Around the corner from my publishers in Camden Town, there’s a little neighbourhood restaurant that I love. I discovered it some years ago when my editor almost chained me to the desk in an effort to extract the final manuscript for one my books. We took a break to grab a bite of lunch at the local Lebanese restaurant – what a little gem. Le Mignon is in Delancey Street NW1, well away from the Lebanese epicentre that is Edgeware Road. I ordered much more than I could eat, ate much more than I should and brought the rest away in little boxes to have a picnic on the plane.

I begged chef/patron Hussien Dekmak for the recipes for his classic Lebanese dishes – he was unmoved by my pleading but did say that one day he planned to write a cookbook and sure enough it arrived on my desk today, about 10 years later. 

Lebanese cuisine is the fastest growing trend in the UK at present and Hussien Dekmak’s delectable home-style cooking is a stunning example of the inspirational health-giving food of this beautiful troubled country. 

Hussien sources many of his ingredients - chickpeas, bulgur wheat, lentils and spices from the Lebanon when he goes home every Summer.

A Lebanese table is always full, brimming over with delicious dishes. Soups, salads, starters and mains are all served at the same time and shared, mezze style, with an accent on quality rather than quantity that is reflected in serving sizes. Hussien’s honest approach to food is beautifully simple, focusing on the integrity of the ingredients, their freshness and the aromatic strength of their flavours.

At last I can discover the secret of how to produce authentic tabbouleh (parsley salad) and ardishawki bil lahma (artichoke hearts topped with minced lamb, tomatoes and pine nuts), or traditional creamy hummus and falafel as well as less well known delicacies such as creamy Lebanese ashtalieh (milk pudding) and how to brew the perfect Lebanese coffee.

Serving suggestions and combination tips that only come from years of experience are included; salatit malfof abiad (white cabbage salad) superbly partners a serving of moujadara hamra (lentils with bulgur wheat), and makloubeh batinjan (aubergine with lamb and rice) are best accompanied by mahamara (freshly deep-fried golden peanuts, almonds, cashews) and your favourite salad.

The recipes are simple, but as ever one needs to seek out really good ingredients and a few speciality items like sumac and zahtar.

The Lebanese Cookbook by Hussien Dekmak, published by Kyle Cathie, £16.99stg    Buy this Book from Amazon

Spicy Potatoes – Batata Harra
Serves 4

Vegetable oil, for deep frying
1kg (2¼ lb) potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm (½ in)cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
Salt and black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or deep, heavy-based saucepan. Deep-fry the potatoes until crisp. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic, pepper, chillies and fresh coriander until softened. Add the potatoes along with salt, pepper and ground coriander to taste. Stir to combine and serve.

Chick Pea Dip with Lamb and Pine Nuts – Hummus Awarma
Serves 4

1 quantity hummus bil tahina – see recipe
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
100g (3½ oz) lamb shoulder, cut into 1cm (½ in) pieces
1 teaspoon pine nuts
Salt and black pepper

Place the hummus in a serving dish and use a tablespoon to make a well in the centre.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the lamb and pine nuts for 5-7 minutes. Stir well, then add salt and pepper and cook until the meat is tender.
Arrange the meat and pine nuts in the well of the hummus and sprinkle with more black pepper.
Hummus snouber is also popular – follow the same recipe but omit the lamb.

Chick Pea Dip – Hummus bil tahina
This recipe makes a large batch of hummus, which will keep for one week in the fridge. The bicarbonate of soda helps the chick peas to cook quickly and also helps loosen their skins so they can be easily removed. Just make sure you rinse the chick peas well after cooking to get rid of any traces of the bicarb. Once refrigerated, the hummus thickens, so make it quite thin to start with. The ice is used to keep the food processor cool.

Buy good-quality tahini. Good tahini shouldn’t taste too bitter. The cheaper brands us peanuts and don’t taste good.

Serves 4

500g (18pz) dried chick peas, soaked overnight and rinsed thoroughly
2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda
Salt 
100g (3½ oz) ice
200g (7oz) tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice

Place the chick peas in a large pan with plenty of fresh cold water and the bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 45 minutes until soft to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat and stir well to loosen the skins from the chick peas. Drain away the water and skins so you are just left with the chick peas. Rinse thoroughly.

Place the chick peas in a food processor and whizz with a little salt to a smooth puree.

Add the ice, tahini and some of the lemon juice. Whizz again, adding about 500ml of water in a steady stream, until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of a creamy paste. Pour in the remaining lemon juice and add more salt to taste.

Fatthoush – Toasted Bread Salad
Fatthoush is a classic Lebanese dish. It is often eaten by itself as a starter or light lunch. Sumac is an essential ingredient. It is a spice that is made from the dried, powdered berries of the sumac tree.

Serves 4

1 carrot, chopped
½ Cos lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
5 radishes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped spring onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped flat parsley
2 teaspoons sumac
1 large flatbread, toasted and broken into pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl and mix well. Add the garlic, parsley, sumac, bread, olive oil and salt to taste. Toss everything together and serve immediately.

