed leaves into the scalded teapot.  Pour the boiling water over the leaves, cover the teapot and allow to infuse for 5 – 10 minutes.  Serve immediately. Combine fresh spearmint and lemon balm leaves with the nettles for a fresh flavour.

Thrifty Tip

Mince up leftover cold cooked roast beef or roast lamb in a food processor and freeze to make a shepherds pie at a later date. All the better if you also have some left over gravy to freeze to add to the pie.

Hottips

Super Sprouts
Patrick and Ronite Ganiger sell eight varieties of organic sprouts: mung beans, aduki beans, green lentils, brown lentils, puy lentils, sunflower seeds, chick peas and soya beans. Sprouts are one of the super foods; the vitamin content can be up to 6 times higher in sprouts than in the mature plant. Combine all eight types of sprouts for the ultimate vitamin boost, toss them into salads, whizz them up in the liquidiser with fruit or lightly cook them in stir fries or soups. Buy them at Mahon Point Farmers Market every Thursday, Kinsale Farmers Market on Tuesdays and at Cork City Farmers Market on Saturdays. Enquiries: 023 69151.

Seaweed
Seaweeds are widely available from Healthfood Shops, Sea Breeze and Clearspring are both recommended brands.

Teagasc publishes A Guide to Vegetable Growing
Stephen Alexander, a vegetable specialist for Teagasc has written a booklet ‘A Guide to Vegetable Growing’ that is packed full of information on how to grow vegetables in small areas, Mr Alexander said, “People should be aware they can take a large amount of food from a very small area and this can save the average family a great deal of money annually” The booklet is available from the website www.teagasc.ie

Food Writing Course
There will be a unique chance to learn about the art and craft of food writing from Ireland’s “leading food critic” John McKenna during the West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry in July. The five day food writing workshop will introduce aspiring food critics, cookbook would-be writers and those with an interest in writing about food to the strong literary tradition within food writing. The cost of the course is €175 and takes place from Monday 6th – Friday 10th July from 9.30am to 12.30pm. To find out more have a look at www.westcorkliteraryfestival.ie or 027 55987

Just last week I over-heard a conversation of two young mums who had children’s birthday parties looming. This year one of them had decided to cook a few goodies herself – she would make chocolate rice krispies and maybe a few fairy cakes but wondered what else she could try herself. I was thrilled to suggest a few simple party treats that can be whipped up easily, particularly if you have a stand alone food mixer. Herein lies the problem, if you have to heat or whisk everything by hand, making cakes, biscuits and meringues can certainly seem like hard labour. If however you invest in a good stand alone food mixer and maybe a food processor as well, then you’ll find you can whip up all sorts of confections in minutes. I am totally anti gadget but they are worth every penny they cost, these pieces of equipment.
There’s terrific value to be had at the moment and although you may balk at the initial cost of several hundred Euros it will eliminate the hard labour and revolutionise your cooking. There are terrific bargains to be had at present. All sorts of things are possible when – as my builder says – “if you have a bit of gear”.
Suddenly it becomes fun rather than a dreaded chore.
Here are a few simple recipes.

Pizza

1 lb (450g) flour
1 level teaspoon breadsoda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)
1 level teaspoon salt
350-400mls (12-14 fl ozs) Buttermilk to mix
olive oil
topping of your choice

1 Swiss roll tin10 x 15 inch (25.5 x 38cm)

First fully preheat your oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8.

Sieve the dry ingredients into a large wide bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board, knead lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up.

Brush the tin with olive oil.  Roll the dough out thinly to fit the large Swiss roll tin or divide into 6 equal sized pieces.  Cover the dough with fillings of your choice.

Bake in a fully preheated oven for 25 minutes approx.  For individual pizzas roll out each piece of dough into a 6 inch (15cm) round approx. Spread with 2 tablespoons of topping eg.  Piperonata, then arrange 5 or 6 thin slices of Salami on top.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of grated Mozzarella cheese and bake in a fully heated convention hot oven for 8-10 minutes or until crisp underneath and golden and bubbly on top.  (Careful to roll the dough out thinly or it will not cook properly.)

Suggested Fillings

1.  Piperonata, Salami, Olive oil, Mozzarella
2.  Mozzarella, Tomato fondue, Basil oil
3.  Tomato fondue, anchovies, black olives, Mozzarella, basil oil
4.  Mushroom a la creme, crispy streaky rashers, grated Mozzarella cheese
5.  Tomato fondue, Mushroom a la creme, crispy bacon
6.  Piperonata, crispy bacon, Mozzarella cheese, olive oil

Jeanette Orrey’s Real Chicken Nuggets

This is a simple recipe and so much better that children eat these, made from local free-range or organic chicken, than any of the ingredients in the shop-bought chicken nugget.  One adult portion will be roughly ten nuggets. Serve with some home-made tomato sauce or relish.

Serves 6

225g (8oz) fresh white breadcrumbs (or less if dried)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 organic egg
125ml (4fl oz) milk
900g (2 lb) organic chicken breast, diced

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Put the breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Add the garlic powder and paprika. Spread out onto a large tray.

Whisk the egg with the milk in a large bowl.  Add the chicken pieces in batches. Transfer the drained chicken pieces to the tray of breadcrumbs.  Toss to coat each piece evenly.

Arrange the crumbed chicken on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until browned and crisp and cooked through.

Serve with fresh Tomato Fondue or Tomato Sauce

Chicken Wings with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Icky sticky and delicious!

chicken wings
sweet chilli sauce
soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds
fresh coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F°/Gas mark 4

Put the chicken wings into a bowl.  Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Cook for 25 minutes tossing every now and then.  Add more sweet chilli sauce and a generous dash of soy sauce, toss again.  Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, depending on size. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and lots of fresh coriander and serve.

Icky Sticky Sausages Wraps

Makes 10

10 small flour tortillas

10 good pork sausages
1-2 avocados, peeled and cut into wedges
Sweet chilli sauce
4 tablespoons soya sauce
2 tablespoons sesame sauce

Some curly lettuce

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan or roasting tin.  Cook the sausages until golden on all sides either on the pan or in a reheated oven at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Mix the sweet chilli sauce with soya sauce.  Add the sausages and toss until completely coated with the sweet sticky glaze.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To Assemble

Warm a tortilla on both sides on a dry pan.  Put a sausage, a wedge or two of avocado and some curly lettuce onto the tortillas.  Turn up the end and roll over to make an open topped wrap.  Serve immediately.

Goujons of Fish with Yummy Dips

Goujons are narrow little strips of fish fillets cut across the grain. They are usually dipped in batter and deep-fried but can also be coated in milk and seasoned flour or cooked in flour, egg and crumbs.  Whatever the coating, it’s a great recipe to make a little fish go a long way and children love them.

Serves 6-8 as a main course

6-8 skinned fillets of sole or plaice or 1-2 medium-sized monkfish tails
olive oil or sunflower oil for deep-frying

Batter

5 ozs (150g) plain white flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1 1/2 egg whites
sea salt
water or milk
egg
fine bread crumbs

Garnish

segments of lemon
sprigs of parsley

Suggested Dips

garlic mayonnaise (see recipe)
tomato mayonnaise (see recipe)
tomato and chilli mayonnaise (see recipe)

Choose a coating is using batter, first make the base.  Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the olive oil, stir and add enough water to make a batter about the consistency of double cream.  Allow to stand.

Cut the fish into 1/2 inch (1 cm) strips on the bias.  Heat the oil in the deep fryer to very hot, 200°C/400°F.  Just before serving, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into the batter, adding a good pinch of sea salt.  Dip each goujon individually into the batter and drop them into the hot oil.  Fry until golden – 1-2 minutes approx. and drain on kitchen paper. (monk fish takes longer to cook than plaice or sole)

Serve at once on hot plates with a tiny bowl, shell or edible container full of sauce in the centre.

Garlic Mayonnaise

Add 1-4 crushed cloves of garlic, depending on size and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley to 600ml (1 pint) of mayonnaise.

Tomato Mayonnaise

Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of tomato puree to 600ml (1 pint) of mayonnaise.

Tomato and Chilli Mayonnaise

Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to 600ml (1 pint) of mayonnaise

Homemade Lemonades

Kids can help to make this, 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.

Oranges and Lemonade

Makes 2.7l (4 1/2 pints)

4 lemons
2 orange
500ml (16fl oz) approx. stock syrup (see recipe)
1.5l (2 1/2 pints) 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)
Use 5 limes instead of the lemons and oranges in the above recipe.

Stock Syrup

Makes 28 fl ozs (825 ml)

1 lb (450 g) sugar
1 pint (600 ml) water

To make the stock syrup: Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil.  Boil for 2 minutes then allow it to cool.  Store in the fridge until needed.

Corrie’s Cupcakes

We all love cupcakes, kids, mums, grans, aunties…this delish recipe was given to me by Corrie Armstrong, originally a student at Ballymaloe Cookery School and now one of our teachers.

Makes 16 cupcakes

8oz (225g) soft butter
8oz (225g) caster sugar
3 large free-range, organic eggs
8oz (225g) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon milk

Orange Butter Cream Icing

8oz (225g) soft butter
14oz (400g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon milk

2 cupcake trays, lined with paper cupcake cases

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.

Cream the butter well, add the caster sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, adding a teaspoon of flour with each addition. (Beat the mixture well before adding the next egg). Beat in the golden syrup, and then gently stir in the remaining flour. Stir in the milk and mix thoroughly.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, filling them half-way. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 mins, or until cooked and lightly golden. Remove cupcakes from the tray and place on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Cream the butter and gradually add the sieved icing sugar. Mix thoroughly and stir in the golden syrup and milk. Pipe or spoon the icing onto the cupcakes and decorate with crystallised flowers, candied peel or chocolate decorations.

Baby Meringues

4 egg whites
9 ozs (130g) icing sugar
Pink, blue, purple organic natural food colouring

Cover four baking trays with a perfectly fitting sheet of silicone paper.

Mix all the icing sugar with the eggs at once in a spotlessly clean bowl and whisk until the mixture forms stiff dry peaks.  This is best done in an electric mixer otherwise you’ll be exhausted.  Divide into separate bowls and add a few drops of the food colouring of your choice to the meringue mixture (careful not to overdo it). Spoon into a clean piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe into rosettes. Bake immediately in a low oven 150°C\300°F\regulo 2 for 30 minutes or until set crisp and just brown on top.

Filling
1/2 pint (300ml) whipped cream

Sandwich the meringues together with whipped cream.

Summer Fruit Salad and Wobbly Jellies

Sweet geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens) and many other varieties of scented geraniums are ever present on our windowsills here at Ballymaloe.  If you don’t have it leave it out. This recipe makes two delicious desserts, use the fruit and la little juice for a delicious grown up fruit salad. The remaining juice can bed made into irresistible wobbly jellies.

Serves 8-10

4 oz (110g) raspberries
4 oz (110g) loganberries
4 oz (110g) red currants
4 oz (110g) black currants
4 oz (110g) small Strawberries
4 oz (110g) blueberries
4 oz (110g) fraises du bois or wild strawberries
4 oz (110g) blackberries

Syrup

14 oz (400g) sugar
16 fl oz (450ml) water
6-8 large sweet geranium leaves

Put all the freshly picked berries into a white china or glass bowl.  Put the sugar, water and sweet geranium leaves into a stainless steel saucepan and bring slowly to
the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Boil for just 2 minutes.   Cool for 4-5 minutes then pour the hot syrup over the fruit and allow to macerate for several hours.  Remove the geranium leaves.  Serve chilled, with softly-whipped cream or Vanilla Ice-cream or alone.  Garnish with a few fresh sweet geranium leaves.

Summer Berry Jelly with Sweet Geranium Leaves

Sometimes when we have a berry salad left over, particularly if there is more juice than fruit we make it into a jelly.  Use 4 teaspoons of gelatine to each 600ml (1 pint) of liquid.  You’ll need 1.2 litres (2 pints) for a large ring mould.  Turn it out carefully onto a large white china plate when it is set, fill the centre with softly whipped cream and decorate with geranium leaves.

Strawberry Popsicles

Homemade popsicles are really easy to make and have no e numbers. Experiment with lots of different fruit purees. Kids will soon let you know which ones they like best.

