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.