ArchiveNovember 2025

Recently at the Munster Technological University in Cork, I was deeply honoured to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Arts. It was presented by Maggie Cusack, President of the University during the graduation ceremony of hundreds of excited students and their proud parents and friends.
‘The doctorate was presented in recognition of Dr Allen’s exceptional contribution to Irish food culture, her leadership in championing sustainable farming practices and her role in inspiring generations of chefs, producers and food advocates in Ireland and around the world. Her impact on Irish food, culture, and education is immeasurable. Through her vision and dedication, she has transformed how we think about food not just as nourishment but as a way of connecting people, protecting the planet and preserving traditions. Her work exemplifies the values we strive to instil in our students: innovation, creativity and a deep sense of responsibility to society and the environment. We are honoured to recognise her achievements with this honorary doctorate’.
To top it all, Jimmy Deenihan, chair of the MTU governing body stated that in his opinion I was an original ‘influencer’ and brought the value of homegrown food and cooking to the masses – how cool was that, my cup was full!
So, as I sat there in my satin red, blue and gold robe and black velvet hat listening to the tributes, it almost felt surreal. My mind raced back to my school days when the wonderful nuns who educated my friends and I in the mid-60s, urged us girls to have a proper career – study law, architecture, medicine, engineering, the sciences…
They appeared to be in despair, when all I seemed to want to do was to cook or garden.
‘You’re never going to need that my dear, you’ll have someone to cook and do your garden for you, strive to be a career woman, concentrate on a set of academic skills’.
The subliminal message was loud and clear, practical life skills were of much lesser value and really were only for those who were a bit slow or unambitious.
Men were chefs, women could not get into top kitchens at that time. My choice was a degree in horticulture or in the hospitality industry. I chose the latter and did Hotel and Catering Management in Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin where I accidentally heard about Myrtle Allen. This ‘extraordinary woman’ with no official training, who in the early 1960’s had opened a restaurant in her old historic house in the midst of a farm close to the sea, way out in the countryside in East Cork. Pretty revolutionary at that time. She wrote the menu every day depending on what was in season, freshest and best on the farm and garden, in the local area and the freshly caught fish that came in from the boats in the nearby fishing village of Ballycotton.
This, by the way, was quite revolutionary at the time, chefs wrote a menu when a restaurant opened and it could be the same 10 years later.
Myrtle on the other hand, searched for the very best local and artisan producers around the country and showcased them on the menu at a time when the word local was still a derogatory term.
She reinforced my mother‘s values around real, flavourful, homegrown and home cooked food and spread joy from the kitchen. I soaked up every word as I worked alongside her in Ballymaloe House kitchen, then became a member of the family by the simple expedient of marrying the boss’s son.
Awards helped to spread the word and cooking gradually became cool, exciting and the way to a proper career. TV and cookbooks followed and an abundance of opportunities.
The Ballymaloe Cookery School launched in 1983 was the opportunity to pass on the skills and philosophy to a new generation of cooks and chefs who carried the message around the globe.
So, with just one skill, considered to be of lesser value, I’ve had a wonderfully exciting and rewarding life.
I’d been asked to say ‘a few words’ to the graduates, so I urged them, no matter what their degree, masters or PhD’s, to make some time to learn to cook. One thing we need to do every day is to eat, so in the words of Margaret Visser, ‘Much depends on Dinner’. Our energy, vitality and ability to concentrate depends to a great extent on the quality of the food we eat.
If one can’t cook, which sadly is a majority of folks nowadays, you’re totally reliant on others to feed you, or one needs to buy a ready meal or ultra-processed foods, rarely as nutritious or delicious as what you could whip up in a couple of minutes yourself.
When you have a few basic cooking skills, you’re in charge of your own health, it’s good to remember that every bite of food has a positive or negative effect on our wellbeing. Pay now or pay later – our food should be our medicine…
When you can cook, it’s one of the easiest ways to win friends and influence people.
One can get a job anywhere in the world.
If you can whip up a spontaneous meal, you’ll never be short of friends. After all, the way to everyone’s heart is through their tummy.
My latest start-up project at 77, the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, provides me with the opportunity to pass on the knowledge and skills from our very diverse, working farm and gardens which have been managed organically for almost 30 years. The response illustrates the deep craving to relearn forgotten skills and also do something with one’s hands. How wonderful that things are coming full circle at last.
The honour I received from Munster Technological University in Cork is a tribute to the many cooks, teachers and farmers who continue to inspire me. It is heartening to see that MTU places such value on sustainability, creativity and community which are all essential ingredients in building a better future.
I warmly congratulated all the graduates, wished them well on their new adventure and urged them to grasp the myriad of opportunities, to go out and use their skills and knowledge to help others less fortunate and make a difference for the betterment of mankind.
Back into the kitchen for me and I joyfully share a couple of simple recipes for comforting wholesome dishes to share with your family and friends.