Smoky Aubergine Dip – Moutabal
Also known as baba ganoush in Syria and Egypt. Charring the aubergines on a gas flame or charcoal grill gives the dip a distinctive smoky flavour. Be careful not overdo the tahini; you only need a little to bring out the flavour of the aubergines.

Serves 4

2 large aubergines
50g (2oz) tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
Olive oil, to drizzle
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds (optional)

Char the aubergines directly over a gas flame or over charcoal, using tongs, until the flesh is tender. Peel under a cold tap and discard the skins. Allow the aubergines to cool to room temperature.

Finely chop the aubergines and place in a bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste, and mix well.
Drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, if using.

Fried Jumbo Prawns with Garlic and Coriander
Serves 4

500g (18oz) fresh jumbo prawns, or frozen, thawed (about 12 prawns)
100g (3½ oz) plain flour
Salt and black pepper
125ml (4fl.oz) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Peel the prawns, remove the black vein that runs along the back, then wash well. Place the flour in a bowl with salt and pepper. Add the prawns, coating them in the flour.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the prawns, stirring occasionally, until cooked through – this will take about 10 minutes. Drain the prawns and toss with the lemon juice, garlic and coriander. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken Shawarma – Shawarma Dajaj

serve with mixed pickles and toum (garlic sauce) and pitta bread

Serves 4

1kg (2¼ lb) of chicken breasts
Juice of 3 lemons
4 cardamom pods
Salt and white pepper
150ml (5 fl.oz) white malt vinegar

Cut the chicken pieces into long, thin slices. Put them in a deep dish with the lemon juice, cardamom pods, salt, pepper, vinegar and enough water to cover and leave in the fridge overnight to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, turning from time to time. Serve.

Pickled Caulfiflower – Kabis Karnabett
When Hussien makes pickles he usually does five or six jars at a time as they last for a long time. You need to store different kinds of pickles in different jars. Beetroot is used to turn the vegetables pink. The book also includes recipes for pickled cabbage, pickled turnip and pickled cucumber.

Makes 2 litres

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
250ml (9fl.oz) malt vinegar
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 small beetroot, sliced 

Place the cauliflower florets in a 2-litre jar with an airtight lid.
ix together the vinegar, salt and 1 litre of water. Pour into the jar and add the beetroot, if using. Close the jar tightly. The pickles will be ready to serve in 3-4 weeks.

Garlic Sauce – Toum
This recipe makes quite a large quantity, but it will keep in the fridge for a week. Hussien uses it as the base for a marinade for grilled chicken and a sauce for fried chicken livers. If you have any left over, it is also good with chips he says!

2 garlic heads, cloves peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
500ml (18 fl.oz) vegetable oil
Juice of 2 lemons, or more to taste

Put the garlic cloves and salt in a blender or food-processor and whizz to a smooth purée. Add the egg white and whizz again until smooth. With the motor running, very slowly pour in the vegetable oil in a constant, steady stream until all the oil is used up and the sauce is the consistency and colour of mayonnaise. Add the lemon juice and keep whizzing until smooth. Taste and add more if necessary. Serve.

Foolproof Food

Baked Potato with Meat and Breadcrumbs – Sanieh Batata wa Lahma bil ka’ak

This is like a Lebanese shepherd’s pie.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g (7oz) minced lamb
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Salt and black pepper
4-5 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
3 tablespoons butter
100g (3½oz) dried breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender. Add the meat, pine nuts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the meat is browned.

Place the warm mashed potato in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter and some salt and mix well.

Grease a deep baking tray with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Spread half of the mashed potato in the tray. Spread the meat mixture over in one layer, then spread the rest of the mashed potato on top.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Cut into squares and serve hot or cold with salad or sautéed vegetables.

Rice Pudding – Riz bil halib
Not so different to the western-style rice pudding, but this one has rose water and orange blossom water for flavour and is finished with pistachios.

Serves 6-8

250g (9oz) pudding rice
1 litre (1¾ pint) milk
400g (14oz) caster sugar
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
5 tablespoons pistachios, soaked overnight in water and peeled, to serve

Put the rice and 600ml (1 pint) of water in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes until the rice is half cooked. Drain the rice.

Put the milk and sugar in a separate saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time with a balloon whisk. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the rice and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water and orange blossom water.

Pour into serving glasses and leave until cold. Scatter with the pistachios and serve.

Hot Tips

Four Rivers Slow Food Convivium in the South East will hold their first seminar on Saturday 7th October – Harvesting and Cooking with Seaweeds with Dr Prannie Rhatigan.
Seashore visit at 10am followed by lunch and cookery demonstrations in the afternoon at the Copper Coast Bistro at Annestown, Co Waterford. The local Slow Food Convivium is cooperating with the local community group on the Copper Coast in Co Waterford to develop their local sustainable resources for the benefit of all. Information from Margaret or Sophie, Tel 051-396686/051-396179 . Cost €60 incl. lunch, deposit €30. Seafood banquet that night €30. www.slowfoodireland.com  www.coppercoastgeopark.com  

Leitrim Organic Farmers Coop 
Will be opening a new ‘static butchers shop’ on 6th October as part of the Ballinasloe Fair – their mobile butchers shop will meanwhile continue to travel to markets around the country selling their organic meat.