Makes 12 – 14

2 lbs (900g) very ripe fresh strawberries
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 lb (225g) castor sugar
1/4 pint (150ml) water

ice pop moulds and timber sticks

Dissolve the sugar in the water, bring to the boil simmer for 2-3 minutes, leave to cool.  Purée the strawberries in a food processor or blender, sieve. Add the orange and lemon juice to the cold syrup. Stir into the puree. Pour into pour into popsicle moulds and freeze.
Allow to soften for a few minutes, un mould and serve to lots of happy children.

Alan’s Chocolate Cake

Serves 8

6 oz (175g) flour
6 oz (175g) castor sugar
6 oz (175g) butter
3 free range eggs
1 1/2 level teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 ozs (35g) cocoa
2 1/2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Icing and Filling

2 small bars or 1 large bar (200g) Bourneville chocolate
1 bar Dairy milk chocolate
2 small or 1 large egg

Decoration
2ozs (50g) white or milk chocolate melted

2 x 7 inch (18cm) sandwich tins, greased and floured
1 paper piping bag

Mix all ingredients together in Magimix till just blended together.  Divide between the two tins.

Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Melt chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over hot water.  When melted whisk in the eggs.  Fill and ice cake with this mixture.  Drizzle some white or milk chocolate over the top or write a message – “yummy, scrummy, keep off etc!”

Aunty Pam’s Rice Krispie Cake

Serves 12 – 16 hungry children

2 packets (180g/6ozs) jelly squirms
200g (7 oz) milk chocolate
180g (6oz) Kellogs Rice Krispies
3g (1oz) or 2 packets Smarties

Line the base of the spring form tin with a disc of parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering but not boiling water. Gradually add the rice krispies careful not to break them up too much.
Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared cake tin, gently press down with the back of a metal spoon making sure it’s evenly distributed to all the edges. Sprinkle the smarties over the filling and top with the remaining chocolate coated rice krispies. Smooth the top of the cake with the back of a spoon. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. Next day, remove from tin and invert onto a plate. Melt 50g (2oz) milk chocolate, spread over the top of the cake and arrange the wiggly worms and squirms on the top. Cut into wedges.

Equipment

7 inch (18cm) spring form cake tin

Fool Proof Food

Aunty Pam’s Krispie Buns or Mini Rice Krispie Cakes

Makes approximately 48 mini cakes or 12 – 15 large muffin size

100g (3 ½ oz) milk chocolate
75g (3oz) Kellogs Rice Krispies

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering but not boiling water. Gradually add the rice krispies careful not to break them up too much. Spoon a heaped teaspoon into mini muffin cases. While they are still soft, gently press in a Smartie or Jelly Tot. For an extra surprise, pop a Smartie or Jelly Tot in the bottom and fill with rice krispie mixture. Chill in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours and serve on a pretty cake plate.

Equipment:

Mini muffin tray and mini muffin coloured cases.

Thrifty Tip
Keep citrus peels for beer traps for slugs.

Hottips

Big sale of Rachel Allen’s Electrical Goods
Food mixers, food processors, juicers… all kinds of labour saving gadgets at special prices at Ballymaloe Cookery School Farm Shop (021) 4646 785

Pizza Parties for Children

PizzaParties is a Dublin based company that caters for parties of 6-16 children, ranging in ages from 8-16.  They will go to your home taking all their equipment with them to teach your child and their friends how to make their own pizzas from scratch using organic, homemade dough and the best quality ingredients. Each child will make and customise their own pizza which they can then tuck into and enjoy. Contact telephone: 086 0707099, Email info@pizzaparties.ie web www.pizzaparties.ie

Organic Egg Production

The Nano Nagle Centre is running a practical course designed for those wishing to start or expand small-scale organic egg production on Saturday, May 23rd May, 10.00am – 4.30pm. It is held on an organic egg farm in Mallow, Co Cork and covers all aspects of laying hen management from point-of-lay to end-of-lay. Cost: €60.00 includes lunch.
Tel: 022 26411 Fax:022 26953 kitty@nanonaglebirthplace.ie

Our Grannies’ Recipes

Our Grannies’ Recipes is a unique collection of delightful recipes from Grannies’ kitchens all over Ireland. The book is available in hardback and is edited by Eoin Purcell. Recipes were collected online via www.ourgranniesrecipes.com and by post from people all over the country – a collection of the county’s favourite Irish dishes that have been handed down from generation to generation. €1 from the sale of each book goes towards Age Action Ireland. www.ageaction.ie  Published by Mercier Press (021) 4614456 pr@mercierpress.ie

I love when another new Irish cook book lands on my desk and this one is good news for the many Fishy Fishy fans. Martin Shanahan – chef proprietor of the legendary Fishy Fishy Café in Kinsale – has teamed up once again with Sally McKenna of Bridgestone Guide fame. This impressive duo have produced a sequel to ‘Fresh Seafood Cookery Book’, published in 2006, another gem called ‘The Seafood Lovers Cookbook’ published by Estragon, is easy to find, the real challenge is to find spanking fresh fish. For the past few years we have been frequently in despair at the quality of the ‘fresh fish’ we were offered. Problem is that as fish stocks dwindle boats are forced to travel further afield and are often at sea for 3 or 5 days. Consequently some of the ‘fresh fish’ may be five days old when it’s landed; hence ‘today’s catch’ takes on a whole new meaning. It will of-course have been iced down which helps to preserve the fish. Nonetheless it is a totally different product – nothing can hold a candle to carefully handled day boat fish, landed on the day it is caught, still stiff and glistening. This kind of fish for many people is now a ‘forgotten flavour’ coupled with the fact that most fish is whizzed off to the wholesalers and auctions, so few local people in coastal areas can manage to get fresh fish.  Unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a fisherman who will sell directly to local people and local restaurants.  If you have such a treasure in your area, support them and be prepared to pay a little more for this superior product. When fish is really fresh the less you do to it the better, simply pan grill or poach and serve with good Irish butter or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few fresh herbs or a simple sauce.

When you buy fish, ask lots of questions, is it fresh, where was it caught, is it Irish? Fresh fish is food for the gods; stale fish is a total waste of money and a real challenge for the cook. That’s where all the fancy sauces and twiddles and bows on top come in when you have to mask a stale taint or compensate for the fact that the flavour wasn’t there in the first place.
So how can you tell when fish is fresh? The fish itself will look bright and glistening, the gills will be fresh. Fresh fish or shellfish doesn’t smell at all fishy. If you were blindfolded you would scarcely be able to work out by smelling that it was fish. When the eyes are sunken the fish could be five to six days old – time to be throwing it out – even the cat won’t be tempted. It’s worth being able to judge for yourself so you can choose the best.
With mounting evidence of the imbalance of Omega 3’s and the Omega 6’s in our diet, the need to eat fresh fish to boost our stocks of Omega 3’s has never been more urgent. I think you’ll find Martin and Sally’s contemporary and simple seafood recipes and the shopping guide to fish retailers throughout the country to be an invaluable resource. I would like to add another less well known name to the list. Local day boat fisherman, Tadhg O’Riordan of Ballycotton – comes from a long line of sustainable fishermen. His wife Brenda (086-1704085) delivers superb fresh fish and only fresh fish to the door for which we feel truly blessed and grateful.

The ‘The Seafood Lovers Cookbook’ can be sourced at www.bridgestoneguide.com or Amazon.co.uk (The Seafood Lover’s Cookbook)

Squid with Chorizo

1 cup aged balsamic vinegar (3-5 year old)
¼ cup sugar
300g squid
1 fresh chorizo
wild rocket

Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and boil until it has reduced by half.
Cut the squid lengthways and score the inside of the squid with a sharp knife, cutting a little way through the surface, but not right through. Then dice the squid into pieces about 2½ cm square.
Pan fry the squid over a high heat along with the diced chorizo. Cook for about a minute before putting on the plate and topping with some wild rocket. Drizzle over some of the reduced vinegar. These quantities make enough for about two servings.

Shellfish Crumble

100g breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
double portion of lemon butter sauce
200g white crab meat
150g fresh prawns
150g shrimps

Mix the breadcrumbs with the very finely chopped garlic and the parsley.
Make up a double portion of Lemon Butter Sauce (see page 25 for recipe). This will make a little more than you need, but Lemon Butter Sauce has a thousand other uses, so don’t fret.
When you are nearly ready to serve the crumble, divide the fish between four to six single serving oven-proof dishes. Pour some sauce over each one and scatter liberally with the breadcrumb mixture.
Cook the crumbles in an oven pre-heated to 200ºC for around 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy (watch – they burn easily) and the mixture is hot right through.

Crab Claws in Lemon Butter Sauce

500g crab claws
275ml lemon butter sauce
parsley oil
sweet chilli sauce

Toss the crab claws in the lemon butter sauce. Drizzle over some parsley oil and sweet chilli sauce.

Rocket Oil/Parsley Oil

200g rocket or parsley
2 cups olive oil

Blanch the parsley or rocket (including stems) in boiling water for about 10-15 seconds. Refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain and dry in a salad spinner. Blend 1 cup of oil with the herbs in a blender. Add the second cup of oil. Pour through a paper coffee filter into a jug and then bottle. Stored in the fridge this oil will keep well for a week.

Lemon Butter Sauce

275ml cream
80g butter
juice of 1 lemon
salt and white pepper

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook over a moderately high heat until it reduces to a thick sauce.

Butterflied grilled Mackerel with Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 chillies, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
100g roasted salted peanuts
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey

4 whole mackerel
olive oil for brushing

First make the sauce. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and pulse until the sauce just comes together.
Brush the mackerel with oil and grill under a hot grill for about 8 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

Roast Cod with parsley mash

Parsley Mash

20g parsley, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
8-10 potatoes, peeled
salt and pepper

4 portions of thickly-cut fresh cod fillets
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Blend the parsley and olive oil in a food processor. Boil and mash the potatoes and whisk in the parsley oil and season. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature. Place an ovenproof pan on a high heat, and leave for 5 minutes until the pan is hot. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the pan; it should glisten and cover the base of the pan with a glossy film of very hot oil. Place the fish onto this searing heat, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Place the whole pan in the oven for a further 2-3 minutes until the fish is milky white and firm to the touch.

Salt and Chilli Squid

750g squid
50g rice flour
50g potato flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
oil for deep frying
sweet chilli sauce

Slice the squid into fine rings. Combine the flours and seasoning on a plate. Heat the oil to 170ºC.
Dredge the squid in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess and immediately deep fry. Do this in batches. Drain the squid on kitchen paper and serve immediately with Sweet Chilli Sauce.

Fool Proof Food

Fish Stock

Heads and bones of 1 ½ kg flat fish
1 carrott, scrubbed and chopped roughly
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
10 crushed black peppercorns
3 litres water

Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Skim the surface of the foam that will gather, and then simmer for absolutely no more than 15 minutes. Strain.

Thrifty Tip

Ask your fishmonger for fish bones – you may even get them for free – and make a fine pot of fish stock it only takes 15 – 20 minutes to make. Use for soups, stew and sauces.

Hot Tips

Ladybird Organic Farm rewards Green Bicycle Buyers

Ladybird Organic Farm in Tipperary has come up with a novel way of reducing the carbon footprint of visitors to farmers’ markets. All cyclists who come shopping on their bikes to the Ladybird Organic Farm stall at Farmers’ Markets in Tipperary get a 10% reduction on their purchases of home-grown eggs, beef and pork.

Ladybird Organic Farm is one of the heroes of organic farming and wants to reward like-minded buyers who purchase their organic eggs, gourmet beef burgers, 21-day dry-aged beef, rare breed rashers, pork shoulders and legs and farmhouse sausages. The 10% discount applies to the end of May and is, according to Stella Coffey, a way that people can help the environment while supporting local food. 052-42816

Silk Purse Evening Food and Drink Parlour

An Cruibin, celebrates its first year of existence with the official launch of The Silk Purse, on Thursday 30th April at 8pm. The restaurant, where elegance and debauchery go hand on hand, is located above the music venue The Lobby, 1 Union Quay, Cork city. To book telephone 021 4310071. For raucous, delicate, compassionate, uncouth and heady cuisine in tres chic et risque ambience.