Winter Leek and Potato Soup

The classic winter soup loved by everyone, from tiny tots to elders. Once again, this soup can be served either with the chunks of veg intact or puréed.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

50g butter

450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm dice

110g onion, peeled and cut into 5mm dice

450g white parts of the leeks, finely sliced (save the green tops for another soup or vegetable stock)

salt and freshly ground pepper

850ml – 1.2 litres light homemade chicken stock (*see note at end of recipe)

125ml cream

125ml whole milk

Garnish

cream

finely chopped chives

Method

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, when it foams, add the diced potatoes, onions and leeks, turn them in the butter until well coated. Season well, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again. Cover with a paper lid (to keep in the steam) and the saucepan lid. Sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Meanwhile, heat the stock. Discard the paper lid. Add 850ml* hot stock, bring back to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh flavour.

Liquidise until smooth and silky, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add cream and creamy milk to taste. *You may need to add extra stock if you would prefer a thinner soup.

Garnish with a swirl of cream and some finely chopped fresh chives.

Variations: A tbsp of finely sliced buttered leeks served in the centre of this soup makes a more substantial version.

Basic Brown Soda Bread

This is a more modern version of Soda Bread, couldn’t be simpler, just mix and pour into a well-greased tin.  This bread keeps very well for several days and is also great toasted.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

400g stone ground wholemeal flour

75g white flour, preferably unbleached

1 tsp salt

1 level tsp bread soda, sieved (bicarbonate of soda/baking soda)

1 egg, preferably free-range

1 tbsp sunflower oil, unscented

1 tbsp honey or treacle

425ml whole buttermilkor sour milk approx., add 1-2 tbsp cream if using low fat buttermilk

sunflower or sesame seeds (optional)

loaf tin 23×12.5x5cm

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Method

Put all the dry ingredients including the sieved bread soda into a large bowl, mix well. Whisk the egg, add the oil, honey and buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into the oiled tin – using a butter knife, draw a slit down the middle. Sprinkle some sunflower or sesame seeds on the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes approximately or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Super Seed Bread

Add 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp of kibbled wheat to the dry ingredients. Keep a mixture to scatter over the top of the loaf before baking.

*Note

The quantity of buttermilk can vary depending on thickness. 

Apple Crumble

After this year’s bumper apple harvest, you or your friends will probably still have lots of apples to enjoy. Easy and inexpensive to make for students and delicious to share with your friends. Crumbles are the ultimate comfort food, vary the fruit according to the season.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

700g Bramley Seedling cooking apples

40-50g granulated sugar

1-2 tbsp water

Crumble

50g cold butter

110g white flour, preferably unbleached

50g caster sugar

¼ – ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

25g chopped almonds or hazelnuts (optional)

To Serve

softly whipped cream

soft brown sugar

1.2 litre capacity pie dish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Peel the apples, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into large cubes.

Turn into a pie dish. Sprinkle over the granulated sugar. Add the water. 

Rub the butter into the flour just until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts if using. Sprinkle this mixture over the apple in the pie dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the topping is cooked and golden. Serve with softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar.

Blackberry and Apple and Sweet Geranium Crumble

Use three-quarters apple to one-quarter fresh or frozen blackberries and proceed as in the master recipe.  Mix 2 chopped sweet geranium leaves (Pelargonium graveolens) to the above (optional).

Apple and Mincemeat Crumble

Spread one third to a half pot of mincemeat on the base of the pie dish, top with apples and proceed as above.  A brilliant way to use up left-over mincemeat after Christmas!

Apple and Granola Crumble

Melt 50g of butter in a sauté pan, add 300g granola, stir to coat.  Sprinkle over the apple and bake as in the master recipe. 

Variations on the Crumble

1. 25g oat flakes or sliced hazelnuts or nibbed almonds could also be added to the crumble.

2. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed spice is also a delicious addition.