SIAL 2006 PARIS 22-26 October – The Global Food Marketplace at Paris-Nord Exhibition Centre
This international event showcases the largest ever array of products and services in the food industry – over 5200 exhibitors from 99 countries. www.sial.fr  

GMO Free Zones - Letterkenny Town Council has passed a motion declaring that the town become a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) free zone. Similar pledges had been made by local authorities on both sides of the border. GMO foods are now prohibited by councils in Cavan, Clare, Meath, Fermanagh, Kerry, Monaghan, Westmeath, Bantry, Bray, Kerry, Galway Navan, Newry Mourne and Clonakilty.
Email: mail@gmfreeireland.org  www.gmfreeireland.org 

By now I hope you have had time to tune in to my lovely daughter-in-law Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home on Wednesdays at 7.30 on RTE 1. 
This is Rachel’s third television series and her programmes are now also shown on BBC.
Rachel’s recipes are easy and delicious and the book that accompanies the series has a great mix of international and ethnic recipes, classic regional fare and good old-fashioned family favourites like Macaroni Cheese, Homemade Sausages and Banana Butterscotch Pudding. The ten chapters are enticingly named Easy Family Food, Sweet Celebrations, Picnics and Days Out, Food for Children, Extended Family, Dining Alfresco, Home Cinema, Big Celebrations, Edible Gifts, Just like Mum used to Make. 
Each section has a selection of yummy recipes beautifully illustrated by Peter Cassidy’s food photos and the equally enticing location shots were taken by Cristian Barnett.
Rachel is a busy Mum with two boisterous boys. She encourages her contemporaries to bring the kids into the kitchen and let them help with the peeling, chopping and cooking, to hell with the mess. Its all about having fun and whetting their appetite, not only for food but also for cooking and the simple pleasure of sitting down around the kitchen table with family and friends.
Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home, is published by Collins and is available in hardback at €22.95  Buy this Book from Amazon

South American Beef Steak with Chimichurri Salsa
Serves 6

The flavours in the salsa marry beautifully with the steak, which can be cooked on a barbecue, in a frying pan or grill pan on the hob. It is delicious served with the Avocado, Orange and Watercress salad.

6 sirloin steaks, about 1cm (½ in) thick

For the marinade:
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
100ml (3½ fl.oz) olive oil

For the chimichurri salsa:
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped spring onion
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Juice of ½ lime
100ml (3½ fl.oz) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a sharp knife score the steaks 1mm (1/16in) deep in a criss-cross pattern.
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow glass or china dish or strong plastic bag, add the beef and toss in the marinade. Then place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to about 8 hours).
To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan, frying pan or your barbecue until very hot. Remove the beef from the marinade and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or longer, depending on your taste. Reserve the marinade and use it to brush over the steaks during the cooking. Transfer to serving plates, spoon over the chimichurri salsa, with more in a bowl on the side, and serve.

Avocado, Orange and Watercress Salad
Serves 6

This salad has wonderful fresh flavours. It’s great with spicy food, like the South American Beef steak. If you want to make it in advance, leave out the avocado and watercress until you are almost ready to serve.

50ml (2fl.oz) olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, peeled and chopped
2 avocados, halved, peeled, stoned and chopped roughly
125g (4½oz) watercress sprigs (about 6 handfuls)

In a bowl mix the olive oil and lime juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chopped orange and avocado. Then gently toss in the watercress sprigs and serve.

Lamb Samosas
Makes 20

Samosas are the ultimate finger food, which makes them the ultimate telly food! Use filo pastry as a faster alternative to the traditional samosa pastry. For a vegetarian version, replace the lamb with an equal quantity of boiled, skinned and chopped potato.

2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
300g (11oz) finely chopped or minced lamb
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g (4oz) peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
5 sheets of filo pastry, measuring 25x50cm (10x20in)
1 egg, beaten

Heat a frying pan, add the sunflower or olive oil, then toss in the lamb, onion and ground spices. Season and cook for about 10 minutes without a lid until the lamb is just cooked and the juices have evaporated. Add the peas and toss. Take off the heat and add the chopped coriander and season again to taste. Set aside for a minute to let the lamb cool.
Meanwhile, lay the filo pastry out on a board and cut into half lengthways, then into half widthways, so you have four rectangles from each whole sheet. Cover all the pieces of filo with a barely damp tea towel (to prevent them from drying out). Place one sheet lengthways in front of you and pile a dessertspoon of the lamb mixture at the end closest to you. Roll the pastry from the end closest to you, once, then fold in both the long sides and roll over and over, away from you, into a little parcel. Brush the finishing edge with a little of the beaten egg to seal and then place on a baking tray. Brush the finished samosa with beaten egg and repeat with all the remaining pastry and meat.
These can be prepared earlier in the day up to this point and chilled in the fridge. To cook, place the baking tray into an oven preheated to 220C (425F), gas mark 7 for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Cardamom Sour Cream Cake
Serves 6-8

This is one of the most delicious cakes. It stays wonderfully moist and the flavour of the sour cream or crème fraîche with the cardamom is sublime. This makes a gorgeous birthday cake, or a special gift for Mother’s Day.

