ArchiveAugust 2026

Courgettes or zucchini – Call them whatever you fancy but WoW, have I got a glut! Problem is everyone else has too. It’s really difficult to imagine when you plant a tiny plant just how many beautiful courgettes and yellow blossoms you’ll have. Either a feast or a famine! There’s no excuse for me, every year I warn home gardeners not to plant more than 2 or 3 plants, even though it seems very few, once they get going in mid-summer, it’s difficult to keep up, it’s extraordinary how fast they grow. It’s the plant that keeps on giving! But unfortunately, there are only so many meals in the week, delicious as they are, I’m not sure I want to eat them for breakfast also! We’ve got three different varieties to compare flavour. Green: Dunga Yellow: Yellow Fin Striped: Cocozelle – my favourite. Size matters when you are harvesting. At about 15-17cm long and 2.5-5cm thick, they are crisp and nutty, a revelation to those who have only tasted the watery commercial version. Even if there are more than you need, keep up with the harvesting, search under the spreading leaves, it’s easy to miss one or two and they’ll grow into watery marrows at speed if not picked. The larger ones have less flavour but of course have their uses too. Grate them to make a delicious zucchini bread, zucchini fritters are addictive, as are little deep-fried batons to dip in an Aioli or Harissa Mayo. So, instead of moaning, let’s look on a glut as a bonus. It’s definitely an opportunity for creative cooks to rustle up lots of exciting dishes and/or you could always set up an Honesty Box at the gate and sell a few, to raise money for a local charity. I adore crisp zucchini blossoms, the female flower has the zucchini attached, the male flower with its long stalk is perfect for stuffing. Could be a simple bit of melty mozzarella with a fresh basil leaf, maybe a scrap of salty anchovy. Dip it in a light batter and fry until crisp in a light olive oil or tallow. Even simpler, peel some paper thin shaving of unpeeled zucchini (use a swivel top peeler). Scatter onto a chilled plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a few shavings of Pecorino and crisp deep-fried capers – an enchanting combination. Love a zucchini and basil omelette or frittata too. Zucchini or courgettes barbecue brilliantly too and are of course an essential ingredient in Ratatouille, Caponata or Roast Summer Vegetables. They don’t freeze well so enjoy while you can. Here are three recipes for you to enjoy.

Rachel’s Zucchini and Walnut Bread

We’ve got several recipes for zucchini (courgette) bread but this version, originally given to us by an American friend is my favourite.

First published in Rachel Allen’s cookbook, Bake. It’s moist and delicious!

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

400g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

75g walnuts, chopped plus extra for scattering on top of the bread

½ tsp salt, plus a pinch

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

¼ tsp ground cloves

300g caster sugar

100g Demerara sugar

3 eggs

200ml sunflower oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

380g zucchini grated (skin left on)

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2. 

Line two 13cm x 20cm (450g) loaf tins with parchment paper.

Method

Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl, then mix in the chopped walnuts, salt and spices. Add the caster and Demerara sugar and stir well to mix. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the oil and vanilla extract. Add the grated zucchini and mix well until combined, then pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared loaf tins. Scatter more chopped walnuts over the top of each loaf.

Bake in the oven for 1 – 1 ¼ hours, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve on its own or toasted and buttered.

Tightly wrapped in parchment paper, this bread keeps well for up to 10 days.

Pickled Zucchini

A brilliantly simple pickle to make when zucchini are plentiful. Delicious served with a selection of salads or as an accompaniment.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

1kg thinly sliced unpeeled zucchini (12.5cm in length)

3 small onions thinly sliced

175g sugar

1 tablespoon salt

225ml apple cider vinegar

Method

Combine the zucchini and onion sliced in a large bowl. 

Mix the sugar, salt and vinegar together and pour over the zucchini. 

Place in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and leave for at least 1-2 hours or overnight before using. 

Best eaten on the day but keeps for weeks in the fridge.

Zucchini Chutney

Another terrific way to use up a glut. Gift to friends…

Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats, fish or poultry. 

Ingredients

2 lemons

3 medium sized zucchini, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces

2 medium onions thinly sliced

175ml dry white wine

2 tsp sugar

24 whole black peppercorns coarsely crushed

1 walnut sized piece of fresh ginger chopped until it becomes like a paste

salt to taste

Method

Cut all the peel and white pith from the lemon and discard.  Cut the lemons into thin slices and remove as many of the seeds as possible. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cover and cook over a medium heat for 1 hour.  Check the mixture occasionally to ensure it does not burn. The chutney should have the consistency of marmalade. 