Padella beside Borough Market in London is my absolute favourite London pasta restaurant. I love it so much that I’ve actually been pondering whether I really want to share this precious nugget of information. It’s already super busy, you can’t book, but it’s so good that I don’t mind waiting.
Could be 30 to 60 minutes, however, you can use the WalkUp app to join a virtual queue – a restaurant definitely needs to be really good to endure a wait that long.
The App allows you to save your place in line virtually. Padella will notify you when it’s your turn so you can enjoy an aperitivo close by or pop into Borough Market to wander around the stalls.
Pasta is my much loved comfort food. My first experiments making homemade pasta were back in the late 70’s from a recipe I found in a Gourmet Magazine, the legendary but now defunct American Food and Travel Magazine. I carefully sourced durum semolina, made the pasta dough, kneaded, then laboriously hand sliced into tagliatelle. I hung the pasta over the front rail of the Aga to dry and still remember, Wowie, our little fox terrier jumped up to steal it when I left the kitchen for a few minutes. Heartbreaking after all my hard work – we’re talking the early 1980’s. Soon afterwards, I heard about Marcella Hazan, the Italian cook and cookbook author. I travelled all the way to Bologna in Piedmont in northern Italy to join a weeklong course, so I learned how to make tender pasta, plump tortellini, ravioli and cappelletti from none other than the legendary Marcella Hazan herself and the nonnas at Ristorante Diana. Good homemade pasta takes time to make and is sublime but Marcella was at pains to point out that homemade pasta is not necessarily better than a really good brand of Italian ‘bought’ pasta, It’s just different and should be paired with different sauces depending on the shape and size, a point, Tim SIADATAN in his excellent new book Padella is also anxious to stress. For those of you who would like to make your own pasta I really think that this is the book you’ve been waiting for.
Trullo, Tim‘s first restaurant, continues to be celebrated, but when Padella was launched in 2016, it was an immediate hit and became a phenomenon virtually overnight. It continues to attract customers who are happy to queue in rain, hail or snow, quite the achievement eight years later.
In this new tome with over 100 recipes, Tim shares all his best loved dishes from the iconic restaurant and several of his own kitchen supper favourites. It’s published by Bloomsbury at £25 and is worth every penny.
There is now a second Padella in Shoreditch. I’ve never been there, but I hear it’s every bit as good.
Many of my favourite pasta dishes from Padella are there –
pici cacio e pepe, pappardelle with beef shin ragu, gnocchi with nutmeg butter, gnudi with pumpkin…

Here are a few recipes to whet your appetite.

Extract taken from Padella by Tim Siadatan (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Padella’s Pici Cacio e Pepe

I’m eternally grateful for this dish because it caused a lot of noise when we first opened Padella and was the main reason we had queues around the block. Quite simply, it put us on the map.

I’m fully aware it’s different to the classic Roman recipe that uses pecorino Romano, pepper and water, which is totally delicious. And if I was opening Padella today, I would have called it ‘Pici with butter, Parmesan and black pepper,’ because I didn’t know it would upset some people. The truth is, in a restaurant in Panzano, I saw an Italian chef add butter to their cacio e pepe and when I asked her why, she said, ‘because I’m not in Rome.’

The key to creating the smooth, oozy sauce is grating the Parmesan super- fine, and if you want to nail this recipe, I highly recommend you read my short explanation on melting Parmesan (on page 36). Also, I toast the freshly cracked pepper in a dry pan to release the oils and make the flavour stronger – you want the pepper to tickle your nostrils when you eat the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g fresh pici (see recipe)

about 1 heaped tsp freshly cracked black pepper

110g unsalted butter, cubed

a squeeze of lemon juice (about 10ml)

110g Parmesan, finely grated

sea salt

Method

For the pici, in a large cooking pot, bring 4-5 litres water to the boil and add a fistful of salt (only a fraction is absorbed into the pasta).

At the same time, in a pan large enough to easily hold all of the cooked ingredients, toast the freshly cracked pepper over a high heat for roughly 45-60 seconds or until you can smell the pepper, shaking the pan regularly to prevent it burning. Immediately add around 200ml of the seasoned pasta water (it will sizzle) and take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.

Put the pan back over a medium-low heat, add the butter with the lemon juice to melt gently, then take off the heat. (It’s important to keep it off the heat while you cook the pasta, so that the pan isn’t scorching hot when you add the Parmesan.)

Loosen the pici bundles through your fingers so they won’t stick together as they cook. Drop the pici into the boiling water and cook for around 5 minutes.

Drain the pici as soon as it’s ready, keeping two mugs of pasta water.

Transfer the cooked pici to the buttery pepper sauce, put the pan back over a medium heat and stir until fully coated. Don’t worry if it looks quite soupy at this stage; the sauce will thicken more quickly than you think.

Add the grated Parmesan to the pici and stir vigorously to melt it into the sauce. You should see a bit of steam rising out of the pan as you stir, so adjust your heat up if this isn’t happening. You might need to add small splashes of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening, stirring until you achieve a smooth, oozy sauce.

Once you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce, serve up the pasta on hot plates. Eat straight away.