For the cake:
1 egg
200ml tub sour cream or crème fraîche (reserve 1 tbsp. for icing)
175g (6oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) plain flour, sifted
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds

For the icing:
125g (4½ oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp sour cream or crème fraîche

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), gas mark 4. Grease the sides of a 20cm (8in) round cake tin and dust with flour; line the base of the tin with a disc of greaseproof paper.
Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add all but 1 generous tablespoon of the sour cream or crème fraîche and the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the sifted flour and bicarbonate of soda, then the salt and the ground cardamom. Fold the mixture to combine, do not over-mix. Transfer into the tin and place in the oven. Cook for about 35 minutes until the top of the cake just feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack.
When the cake has just cooled, make the icing by mixing the reserved tablespoon of sour cream or crème fraîche with the icing sugar. If it is too stiff add just a drop of water. Spread the icing over the top of the cake, allowing any extra icing to drip down the sides.
Variation:
Cardamom Sour-Cream Buns
This recipe works perfectly well when cooked in bun cases. They look so sweet with birthday candles in each one. Just divide the mixture between 12 paper cases in a bun or muffin tray (or use a non-stick 12-bun tray) and cook at the same temperature for 18-20 minutes. Ice as above.

Parmesan Chicken Goujons
Serves 6-8

Use good-quality free-range chicken and you’ll have a delicious and nutritious meal the little ones will adore. Rachel’s children love dipping these goujons into homemade Tomato Ketchup or Mayonnaise or sometimes a mixture of the two!

600g (1lb6oz) boneless and skinless chicken
50g (2oz ) plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
100g (4oz) breadcrumbs
50g (2oz) Parmesan cheese, or something similar, such as Grana Padano, finely grated
3 tbsp sunflower oil

These can either be cooked on the hob or in the oven. If using the oven, preheat to 200C (400F), gas mark 6 and place on a baking tray in the oven to preheat.
Cut the chicken into goujons the size of a big finger (1x10cm (½x4in)). Place the flour in a mixing bowl or in a plastic bag with some salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in another bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs and finely grated cheese together and place in a bowl or bag as well.
Toss the goujons in the seasoned flour, making sure they do not stick together, then remove. Shake off the excess flour and dip them in the beaten egg. Remove from the egg, letting the excess drip off, and toss into the breadcrumb cheese mix. Shake off the excess and lay the goujons on a plate.
To cook on the hob, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the goujons in a single layer, cook on one side for about 3 minutes until golden, then turn down the heat and flip the pieces over. Cook on the other side for about 4 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
To cook the goujons in the oven, drizzle the base of the preheated tray with the oil and lay the floured and seasoned goujons in a single layer. Bake in the oven for about 12-18 minutes, turning the goujons over halfway through, or when golden on one side. When they are completely cooked remove from the oven and serve.

Upside-down Apple and Cinnamon Cake
Serves 8

50g (2oz) butter
250g (9oz) brown sugar
3 eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced 5mm (¼ in) thick
200g (7oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 generous tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
200ml (7fl.oz) buttermilk or sour milk
75ml (2¾ fl.oz) vegetable or sunflower oil


Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), gas mark 4. Melt the butter in a medium-sized ovenproof frying pan (measuring 25cm (10in) in diameter). Stir in half the sugar and cook over a gentle heat for about 2 minutes. Add the apple –there’s no need to stir – and remove from the heat and set aside.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk the eggs in a measuring jug or small bowl and add the remaining sugar, buttermilk and oil. Mix together, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine into a liquid batter. Pour this over the apple in the pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the centre.
Cool for 5 minutes before turning out by placing an inverted plate over the top of the pan and turning pan and plate over together in one quick movement. Serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream.

Bill Granger’s Banana Butterscotch Pudding
Serves 4-6

This recipe originally came from Bill’s book Simply Bill and he cooked it when Rachel appeared with him on Great Food Live. She adapted it slightly to fit her pie dish, to make it for 12 people double the recipe and cook in a 25cm (10in) square gratin dish for 55 minutes.

For the pudding:
125g (4½oz) plain flour
3 level tsp baking powder
125g (4¼oz) caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 banana, mashed
250ml (8fl.oz) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g (3¼oz) butter, melted

For the topping:
100g (4oz) soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
150ml (5fl.oz) boiling water

To serve:
Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the caster sugar. Mix together the beaten egg, the mashed banana, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir to mix until combined. Pour this wet dough into a 1.25 litre (2¼ pint) pie dish and place the dish on a baking tray.
To make the topping, put the brown sugar, golden syrup and boiling water into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then drizzle it all over the pudding. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until it feels slightly firm in the centre. 
Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. If you are not going to serve the pudding immediately, keep it somewhere warm until you are ready – it sits quite happily.

Foolproof Food

Popcorn Paradise
Serves 4

Its difficult to have a home cinema night without popcorn, so why not try this recipe and all its variations? Serve the popcorn in a big bowl or in paper cornets for each person.

Plain popcorn:
3 tbsp sunflower oil
75g (3oz) popcorn
25g (1oz) butter
Pinch of salt

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the popcorn and swirl the pan to coat the popcorn in oil. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and the corn should start to pop in a couple of minutes. As soon as it starts popping (after 5-7 minutes), take the saucepan off the heat and add the butter and salt. Put the lid back on the pan and shake to mix. Pour out into bowls and leave to cool a little.