The chutney may be served warm or cold.

Do you remember what pork used to taste like, sweet and juicy and delicious, or does that description even resonate?
I always loved a nice thick pork chop, on the bone, with the rind still on, a nice covering of juicy fat and a little chunk of kidney underneath.
The last time I had one, about 25 years ago, I bought a centre loin pork chop home from Cork, glowing with anticipation… I seasoned it well and cooked it off on a good hot grill pan. Now, I can cook a pork chop as well as most, but when I tasted it, it was not sweet and juicy as I had anticipated but dry and virtually tasteless. If I’d been blindfolded, I wouldn’t have had the least idea what I was eating, so I resolved there and then to source a couple of heirloom pigs and rear them myself.
I brought my first two pigs from a nice man I met while hillwalking on the Knockmealdown mountains. We shook hands on the deal as we crossed a ford in the river and named it the Ford of the Black Pig!
He delivered my two heirloom pigs a few days later. They lived a happy life, ranging freely in the meadow, foraging and eating scraps from the kitchen and garden and windfall apples from the orchard.
We celebrated their lives on our plates, made sausages, salami, cured some bacon and a couple of hams and enjoyed pork chops and roast pork with crunchy crackling just as I had remembered. I’ve continued to rear a few pigs ever since, traditional breeds. Hardy animals bred to live outdoors in their natural environment. Their tails aren’t docked nor are their teeth cracked to avoid them from biting each other out of boredom and frustration in cramped conditions.
Pigs are really friendly and intelligent creatures. I am not a vegetarian, rather, I’m an omnivore but I am not prepared to knowingly eat pork or chicken or any animal, bird or fish that has suffered to provide my food.
Having said all that, there’s no question, but it is difficult nowadays to find free-range organic pork.  Fortunately, there are an increasing number of small producers around the country rearing a few pigs and doing meat boxes and selling direct to the public. To mention a few:
Lúnasa Farm, Clarecastle, Co. Clare –www.lunasafarm.ie
Crawford’s Farm, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary – www.crawfordsfarm.ie
Newbard Farm just outside Lismore, Co. Waterford – www.newbardfarm.com Wicklow Organic (Kilmacoo Hill Farm) – www.wickloworganic.com Regans Organic Farm, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, pork and also beautiful free range organic chickens.
Seek out Noreen and Martin Conroy of Woodside Farm at Midleton and Mahon Point Farmers’ Markets, they are known for their chemical-free pork – www.woodsidefarm.ie
Google, there are also a number of organic processors – do your homework carefully. Free-range organic will of necessity be more expensive, the feed is GM-free and almost double the price of conventional feed. It takes a lot longer for the pigs to fatten.
Enjoy the delicious juicy fat, remember the Good Lord didn’t put fat on meat to annoy us. It enables us to extract all the nutrients from the remainder of our food – a basic but much misunderstood fact of nutrition. Here are some of my favourite pork recipes for you to enjoy.

Pork with Gentle Spices

A gently spiced dish, quick and easy to make – careful not to overcook, also delicious made with chicken.

*This recipe is also delicious with the addition of sautéed mushrooms.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 organic or chemical-free pork fillets

1-2 tsp whole cardamom pods

1 tsp whole coriander seeds

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

25g butter

110g onions, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

150ml homemade chicken stock

150ml cream

Garnish

flat parsley or coriander

Method

Press the cardamom pods and extract the seeds, grind to fine powder with the coriander and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a spice grinder.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add the onion and sweat over a gentle heat until soft. Trim the pork fillets of all fat and membrane. Cut into 2cm slices or cubes, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, toss the fillets in the ground spices. Add to the onion and sauté gently for a few minutes. Cover the pan tightly and cook in a preheated oven 150°C/Gas Mark 2 for 15-20 minutes or until the pork pieces are cooked but still nice and juicy. (It may not be necessary to put the pork in the oven if using fillet).

Remove the pork to a serving dish and keep warm. Put the casserole back onto the heat, add the stock and cream and reduce by half. Taste and adjust seasoning, add the pork pieces back into the sauce (add sautéed mushroom if including), allow to bubble for a minute or two. * Serve on a hot serving dish garnished with flat parsley or coriander.   

* May be prepared ahead to this point. Reheat in a saucepan over a gentle heat. 

Serve with Orzo (orzo looks like fat grains of rice but is in fact made from semolina. It is sometimes sold under the name of ‘Misko’. 