Pici Dough

Originating from Tuscany, pici is as frugal as it gets and super-easy to make. You don’t need a pasta machine to roll the pici dough, which can be a fun communal activity, so I highly recommend getting others involved – the more the merrier.  

Makes enough for 4 people

Ingredients

365g strong white bread flour, plus about 200g for storing

the pici

155g tepid water

25ml extra virgin olive oil

5g salt

Method

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until a dough is formed. (Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until a dough forms.)

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead by pushing, stretching and rolling for few minutes until it’s smooth.

Wrap the dough ball in cling film and leave to rest somewhere cool for at least 30 minutes, or keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To roll the pici

1. On a clean work surface (ideally stainless steel, marble or unvarnished wood), cut off one-fifth of the dough and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a rectangle, about 3mm thick. (Keep the remaining dough ball covered with a damp tea-towel or wrapped in cling film.)

2. Using a knife, cut the flattened dough into 3-5mm strips.

3. Cut the strips of dough into roughly 10cm lengths.

4. Use the heels of your hands to roll each piece of dough into a thin pici strand, 20-30cm long and roughly 5mm diameter. (They should resemble grissini or thin breadsticks.)

5. Transfer the pici to a heavily floured tray or a large plate.

6. You can layer the pici on top of each other but make sure you heavily flour them as you layer, to prevent them sticking to each other.

You can cook the pici straight away or store them in the fridge wrapped in cling film for 1-2 days.

Fettuccine with ‘Nduja, Lemon and Mascarpone

I’ve always wanted to make a pasta dish using ’nduja (pronounced en-do-yar) where the chilli didn’t blow your head off! In this recipe, the addition of mascarpone mellows the spiciness of the sausage and creates a smooth and creamy sauce, lending richness. The strength of ’nduja varies, so you may need to use a bit more or less – taste it first and adjust accordingly.

The acidity in the lemon brings balance, harmony and zing to the dish. It rarely comes off the menu at Padella.

Ingredients

450g fresh fettuccine (see recipe in Padella cookbook – *see note at end of recipe for alternatives)

about 75g ’nduja 500g mascarpone

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

sea salt

Parmesan, finely grated, to finish

Method

Put the ’nduja into a bowl and bring to room temperature, so it becomes malleable. Add the mascarpone and lemon zest and mix together until well combined to form a smoothish paste. (This can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.)

For the pasta, in a large cooking pot, bring 4-5 litres water to the boil and add a fistful of salt.

Put the ’nduja-mascarpone paste into a pan large enough to easily hold the cooked pasta. Add half a mug (about 120ml) of the seasoned pasta water and heat gently, stirring, to melt the paste and create a sauce. Take off the heat.

Loosen the pasta bundles so they won’t stick together as they cook. Drop the fettuccine into the boiling water and cook for about 1-1½ minutes. Drain the pasta as soon as it’s ready, keeping two mugs of pasta water.

Transfer the pasta to the ’nduja sauce and add half a mug (about 120ml) of pasta water, the lemon juice, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.

Stir vigorously for at least 30 seconds until all the ’nduja is mixed around the pasta and you have a smooth, creamy sauce. If the sauce is too dry, add splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen it as you stir: you want it to be loose and for the strands of pasta to slide freely over each other, and for a layer of sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and/or pepper if required.

Serve on hot plates with a creamy halo of sauce around the pasta. Finish with grated Parmesan.

Note The sauce sucks up the Parmesan quickly and can easily become dry. So, be sure to have that excess halo around the plated pasta: my visual reference for the sauce is a slow-moving lava field.

*Also works with: fresh pici; dried fettuccine, spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, penne, fusilli, farfalle

Ricotta and Pumpkin Gnudi with Crispy Pancetta, Sage and Parmesan

Gnudi are small balls of seasoned and flavoured ricotta that you roll in semolina flour and then poach. They’re incredibly delicate and the creamy flavour of the ricotta goes really well with the sweet pumpkin and salty pancetta. Delicious…

Gnudi

Ingredients

1.5kg Delica pumpkin (or butternut squash), to yield 450g cooked pumpkin

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp crushed dried chilli (or more if you like heat)

200g ricotta, strained of all liquid

1 medium egg yolk

50g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra

to finish

25g plain flour 100g semolina, for

shaping and coating

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

Ingredients

about 20ml extra virgin olive oil

120g unsmoked pancetta, sliced paper-thin

120g unsalted butter, cubed

12 sage leaves

Method

Preheat your oven to 190°C/180°C Fan/Gas 5.