Variations
Toffee Popcorn
Cook the popcorn as for the plain popcorn recipe, but while the corn is popping, make the toffee coating by melting 25g (1oz) butter in a small saucepan. Then add 25g (1oz) brown sugar and 1 generous tablespoon golden syrup and stir over a high heat for ½-1 minute until thick. Pour the toffee over the popcorn, put the lid on the pan and shake to mix. Pour out into bowls and cool a little before serving.
Spiced Popcorn
Cook the popcorn for the plain popcorn recipe as far as removing the pan from the heat. In a bowl, mix 1½ teaspoons each of ground cumin and coriander seeds with ½ teaspoon each of medium-strength curry powder and ground paprika and ¾ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons sunflower oil in a frying pan, add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds until lightly toasted. Throw in 25g (1oz) caster sugar and ¾ teaspoon salt, stir, then add all of this into the prepared popcorn in the saucepan, toss and empty into a big bowl.


 Hot Tips

Herb Tour/Talk at Airfield Gardens, Dundrum, Dublin 14 on tomorrow Sunday September 24th at 2.30pm, cost €10 – Info/Booking 01-2984301 or booking@airfield.ie  organized by Irish Organic Herbs ( www.irishorganicherbs.com  ) in association with Airfield House and Gardens. Anna Maria Keaveney, Medical Herbalist IIMH, will discuss the benefit of herbs in relation to such topics as the immune system, menopause, detox, arthritis, stress etc.

North West Food Fest continues this weekend –
Today Sat. 23rd – McNean Food Trail – 1.00-7.30pm 
Sunday 24th – 10.00am-5.00pm – Family Fun Fungus Forage – Tel Alex at 071-9643963 www.passport-breifne.com
The Organic Fair at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim – 11.00am-5pm Tel 071-9854338 organiccentre@eircom.net 

Louth Food Group – Promoting Local foods with Louth Leader
Louth Leader have recently launched the ‘Louth Food Group’ whereby 9 local producers have come together under one umbrella to promote, develop and grow their business in the speciality food sector. Members benefit from Training Programmes, Collective Marketing, PR Initiatives, Individual Mentoring and access to Leader funding. More details from Michelle O’Brien, Food Specialist, Louth Food Group, Louth Leader, Market St. Ardee, Co Louth, Tel 041-6857375 info@louthleader.com  michelle@louthleader.com  www.louthleader.com 

Let’s face it, cheap food has had a pretty bad press, often justifiably so.
I regularly voice my concern that the price we are paying for much of our food is not adequate for the farmers and food producers to deliver healthy wholesome food and stay in business.  However, the reality is that while some people could afford to spend more money on their food there are many who don’t have the option.  Nonetheless, it is perfectly possible to feed the family healthily on a small budget, not only can it be done, it can be fun.

To pull this off , one needs to learn two fundamental skills – how to shop and how to cook.

In her brilliant new paperback, ‘Beyond Baked Beans – Budget’, Fiona Beckett gives 10 golden rules on how to budget –

Plan your shopping trip
Shop twice a week
Scrimp at the start of the week
Buy things as you need them
Learn what things cost
And what’s in season
Avoid convenience foods
Don’t scoff the leftovers
Save on fuel
Be more adventurous
Choose the type of shops carefully – local butchers in general are cheaper than supermarket meat counters, ‘ethnic shops’ and these are growing in number nowadays, are full of bargains, particularly if you are adventurous.

Health food shops can be good value for nuts, beans, pulses, miso, tofu…….

If you want to enjoy rather than just endure your food shopping, seek out your local market and bring the kids, it is likely to be the cheapest place to buy your fresh vegetables and fruit in season.  The extra bonus is the convivial atmosphere.

On-line shopping is fast becoming a real option, so for those who don’t have a car or who are buying for a student house, this can be a real bonus and you eliminate the temptation to buy ‘bargains’ you may not need on impulse.

One could even band together with a few neighbours and split the cost of delivery. 

Fiona has lots of advice on ‘how to bag a bargain’, a terrific store-cupboard list,  suggestions for kitchen kit, how to make food stretch, a series of meal planners and how to store food safely, in this little gem of a book.

The main part of the book is divided into three categories, survive, share and splash out.

A great present for anyone, but particularly useful for students and others who are interested in healthy delicious food on a budget.

Beyond Baked Beans

– Budget by Fiona Beckett – published by Absolute Press – 5.99 stg.

Meals with Mince
Budget Bolognese 1
Serves 4

Apart from the Marmite this is a reasonably authentic Italian recipe – a modest quantity of meat, bulked out by a generous amount of veggies.   The only downside is that it takes a long time to cook – but you can leave it simmering away just like a stew.