Nude Food Another Gem in Dungarvan

Charismatic cook and Farmers Market organiser Louise Clark opened Nude Food in Dungarvan, Co Waterford in September 2008 and when we called in there last weekend the place was packed with people queuing at the door for a table. They source most of their food locally; suppliers include Arbutus Breads, Ardsallagh Cheese and Green Saffron Spices. Louise tells me her roasted Mediterranean vegetables served with hummus on the side is a best seller as is the spicy lamb burger served in a Broadway bagel. (058) 24594 nakedlunch@vodafone.ie

Today we celebrate the first Slow Food Grandmothers Day. All over Ireland and many parts of the world grandmothers and indeed grandfathers will gather their grandchildren around to share their memories and experience and to pass on some of their valuable life skills, to have fun and show them how to bake a cake, catch a fish and sew a seed… Grandparents are the guardians of inherited wisdom – this is a perfect opportunity to pass these forgotten skills on to our grandchildren.

Now that I am a grandmother six times over, I’m even more aware of the special bond that can be nurtured between grandchildren and grandparents. So my friend Alice Waters, an iconic chef from Chez Pannisse in Berkley California and a wannabe grandmother and I who have the good fortune to already be a grandmother proposed this special day at the Slow Food Terra Madre in Turin last October. The idea was adopted and embraced by international president Carlo Petrini who said,

“Grandmothers’ Day, to be held on April 25, is a good starting point. We will continue to strike while the iron is hot, and will communicate widely the virtuous example being set by Ireland. Following their experience, we will see the best way to go ahead. I also discuss it’s importance in the new Manifesto on the Future of Knowledge Systems.”

It’s even more important than ever nowadays. Years ago at a time when many families lived in multi generational groups the skills were effortlessly passed from generation to generation this situation is more unusual nowadays. The myriad of pressures of modern living mean that both parents are working. The Irish Examiner enthusiastically supported the idea of a special Grandmother Recipe Competition. The competition for people to send in their favourite recipes generated a lot of excitement. Here are the winning recipes and excerpts from the letters that accompanied them. Last week at the Ballymaloe Cookery School grannies and grandchildren will cooked together and had fun with my grandchildren.

We hope Slow Food Grandmothers’ Day will encourage grandmothers to get together not only once a year but once a month with their grandchildren to have fun together in the kitchen.

Slow Food East Cork also organised an art competition with local schools. The children drew and painted pictures of cooking with granny. There was a huge response and you can imagine how lovely the entries that flowed in are. Each picture speaks volumes about a special relationship between Grand parents and Grand children.

 

Aoife O’Callaghan’s Granny’s Apple Tart

 

I think this is a great recipe because it is tasty with hot custard and we go to my Granny’s house to eat it with a cup of tea. It is the best apple tart ever and she a great cook. That is why I love her and this recipe!

Pastry

 

175g (6oz) margarine

350g (12oz) flour

pinch of sugar

drop of water

Filling

 

6 cooking apples, chopped

4 cloves

Sugar

Rub margarine, flour and sugar together in a bowl until they look like breadcrumbs. Gradually add drops of water mixing the ingredients together until you have combined everything into a dough. Flour your table, place half the dough on the table and roll over to a thin round flat pastry, the size of a dinner plate. Place the pastry on a dinner plate, place one layer of chopped cooking apples, some cloves and a spoon of sugar on top. Roll the second piece of dough and place on top of the apples. Pinch around the edges and prick the top with a fork. Place in a hot oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes. Leave cool for 2 minutes then enjoy with hot custard or cream and dust with icing sugar. Mmmmm!

 

Billie Turnbull’s Granny’s Madeira Cake

 

I think this should be a winning recipe because I am a diabetic and my nana made this especially for me.

 

175g (6oz) butter or margarine

12 tablespoons Splenda or 175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

225g (8oz) self-raising flour

pinch of salt

a little milk if necessary

grated rind of 1 lemon

Cream the butter or margarine with the Splenda in a bowl until light and fluffy and pale in colour. Beat in the eggs. Sift the flour and fold into the mixture. Add the lemon rind with the flour. Add a little milk if it’s very stiff. Turn the mixture into a greased and lined (7 inch/18cm) tin. Bake in a fan oven at 145°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 or in a conventional oven at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 1 – 1 1/4 hours.

 

Janet Payne’s Granny’s Oriental Sweet and Sour Pork

 

“For as long as I can remember Granny has been asked to make this recipe for parties to the delight of off those who taste it. I would love to see this recipe win the prize because even though she probably wouldn’t say so herself she really deserves it.”

350g (12oz) pork fillet

2 level dessertspoons of seasoned corn flour

1 clove of garlic

1 medium sweet green pepper

225g (8oz) tinned pineapple chunks

3 mushrooms, peeled and sliced

2 ripe tomatoes, quartered (optional)

Sauce

 

1 chicken stock cube

300ml (10fl oz) water

2 tablespoons honey

1 dessertspoon soy sauce

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Cut the pork into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes and toss in the seasoned cornflour. Remove the stalk and seeds from the pepper and chop. Drain the pineapple cubes, reserving the juice. Heat the garlic in the oil. Fry the pork cubes briefly until brown on all sides. Lower the heat and add the chopped pepper and continue cooking over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the pineapple chunks, mushrooms and tomatoes for the last 5 minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce by dissolving the chicken stock cube in the boiling water. Mix with honey and soy sauce. Blend the leftover cornflour from the dish with a little of the pineapple juice and add to the mixture. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add it to the pork and stir well.

This dish can be served on a bed of organic rice or with mashed potato.

Kellie Murphy’s Granny’s Bacon and Cabbage

 

“I like bacon and cabbage because it is really delicious and every time I go up to my Nan’s house she cooks it for me. I think it should be kept in our family because I love it so much and it is a traditional Irish meal.”

Loin of Bacon

Cabbage

Potatoes

Get a pot and put in the bacon, cover with cold water. Make sure it is covered with water at all times. Boil the bacon for an hour depending on the size. Chop up your cabbage then wash it. Put the cabbage in the pot with the bacon and leave for a further 30 minutes. Serve with potatoes.

 

Leah Flynn’s Granny’s Chocolate Biscuit Cake

 

“My Nannie’s chocolate biscuit cake is the best. It was her mammy’s recipe and now my mammy makes it too. I think it should be passed on because people will remember my nana, my mammy and me. When they make it they will have lots of fun cracking eggs, licking spoons, spreading chocolate and eating it up of course!”

2 x 300g (11oz) packets of rich tea biscuits

350g (12oz) butter

225g (8oz) caster sugar

4 dessertspoons cocoa powder

3 eggs

225g (8oz) milk chocolate

1 x 900g (2lb) loaf tin, lined with cling film

Break the biscuits into a bowl. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together, stirring all the time. When melted, add the cocoa powder. Allow to cool slightly. Beat the eggs lightly and add to the butter, sugar and cocoa mixture. Add the broken biscuits and mix well. Fill into a lined loaf tin. Leave to set in the fridge. Turn out of the tin and cover in melted chocolate.

 

Lynda O’Gorman’s Granny’s Rissoles with Onion Mash

“My grandmother’s name is Mary Miller. She is eighty seven and I am the eldest of her eleven grandchildren. As a child in my grandmother’s house I was adored, spoiled rotten and more than anything else, fed. If you were to ask any of the family for granny’s favourite recipe it would definitely be her brown soda bread which is lighter and crumblier than any other I’ve ever tasted. I always loved the sound she made knocking the dough around the blue plastic basin and the sweet smell from the oven as it baked and then the expectant hovering over the tea-towel wrapped loaf as it cooled. Then the parcel would be unwrapped so that we could launch ourselves at it, buttered knives at the ready.

When conversation turns to favourite dinners, last meal or death row requests, mine is always the same: Granny’s Rissoles with onion mash and baked beans. This is a simple, inexpensive, ordinary dinner which always leaves me feeling, nourished, nurtured and loved. ”

 

 

450g (1lb) round steak, minced

a small handful of sage, chopped

1 egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 small onion, finely chopped

Mix everything together until fully combined. With wet hands form the mixture into palm-sized burgers. Fry gently on a medium heat until cooked through. Serve with onion mash and Batchelor’s baked beans.

Onion Mash

 

6-8 medium potatoes (Kerr’s Pinks)

salt

50g (2oz) butter

225ml (8fl oz) warm milk

1/2 onion, finely chopped

Peel the potatoes and cut into halves or quarters. Place in a saucepan of cold water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain off all the water and allow to steam on the warm ring for a minute or two. Add a pinch of salt and mash. Then add the butter and warm milk and beat with a wooden spoon (the sound of this rigorous beating will act as a dinner gong and bring the starving hoards to the table!) Oh, and don’t forget the onion (I almost just did!)

 

Maeve Brennan’s Granny’s Queen Cakes

 

“I love my Nan’s cakes because when you bite them they are so creamy and you can put on any colour icing. I like to win this because I’d love to spend a day with my Nan.”

168g (6oz) margarine

168g (6oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

252g (9oz) self-raising flour, sieved

Place the margarine and sugar in a bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well into the mixture. Fold in the sieved flour. Place a teaspoon of the mixture into each cake case. Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch. You can add 28g (1oz) of coco if you want chocolate cakes. Ice the queen cakes with white or chocolate icing and decorate as you choose.

 

Meghan Ali Maguire’s Granny Grunts Boiled Fruit Cake

 

“My granny has been making this for as long as my mum can remember. It’s all done in a saucepan, apart from cooking, so it suits all lifestyles from student to super-cook, the wash up is minimal. This cake arrives at all our birthday parties and family celebrations. Friends would ring up and ask for charity donations of a fruit cake. Granny is sixty six and is very small and lively so we all call her ‘Granny Grunt’ for no logical reason at all!”

450g (1lb) margarine

600ml (1 pint) water

350g (12oz) brown sugar

450g (1lb) sultanas

4 large free-range eggs

900g (2lb) self-raising flour

2 teaspoons mixed spice

Put the margarine, water, sugar and sultanas into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool until it’s warm to the touch. Add the eggs and mix. Mix the spice and flour together and add gradually to the saucepan. Line 2 x 900g (2lb) loaf tins with greaseproof paper. Fill the mixture into both tins. Bake at 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 1 1/2 hours. Test with a skewer to ensure it’s cooked.

Thrifty Tip

Keep citrus peels for beer traps for slugs.

Hottips

Five Winemakers Special European Tour come to Cork.

 

As a part of the European Tour by the Five Winemakers, Ballymaloe House and Ballymaloe Cookery School in association with Moët Hennessy Wines are running a unique wine event. There will be a Gala Dinner in The Long Room, Ballymaloe House, Saturday May 9^{th and the Winemaker workshops will take place at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday afternoon, May 9th, and Sunday morning, May 10th. Learn how the wines are made, tutored wine-tasting by the winemaker with emphasis on food & wine matching with a dish specially prepared at the same time to match the wines.res@ballymaloehouse.ie www.ourgranniesrecipes.com and by post from people all over the country – a collection of the county’s favourite Irish dishes that have been handed down from generation to generation. €1 from the sale of each book goes towards Age Action Ireland. www.ageaction.ie Published by Mercier Press (021) 4614456 pr@mercierpress.ie}

For further information and to book please contact Ballymaloe House 021 4653531

 

Our Grannies’ Recipes.

Our Grannies’ Recipes is a unique collection of delightful recipes from Grannies’ kitchens all over Ireland. The book is available in hardback and is edited by Eoin Purcell. Recipes were collected online via

Spring Foraging

Spring foraging is so good for the body and soul. The wild flora of the Irish countryside provides a myriad of treasures for our pantry and medicine chest. Many of our grandparents and certainly great grandparents were deeply knowledgeable and knew exactly what to pick, and how to use nature’s bounty to nourish and cure and indeed as preventative medicine. Some families still hand written copy books which document old cures together with favourite recipes and formulas for furniture polish and cough bottles. Much of this knowledge and skill which hitherto would have been passed from generation to generation has been lost. However we can all have an exciting and fun time relearning the forgotten skill of foraging in the wild for culinary and medicinal plants plus it adds a whole extra element to a walk when you are keeping an eye out for tasty shoots and greens.

Slow Food East Cork had a Spring foraging event recently at Glenbower Wood in Killeagh, Co Cork. The walk was guided by local medical herbalist Kelli O’Halloran (tel: 087 965 2822.) who is passionate about nature; she has a background in chemistry and science. She holds an Honours Degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of Westminster, London and spent some time working at Whipps Cross NHS Hospital in London. It is obviously wise for novices to be guided by an experienced and responsible person and as ever ‘if in doubt leave it out’ is a good policy. Kelli stressed the importance of being totally sure of what you are identifying before eating “I would like to emphasise to the wild crafter that only plants growing in profusion should be harvested and then only in amounts that will not damage the overall viability of the colony. It must look like you were never there.”