Cut the pumpkin into even- sized wedges, about 7-8cm, discarding the seeds. Place in a roasting tin and season with the nutmeg, cinnamon, chilli and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 1 hour until the pumpkin is soft all the way through. Allow to steam-dry and cool (to drive off all excess moisture).

Scoop the pumpkin flesh out of the skin with a spoon, weigh 450g and place in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmesan and flour. Mix well to form a smooth paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and/or pepper.

Put half the semolina into a bowl. Roll the pumpkin and ricotta paste into little balls, about 4cm in diameter, to create the gnudi. Drop the gnudi balls into the bowl of semolina and turn to coat all over. Scatter the rest of the semolina in a container, or on a tray or plate and sit the gnudi on top. Store in the fridge for 24 hours before using (this gives the gnudi a better texture).

Heat a thin layer (about 20ml) of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta slices in batches until golden and crispy. Drain the pancetta on kitchen paper then chop into roughly 1cm pieces.

For the gnudi, in a large cooking pot, bring 4-5 litres water to the boil and add a fistful of salt. Turn down to a simmer.

Melt the butter in a saucepan large enough to easily hold the cooked gnudi. Add the sage leaves and fry over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until crispy and the butter has turned golden brown. Take off the heat and stir through the pancetta. Add small splashes of cold water and stir to stop the cooking.

At the same time, drop the gnudi into the pan of simmering water and cook for about 1½ minutes until they start floating to the surface. Using a large, slotted spoon, sieve or spider strainer, lift the gnudi out of the simmering water and add them to the pan with the sage and pancetta. Place over

a low heat and gently fold the gnudi through the sauce for a few moments until they are nicely coated (be careful not to mash them!). If the sauce is a little dry, add small splashes of the hot cooking water to loosen it. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and/or pepper if required.

Serve on hot plates or bowls and finish with grated Parmesan.

Last week, I embarked on my first adventure since I acquired my new ‘bionic’ knee over eight weeks ago.
I’ve been invited by Richard Corrigan, the wild and wonderful and deliciously unpredictable Irish chef, patron of several London restaurants including Bentley’s and Lindsey House to participate in ‘Homegrown’,
A super exciting weekend to celebrate the Autumn harvest with workshops, talks and sensational live music – How could I refuse…
There were master classes, foraging walks and many delicious seasonal meals hosted by Richard and his guest chefs. All held at Virginia Park Lodge, Richard’s Irish country house hotel and estate in County Cavan. Over 150 guests and many of his chef friends including Jeremy Lee, Mark Hix, Robin Gill, Angela Hartnett who love to work hard and play hard were over from London and beyond to participate and have fun. Throughout the weekend, a brilliant lineup of food related events, demos and talks ran concurrently. Long table dinners in the greenhouse under the vines, piggy feasts in the piggery, foraging for wild mushrooms, taco making with Lily Ramirez, kombucha with Daphne Shackleton, oysters galore and how about Mary Coughlan and Liam Ó Maolí for after dinner entertainment that well into the night and early morning – magical stuff. Be sure to check out next year’s Homegrown dates – www.virginiaparklodge.com
We called into Sheridan’s shop close by, what a selection of farmhouse cheese, artisan and specialist foods.  A real gem, hidden in the countryside at Virginia Road Station.
Then onto Belfast, at this time of the year, it can be difficult to find somewhere to stay or eat on Monday, Tuesday or even Wednesday nights. We enjoyed a delicious  dinner at James Street South and a breakfast bap at Established on Hill Street in the Cathedral District.
Lunch at Capparelli at the Mill, the new place everyone’s talking about in a beautifully restored 18 Century watermill in the heart of County Down, chef Carlos Capparelli worked with Ottolenghi in London for many years,
On up to the Antrim coast to find Ursa Minor, an artisan bakery in Ballymena. I’ve been wanting to taste their sourdough and viennoiserie for several years and it was certainly worth the journey.
Just a few miles ‘out the road’ we found Broughgammon farm where Charlie and Becky Cole make a range of artisanal charcuterie. We arrived as kids from the local school were learning firsthand how food is produced. The farm tour was in full swing, kids were enthusiastically digging potatoes to bring home for supper, picking pumpkins and decorating scarecrows. Other farms please copy…
Along the north Antrim coast, past the Giants Causeway, and the Mussenden Temple, over to Breac House just outside Dunfanaghy in County Donegal.  A bed and breakfast with memorable breakfasts owned by Niall Campbell and Cathrine Burke with only four bedrooms on the Horn Head Penninsula overlooking Killahoey Strand, Sheephaven Bay and Muckish Mountain. Booking well ahead is essential and so worthwhile.
I’d forgotten how utterly beautiful Donegal is, even under grey autumn skies. If you want to eat at the Olde Glen Bar in Glen Village, you’ll also need to book well ahead for the dining experience. As always, I was anxious to visit local farmers and food producers.  Joanne Butler at Ourganic Gardens showed us round their garden and fruit orchards and tunnels, where amongst many other activities, she teaches how to grow food to sustain a family of five throughout the year.
 We loved the beautiful hand cut local slate on the roof of the old buildings.
Next onto Mulroy Bay to hear the story of Donegal Sea Salt from John Slater. It’s fascinating how the flavour and texture of sea salt varies from one part of the country to another, a unique taste of Mulroy Bay.
Then on to check out The Blue Goat in Ramelton – an excellent speciality and local food shop, definitely worth making a detour for, say Hi, to  Shelley and to Des on the cheese counter.
Sadly the Bridge Bar was closed, everyone on holdiays – another time. We were also delighted to discover past Ballymaloe Cookery School student, Pauline Sugrue giving cooking classes in Wild Garlic School in the beautiful Old Bank House in Ramelton.
From there, a pilgrimage to Portnoo to meet charismatic gardener and natural soap maker,  Barry Quinn in his Market Garden, Barry’s got over 1 million avid Instagram followers of which I am one.
He’s planning to be down this way in May 2026 for the Ballymaloe Food Festival and he’ll bring his Duck Street Jam Band to play in the Grainstore.
Then a dash over to the Cove restaurant in Dunfanaghy for a delicious dinner where we found another one of our past students Siobhan Sweeney.
And finally on the way home we called into Rossnowlagh Farmers’ Market, where Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni,  Faye Dinsmore and her friends Lisa McCorley and Jaime Leigh Meade started a Farmers’ Market in the Friary Hall almost a year ago. A wonderful eclectic mix of locally grown produce and beautiful craft. I particularly loved the get-together area where the local community gather for weekly tea and chats.
How about that for a week of adventures? I need to get back home to put my knee up!!
Thank you everyone for the warm welcome to the many places we visited, often unannounced.