Roast Pork with Crackling and Spiced Aubergines in the Pickling Style

We’ve got lots of aubergines at present, so I’ve been enjoying this delicious combination.

Serves 6-8

1 x 2.25kg loin of organic free-range pork with the skin (rind) intact.  (You will most certainly need to order the joint ahead to ensure that the rind is still on: no rind – no crackling!)

2 tbsp chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram, savoury, perhaps very little sage or rosemary) (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

To Serve

Spiced Aubergines (see recipe)

Maldon sea salt

rocket leaves

apple sauce

Day before, brine the pork (see recipe at end) *.

Score the skin at 5mm intervals running with the grain – let your butcher do this if possible because the skin, particularly of free-range pork can be quite tough. Carefully pour boiling water over the scored pork and immediately drain off. This is to give you really good crackling and make it easier to carve later.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Sprinkle some salt over the rind and roast the joint on a wire rack in a roasting tin.  Allow 30-35 minutes per 450g. Baste with the rendered pork fat every now and then.  Alternatively put the pork skin side down on a chopping board season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs if using.  One can roll up tightly and tie with cotton string if desired, but I prefer to roast as it is. 

*Meanwhile, cook the Spiced Aubergines, see recipe.

Just before the end of cooking time remove the pork to another roasting tin.  Return to the oven and increase the temperature to 230°C/Gas Mark 8, to further crisp the crackling. When the joint is cooked, the juices should run clear.  Put the pork onto a hot carving dish and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes in a low oven before carving.  Serve two slices of pork per person with some Spiced Aubergine, apple sauce and garnish with rocket.   Sprinkle a few grains of Maldon sea salt over the pork.

Rustic roast potatoes and a good green salad would also be great.  

  * Note: We brine the pork ahead for extra flavour (see below). 

Basic Brine

Brining greatly enhances the flavour of pork, chicken, duck. We brine whole turkeys (48 hours), loin of pork, chickens, and ducks (12-18 hours), chicken breast (30-40 minutes depending on size).

Soak the joint or bird in a brine mixture of salt and water.  The electrically charged ions of the salt plump up the muscle fibres, allowing them to absorb water. This changes the structure of the proteins, preventing the water from escaping during cooking. In addition to keeping the meat moist, the salt intensifies flavour.

To make a basic brine, mix together 30g salt to 1 litre of water in a suitable size container with a cover (stainless steel, plastic or enamel are ideal). A little sugar may be added to the brine, even a few spices. Stir the salt with a wooden spoon or clean hand in cold tap water to dissolve completely.  Add the bird or joint (it should be submerged in the water), cover and chill in a refrigerator or keep in a cool place and brine for chosen time.

Spiced Aubergines in the Pickling Style

The spiced aubergine mixture is also good served cold or at room temperature as an accompaniment to hot or cold lamb or pork.  Serve some apple sauce on the side.

Serves 6

Ingredients

500g aubergines

250ml approximate extra virgin olive oil

2.5cm cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 large cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely crushed

50ml water

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp whole fennel seeds

2 tsp whole cumin seeds

350g very ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped or 1 x 400g tin tomatoes + 1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp freshly ground coriander seeds

¼ tsp ground turmeric

⅓ tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like)

sea salt

25-50g raisins

Method

Cut the aubergine into 2cm thick slices.  Heat 175ml of oil in a deep 25-30cm frying pan.  When hot, almost smoking, add a few aubergine slices and cook until golden and tender on both sides.  Remove and drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remainder of the aubergines, adding more oil if necessary.  Alternatively brush generously with extra virgin olive oil and cook on a hot pan-grill.

Put the ginger, garlic and water into a blender.  Blend until fairly smooth. 

Heat 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the frying pan.  When hot, add the fennel and cumin seeds, (careful not to let them burn).  Stir for just a few seconds then put in the chopped tomato, the ginger-garlic mixture, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the spice mixture thickens slightly, 5-6 minutes.

Add the fried aubergine slices and raisins and coat gently with the spicy sauce.  Cover the pan, turn the heat to very low and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Serve warm.

Variation

Add the florets of 1 cooked cauliflower to the above cooked mixture for a delicious spiced Indian cauliflower dish.