4 tbsp. olive, sunflower or vegetable oil
250-300g minced beef
2-3 slices back or streaky bacon (about 75g), rind removed and very finely chopped (optional)
1 medium onion, (about 125g), peeled and very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
1 medium carrot (about 75g), peeled and very finely chopped
1 stick celery, very finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
1½ tbsp. tomato paste
1 x 400g whole tomatoes
150ml stock made with ½ tsp Marmite
Salt and black pepper
400g spaghetti
Parmesan or cheddar cheese to serve

Heat a saucepan or casserole for 2-3 minutes until hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and fry the beef until lightly browned on all sides.  Scoop the beef out of the pan with a large spoon, leaving the fat behind, then discard the fat*.   Add 3 more tablespoons of oil, heat through for a minute then add the onion, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes over a low heat until the onion starts to soften.  Add the garlic, chopped carrot and celery, cover the pan and fry for another 5-6 minutes.  Return the meat to the pan, fry for a couple of minutes then pour in the wine vinegar and bubble up for a minute or two until evaporated.   Stir in the tomato paste and mix well with the meat and vegetables.   Add the tinned tomatoes and break down with a wooden spoon.   Pour in the stock, stir and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat right down, partially cover the pan and leave the sauce to simmer for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring the sauce occasionally.  About 15 minutes before you want to eat, put the spaghetti on to cook in a large pan of boiling, salted water, following the instructions on the pack.

Spoon a little cooking water into the sauce.  Drain the spaghetti. Check the seasoning for the sauce, adding salt and pepper if necessary.  Divide the spaghetti between 4 plates, spoon the sauce on top and grate over a little Parmesan or Cheddar.

*( Don’t pour the fat down the sink – it may block it!  Its better to pour it into a cup or bowl, let it solidify then wrap and dispose of it.)

Budget Bolognese 2.
Serves 4

An alternative Bolognese – lighter and creamier – based on turkey or pork mince, both of which tend to be cheaper than beef mince.

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
450g pork or turkey mince
A thin slice of butter (about 10-12g)
250g mushrooms, rinsed and very finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ a 400g tin whole or chopped tomatoes or 150ml creamed tomatoes or passata
Just over 100ml stock made with boiling water and ½ tsp Marmite
400g spaghetti
A small carton of whipping cream or double cream
Salt, pepper and lemon juice or white vinegar to taste
2-3 tbsp finely chopped parsley if you have some

Heat a frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, fry the mince until browned then remove it from the pan with a large spoon letting the fat drain away.   Pour off the fat into a bowl.   Add the remaining oil to the pan then add the butter.  Tip in the mushrooms and stir-fry over a high heat for about 3-4 minutes until any moisture has evaporated.  Turn the heat down and return the mince to the pan.  Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for a minute then add the tomatoes or passata.  (If using whole tomatoes break them down with a wooden spoon or a fork.)   Add the stock, stir and leave the sauce simmering over a low heat while you cook the spaghetti.  Once the spaghetti has drained add about two thirds of the cream to the sauce and heat through gently.  Season the sauce with salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice or wine vinegar.  Stir in some chopped parsley if you have some.  I don’t think this needs cheese but feel free if you fancy it.

Beans

– Baked and Otherwise

Despite the title of the book and its predecessors, Fiona says ‘I have nothing against baked beans.  They’re a good wholesome food that provides protein, fibre and some useful minerals such as iron.  Here are various ways of enjoying them’…

Chilli Baked Beans
Serves 1

1 tbsp oil
½ a medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
½ a red pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips or a handful of frozen peppers
1-1½ tsp mild chilli powder or 1 tsp paprika
Half a 400g tin of baked beans
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan or small frying pan and fry the onion over a moderately high heat for about 5 minutes until it begins to brown at the edges.  Turn the heat down a bit and add the garlic, if using, and peppers.   Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the chilli powder and beans, stir and cook for another couple of minute until heated through, adding a little water if the sauce seems too thick.   Add the parsley if using.  Good with wholemeal toast, sausages or a baked potato.

What to do with the other half of the tin.
Curry Beans

Fry a small or ½ a medium onion as described above, add a clove of crushed garlic and ½ - 1 teaspoons of curry paste or 1-1½ teaspoons of Moroccan Spice Mix (see recipe).  Tip in half a tin of beans and heat through.  Add a squeeze of lemon or a few drops of wine vinegar and a heaped teaspoon of fresh coriander or a handful of fresh spinach leaves. (Or some frozen leaf spinach, cooked, well drained and squeezed dry.) Serve with rice.

Must-have Moroccan Spice Mix
As you might buy four different spices to make this it might seem extravagant but they will make enough to last you a whole year.

Mix up in small batches: 2 tablespoons each of ground coriander and cumin, 1 tablespoon of turmeric and 1-2 teaspoons of chilli powder, depending on how hot you like it.  A teaspoon or two is brilliant added to a simple tomato sauce with veggie stews or with fish.

Red Kidney Beans

You probably bought them to go in a Chill Con Carne. Here’s what to do with the rest.

Red Bean and White Cheese Salad

Serves 1

2 tsp lemon juice
5 tsp sunflower oil or light olive oil
½ a 400g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced, or a finely chopped slice of onion
50g Caerphilly, white Cheshire or Wensleydale cheese, cut into small cubes
A heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley and a little mint if you have some
Salt and ground black pepper
Spoon the lemon juice and sunflower oil into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk together with a fork.  Add the kidney beans, sliced or chopped onion, cheese and parsley and/or mint, if using, and toss together.