Capparelli at The Mill’s Kale Borani

Loved this delicious riff on borani at Capparelli at The Mill. Thank you to Carlos for sharing the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients

500g Greek yoghurt

125g kale

125g spinach

50ml olive oil (about 3 tbsp)

5 garlic cloves, minced

salt, to taste

Method

Strain the yoghurt.
Line a colander with a clean J-cloth or muslin and place it over a bowl. Add the yoghurt and let it strain for a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge to remove excess moisture.

Prepare the greens.
Blanch the kale and spinach in salted boiling water until wilted, then refresh in ice-cold water.

Drain thoroughly. Once cool, squeeze out as much water as possible from the greens.

Cook the greens.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the drained greens and cook for a few minutes to remove excess moisture. Season lightly with salt and let cool completely.

Once cool, mix the greens into the strained yoghurt and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.

VADOUVAN BUTTER

Ingredients

60g unsalted butter

5g vadouvan spice mix

½ garlic clove, minced

zest and juice of ¼ lemon

5g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Melt the butter over a medium heat until it starts to brown slightly and smell nutty.

Combine the vadouvan spice mix, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and parsley in a small metal bowl.

Pour the browned butter over the spice mixture, stir gently, and keep warm until serving.

PICKLED GOLDEN RAISINS

Ingredients

50g sugar

50g white wine vinegar

25g (25ml) water

¼ bay leaf

¼ star anise

250g golden raisins

Method

Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, bay leaf and star anise in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the hot pickling liquid over the raisins. Allow to cool and infuse for at least an hour (overnight is best).

To Serve

Spread the kale borani mixture over a serving plate. Spoon over the warm vadouvan butter and scatter the pickled golden raisins on top. Serve immediately with toasted bread/ flatbread.

Mark Hix’s Steamed Marmalade and Kingston Black Pudding

I love a good old fashioned steamed pudding and there’s lots of different recipes floating around but I use this one all the time these days with various flavours from classic treacle to this delicious marmalade one. You don’t have to use Somerset Kingston black you could use whisky or any dregs you have in your cocktail cabinet.

Serves 4

Ingredients

80g melted butter, plus extra for greasing

200g marmalade, softened

2 medium eggs, beaten

100g fresh white breadcrumbs (including crusts)

80g light muscovado sugar

20g self-raising flour

½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda

50ml Kingston Black cider (Mark used Red Breast whiskey)

To Serve

softly whipped cream

Brush 4 individual pudding basins with some of the butter and spoon a tablespoon of marmalade into the base of each.