Asian Pork Lettuce Cups

An exciting and super delicious way to eat pork mince.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

250g pork mince (belly is good)

2 large garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

1 dsp fish sauce (nam pla)

1 dsp soy sauce

1 tbsp palm or soft brown sugar

5 spring onions, finely sliced at an angle

a small handful of coriander, roughly torn

12 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime

To Serve

12 leaves of iceberg or baby gem lettuces, separated into leaves

Thai sweet chilli sauce

Method

Heat the sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat, add the mince and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the pork is tender, breaking the mince up with a spoon to ensure even cooking.

Push the mince to the side of the pan.  Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further minute.  Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, stir and fry for another minute until just cooked.

Finally, add half the spring onions, coriander, mint and the lime juice and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of the aromatic pork into each lettuce leaf.  Top with a drizzle of Thai sweet chilli sauce.  Add a sprinkling with the remaining spring onions, coriander and mint.

We’re sitting in Dede’s Cellar and Pantry in Baltimore in West Cork, the super chic new addition to Ahmet Dede and Maria Archer’s enterprises in the little seaside town. My food loving friend from LA is ‘pinching himself’ as we tuck into lobster roll on brioche, sea bass crudo…and exceptionally delicious pastries, a selection of natural wines to swoon over). He didn’t expect to find food to rival LA hot spots in a village in rural Ireland, but West Cork is totally ‘rocking’. www.dedecellarandpantry.com Next door is Baba’de, the less formal sister of the 2 star Michelin, Dede at the Custom House which lures people from far and wide. www.babade.ie They are just some of the options in this culinary hot spot. All over West Cork there are Pop-Ups. At Native in Ballydehob, Didi and Simon Ronan host a Monday Club – Kevin O’Donnell from Comet Restaurant in Dublin was guest chef last week, another ‘pinch me’ meal with exceptionally delicious BBQ roast pork ribs from Dermot Allen of Winetavern Farm in Co. Wicklow and lots of seasonal local produce. @nativecabins on Instagram. Camilla Houston did a weeklong Pop-Up in Ballydehob, weaving her magic and cooking yummy food at Kitchen Stories on Staball Hill. Camilla’s Tomato Galette made with juicy ripe summer tomatoes and summer peach, cucumber and tomato salad were particularly irresistible – natural wines here too. Camilla will be popping up again in Kitchen Stories from the 12^th – 15^th August and at the Field Café at the Ballymaloe Cookery School on 7^th September in Shanagarry. Book through @kitchenstorieswestcork on Instagram or text Camilla on 083 1443263. We were also fortunate to snatch a table for an early dinner at Robbie and Elaine Krawczyk’s Chestnut Restaurant. We are not likely to forget the standout rosemary sherbet with dill oil any time soon. And that’s not all, legendary Levis’s pub just down the street has several Pop-Ups; to add to temptations of year round cafés and delis and there’s also Rosies – it’s all happening in Ballydehob. Robbie Krawczyk’s Chestnut will close after service on 30^th October 2026, and an exciting new venture (still undisclosed) is on the cards. Do try to get to Chestnut before then. Early sitting at 5.30pam and then from 6.30pm for a more elaborate tasting menu. Booking essential – www.restaurantchestnutwestcork.ie Over in Leap, the long awaited and much anticipated Harnen opened its doors in June, and the queues still persist eight weeks on for Mark and Sadie Jennings delicious food reminiscent of the much loved food they served at Pilgrims in Rosscarbery for many years. @harnen.of.leap on Instagram. Connolly’s pub also in Leap also has some much enjoyed Pop-Up’s – watch that space for more highlights. Check opening times for all these restaurants – many are not open in the early part of the week but Dede’s Cellar and Pantry in Baltimore is open on Monday from 10am – 10pm. I didn’t make it further West this time but there’s excitement and a real buzz all over West Cork, so check it out and spread the word. Over the causeway in Inishbeg, Orphelia Keane also has a series of exciting Pop-Ups at her restaurant Carpa. West Cork born, Italy-based travelling chef Rudi Henwood’s dinner was also a sellout – delicious small dishes and memorable beef @carpadining on Instagram. How fortunate to have so many temptations and I haven’t even mentioned Sunday brunch at Island Cottage on Hare Island.  The hottest meal ticket in the whole of West Cork. Open only from mid-June to mid-September. All bookings taken from 10am on Tuesday for the following Saturday and Sunday. Lunch served from 2.15pm – 4pm (only one sitting). You better be fast, it sells out faster than a U2 Concert – (028) 38102. After all that, there’s an option of a visit to Bantry or Clonakilty Markets on Friday and Skibbereen Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning where you can pick up everything from spanking fresh fish, crusty sourdough, olives, pickles, local cheeses, home vegetables, hen and duck eggs, Mrs. Love’s honey, pickled ‘leprechauns brains’, live chickens and ducks, antiques, designer clothes, beautiful bouquets, plants and on and on and on…And if you are still up for it, Schull and Baltimore Markets on Sunday mornings. Here’s a taste of West Cork kindly shared by Robbie Krawczyk, Camilla Houston and Ahmet Dede.