 

After the long winter we need a vitamin boost. For those of us who live in the country many of the beneficial plants are easy to identify. Nonetheless a good herbal is a must, Kelli recommended ‘Cassell’s Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe’ by Christopher Grey-Wilson with beautiful illustrations by Marjorie Blamey ISBN: 13: 978 – 0304362141.

Spring is all about cleansing the system of toxins and there are many common plants which do just that. Tender young hawthorn leaves (Crataegus lavevigata) / (Mongyna) are delicious to nibble or to add to salads. They also make a soothing hawthorn tea and have the added bonus of being good for the heart and circulation.

The flowers and berries are also edible and the latter make a great hawthorn brandy or gin in autumn. The berries like sloes and damsons are best after a night or two of frost but you can cheat by popping them into a freezer for a few hours before putting them into a bottle or Kilner jar. Top them up with brandy, gin or vodka and it’ll be ready to sip by Christmas.

Young dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are one of my favourite spring greens, they add a delicious bitter note to a green salad and are a known aid to digestion as well as an effective diuretic – hence the French word pisenlit.

Bitter Cress (Cardamine hirsuta) with it’s peppery leaves and tiny white flowers is another little gem packed full of vitamins. It’s pungent flavour is unbelievably delicious in white bread and butter sandwiches or with cream cheese.

Bramble leaf (Rubes fructicosus) tea cures diarrhoea in children and the flowers are pretty in green salads. Kelli also encouraged us all to eat the young leaves of sticky cleavers (Galium aparine). Apart from nibbling them raw one can make cleaver tea. Infuse the leaves in cold rather than boiling water, leave for 24 hours, strain and drink. Brilliant for the lymphatic gland but beware they are slightly laxative.

The value of nettles (Urtica dioica) as a blood cleanser was emphasised by Kelli and the knowledge is very much alive in folk memory. Older people strongly believe in the benefits of eating “four feeds of nettles in the month of May to keep away the rheumatics.” The young leaves are mild and delicious at present, Nettles can be used in a variety of ways, soups, purées, nettle champ, nettle pizza, nettle sauce for pasta…perhaps the simplest way of all is to make nettle tea.

Simply fill a bowl with young nettles (use rubber gloves to pick them) cover with boiling water and allow to infuse for twenty minutes. Strain and drink a small glass a day.

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) also grows in profusion in shady woodland in late March and April – the leaves are terrific in salads, omelettes, frittatas, pesto and of course soups. We also use the leaves of the earlier (Allium triquetrum) which grows in abundance along the roadside and ditches. They resemble white blue bells but have a distinctly garlicky taste and smell. We scatter the flowers of both onto salads and use them for garnishing throughout the month of April. Wild garlic has strong anti microbial qualities – a guard against colds and flu.

As we ambled along we came across lots of darling little wood sorrel which looks like a large shamrock with pretty white flowers it grows in profusion in woodlands throughout many months of the year. Its sharp clean taste is delicious in salads and make a delectable garnish. Kelli suggested scattering it over a plate of smoked salmon or serving it as an accompaniment to roast belly of pork – a wonderful aid to digestion. Look out for lambs tongue and buckler leaf sorrel which is also growing in little clumps at present in grass or on verges.

Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) are also in season in late March and April and are easy to recognise. They grow along the roadside, about 3 – 4ft tall with thick stalks and greeny yellow umbelliferous flower-heads. The hollow stalks are delicious when peeled and boiled until tender and eaten like asparagus with melted butter.

If you are planning a walk on the beach look out for sea spinach, it is easy to spot on the verges and resembles a robust spinach plant. It has a ton of vitamins and although tougher than cultivated spinach it makes great soups, salads, purées…

Many of these wild foods contain precious vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are sadly lacking in our modern diet. Foraging is free and fun for the family but be sure of identification and just harvest what you need, never endangered plants no matter how tempting.

 

Wild Salad Leaves

The secret to a really good salad is something bitter, something sharp and something a little more bland in flavour to add texture and bulk. Dressing can add sharpness. Use roughly four parts oil to one part acid. The oil can be a mixture of clean flavourless oils such as sunflower or canola with a little good olive oil or nut oils such as walnut, sesame or hazelnut for extra flavour. The acid element can be wine, lemon juice, yoghurt, buttermilk or vinegars. Sweeten with a little sugar or honey, season with salt & pepper and add some crushed garlic, shallot or mustard for extra flavour.

Hawthorn, Chickweed, Dandelion, Ground Elder, Watercress, Wood Sorrel, Common, Sorrel, Hairy Bittercress, Salad Burnet, Ramsoms, Hedge Mustard/Garlic, Three cornered Garlic

 

Scott Walsh’s Nettle Soup

We can still feel chilly on Spring days and there is nothing more satisfying than a hearty soup made possible by an enjoyable afternoons foraging. It never ceases to amaze me how previously rejected green vegetables suddenly take on a magical appetising quality when children have donned gum boots and spent an afternoon in the woods!

Serves 6

2 large onions sliced

3 medium potatoes (roosters)

6-8 fistfuls of nettle heads

1litre (approx) chicken/vegetable stock

salt & pepper

100ml single cream

Fry finely chopped onion and potato for 3 to 4 minutes in sunflower/olive oil. Add stock and simmer until cooked. Bring to the boil and add nettles. Remove from heat, add cream and purée immediately. Garnish with buttered croutons and a little fresh goat cheese or lardons of smoked streaky bacon.

You can use the same method but replace the nettles with 2 handfuls of wild garlic for a yummy wild garlic soup or 3-4 handfuls of sorrel or watercress.

 

Scott’s Spring Foraging Tart

Serves 6

Tart Base for 8-10″ tart tin

225g (8oz) plain flour

50g (2oz) chilled unsalted butter

50g (2oz) chilled vegetable/animal fat

3-5 tbsp full fat milk

Tart Filling

2 large free range eggs

1 egg yolk

1 cup of double cream

25g (1oz) grated parmesan cheese

1 clove of garlic

zest of half a lemon

2 handfuls of watercress finely chopped

Place flour and fat in a food processor and pulse until very fine crumbs. Add enough milk while pulsing the mixture until it just forms a mixture resembling bread crumbs. Gently bring this mixture together in a bowl and allow to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours. Line a greased tart tin with rolled out pastry, prick with a fork and blind bake at 180º C, 350°F, Mark 4 until barely golden.

While the pastry is resting combine the filling ingredients, cover and leave in the fridge to let the flavours infuse the custard.

Pour filling into a cooled blind baked tart base and bake at 180º C, 350°F until set (the middle should wobble like jelly). Allow to cool and serve with a mixed wild salad.

You can substitute a handful of wild garlic for watercress. If you lack the time to make pastry and are feeling ravenous after your busy afternoon spent foraging, then whisk three eggs, add parmesan, season and add your chosen herb for a delicious omelette made in minutes.

Roast Pork Belly with Cannelloni beans, Woodland Sorrel, Apple & Mustard

Serves 6

1 200g cannelloni beans (cooked & chilled/canned)

1 -2 apples (hard crisp variety)

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

pork belly (roasted)

mustard Dressing

3 handfuls of woodland sorrel (leaves & flowers)

 

Mustard Dressing

Mix 4 parts oil with 1 part white wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and season with salt & pepper and add sugar to taste.

Cut the apple into small cubes and mix with parsley, beans and a light dressing of the mustard vinaigrette. Serve a portion of warm roast pork belly on top and garnish with a sprinkle of the woodland sorrel leaves & flowers. The sorrel adds a zesty sharpness to the dish, aiding digestion by helping to ‘cut ‘the fat of the meat.

Dandelion leaves can be substituted for a delicious alternative.

Woodland sorrel is delicious with hot smoked salmon, yum yum…

Spaghetti with Wild Garlic and Herbs

Serves 6 – 8

450g (1 lb) spaghetti or thin noodles

Sauce

110g (4 ozs) butter or ½ butter and olive oil

2 tablesp. parsley, chopped

1 tablesp. mint, chopped

2 tablesp. wild garlic leaves, chopped

2 tablesp. basil or lemon balm

2 large or 4 small crushed garlic cloves

55-110g (2-4 ozs) freshly grated hard cheese preferably Desmond, Gabriel or Parmesan

 

Garnish:

Wild garlic and chive flowers

 

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente – approx. 20 minutes for shop pasta, 2-3 minutes for home made pasta. Mix all the herbs and mashed garlic with the melted butter. Sweat gently for 2 minutes not longer. Stir into the hot spaghetti and serve with grated cheese, preferably Parmesan, though we often use Irish Cheddar. Sprinkle wild garlic and chive flowers on top for extra excitement.

 

 

 

Wild Food

 

Cleavers Cleanse

 

2 handfuls fresh cleavers (Galium aparine)

Cold water

 

Quickly wash the just picked cleavers, roughly chop them and place in a bowl. Add enough cold water to just cover the herb, cover and leave to soak over night. The next day strain, and drink the liquid throughout the day (about 2 glasses).

 

Thrifty Tip

 

Freeze left over wine in ice cubes to put into sauces.

 

Hottips

 

Eco Friendly Garden Sleepers

Suirside Joinery and Sleepers in Kilkenny supply new hard wood oak sleepers for use in vegetable gardens. The sleepers are from an eco friendly and sustainable source and last for more than eighty years. Unlike old railway sleepers they don’t contain any hazardous chemicals. Contact Fintan Dermody on 087-2693095 or email for a price list suirsidejoinery@eircom.net ot visit their website www.suirsideoaksleepers.com  

 

Isle of Man Queenie Festival

The Isle of Man Queenie Festival is a food festival that celebrates the local delicacy of the Manx Queenie, the local name for the Queen Scallop that is caught in and around the Isle of Man’s clear waters between June and October each year. The Festival runs from 29^{th June to July 5th this year. For a full program of events visit www.queeniefestival.com}

Maggie Beer’s Sangiovese Verjuice

Sangiovese Verjuice is made from unfermented grapes and is the perfect companion to desserts or as a Summer cordial. Available in the Ballymaloe Cookery School Farm Shop 021 4646785

Allotments ready for Planting

Pre-cultivated plots ready for immediate planting are available at Ballintubber Farm only three miles from Midleton, Co Cork. Contact David and Siobhan Barry 021 4883034 ballintubberfarm@gmail.com

I love Easter Sunday lunch, it feels like a celebration of Spring. I’ve just got a beautiful bit of young Spring lamb from my butcher, a once a year treat – sweet, succulent and juicy. Spring lambs are born before Christmas and are at their best at 3-4 months old weighing approximately 9-10kgs. You may need to order ahead from your butcher to be sure of lamb like this. It has quite a different flavour and texture to the hogget we’ve been enjoying up to recently. Spring lamb needs very little embellishment, just a few flakes of sea salt rubbed into the skin before roasting.

We’ve been using the first of the new season’s rhubarb for the past few weeks. I’d eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner, I can’t get enough of it after the winter, it’s like a craving.

For starter it’ll be new season asparagus on toast with Hollandaise Sauce. This is the earliest I have seen fresh asparagus on sale – usually we have to wait until the end of April or beginning of May to savour the first tender spears. This year Tim York (086 8593996), who grows asparagus in West Cork near Roaring Water Bay, harvested the first of his outdoor asparagus at the end of March – spooky or what – yet another example of accelerated global warming. I’m not complaining – I know one can get imported asparagus almost year round but nothing compares to the exquisite flavour of fresh asparagus.

We usually have a rhubarb tart for pudding on Easter Sunday after the feast of roast lamb and mint sauce. This year I thought I’d ring the changes and try Alison Henderson’s delicious Rhubarb Meringue Tart, served at the Ballymaloe Shop Café.

It’s also traditional to have something eggy on Easter Sunday so here’s a recipe for a delicious frittata. I’ll pile wild garlic and watercress on top and sprinkle with wild garlic flowers for a taste of April. A few little frosted primrose fairy cakes would be adorable for tea. Other spring flowers like violets and jasmine can also be frosted. All you need is a little patience and a paint brush.

Have fun and a very happy Easter to all our readers.