In a mixing machine or by hand, mix half the remaining marmalade with the butter then gradually add the eggs until well mixed then fold in the breadcrumbs, sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 (180°C fan) or use a steamer if you have one.

Spoon the mixture into the moulds, cover with foil and place in a pan with boiling water halfway up the moulds. Cover and cook in the oven or steamer for 45 minutes.

To serve, heat the rest of the marmalade with the Kingston black and spoon onto the puddings once turned out.

Serve with lots of softly whipped cream.

Lemon Posset with Gorse Flowers

This little gem was inspired by a gorse flower posset served in tiny glasses as a treat on the breakfast tray at Breac House – it can also be flavoured with lemon scented geranium or just lemon zest. Breac House also serves a little gorse jelly on top of the posset if you happen to have some in your cupboard.

Serves 8

Ingredients

400ml double cream

90g caster sugar

a fistful of gorse flowers

50ml lemon juice

6 x 75ml individual serving bowls or shot glasses

Garnish

gorse flowers

Method

Place the cream, sugar and gorse flowers in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and cook very gently, stirring often, for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice.  Strain out the gorse flowers and pour the posset into serving bowls of choice.  Cool, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Garnish with a few gorse petals.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the enduring popularity of the roast dinner. You loved it but wanted some ideas for what to do with the leftovers. For me, they are not a bother, I love the challenge, a brilliant opportunity to have fun in the kitchen concocting some new combinations and some much loved traditional dishes.
Let’s start with lamb, you can’t go wrong with lamb and beans, not sure if you have much left over but trim or scrape every morsel off the bones (don’t give the bones to the dog yet!). Add juicy cubes of lamb to a bean stew or even plain baked beans, maybe add some chilli flakes and lots of freshly chopped herbs. Taste and season up well, maybe add some sweet paprika…
Alternatively, mince or finely chop the meat and throw the bones into a pot with some sliced carrot, onion and leek to make a tasty broth. Add a few peppercorns, a few fresh herbs and stalks, cover with cold water and the lid. Allow to bubble for a couple of hours, there’s lots of flavour in lamb bones. Strain, add a couple of tablespoons of pearl barley or even rice, some freshly chopped vegetables, some cubes of meat and lots of chopped parsley. Simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables and barley are cooked through. Season with salt and a dash of Aleppo pepper for the most comforting bowl of lamb broth. For extra oomph, you could add a little of the leftover gravy or else save it to mix with the minced lamb for an old-fashioned but super delicious shepherd’s pie.
Cover with a generous layer of mashed potato and maybe add a little sweated onion and mushroom ketchup to the mince for extra sweetness. Some folks like to add a few peas, but I like it best unadorned. However, a few slices of garlic butter melting into the topping just before you tuck in, can raise even a mediocre pie to a new level.
If you’d rather a more exciting sounding way to use leftover lamb, how about the South African bobotie or a Moroccan moussaka, both are perked up with fresh herbs and spices and also freeze perfectly.
Make the most of any leftover rare beef to make  juicy focaccia sandwiches with a  dollop of horseradish sauce, a few slices of avocado and ripe tomato and maybe a few peppery rocket leaves.
Leftover beef can of course be treated in the same way as lamb but change the name to cottage pie. Tasty gravy and maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce are vital flavour enhancers here too.
Fold some diced beef into a creamy mushroom sauce for a super quick beef stroganoff. Enjoy with leftover mashed potato and a leafy green salad or toss it over pasta for a more substantial supper.
Or how about quesadillas or tacos with a base of mole sauce or even a ragu with added smoked paprika and chipotle paste, some ripe tomatoes and a sprinkling of grated cheese.
Pork is more susceptible to ‘warmed over’ flavour than beef or lamb due to the high proportion of unsaturated fat. For pulled pork, shred while still warm, pack tightly into a bowl, cover with a layer of pork fat if available, or pop into a plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze. Barbecue sauce works wonders here, warm the pulled pork gently in the sauce and use to fill sliders or brioche buns, perhaps with a little coleslaw or a crunchy salad mixture of your choice, I love a little shredded sweet apple in there too. If you are lucky enough to have some leftover crackling, chop it up finely and add that crunchy goodness to the filling.
So many options, leftover pork also make great tacos but my favourite with lean leftover pork, is to slice it, as close to paper thin as possible, lay in a single layer on a plate then slather it with tonnato sauce and a sprinkling of crispy capers, so delicious. In Italy, this would normally be made with veal but it works really well with traditionally reared roast pork.
Juicy fat pork belly works great for Chinese stir fries and sweet and sour dishes or to slice into a bowl of Ramen.