Chestnut’s Crème Fraîche Sherbet

Thank you to Robbie Krawczyk for sharing this delicious recipe. He served it with dill oil and a sugar tuile – a sublime super delicious combination.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

350ml sugar syrup 

15g glucose 

250g crème fraîche 

juice and zest of one lime (40ml approx.)

Sugar Syrup

175g of water 

175g of sugar

3-4 sprigs of rosemary (10g approx.) (optional)

Method

In a pot, add your water, sugar and herbs. Place onto a stove on a medium heat until your sugar has dissolved and simmer very gently for 30 seconds. 

Remove from the heat and cool.

Place the remaining ingredients into a bowl, whisk until combined and sieve the sugar syrup into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn until frozen. 

Scoop into a bowl or onto a plate. Robbie served it with dill oil and a fragment of sugar tuile.  

Sugar Crystal Tuiles

Ingredients

5-7g glucose

Method

Spread thinly on a non-stick mat, bake at 160°C for 15-25 minutes until it melts and reaches the desired colour! Allow to cool and break into pieces for garnish.

Camilla’s Tomato and Anchovy Galette

Camilla serves this tomato galette with a few anchovies and a blob of lemon basil crème fraîche – irresistible.

Serves 8

Ingredients

500g ripe tomatoes (use a mixture of sizes and colours), cut into ½cm pieces

50g Gruyère, coarsely grated

1 tbsp chopped marjoram or thyme

freshly ground black pepper

4-8 anchovies

125g crème fraîche and lemon basil

For the Pastry

225g plain flour or sieved wholemeal for nuttier flavour plus extra for dusting

100g cold butter cut into cubes

pinch of salt

2 eggs plus extra beaten egg for brushing

Method

Put the sliced tomatoes into a colander set over a large bowl, sprinkle over 1 tsp salt and set aside for 1 hour to draw out the moisture.

Meanwhile, make the pastry.

Put the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and blitz to a fine breadcrumb-like consistency. Beat the eggs in a jug, then tip into the processor and pulse to a soft dough – if it seems dry, add ½ tsp cold water at a time until it comes together. Shape into a round, then wrap n parchment paper and chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 (fan 160°C).

Put the tomatoes into a large bowl with the cheese, garlic and fresh herbs. Add a good grinding of black pepper. Toss gently to combine using your hands. Set aside.

Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a roughly 30cm circle. Pile the filling into the middle, leaving a roughly 5cm border around the edge. Brush the exposed pastry border with some beaten egg, then fold the border up so it slightly overlaps the tomato filling. It doesn’t need to be even or neat.

Brush the pastry with more beaten egg, then bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 mins until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes have softened and are tender. 

Mix the crème fraîche with some chopped lemon basil to taste.

Note

Drop a few pieces of anchovy on top and garnish with a sprig of lemon basil or some freshly chopped herbs.  

Ahmet Dede’s Sea Bass Crudo on Gazpacho

Spanking fresh sea bass

Start 24 hours in advance preparing the fish, pickles and gazpacho.

Method

Skin the fillets of fish, remove the bones, sprinkle some sea salt on top, turn the fillet upside down and leave for 8 mins, place in iced water for 3 minutes, then place covered in the fridge for 24 hours to air-dry it.  

Pickled red onions and radishes. 

This is made as a basic pickle – vinegar, salt and a little bit of sugar, black pepper and coriander seeds. 

To make the gazpacho.

Take some tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, tomato water, sourdough starter, red onion, pepper- blend this and marinate for 24 hours, then blend it and pass through a sieve. Keep chilled until needed.

To Serve

Thinly slice or dice the sea bass. Put on a plate with some extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, thinly slice some small tomatoes and arrange on plate, add some pickled red onions and radishes and spoon on the gazpacho and serve.