Mexican-style Re-fried beans
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan and add small finely chopped onion. Fry over a moderate heat for about 4-5 minutes till beginning to soften. Add a clove of crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon of chilli powder and a chopped fresh or tinned tomato, or a couple of tablespoons of passata, stir and cook for another minute. Add ½ a tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans then turn the heat down, cover the pan and cook for 3- 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and mash the beans roughly with a fork. Season to taste with salt, lemon juice and a pinch of cumin if you have some and stir in a tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander. Cool for 10 minutes or so then use the mixture to stuff a pitta bread or wrap together with some sliced cucumber, tomato and onion.

Stir –Fries
Stir-fries are great student food – fast and healthy – but they can be pricey too, particularly if you buy those read-made stir-in sauces.  For a basic stir-fry stick to the cheaper stir fry mixes and use soy sauce.
Basic, Simple Stir-Fry
If you want o serve rice with it; cook it beforehand.

2 tbsp oil
½ a small bag of stir-fry vegetables (about 150g)
A cooked chicken thigh, skin removed and cut into thin strips or 75g of cashew nuts (optional)
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Heat a wok or large frying pan until it begins to smoke.  Pour in the oil and immediately tip in the vegetables and the chicken or nuts, if using.  Cook for a couple of minutes, moving them about continually so they don’t burn. Add about 3 tablespoons of water and cook until evaporated.  Add the soy sauce and cook for a few seconds more.  Taste, adding more soy if you think it needs it.  Serve up.

What to do with the rest of the stir-fry veg.

If they’re absolutely fresh – ie you’ve just bought them and they have a couple of days to go to the ‘eat-by’ date you could use them to make a Spicy Chicken salad.  Otherwise you could use them in a spicy Asian-style soup.

A homemade sweet and sour sauce is surprisingly good.

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 chicken or turkey breast or fillet, cut into fine strips
2 tbsp oil
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
½ a red or green pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips.
½ a bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced or a small onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ a small (227g) tin of pineapple pieces in natural juice
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar if needed

Put 1 tbsp of the soy sauce in a bowl, add the chicken or turkey strips and mix together.  Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok.  Add the chicken, carrot and pepper and stir fry for about 3 minutes.  Add the spring onions and garlic and fry for another minute.  Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice.   Add half the pineapple and all the juice to the stir-fry, along with the ketchup and remaining soy sauce.
Taste and add the lemon juice or vinegar if needed.  Serve with rice or noodles.

 Leftover Pineapple?
Eat the rest of the pineapple for breakfast with some low-fat fromage frais, yoghurt or add it to a fruit salad.

Foolproof Food

Spicy Chicken Salad
(aka Coronation Chicken – this recipe was invented to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation in 1953)

1 cooked chicken breast – (skin removed, cut into strips)
¼ of a cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into strips
½ a carrot, peeled and cut into fine strips
2 spring onions, trimmed, quartered and cut across into short pieces
Crisp lettuce leaves
A few chopped cashew nuts or unsalted roasted peanuts (optional)

For the dressing
¼-½ tsp mild to medium hot curry paste or powder
½ tsp tomato ketchup
1 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
1 heaped tbsp plain yoghurt
1 heaped tbsp apricot jam
A little salt

First mix the ingredients for the dressing thoroughly together in a bowl, adding a teaspoon of water.  Pour over the prepared chicken and vegetables and toss together.  Lay few crisp iceberg or Little Gem lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon over the salad.  Sprinkle over a few chopped nuts if you have some.

Hot Tips:

Youghal Celebrates History 22-24 September 2006
The theme of this year’s Conference is Sir Richard Boyle, the first Earl of Cork and father to the world famous scientist Robert Boyle. Richard Boyle was an amazing man – the wealthiest man in the world in his day, it is said - Talks, Choral Service, guided Garden Tour, Classical Concert, Quilt Competition ….For details Tel 024 81010 email:ytta@eircom.net  www.youghalcelebrateshistory.com 

Back to Class at The Good Things Café, Durrus, West Cork
Autumn term starts on Tuesday 26th September with morning classes on the Tuesday and evening classes on the Tuesday and Thursday.  New Wine Appreciation Class with Michelle Syron, Searson Wines to accompany the delicious food being cooked.  Friday 13th October Party Night.   www.thegoodthingscafe.com or ring 027-61426