Bobotie

This delicious South African recipe to ‘zhuzh’ up leftover lamb was given to us by Alicia Wilkinson from Silwood Kitchens, one of the very best cooking schools in Capetown.

Serves 8 approximately

Ingredients

15g butter

generous 25ml oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

450g fresh minced lamb

110g grated carrot

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground coriander

2 ½ tsp ground ginger

3 tsp finely chopped herbs

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

sugar to taste – 1 tsp approximately

a piece of red chilli

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

15g almonds, peeled and chopped

2 some kaffir lime leaves or ½ tsp finely grated lemon rind

2 x 2.5cm slices of sandwich loaf, soaked in water, drained and squeezed dry

generous 15ml wine vinegar

Topping

225ml buttermilk

2 large eggs, free-range and organic

salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 teaspoons turmeric

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Heat the butter and oil, add onion and garlic and cook until soft.  Add mince and stir well, add grated carrot, spices, chilli, seasoning, chopped almonds, finely shredded kaffir lime leaf or lemon rind.     Stir well and continue to cook until the flavours mingle.   Stir in the soaked and squeezed bread, and the wine vinegar.  Mix well, taste and correct seasoning.

Put the meat into a shallow rectangular baking dish and smooth over.  

Whisk all the ingredients together for the topping, check the seasoning and strain over the meat.  Bake in the pre-heated oven until the custard is set and golden, 30-35 minutes.

Serve with a salad of seasonal leaves.

Greek Moussaka

This is a Greek peasant recipe served in almost every taverna in Greece.  There are many variations on the theme, some of which include a layer of cooked potato slices and raisins. I’m not sure if it is my imagination but I sometimes feel that moussaka is even better on the second day. Fresh annual marjoram transforms this dish into a feast.

Serves 8

Ingredients

350g aubergines

350g courgettes

1 x 400g tin tomatoes or very ripe fresh tomatoes in summer

1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for frying

1 onion, finely chopped (include some green part of spring onion if you have it)

1 garlic clove, crushed

450g cooked minced lamb

1 tbsp chopped fresh annual marjoram or thyme leaves

2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

pinch of grated nutmeg

2 tsp flour

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the topping

45g butter

45g flour

600ml milk

1 bay leaf

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp cream

110g grated Gruyère or mature Cheddar cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper

earthenware dish 25.5 x 21.5cm

Method

Slice the aubergines and courgettes into 1cm slices, score the flesh with a sharp knife and sprinkle with salt.  Leave for half an hour. Roughly chop or cut up the tinned tomatoes. Peel and chop the fresh tomatoes finely if using. Keep the juices.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy saucepan over a gentle heat, add the onions and garlic and cover and sweat for 4 minutes. Add the meat, herbs, bay leaf and nutmeg to the onions. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute then pour in the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season well.

Dab the aubergines dry with kitchen paper. Heat a pan-grill until hot.  Brush both sides of the aubergines with extra virgin olive oil and cook until richly coloured on each side. Brush both sides of the courgettes with olive oil, pan-grill until richly coloured on each side. As the courgettes are done, put them into the bottom of a shallow casserole. Tip the meat mixture onto the courgettes, then lay the fried aubergines on top of that. See that the top is as flat as possible.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute, then draw off the heat, add the milk slowly, whisking out the lumps as you go. Add the bay leaf. Return the pan to the heat and stir until boiling. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened.  Mix the egg yolk with the cream in a medium sized bowl. Pour the sauce on to this mixture stirring all the time. Add half the cheese and pour over the casserole. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven until completely reheated and well browned on top.

Moussaka can be made up in large quantities ahead of time, cooled quickly and frozen.

Note

In Autumn if using fresh tomatoes at the end of the season, it may be necessary to use about 65ml of stock to make the mince juicy enough.

Pork Tonnato

Paper thin slices of lean pork or rosé veal are delicious with this classic tonnato sauce. I first tasted this at a Slow Food event in Piedmont in Italy.

Serves 8

Ingredients

16 paper thin slices of cold roast pork

Tonnato Sauce

4 rounded tbsp homemade Mayonnaise

75g canned tuna in oil and 2 tbsp of the oil

2 anchovies

1 tbsp capers

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

freshly cracked black pepper

Garnish

capers

rocket leaves

Method

First make the tonnato sauce.

Put the mayonnaise into a food-processor with the tuna, oil, anchovies, capers, lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper, whizz until smooth, taste and then put into a bowl.

Add a little more water if necessary to thin to a light coating consistency.

Lay a couple of slices of cooked pork or veal on a plate in a single layer. Drizzle with tonnato sauce, garnish with a few crispy capers and a sprig or two of rocket (arugula).