Guess what, we’re coming up to Afternoon Tea Week (August 10^th – 16^th 2026), a brilliant opportunity and super easy way to have a ‘catch up’ chat with friends.
August 12^th Is also Prosecco day so let’s offer a glass of fizz as well to add an extra bit of fun and sparkle to our ‘get-together’ afternoon tea.
Not sure who dreams up all these official ‘weeks’ and ‘days’ but apparently it’s Lemon Meringue Pie Day on August 14^th so I’ll include some gorgeous little lemon meringue tartlets.
Root out your best china, tea seems to taste much more delicious out of a delicate china cup. I love embroidered white linen tablecloths and napkins. I also love doyleys, apart from white (my favourite) you can also find them in gold and other colours. Rory calls me the ‘Doyley Queen’ and it’s not exactly a compliment as far as he’s concerned, never mind we all have our own style!
Of course, one must have some tiny cucumber sandwiches and a gorgeous sponge oozing ripe summer berries and crème chantilly. 
Tiny scones too, of course they can be topped with homemade raspberry jam and cream but how about grating a little orange zest into the dry ingredients and topping them with orange butter cream, OMG, so good!
At a recent Groundswell event in the UK, I was invited to a Flavour and Nutrient Density lunch hosted by Natoora and RHEA,  Regenerative Healthcare European Association, non-profit organisation run by four dynamic women who too, as I am, are passionate about nutrient dense food as medicine. Natoora, founded by Franco Fubini, is based in London, and exists to fix the food system. Nutritionally dense, flavour-first groceries that bring back the joy of food for chef’s, retailers and home customers. Franco and his team travel all over Europe seeking out the best growers who produce the most delicious flavourful nutrient dense food. What a joy to be able to access food like this. We are trying to lure them to Ireland also…
Meanwhile, back to afternoon tea, there is a link!
One of the many delicious dishes on the long table groaning with beautiful food made from fully ripe seasonal produce was a little peach choux bite that wouldn’t win any prizes for elegance. A choux bun base, filled with cream, sweetened with Lannock honey from the beehives on the farm, on top a slice of perfectly ripe juicy white peach, you can’t imagine how delicious it was.
This seemingly simple combination was one of the best things I’ve eaten in years. When was the last time you managed to find a fully ripe peach or nectarine?
Here’s another taste of summer to adorn your afternoon tea table, almond tartlets with raspberries and mint. A Ballymaloe favourite that Myrtle taught me how to make when I first arrived at Ballymaloe, it’s a little gem that can be topped with many things, but I love it best with ripe summer raspberries, a tiny rosette of whipped cream and a fresh mint leaf.  See my Examiner column April 2025 for the recipe. Enjoy.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

You’ll need super fresh organic eggs for this recipe and good lemons – a brilliant version of a timeless favourite.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pastry

175g plain white flour

75g butter

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)

2 tbsp cold water approx.

Lemon Curd

50g butter

100g caster sugar

finely grated rind and juice of 2 good lemons

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

Meringue

4 egg whites, preferably free range

225g caster sugar

4 x deep tartlet tins, approximately 2cm deep x 8cm wide

Method

First make the pastry.

Sieve the flour with the salt, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.

Whisk the egg yolk and add the water. Take a fork or knife, (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more

accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.

Wrap in parchment paper and chill for half an hour, if possible, this will make it less elastic and easier to roll out.

Preheat the oven to oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Line the tartlets and chill again for 15-20 minutes, line with parchment paper and fill with dried beans. Bake blind in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. The pastry case must be almost fully cooked.  Remove paper and beans, paint with a little lightly beaten egg white and put back into the oven for 5 minutes approx.

Meanwhile make the lemon curd.

On a very low heat melt the butter, add caster sugar, lemon juice and rind and then stir in well beaten eggs and yolk. Stir carefully over a gentle heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Draw off the heat and pour into a bowl (it will thicken as it cools.)  Fill the pastry case with the lemon curd mixture.

Increase the oven temperature to 210°C/Gas Mark 6 ½.

To make the meringue.

Whisk the egg whites in a perfectly clean dry bowl, until they begin to get fluffy, then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until they form stiff peaks.  IMMEDIATELY either pipe or spread over the cold lemon curd with a spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven for 6-7 minutes.

Serve warm or cold.

Note: Do not whip the egg whites and make the meringue until you are ready to use otherwise if it sits around, it will lose volume.  If the meringue is not piped immediately it will split.

Crunchy Orange Butter Scones

The trick to these sweet white scones is to make sure that the butter is really chilled so that it breaks and crumbles into the flour to give the scones their extra-special light texture. 