 

 

 

Asparagus on Toast with Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 4

 

In season: late spring

 

This is a simple and gorgeous way to serve fresh Irish asparagus during its short season. We feast on it in every possible way for those precious weeks, roast, chargrilled, in soups, frittatas; quiches don’t forget to dip some freshly cooked spears in a soft boiled egg for a simple luxury. This was my father-in-law’s favourite way to eat Irish asparagus during its short season.

 

16-20 spears fresh green asparagus

Hollandaise sauce, (see recipe)

4 slices of homemade white yeast bread

Butter

 

Garnish

sprigs of chervil

 

Hold each spear of asparagus over your index finger down near the root end, it will snap at the point where it begins to get tough. Some people like to peel the asparagus but we rarely do. Cook in about 2.5cm (1inch) of boiling salted water in an oval cast iron casserole. Cook for 4 or 8 minutes or until a knife tip will pierce the root end easily. Meanwhile make the toast, spread with butter and remove crusts. Place a piece of toast on a hot plate, put the asparagus on top and spoon a little Hollandaise sauce over. Garnish with a sprig of chervil and serve immediately.

 

 

Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 4-6, depending on what it is to be served with

Hollandaise is the mother of all the warm emulsion sauces. The version we use here is easy to make and quite delicious with fish. Like Mayonnaise it takes less than 5 minutes to make and transforms any fish into a feast. Once the sauce is made it must be kept warm: the temperature should not go above 70-80C/180F or the sauce will curdle. A thermos flask can provide a simple solution on a small scale, otherwise put the Hollandaise Sauce into a delph or plastic bowl in a saucepan of hot but not simmering water. Hollandaise Sauce cannot be reheated absolutely successfully so it’s best to make just the quantity you need. If however you have a little left over, use it to enrich other sauces or mashed potato.

2 egg yolks, preferably free-range and organic

125 g (5ozs) butter cut into dice

1 dessertspoon) cold water

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

Put the egg yolks in a heavy stainless saucepan on a low heat or in a bowl over hot water. Add water and whisk thoroughly. Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece. The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water if necessary. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally add the lemon juice to taste. If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to coating consistency.

It is important to remember that if you are making Hollandaise Sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce.

Another good tip if you are making Hollandaise Sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if becomes too hot.

Keep the sauce warm until service either in a Pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water (do not have gas jet on). A thermos flask is also a good option.

 

 

Frittata with Wild Garlic and Watercress

 

Serves 6-8

 

A frittata is an Italian omelette. Unlike its soft and creamy French cousin, a frittata is cooked slowly over a very low heat during which time you can be whipping up a delicious salad to accompany it! It is cooked on both sides and cut into wedges like a piece of cake. This basic recipe, flavoured with grated cheese and a generous sprinkling of herbs. Like the omelette, though, you may add almost anything that takes your fancy. Pile some wild garlic leaves and watercress leaves on top for a taste of spring.

 

10 large eggs, preferably free range organic

1 teaspoon salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

75g (3ozs) Gruyére cheese, grated

25g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons) parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

25g (1oz) butter

2 tablespoons basil or marjoram chopped

 

Non-stick pan – 22.5cm (10inch) frying pan

 

Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, grated cheese into the eggs. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn down the heat, as low as it will go. Leave the eggs to cook gently for 12 minutes on a heat diffuser mat, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny.

 

Preheat a grill. Pop the pan under the grill for 1 minute to set but not brown the surface.

 

Slide a palette knife under the frittata to free it from the pan. Slide onto a warm plate.

Serve cut in wedges, arrange some rocket leaves on top of the frittata and top with a blob of tomato and coriander salsa or alternatively you can serve with a good green salad and perhaps a tomato salad.

 

Roast Spring Lamb with Roast Spring Onions & Mint Sauce

 

Serves 6-8

1 leg of Spring lamb – about 2.7kgs

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Gravy

1 pint (600ml) lamb or chicken stock

a little roux (see recipe)

salt and freshly ground pepper

mint sauce (see recipe)

Remove the aitch bone from the top of the leg of lamb or ask your butcher to do it for you. This makes it so much easier to carve later, then saw off the knuckle from the end of the leg. Season the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer into a roasting tin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4. Roast for 1-1 1/4 hours approx. for rare, 1 1/4 -1 1/2 hours for medium and 1 1/2-1 3/4 hours for well done, depending on size. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove the joint to a hot carving dish. Rest the lamb in a low oven at 50-100°C for 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile make the gravy. Degrease the meat juices in the roasting tin (* see note), add the stock. Bring to the boil and whisk in a little roux, just enough to thicken slightly. Taste and allow to bubble until the flavour is rich enough. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with the lamb, roast spring vegetables and lots of crusty roast potatoes.

 

Mint Sauce

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

Makes 175ml/6 fl ozs approx.

25g (1oz) finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons sugar

110ml (4fl oz) boiling water

25ml (1fl oz) white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

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

Roux

4oz (110g) butter

4oz (110g) flour

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

How Do I Degrease the Juices?

The gravy should be made in the roasting tin because that is where the flavour is. Usually there is not a great deal of juice in the roasting pan, there will be some caramelised meat juices and lamb fat. This is precious because it is the basis of the gravy. Tilt the roasting tin so the fat collects in one corner. Spoon off as much fat as possible. Then pour icy cold stock into the roasting tin, this will cause the last few globules of fat to solidify so they can be quickly skimmed off the top with a perforated spoon. Then continue to make gravy as in the recipe.

Ballymaloe Shop Café’s Rhubarb Meringue Tart

Alison Henderson who cooks so many delicious confections shared this delicious recipe with us.

Filling

500g (18oz) trimmed weight Irish Rhubarb, cut into 2cm chunks

25g (1oz) butter

150g (5oz) caster sugar

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 dessertspoons corn flour

juice of ½ orange

2 large free range organic eggs

Meringue Topping

2 large egg whites

110g (4oz) caster sugar and extra for sprinkling

Method

Put rhubarb into a large sauté into large sauté pan with orange juice and heat gently to take the rawness out of the rhubarb – 4 – 5 minutes

Melt the butter in another pot off the heat, add 5 oz sugar and whisk in the egg yolks and flour – mix to a ‘roux’ type consistency

Strain the rhubarb reserving the juices. Toss rhubarb gently in corn flour and then place in a tart tin.

Add a little rhubarb juice to the butter, sugar, flour mix and then spoon this over the rhubarb.

Bake at 170°C 325°F, mark 3, for 25 minutes or until set

Make meringue, whisk egg whites in clean bowl until soft peaks form, gradually add 2oz of caster sugar, continuing to whisk until shiny. Gently fold in the remaining 2oz of castor sugar with a metal spoon. Spread the meringue on top- of the still hot rhubarb; sprinkle a little sugar on top and bake for a further 15 minutes at 170°C 325°F, mark 3. Allow to cool slightly before removing from tin.

Primrose Fairy Cakes

Makes 12

150g (5ozs) butter (at room temperature)

150g (5ozs) caster sugar

150g (5ozs) self-raising flour

2 large free range eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Icing

icing sugar

freshly squeezed lemon juice

crystallised primroses (see recipe)

1 muffin tray lined with 12 muffin cases.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5.

Put all ingredients except milk into a Magimix, whizz until smooth. Scrape down sides of Magimix, then add milk and whizz again.

Divide mixture between cases in muffin tin.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 –20 mins or until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile make the icing by mixing the sieved icing sugar with enough freshly squeezed lemon juice to attain the required consistency. Use a palette knife ice each bun and decorate with a single crystallised primrose. Enjoy!

Crystallised Primroses or Violets

The art of crystallising flowers simply takes patience and a meticulous nature – the sort of job that drives some people around the bend but others adore, if it appeals to you, the work will be well rewarded, they look and taste divine.

freshly picked primroses or sweet smelling violets

egg white

castor sugar

a child’s paint brush

bakewell paper

The caster sugar ought to be absolutely dry, so for extra protection, sieve and dry out on a Swiss roll tin in a low oven, 140°C/275°F/regulo 1 for approx. 30 minutes. Break the egg white slightly with a fork; it doesn’t need to be fluffy. Using a child’s paint brush, brush the egg white very carefully and sparingly over each petal and into every crevice. Then gently pour some caster sugar over the violet so that every part is coated with a thin sugary coating. Arrange the flower carefully on a bakewell paper lined tray, continue with the other violets. Allow to dry overnight in a warm dry place close to the aga or over a radiator. If properly crystallised these flowers will keep for months. We store them in a pottery jar or in a tin box interleaved with kitchen paper.

Thrifty tip

In these challenging times why not enjoy a spot of foraging. Great fun and supplements out diet with free food. Buy a good book to guide you – for example ‘Wild Food’ by Roger Philips – ISBN 0 330 28069 3.

Alexanders Smyrnium Olusatrum are in season at present, the stalks are delicious simply boiled and tossed in butter. (see Food From the Wild)

Food from the Wild

Cooked Alexanders

Serves 4-6

700g (1 1/2lb) Alexander stalks (cut close to the ground for maximum length)

1.2 litres (2 pints) water

3 teaspoons salt

butter or extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

Cut the stems into 4-5 cms (1 1/2 – 2 inches) lengths and peel off the thin outer skin as you would rhubarb. Cook in boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes or until a knife will pierce a stem easily. Drain well, then toss in a little melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Hot Tips

Easter Apple Trees

 

Instead of an Easter Egg, one of our teachers Florrie Cullinane gave each of her children an apple tree to plant – a huge success – they got plenty of Easter Eggs from other people.

Slow Food Clare – A Date for Your Diary

The Burren Slow Food Festival is from Friday 15^{th to Sunday 17th May in Lisdoonvarna this year. Clodagh McKenna will demonstrate her delicious recipes and Diane Curtin will cook yummy food for teenagers. Enda Conneely from Fisherman’s Cottage, Inishere, of the Aran Islands is keeping the Irish language alive by doing a cookery demonstration in Irish. Local food café, barbeques, traditional music, films, dance…For more information 065 6850027}

 

^{slowfoodclare@gmail.comKackar Mountains Eco Trekking Holiday}

^{Cheese Making, bird spotting, and dancing are all part of a seven day trek around the rugged Kackar region in Northeast Turkey, once part of the Georgian Kingdom. The trek is scheduled for mid June through wild flower valleys and over high passes at altitudes of 2, 700 meters. Particular attention is given to supporting local enterprise, sourcing the best local food along the way. For more information visit}

 

^{http://www.misssushi.com/?page_id=74 or phone 085 1655575}

I’ve just heard a most exciting piece of news which gives me hope for the world. Michelle Obama plans to cultivate an organic vegetable garden on the south lawn of the White House. Can you imagine what a strong message this will convey to the American people about the importance of the food they feed to their families to their health. The organic garden will provide food for the first family meals and formal dinners at the White House but according to Michelle Obama its most important role is “to educate children about healthful locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have a national concern”.

“My hope,” the first lady said in an interview in East Wing office, “is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

Much of the food people have access to are empty calories, filling but not nourishing. so this initiative is all the more important, at a time when obesity and diabetes is at an all time high. Sixty five percent of the American population are over weight and thirty one percent are obese and at risk of chronic diseases.

I am so thrilled to discover that promoting truly healthy eating – not just the lite and low fat mantra – has become a part of the Obama agenda. As a busy working mum Michelle Obama remembers well the challenges of feeding a family and the temptation to just grab a burger or a pizza for supper.

The Obamas we’re told love Mexican food so there will be lots of coriander, tomatoes, chillies and peppers, a terrific selection of greens including my pin-up winter vegetable kale and fresh herbs. There will be fresh berries for summer puddings so the White House chefs will have fresh beautiful produce to cook with – 55 varieties in total.

There will also be a couple of bee-hives. Word reached the Obamas that White House carpenter Charlie Brandt was also a beekeeper so he will look after the two bee hives for the White House honey. Bee colonies are dying all over the world so hopefully this initiative will also encourage more people to keep bees, an activity which can be indulged in urban or rural areas. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/dining/20garden.html

There is a precedent, when Eleanor Roosevelt planted a vegetable garden during World War 11 she inspired Victory Gardens around the country, emblems of self sufficiency. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/dining/20garden.html

A vegetable garden on the lawn of the Whitehouse is the brainchild of my lovely friend Alice Waters owner of the iconic restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkley in California.

Since 1971 Alice has served the fresh seasonal produce of local farmers and food producers on her menu which changes daily. For over fifteen years she has dreamed of seeing an edible garden at the White House. When Al Gore lost the election her hopes were dashed for a further seven years but now they are becoming a reality. Her passionate hope is that this initiative will inspire Americans from coast to coast to rediscover the joy of growing their own. In these challenging economic times it is encouraging to see these initiatives springing up in many diverse locations.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Rosie Boycott chair of London Food launched ‘Capital Growth’ in November 2008 to encourage Londoners to use every scrap of land and space to grow something edible.

This initiative was inspired by the Cuban experiment during what they euphemistically called their special period when blockades and trade restrictions imposed by the US and Russia caused drastic food shortages. In these dire circumstances Cubans relearned how to cultivate and used every scrap of land in towns and cities to grow food and rear poultry and pigs. What was originally a desperate response to a crisis situation is now serving as inspiration to others.

Our own lovely president Mary McAleese is well ahead – a true inspiration. Her vegetable garden at Áras an Uachtaráin continues to flourish. They also have hens, so our first lady can go to work on a beautiful freshly laid egg whenever she fancies.

Now is the time of the year to sow and plant so take a look around your property. Is there space for a vegetable bed or even a couple, a few barrels or tubs, a window box? Even a hanging basket can produce some salad leaves or a few herbs for you to snip into your dishes. So off to the local garden centre, buy a few packets of seeds, even a few cabbage plants and get them into the ground and remember if there kids around involve them also.

 

We just harvested a crop of cauliflower that was planted last June. They all came together so I had what you might call a glut of cauliflower. We ate every scrap; I chopped the fresh green leaves and cooked those as well as the white curd. Here are a few recipes that we enjoyed.

 

 

Serves 6-8

I had rather despaired of cauliflower until I grew them myself. However I have failed to find the name of the old variety which we ate as children. Cauliflower varieties seem to have suffered more from the point of view of flavour than most other vegetables. The leaves have more flavour than the curd so make sure not to discard them. Even a mediocre cauliflower can be made to taste delicious in a bubbling cheese sauce.

1 medium-sized cauliflower with green leaves

Salt

 

1 pint (600ml) bechamel sauce

4 ozs (110g) grated cheese, eg. Cheddar or a mixture of Gruyere, Parmesan and Cheddar

1/2 teasp. Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 oz (30g) grated mature Cheddar cheese for top.

chopped parsley

 

½ pint (300ml) milk

a few slices of carrot

a few slices of onion

a small sprig of thyme

a small sprig of parsley

3 peppercorns

1½ ozs (45g) roux

salt and freshly ground pepper

This is a marvellous quick way of making Béchamel Sauce if you already have roux made. Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion, peppercorns, thyme and parsley. Bring to the boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes, and remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain out the vegetables, bring the milk back to the boil and thicken with roux to a light coating consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

 

4 ozs (110g) butter

4 ozs (110g) flour

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

Remove the outer leaves and wash both the cauliflower and the leaves well. Put not more than 1 inch (2.5cm) water in a saucepan just large enough to take the cauliflower; add a little salt. Chop the leaves into small pieces and either leave the cauliflower whole or cut in quarters; place the cauliflower on top of the green leaves in the saucepan, cover and simmer until cooked, 15 minutes approx. Test by piercing the stalk with a knife: there should be just a little resistance. Remove the cauliflower and leaves to an ovenproof serving dish.

Meanwhile make the mornay sauce. Make the béchamel sauce in the usual way and at the end add 4 ozs (110g/1 cup) grated cheese and a little mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. Spoon the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle with more grated cheese. The dish may be prepared ahead to this point.

Put into a hot oven, 230C/450F/regulo 8, or under the grill to brown. If the Cauliflower Cheese is allowed to get completely cold, it will take 20-25 minutes to reheat in a moderate oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4.

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Note: If the cauliflower is left whole, cut a deep cross in the stalk.

Serves 8

 

You’ll find this combination of cauliflower and potato all over India but it’s a particular speciality in Punjab.

 

3 tablesp sunflower oil

1 onion, sliced

1 teasp ginger-garlic paste

3 fresh green chillies, chopped

350g (12oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

225g (8 oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped

350g (12oz) cauliflower, washed and cut into florettes

1 teasp turmeric powder

2 teasp garam masala powder

salt

Heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste stir and fry for a few seconds.

Add the chillies and the potatoes. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking. Add the tomatoes and allow them to soften. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little sugar.

Then add the turmeric, garam masala, cauliflower and salt. Mix gently. Reduce the heat, adding a few spoonfuls of water if it begins to stick to the pan. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are just cooked about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with lots of fresh coriander and serve with roti or naan.

 

Serves 6-8

 

Seems rather peculiar at first but when cauliflower florets are blasted in a very hot oven it concentrates the natural sweetness and the flavour becomes addictive.

1 fresh cauliflower cut or divided into 4cm (1 ½ inch) florets

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8. Put the florets into a deep bowl, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet roast, tossing occasionally. Cook until golden and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4 – 6

 

This basic stir-fry and steaming method for vegetables may also be

used with green beans, zucchini, Swiss chard…

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 1 tablespoon ghee + l tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon each black mustard seed and cumin seed

1 small onion thinly sliced

½ red or green chilli thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 ripe tomatoes diced

l medium potato peeled and diced

½ small cabbage sliced

¼ to ½ cauliflower broken into florets

salt and lemon juice to taste

lots of coriander or mint leaves

In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the oil and ghee until it begins to shimmer. Add the mustard and cumin seeds, cover, allow to pop and reduce heat. Remove the lid, add the sliced onion and sauté until limp and golden. Add the sliced chilli, chopped ginger, turmeric and stir to cook briefly before adding the tomatoes. As soon as the tomatoes release liquid, add the diced potato, sliced cabbage. Season with salt, cover and half-cook. Mix in the cauliflower, adding a bit of water if necessary and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt, and a little freshly squeezed lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Serves 8

 

For the batter:

300g (10oz) flour

1 teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon cumin seeds dry roasted and ground

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sunflower oil for deep-frying

1 cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets and steamed.

Put the flour chilli powder, turmeric and cumin into a bowl add water to mix to thickish coating consistency. Batter all off the batter ingredients and water as needed to achieve the consistency of thick custard.

Make a thick batter of all the batter ingredients and water as needed to achieve the consistency of thick custard.

Heat the oil in a deep fry until it is hot 200°C

Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter and gently shake off the excess and drop into hot oil. Allow the cauliflower to cook through. Cook a few at a time, frying until golden, and then drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with a spicy tomato sauce.

Fool Proof Food

Italian Cauliflower Fritters

 

 

1 medium cauliflower (in florets, steamed)

well-seasoned flour

2 eggs, free-range and organic (beaten)

6-10 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Parmigano Reggiano, freshly grated

olive oil for deep frying

Heat oil in a dry fry. Dip the steamed cauliflower florets into flour one by one. Next dip in beaten egg and then in Parmesan cheese. Fry the cauliflower florets immediately in the hot oil at 200C until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Pocket Sized Meal Perker Uppers

 

Look out for Yasmin Hyde’s new brain-wave, tiny pots of Ballymaloe Country Relishes. Perfect size to carry in your handbag to perk up a less than exciting meal.

Tel. 021 438 4810

 

Con McGloughlin is teaching a Gluten Free and Allergy Awareness class at the Fionnuisce Centre in Bandon on Saturday 14th April, 10am to 3pm

Dishes will include gluten, wheat, dairy and egg free recipes. There will also be range of dishes, from baked goods and breakfasts. The cost is €95 and will include all recipes, tastings, and lunch. To book phone 023 46251 karenaustin@eircom.net

 

Caherbeg Free Range Pork picked up two gold medals and one silver for their Black and White Puddings at ‘Les Compagnons de la Gastronomie Porcine’ in Belgium recently. They also received ‘champion d’Irlande en Pâté’ for their Pork Pâté. Tel. (023) 48474 caher@caherbegfreerangepork.ie

 

A selection of Alan Titchmarsh’s organic herb and vegetable seeds have just arrived in the Ballymaloe Cookery School Farm Shop. www.cookingisfun.ie/pages/our_gardens/farmshop.php

 

Save energy by not over filling your kettle. Put in just the amount of water you need to make tea or coffee.

The paranoia that has developed around food hygiene and food safety in the last decade is nothing short of frightening. In a just a few short years, many people have lost the ability to judge for themselves when food is safe to eat.

Instead we rely on food manufacturers who of necessity need to err on the side of caution to guide us on the best before and sell by dates. As a result much perfectly good food is thrown out. The constant barrage of ads on TV warning us about the hazards of having a picnics, barbeques, Christmas turkey… has served to further undermine people’s confidence in their own judgement. The tidal wave of regulations that have been visited upon us by the European Union and our own government, the majority of which are way out of proportion to the risk involved, have wearied and frustrated the Irish people. The regulatory business has developed into an unstoppable industry. Restaurants, food businesses, butchers, bakers and fishermen can not afford to keep continually tweaking their facilities unless there is a genuine problem. At this point in time each regulation needs to be examined carefully to see if it really adds real or just hassle.

I remember life before electricity; I was about nine when electricity came to our little village in Co Laois. Before that there were no fridges or freezers or cold rooms. We had meat safes on the north side of the house with perforated zinc, fly proof sides, so the cool air could filter through. We learned from our mothers how to judge with our senses whether food was safe. If meat smelled a bit high it was given a good wash, seasoned well and thoroughly cooked. I was reminded of this the other night when I found a vac packed duck in the back of my fridge. I had been away for a few days so it had been hidden behind some other bits and pieces for over two weeks. When I slit open the pack and it was good and high. I suspect most people would have run to the bin but I just gave it a good wash inside and out and rubbed a bit of salt into the skin and roasted it.

Six of us had it for supper with some apple sauce and lots of vegetables and everyone remarked on how exceptionally delicious and gamey it tasted.

The duck was reared by Nora Aherne from Elfordstown near Midleton (021) 463 2354. Nora has been rearing beautiful ducks, geese and turkey for us to serve at Ballymaloe for over 30 years. They are available at the Midleton Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, as are JJ and Dan Aherne’s (no relation) organic ducks and chickens (021) 4631058. The latter have to be sent to Cappawhite in Co Tipperary for slaughtering and plucking. We badly need top quality farm facilities and mobile abattoirs to facilitate at a time when more and more farmers and food producers are endeavouring to add value to their produce and raw materials. Free range, organic ducks and chickens are not cheap and nor can they be, they take time to rear 40 ducks and 500 chickens, a week and the organic feed is approximately double the cost of commercial feed.

The only positive development from this recession is the growing interest in self sufficiency, more and more people, are keeping hens, a couple of pigs, growing a few herbs. Last year the sale of vegetable seeds has outstripped flower seeds and already this year promises to be a bumper year for vegetable sales and every vegetable growing class is oversubscribed.

Many doctors and nutritionists tell us we eat far too much meat so why not eat less and trade up, when you buy and use every scrap of Nora Aherne, JJ or Dan Aherne’s ducks in East Cork or from Skeaghanore ducks in West Cork (028) 37428, you can use every morsel and make a fine duck stock from the giblets and carcass and a delicious pâté from the duck liver.

 

How to Joint a Duck and make the most of every little morsel

First remove the wishbone from the neck end – next remove the wings – stockpot

Remove the legs – roast or use for duck confit

Remove the duck breasts. Tear off the inside fillet, use on a salad tiéde.

Trim excess fat off the duck breasts and save to render down for duck fat

Remove all the rest of the duck fat from the carcass – particularly the pieces near the tail end inside the carcass. Cut into small pieces and put onto a roasting tin in a low oven 100C/200F. The liquid fat will render out slowly, the skin will gradually become crisp and golden. Pour the fat into a stainless steel saucepan or Pyrex bowl.

Save the crispy ‘grillons’ in France these delicious morsels are sprinkled over a salad.

Finally there is the duck carcass, if you have a cleaver, chop into smaller pieces and use for duck stock. Add the duck wings and giblets also and lots of aromatic vegetables and seasoning.

Save the duck liver for pâté or for a salade tiede.