Makes 9-10 scones using a 4cm cutter

Ingredients

450g plain white flour

25g caster sugar

1 ½ heaped teaspoons (30g) baking powder

pinch of salt

75g butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

2 small eggs

225ml full-fat milk (approx.)

egg wash

40g crunchy Demerara sugar (Preferred)or coarse granulated sugar (approx.) for the tops of the scones

To Serve

orange butter (see recipe)

sprigs of fresh mint to garnish

Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas Mark 9.

Method

Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a large, wide bowl. Toss the chilled butter cubes in the flour and rub them in by hand until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the centre. Whisk the eggs with the milk, then add to the dry ingredients in one go and mix to a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop. Don’t knead, but shape just enough to make a round.  Roll out to about 2 ½ cm thick and cut or stamp into scones.

Try to stamp them out with as little waste as possible, as the first scones will be lighter than the second rolling.

For the Topping.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash then dip each one in crunchy Demerara sugar.

Put the scones on two baking trays – no need to grease. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve split in half with orange butter or pipe a rosette of orange butter on top. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint. 

Egg Wash

Whisk one egg thoroughly with about a dessertspoon of milk.  This is brushed over the scones to help them brown in the oven

Practical Tip

Scone mixture may be weighed up ahead – even the day before.  Butter may be rubbed in but do not add the raising agent and liquid until just before serving.

Orange Butter

Ingredients

75g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

1 ½ teaspoons finely grated orange rind (I like to use organic oranges when available)

100g icing sugar, sieved

Method

Cream the butter with the finely grated orange rind. Add the sieved icing sugar and beat until fluffy.

Summer Berry Sponge

Light as a feather oozing of summer!

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 medium eggs, preferably free range

110g caster sugar

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

110g plain white flour

Filling

2 rounded tbsp of homemade raspberry jam

450g mixture of raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries or whatever you have

Crème Chantilly

300ml cream, icing sugar and a tiny drop of vanilla extract to taste

mint, lemon balm or sweet cicely to decorate

icing sugar for dusting on top

2 x 20.5cm round cake tins

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Method

Brush the sides and base of the tins carefully with melted butter. Cut out a circle of parchment paper and fit it neatly into the base of each tin.

Put the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until it is a pale and fluffy mousse – 15 minutes approx. When you lift the whisk, make a figure of 8 on top: it should hold its shape for several seconds.  Put the flour into a sieve and sift gently over the mousse; fold in the flour with a spatula or a long-handled metal spoon (not a wooden spoon). Turn gently in the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven, for 20-25 minutes approx., until cooked.  It should shrink away from the sides of the tin when done. Turn out on a wire tray, peel off the parchment paper and allow to cool.

Once cool, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks – add icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extra to taste.

Spread a little raspberry jam onto the base of each sponge cake. Spread the cream over the jam. Fill with fresh fruit. Place the remaining sponge onto the cream and press gently. Dust icing sugar over the top of the cake.

Decorate with more fresh fruit, some mint leaves and serve immediately.

If you’ve been meandering or driving through the countryside recently with your windows open. You’ll have seen and smelled the drifts of fluffy meadowsweet blossoms, I think it’s the very best time of year for this fragrant plant. I’ve just driven down from the West of Ireland; there was an abundance of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) throughout the countryside in fields, meadows and along riverbanks. It grows between 2-4 ft. tall with rich creamy coloured flowers on reddish stems. Love it for a myriad of reasons. It’s gorgeous in floral arrangements but I also look forward to experimenting with it in the kitchen. Now, it’s the turn of the frothy meadowsweet. It comes into season just as the elderflowers fade and I find it can be used in similar ways to perfume syrup, infuse spirits. The famous Tudor botanist, John Gerard called this beautiful wildflower that blossoms from the end of June till mid-September ‘Queen of the Meadows’ and described how it delighted the senses and acted as an air freshener at a time when animals still shared some dwellings with their owners. There are many references to it being strewn on the floor of cottages and churches to sweeten the air. In common with other wildflowers and herbs, meadowsweet has many medicinal qualities and is particularly known to contain salicylic acid, one of the components of aspirin. Herbalists also value it for its pain relieving and anti- inflammatory properties. Bees and hoverflies love it too. There are numerous mentions in both folklore and literature. Meadowsweet was considered to be sacred by the Druids who used it in rituals and medicine. I’ve been adding to my repertoire of meadowsweet recipes for the past few summers. By the way, it also dries perfectly. I particularly love this Meadowsweet Panna Cotta. To make an irresistible tisane in minutes, just pop a fistful of flowers (less if dried) into a small teapot. Fill with boiling water and allow to infuse for a few minutes. Occasionally, I love to add some lemon balm, spearmint or lemon verbena leaves. It flavours panna cotta, ice cream and custards deliciously. I’ve also strewn some flowers under a sponge cake mixture in a tin to perfume the cake, then sprinkled the frothy blossoms over a lemony icing with frosted rose petals, a quintessential midsummer cake (careful to pick young blossoms). Meadowsweet syrups, cordials and lemonades also work well and it’s fun to add some to jams or jellies. Loving raspberry and meadowsweet jelly, apple and meadowsweet jelly also work very well. Once again where many, just see weeds, I see beauty and dinner! Enjoy.