In France, I once ate delicious duck rilettes in a restaurant called La Treille in the Dordogne. The chef explained that he used the little pieces of meat from the duck wings and carcass, which had cooked in the stock. The shredded meat was seasoned with salt, freshly ground pepper and quatre epices, and mixed with duck fat and served with hot thin toast. It was absolutely delicious. In this way every scrap of the duck is utilised and the stock may be used for duck gravy or beetroot soup.

 

My maternal grandfather, whom we called Papie Tynan, was very fond of his food. He reared ducks, geese, chicken and guinea fowl for the table. The ducks and geese had a happy life, paddling about in the pond and pecking at the rotten apples in the orchard, and they tasted exquisite. Every scrap of the ducks and geese was used, including the blood which was made into a soft pudding and eaten on bread. The feathers were kept for pillows, and the down for quilts.

1 free range duck – 4 lbs (1.8kg) approx. allow 1 lb (450g) duck per serving

Stuffing

2 ozs (50g) butter

3 ozs (75g) chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped sage

3 1/2 ozs (100g) soft white breadcrumbs

salt and freshly ground pepper

Stock

neck and giblets

bouquet garni

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

Bramley Apple Sauce

1 lb (450g) cooking apples

1-2 dessertspoons water

approx. 2 ozs (55g) sugar (depending on tartness of apples)

Put the neck, gizzard, heart and feet into a saucepan with a sliced carrot and onion. Add a bouquet garni of parsley stalks, small stalk of celery and a sprig of thyme. Cover with cold water and add 2 or 3 peppercorns but no salt.

Bring slowly to the boil, skim and simmer for 2-3 hours. This will make a delicious broth which will be the basis of the gravy. Meanwhile, singe the duck and make the stuffing.

To make the stuffing: Sweat the chopped onion on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Remove from the heat add the breadcrumbs and freshly chopped sage. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Unless you are cooking the duck immediately allow to get cold.

When the stuffing is quite cold, season the cavity of the duck and stuff. Roast in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 1 1/2 hours. approx. When the duck is cooked remove to a serving dish, allow to rest while you make the gravy. Degrease the cooking juices (keep the duck fat for roast or fried potatoes). Add stock to the juices in the roasting pan, bring to the boil, taste and season if necessary. Strain gravy into a sauceboat and serve with the duck.

apple Sauce: Peel, quarter and core the apple, cut pieces into 2 and put in a stainless steel or cast iron saucepan, with sugar and water, cover and put over a low heat, as soon as the apple has broken down, stir and taste for sweetness. Serve warm as an accompaniment to the duck.

Duck Roast with Honey and Rosemary

Serves 4

1 free range duck 3-4 lbs (1.35-1.8kg) weight

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped shallot or onion

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

sea salt and coarsely ground pepper

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

6 fl ozs (175ml) chicken stock

1 oz (25g) butter

Garnish

2 oranges – segmented

sprigs of flat parsley

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.

Put the duck into a roasting tin. Season with a little salt on both the skin and inside the cavity. Cook in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then brush the duck with the honey. Sprinkle on the herbs, shallot and garlic. Cook in a moderate oven and roast for approx. 40 minutes. Baste the duck regularly during cooking, it should develop a rich glaze. After 40 minutes remove the duck to another roasting tin for the remainder of the cooking time 10 – 20 minutes approx. Reduce the heat to 160°C/325°F/regulo 3 if it’s browning a little too much.

Meanwhile make the gravy in the original roasting tin, degrease the roasting pan and deglaze the caramelized juices with chicken stock. Allow the stock to boil and simmer gently to dissolve the caramelized juices and to reduce slightly. When the duck is fully cooked allow to rest in a warming oven for 10-15 minutes.

Carve into 4 portions arrange on a hot serving dish, add the degreased juices from the carving dish to the gravy. Return to the boil, whisk in 1/2-1 oz butter and spoon over the duck. Garnish with orange segments and sprigs of flat parsley or watercress.

 

Duck Legs Roast with Honey and Rosemary

Use 4 duck legs or duck breasts (Magrets) instead of a whole duck. Cook at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes. Brush on the honey and sprinkle with the herb, shallot and garlic mixture. Reduce temperature to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 25-35 minutes depending on the size of the duck legs.

Salade Composee for Duck with Honey and Rosemary

Selection of lettuces and salad leaves: ie. Butterhead, Raddichio, Cos or Chinese leaves, Lambs lettuce, Curly Endives, Watercress, Rocket leaves beet or Swiss chard leaves.

2 oranges – carefully segmented

2 ozs of fine French beans, blanched and refreshed

4 tablespoons of lardons of bacon

8 croutons of bread (small French stick if possible)

Hazelnut or Walnut Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil

4 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil

pinch of mustard, salt, pepper and sugar

To assemble the salad:

Brush the croutons with duck fat and place in a moderate oven to become golden brown. Blanch the lardons of bacon to remove the excess salt. Dry them and fry in a little sunflower oil until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and keep warm. Carefully tear the lettuces into bite sized pieces and toss with the beans in the dressing, until the leaves just glisten. Place the duck leg or breast on the plate. Arrange the croutons and orange segments around the salad in a large serving dish or on individual plates. Sprinkle the warm lardons of bacon over the salad and serve immediately.

 

Ballymaloe Duck Liver Pâté with Melba Toast

Serves 10-12 depending on how it is served.

 

225g (8oz) fresh organic duck livers

2 tablespoons brandy

200-300g (8-12oz) butter (depending on how strong the duck livers are)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 large clove garlic, crushed

freshly ground pepper

 

Wash the livers and remove any membrane or green tinged bits.

Melt a little butter in a frying pan; when the butter foams add in the livers and cook over a gentle heat. Be careful not to overcook them or the outsides will get crusty; all trace of pink should be gone. Put the livers through a sieve or into a food processor. De-glaze the pan with brandy, allow to flame, add the crushed garlic and thyme leaves and then scrape off with a spatula and add to the livers. Puree for a few seconds. Allow to cool.

 

Add 225g (8oz) butter and fresh thyme leaves. Puree until smooth. Season carefully, taste and add more butter, cut into cubes if necessary.

 

This pate should taste fairly mild and be quite smooth in texture. Put into pots or into one large terrine. Knock out any air bubbles.

 

Clarify some butter and run a little over the top of the pate to seal.

Serve with Melba toast or hot white bread. This pâté will keep for 4 or 5 days in a refrigerator.

 

Watchpoint:

It is essential to cover duck liver pate with a layer of clarified or even just melted butter, otherwise the pate will oxidize and become bitter in taste and grey in colour.

 

 

Classic Duck Stock

 

5 duck carcasses

1¼ lb (560 g) carrots

14 ozs (400 g) onions

18 fl ozs (scant 600 ml) red wine

2¼ pints (1.3 L) brown veal stock or chicken stock

bouquet garni

pinch coarse salt

a few peppercorns

water

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Remove the insides of the ducks and chop up the carcasses. Put into a large roasting pan and replace it in a very hot oven 225C/440F/regulo 7-8. Chop carrots and onions. When the duck bones are brown, add the vegetables and continue browning in the oven. When the vegetables are lightly browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer them with the bones to a large saucepan. Degrease the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan with red wine and reduce. Add the wine to the saucepan with the bones and the vegetables. Add the bouquet garni, pinch of coarse salt, a few peppercorns and veal stock. Add enough water to cover the bones completely Bring to a boil and let simmer for approx. 2 hours, skimming frequently. Strain the stock and reduce to about half.

 

Confit de Canard

Preserved Duck Legs

Makes 4

Confit is an almost exclusively French way of preserving. First the meat is salted and then it is cooked, long and slowly in the fat. Originally confit was made to preserve meat, particularly goose and duck for the winter, but nowadays this essentially peasant dish has become very fashionable.

4 duck legs, preferably free range (or 2 legs and 2 breasts or the equivalent amount of goose)

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns

a few gratings of fresh nutmeg

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 crumbled bay leaf

2 lbs (900g) duck or goose fat

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs thyme

parsley sprigs

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Cut the legs off the duck carcass. *(use the carcass to make duck stock, follow beef stock recipe). The breasts can also be used for confit but you may prefer to use them for another recipe, eg. Grilled Duck Breast with Caramelised Apples.

Rub the duck legs all over with a cut clove of garlic, mix the salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme and bay leaf together; sprinkle the duck legs sparingly with the salt mixture and put into an earthenware dish. Cover and leave overnight in a cold larder or fridge.

Cut every scrap of fat off the duck carcasses – you will need about 2 lbs (900g). Render the fat in a low oven, strain and keep aside.*

Next day, melt the fat on a low heat in a wide saucepan. Wash the cure off the duck legs, dry and put them into the fat – there should be enough to cover the duck pieces. Bring to the boil, add the herbs and garlic, simmer on a low heat until the duck is very tender (about 1 ½ hours – a bamboo skewer should go through the thickest part of the leg with no resistance).

Remove the duck legs from the fat. Strain it, leave it to rest for a few minutes and then pour the fat off the meat juices. When the duck is cold pack into a sterilised earthenware crock or jar, pour the cool fat over so that the pieces are completely submerged and store in the fridge until needed. (Leave for at least a week to mature. When needed melt the fat to remove the confit).

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot and crisp on a salad or add to the cassoulet or serve simply with thickly sliced potatoes sautéed in duck fat and some Lentils du Puy.

 

Duck Breast with Spiced Lentils and Caramelised Apples

Serves 4

4 duck breasts, free range if possible

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Spiced Lentils

8 ozs (225g) Lentils du puy

a few slices of carrot

1/4-1/2 onion

a small bouquet garni

 

1 large or 2 small chillies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

extra virgin olive oil

freshly squeezed lemon juice

 

Caramelised Apples

2 eating apples – Cox’s Orange Pippin or Golden Delicious

1 oz (25g) butter

1 tablespoon sugar

juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon Calvados (optional)

 

Garnish

 

sprigs of coriander or flat parsley

wilted greens

 

 

Put the lentils in cold water with the aromatic vegetables and bouquet garni and bring to the boil, simmer until soft but not mushy – 12-16 minutes. Remove the vegetables and herbs and discard.

Season the duck breasts well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Score the duck fat well with a sharp knife. Put the duck breasts onto a cold grill pan fat side down first. Cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the fat is crisp and fully cooked. Then turn over and continue to cook until fully cooked but still tender and juicy. Quite a lot of fat will run out and it may be necessary to pour some off the pan. (Duck breasts take about 15 – 20 minutes on the fat side depending on the thickness).

 

Meanwhile prepare the apple. Peel, core and cut into 1/4 inch (5mm) slices. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, toss in the apple and cook gently for 5 minutes, add the sugar and allow to caramelise slightly. Add the lemon juice and calvados (if using) and allow it to become syrupy. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

 

To Serve

Heat the lentils, stir in the finely chopped chilli, coriander, a good squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and some olive oil to taste.

Divide the lentils between 4 hot plates; arrange a whole crispy duck breast or very thin slices of duck breast on top. Garnish with caramelised apples and sprigs of coriander or flat parsley and serve with wilted greens.

 

 

Pangrilled Duck Breast with Glazed Turnips

4 duck breasts

25g (1oz) butter

6-8 white turnips

1 tablespoon water

100g (4oz) onion finely chopped

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pangrill

Score the fat side in a diamond shape pattern. Put the duck breast skin side down on a cold grill pan. Put the pan on a low heat, cook very gently for about 20 minutes on the skin side until the fat becomes crisp and golden. All the fat should render out from underneath the skin, turn over onto the other side and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes. Alternatively transfer to a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Remove to a warm plate and allow to rest. Meanwhile, peel the white turnips and cut into generous 2.5cm (1 inch dice). Melt a little butter in a casserole, add the turnip and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add about 1 tablespoon of water, cover and cook on a gentle heat for 5-8 minutes depending on the age of the turnips. When almost cooked remove the lid to reduce the liquid.

In another saucepan melt the rest of the butter, add the finely chopped onion and cook over a medium heat until soft and golden. Add the honey, stir for 2-3 minutes, add the wine vinegar and allow to bubble for 3-4 minutes. Add the slightly caramelised turnips and toss gently in the sauce. Taste and correct the seasoning, add a squeeze of lemon juice if necessary.

 

 

Fool Proof Food

Florrie’s Banana Nut Brownies

Moist, rich and delicious. Can be an irresistible nibble or a gorgeous pud with a blob of crème fraiche.

 

Makes 24 medium or 18 large squares

175g (6oz) butter, cut into dice

300g (10oz) light muscovado sugar (5ozs caster sugar and 5ozs soft brown sugar)

175g (6oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces

100g (4oz) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

100g (4oz) walnuts and hazelnuts chopped

3 free range organic eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4

20cm x 30cm (8 x 12 inch) Swiss roll tin (deep tin)

Line the Swiss roll tin with silicone paper. Put the butter, sugar and chocolate in a saucepan on a gentle heat stirring until it’s smooth and melted. Remove the pan from the heat, cool a little

Sieve the flour and the baking powder, add the chopped nuts. Beat the eggs and add to the chocolate. Add the mashed banana to the chocolate mixture. Finally add the chocolate mixture into the flour, mix well and pour into the prepared tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until almost firm in the centre. Cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares.

 

 

Hot Tips

Food Heroes

Connemara Smokehouse is one of the few remaining that specialises in wild smoked salmon caught from Clare Island off the West coast of Mayo. Graham Roberts incredibly does all the filleting by hand – 40 to 50 fish an hour – ready for smoking. The family business – opened in 1979 – also specialises in line caught Irish smoked tuna and gravadlax. In 2003 they were invited to BBC Good Food Show as one of Rick Steins’s food heroes; they continue to supply him with smoked tuna for his restaurants. Tel: 095 2373,

 

info@smokehouse.ie www.smokehouse.ie Patisserie Championship

The first Irish ‘Valrhona Patisserie Championship’ will be held on Tuesday 23^{rd June in the Dublin Cookery School. The closing date for entry is Friday 8th May. Six people will be chosen to compete in the two categories; the theme is Summertime – with two parts; Bonbons and Plated Dessert. The long term aim is to enter an Irish team in the World Pastry Cup. Winner will receive a three day Stage in L’Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona in Tain l’Hermitage, France. For details on how to enter contact Freda Wolfe of Odaios Foods +353 1 4691455}

 

^{info@odaios-foods.com}

The Garden Slow Food Convivium in Dublin celebrated their tenth Anniversary with an Organic and Wild Food dinner at Brooke Lodge in Macreddin Village in Co Wicklow recently. It was a feast with beautiful, thoughtfully sourced ingredients simply cooked so that everyone at the big table – it seats 40 people – at the Strawberry Tree Restaurant were licking their lips.
Evan Doyle moved from Killarney in 1999 to open a hotel in the beautiful Wicklow hills. His ambition was to own the first organic restaurant and hotel in Ireland, no easy task when over eighty percent of organic produce sold in Ireland is still imported. He quickly set about creating links with local farmers and food producers to supply Brook Lodge with organic produce both fresh and wild. Meanwhile he experimented with smoking his own salmon and beef. In 1999 Evan discovered and bought a smoker from the lovely Innes Walker from Scotland who came over to give hands on lessons on how to get the best results from the smoker.
Both the Macreddin home smoked beef and salmon were part of the menu on Saturday night. The salmon was served with citrus poached pear and avocado jelly. The beef came with a grape tapenade and blue cheese.
Evan’s kitchen team are every bit as passionate about sourcing good produce as he is. Early in the day Evan, head chef Tim Daly, and sous chef James Kavanagh, went to pick wild garlic and lots of wild greens and leaves. One of Paul Crotty’s plump organic chickens was anointed with wild garlic, butter and roasted until the skin was crisp and golden. We almost fought over the last pieces. There were squabbles too over JJ Ahern’s duck from Born Free Farm near Carrigtwohill in Co Cork. That was not all we tasted by a long way.
Kerry Cattle are Ireland’s proud contribution to the World’s Heritage of rare breeds. Considered by many to be a dairy breed, I too, can vouch for the fact that they produce wonderful meat with rich yellow fat. Raymond Hilliard of Killarney – who has done such a valiant job to preserve the Kerry breed – introduced Evan to these beautiful black cattle years ago. Evan now works with several farmers to get a supply of this prized indigenous meat throughout the year. The succulent venison came from Michael Healy down the coast in Rathdrum. The piece de resistance was milk fed lamb. Slow Food member and pork butcher Ed Hicks sourced a week old pure bred Lleyn lamb. We had a small morsel each; the flavour was delicate and delicious. There was also some baked haddock served with wild sea spaghetti. Organic vegetables, roast beets and Swede turnips came from the local farms of Denis Healy, Alan Pierse and Mark Winterbotham In Kiltegan and Aughrim. But the most memorable flavours of an altogether memorable meal for the me was the salad of wild leaves picked that afternoon – penny worth, wild sorrel, tiny dandelion and primrose leaves, simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil from Evan’s olive groves in Basilicata in Southern Italy.
Where else in Ireland would you find such a beautiful salad, handpicked by the chefs themselves? Sadly it is much more usual for chefs nowadays to pick up the phone and ring a long order into a restaurant supplier whose lorries criss cross the country with food conveniently prepared and portioned. The salad leaves come flushed with gas and washed in a chlorine solution many times stronger than an average swimming pool.
The menu becomes more and more similar in restaurants around the country; chefs are losing their skills because with this kind of food they no longer need to be able to chop vegetables or fillet fish – it’s all done for them. Tartlets come baked, brandy snap baskets and gateau arrive ‘picture perfect’ but somehow they all taste the same. As one cynic remarked to me recently ‘If there was a strike there would scarcely be a bite of food in a restaurant in Ireland.’
Of course there are exceptions, chefs like Evan Doyle who go out of their way to source local or at least Irish food, they are to be applauded for refusing to take the easy option and offering their customers an altogether more interesting eating experience, supporting local farmers, fishermen and food producers who embody the Slow Food philosophy of good clean and fair. Tel: 0402 36444 www.brooklodge.com

1. Good: the food should taste delicious, be wholesome and nourishing and importantly be good for you.
2. Clean, the food should be prepared in a hygienic manner and should not damage the environment.
3. The farmer or food producer should be paid a fair price for his produce.

St Tola Goats Cheese Tartlets with Roast Beetroot and Balsamic Jelly

Serves 4

500g (18oz) St. Tola soft goats cheese.
50g (2oz) Glenish organic cream.
500g (18oz) fresh beetroot.
250g (9oz) Balsamic vinegar.
salt/pepper.
rocket.
2/3 leaves gelatine
short crust pastry
4 x 10cm short crust pastry tartlets, baked blind

Mix the goat’s cheese and cream together in a mixing bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper. Seasoning will depend on how ripe your goat’s cheese is. Divide the mixture between the tartlets. Cover and leave to set in the fridge for about one hour. Meanwhile make the balsamic jelly, warm the rest of the vinegar up a little and 2/3 leaves of pre-soaked gelatine pour into a bowl. Leave to cool and set in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Wash and the peel the beetroot. Cut into wedges, transfer to a roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat evenly. Roast for 20 minutes approximately.
Add half of the Balsamic vinegar toss the beetroot and bake for a further 5 to 6 mins.

To serve

Put a tartlet on a plate, with some roast beetroot and a little balsamic jelly on top. Serve with a rocket salad.

Wild Garlic, Lemon Roasted Chicken

Serves 4 – 6

1 organic chicken 1 ½ kg approximately
250g (9oz) wild garlic butter
100g (3 12 oz) wild garlic
2 lemons
salt & pepper

Chop the wild garlic. Mix with the softened butter, add the juice of half a lemon. Take the organic chicken, legs facing away from you, and place your hand in between the skin and flesh of the bird. Work your hand through the bird gently, trying not to rip the skin. Put the butter and garlic into a piping bag and pipe the mix into the chicken under the skin. Slice the lemons and place some into the cavity of the chicken and the rest around the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast in a pre-heated oven around 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 for about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half depending on the size of the chicken.
Yoghurt Marinated Wild Monkfish, Linguini, and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4 as a main course

640g monkfish (without bones and skin).
500ml yoghurt (natural).
10g fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped).
20g fresh ginger (peeled, chopped or grated).
2 cloves of garlic (chopped).
3 lime’s zest and juice
sea salt (fine).
450g (1lb) fresh linguini pasta
8oz cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablesp (approximately) sesame seed oil

Cut the monkfish into chunky pieces. Mix the yoghurt with the chopped coriander, ginger, chilli, garlic, and lime zest and lime juices. Put the pieces of monkfish into the yoghurt; make sure it is well covered. Leave in the marinate for at least 3 hours or maximum one day. Transfer the monkfish onto a tray. Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over each piece and put them in the preheated oven 190°C, 375°F, gas mark 5 for around ten minutes. Cook the linguini in salted boiling water until ‘al dente’. Heat a pan, add some sesame oil and the halved cherry tomatoes, stir until the tomatoes begin to soften. Mash them with a wooden spoon. Cook the fresh linguini in lots of boiling salted water for 30 seconds to a minute drain well add to the tomato, season with salt and pepper and stir in piece of butter as well.
Serve the pasta on warm plates with the monkfish on top, drizzle sesame oil and a squeeze of lime juice over the pasta and enjoy!

Marmalade Pudding

Serves 6 – 8

150g (5oz) brown soda bread crumbs
110g (4oz) light brown sugar
25g (1oz) wholemeal flour
110g (4oz) butter
350g (12oz) coarse cut marmalade
3 free range organic eggs
1 teasp bicarbonate soda
1 teasp boiling water
1 x 900g (2lb) pudding bowl

Melt the butter with the marmalade in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Turn off the heat when melted. Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and sugar together and add to the marmalade and butter and mix together. Whisk eggs until fluffy and gently beat into the marmalade mixture.

Pour into a 2lb pudding bowl, cover tightly. Put into a saucepan of water and cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Turn the marmalade pudding out onto a hot plate and serve with softly whipped cream.

Fool Proof Food

Spaghetti with Wild Garlic and Herbs

Another delicious way to use all that lovely wild garlic that’s in season.

Serves 4-6

1 lb (450g) spaghetti or thin noodles

Sauce
2-3 ozs (55-85g) butter or butter and olive oil
2 tablesp parsley, chopped
1 tablesp mint, chopped
2 tablesp wild garlic, chopped use both leaves and bulb
 tablesp basil or lemon balm
2 large or 4 small crushed garlic leaves
2-4 ozs (55-110g) grated cheese preferably parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

Garnish: Wild garlic and chive flowers
Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente – approx. 20 minutes for shop pasta, 2-3 minutes for home made pasta. Mix all the herbs and mashed garlic with the melted butter.  Sweat gently for 2 minutes not longer.  Stir into the hot spaghetti and serve with grated cheese, preferably Parmesan, though we often use Irish Cheddar.  Sprinkle wild garlic and chive flowers on top for extra excitement.

Hot Tips

Tucked into a little corner at the end of Brighton Street in Dublin, Thomas’s of Fox Rock is a little gem of a shop, fresh vegetables and fruit are stacked up inside and outside. For 25 years Thomas Murphy has been looking after his customers through boom and recession. These are the sorts of local shops that we need to support during this downturn. (Personal service and good produce) 01 2894101 www.thomasoffoxrock.ie

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group Presents…
Make your own Breads with Andrew Whitley Author of ‘Bread Matters’
Learn about starting from scratch, old doughs, sour doughs, ciabattas, sweet breads…
Crawford Art Gallery Café, Thursday 26th March at 7.30pm
Entrance €6.00 including tea or coffee

East Cork Slow Food Events

Bread Matters – Andrew Whitley, author of Bread Matters will give a talk about how hidden additives and high-speed processing have changed our bread and how corporate domination has all but wiped out the neighbourhood craft baker. Ballymaloe Cookery School on Wednesday 25th March at 7:30pm €15 for Slow Food members and €20 for non-members. Telephone 021 4646785.

Guided Herb Walk – Medical herbalist Kelli O’Halloran will lead a walk through Glenbower Woods, pointing out along the way the wild herbs, plants and what to forage for in the springtime.  Glenbower Woods, Killeagh, Sunday 5th April at 2.30pm €10 for members and €15 for non-members. Numbers are limited so booking essential, telephone 021 4646785.

International Grandmothers Day – Saturday 25th April 2009 – Grandmothers all around the world will gather their grandchildren around them to have fun and show them how to bake a cake, catch a fish, and sow a seed… Grandparents are the guardians of inherited wisdom – this is a perfect opportunity to pass forgotten skills on to our grandchildren. www.slowfoodireland.com