Meadowsweet and Cherry Frangipane Tart

This all purpose tart can have many flavours. Vary the fruit also, peaches, nectarines, figs….

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

300g fresh cherries, stoned

Shortcrust Pastry

175g plain flour

pinch of salt

100g butter

1 egg(to bind)

Frangipane

50g butter

50g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

55g ground almonds

25g flour

1 tbsp kirsch

To Finish

100ml approx. redcurrant glaze (apricot glaze may also be used)

18cm diameter flan ring or tart tin with a removable base

Method

First make the shortcrust pastry,

Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop. Whisk the egg.

Take a fork or knife (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect the pastry into a ball with your hands. This way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although slightly damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.

Flatten the pastry and wrap in parchment paper, leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes or better still 30 minutes. This will make the pastry much less elastic and easier to roll.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. 

Roll out the pastry, line the tart tin with it, prick lightly with a fork, flute the edges and chill again until firm. Bake blind for 15-20 minutes.

Next, make the frangipane.

Cream the butter, gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and soft. Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition. Stir in the ground almonds and flour and then add the kirsch. Pour the frangipane into the pastry case, spreading it evenly. Arrange the stoned cherries on top of the frangipane.

Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the frangipane is set in the centre and nicely golden.

Meanwhile, make the redcurrant glaze.

Redcurrants are also in season at present; this is a brilliant recipe if you have some.

Melt a little redcurrant jelly with drop water in a small stainless-steel saucepan to thin and make a glaze.

To finish.

When the tart is fully cooked, paint generously with the glaze, remove from the tin and serve warm or cold with a bowl of softly whipped cream.

Meadowsweet Sorbet

Light and super refreshing – serve alone or with a compote of summer fruit.

Ingredients

60g young meadowsweet flowers and leaves

600ml cold water

185g sugar

200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest (3 lemons approx.)

1 organic egg white (optional)

To Serve

meadowsweet flowers

Method

Crush the meadowsweet leaves tightly in your hand, put into a stainless-steel saucepan with the flowers, water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Leave to cool completely. Add the lemon juice and zest.*

Strain and freeze for 20-25 minutes in an ice-cream maker or sorbetière.

If you do not have a sorbetière, simply freeze the sorbet in a dish in the freezer.

When it is semi-frozen, whisk until smooth and return to the freezer again.

Whisk again when almost frozen and fold in 1 stiffly beaten egg white if using. Keep in

the freezer until needed.

If you don’t have access to a sorbet machine, freeze the sorbet completely in a tray, then break up and whizz for a few seconds in the processor, add 1 slightly beaten egg white, whizz and freeze again. Serve.

Serve in chilled glasses or chilled white china bowls or on pretty plates lined with meadowsweet leaves.

Sprinkle a few meadowsweet flowers over the top.

Meadowsweet Panna Cotta

Meadowsweet is also used here to flavour the cream for the panna cotta (‘cooked cream’).

Serves 8

Ingredients

Panna cotta

600ml cream

50g caster sugar

6g meadowsweet flowers

2 leaves of gelatine

To Serve

250g ripe raspberries

mint leaves

softly whipped cream

8 ceramic, glass or tin moulds, approximately 100ml each, brushed with non-scented oil such as sunflower or grape seed

Method

Put the cream and sugar into a stainless steel saucepan over a low heat, add the meadowsweet flowers.  Slowly bring to the shivery stage – turn off the heat and infuse for 15 minutes or more. 

Cover the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until pliable, 3-4 minutes.  Pour the meadowsweet cream through a sieve.  Return to the saucepan and add the well-drained gelatine leaves. Stir to dissolve completely.  If necessary, warm the meadowsweet infused cream slightly. Divide the panna cotta between the oiled moulds and chill for at least 3 hours or until gently set.

Serve with fresh berries or a seasonal compote – particularly good with poached apricots.