This week we ventured off our usual turf and headed North-West to Co Clare. We stayed in a Hidden Ireland house called Mount Vernon close to New Quay, a Georgian gem owned by Ally Raftery and Mark Helmore, son of the last owner Mary Helmore. Built in 1788 for a friend of George Washington, Mount Vernon became the summer home of Sir Hugh Lane and then of his aunt, Lady Gregory, who entertained many of the leaders of Ireland’s Cultural Renaissance there, including Yeats, Synge and Shaw. 
Augustus John designed the brick Arts and Crafts fireplaces, much of the books, furniture and pictures tell a story. There are just five bedrooms so it has the deliciously comfy feel of staying in a country house. We arrived very late and had a delicious lobster salad followed by a wedge of lemon tart with some Summer berries and good cream. 
Next day we drove through the stunningly beautiful countryside of North West Clare. We’d heard that there was a Farmers’ Market in Ballyvaughan on Saturday morning. I’m intrigued by markets, each one has its own personality and speaks volumes about the local area. This one is held in the courtyard of the village hall. By 11 o’clock it was buzzing with about 20 stalls. Rochan and Peter from Fanore sold pickles, beetroot and hummus. Nomalie McDonagh originally from Sri Lanka now living in Co Galway, made a variety of curries and dahls and vegetable pickles to tempt the locals. Marie and Deirdre Hyland who used to run Hyland’s Hotel in Ballyvaughan were there manning their stall selling delicious quiches. They love the social aspect of the Farmers Market, “so convivial and good for the community”. Sean Shannon from Bellharbour who has a particular interest in fruit trees told us it was only his second day on the market, he was enjoying himself hugely as he sold damsons, Victoria plums, Grenadier and Beauty of Bath apples. Such a joy to find these fruit that are absolutely unavailable in the shops and supermarkets – this is what farmers markets are all about. There is no point in selling products that can be bought in local shops, there must be a USP (unique selling point), otherwise they are just a sham. Deirdre and Phyllis Flanagan, mother and daughter living in Clarinbridge, Co Galway baked a variety of cakes including lemon drizzle, coffee cakes and chocolate chip muffins, along with savoury quiches and tarts. Much of the ingredients for these are grown in their own garden. Tracey Kelly is the treasurer of the market, now in its third season, she is a Londoner who now lives in Fanore and has produced a variety of different sweet cakes, tarts, scones and breads since she started in the market three years ago and is now specialising in producing a variety of flavoured yeast breads and flavoured butters. She will also take orders for novelty and all kinds of celebration cakes. Beside her is Mary Hayes who has a well established garden in Ballyvaughan where she harvests a variety of choice vegetables, all kinds of currants and berries and a selection of old apple varieties, all of which she skilfully converts into delicious preserves. Moving around I met Annie Nolan who was selling Kinvara potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips, freshly pulled and still covered in rich earth. Behind her, local farmer Finola Costello sold luscious cheesecake, porter cake and brown bread alongside new season potatoes. Her stall was complemented by her niece Emma’s handmade greeting cards and homemade jewellery. Tom Tarpey, chairman of the Farmers Market was selling garlic. We bought his entire stock and have it hanging in our kitchen. Aisling Wheeler from Ennistymon, grows a variety of beautiful organic vegetables and offers a selection of local cheese. The Ailwee Caves also had a stall and were offering fantastic local honeycombs and their award winning Burren Gold cheese in several flavours, including cumin, fenugreek, smoked, black pepper, nettle and garlic and plain. There was a tangible bonhomie and camaraderie between the stallholders and a real buzz. Maureen Roche, another newcomer from Kilfenora, grew a variety of healthy shrubs and trees on her farm. Chris Keane, a former café owner, ably assisted by her mother who is visiting from Australia, bakes all kinds of mouth watering cakes, scones and muffins which sell out early. When it comes to keeping it in the family nobody here does like the Fahys from Newquay. Between three generations they produce a variety of products on their farms which include salad leaves, herbs, courgettes, cabbage, kale, carrots and onions, all of which are chemical free, along with freshly baked bagels. A recent addition to their repertoire is dairy ice cream in a variety of flavours. Meriel Francis has a small stall on which she offers home baked breads and cakes along with preserves, plants and homemade crafts. However what she lacks in quantity is made up for in quality. The little jewels and beads on local jewellery maker Mary Keegan’s stall caught the rays of the sunshine which cheered the crowded market. As I moved around the market I met Michael Monks. This retired local publican has a confident stance matched by the pert green leaves of his freshly picked cabbage displayed among the other vegetables and eggs on his stall. Nestled beside him local German goat farmer Gabrielle Koeller displays her exquisite and generous portions of goats cheese quiches and cheesecakes. Her herd of forty goats which eat the sweet grasses and flowers of the Burren produce exceptional quality milk which she expertly turns into cheese. Ballyvaughan Farmers Market is a colourful and multi-ethnic example of local food for local people, congratulations to all concerned.

Compote of Plums or Greengages
Poach the fruit whole, they’ll taste better but quite apart from that you’ll have the fun of playing – he loves me – he loves me not! You could just fix it by making sure you take an uneven number! Greengages are delicious cooked in this way also.

Serve for breakfast or dessert.
Serves 4

400g (14oz) sugar, a bit less if the fruit are very sweet
450ml (16fl oz) cold water
900g (2lb) fresh plums, Victoria, Opal or those dark Italian plums that come into the shops in Autumn or greengages

To serve: whipped cream

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Tip in the fruit, cover the saucepan and simmer until they begin to burst (4-5 minutes). Turn into a bowl, serve warm with a blob of softly whipped cream. Divine!

Tip: Poached plums or greengages keep very well in the fridge and are delicious for breakfast without the cream! 

Lemon Tart with Candied Julienne of Lemon Peel

Serves 8

Shortcrust Pastry (enough for two tarts)
11 ozs (310g) plain flour
6 ozs (170g) butter
2 ozs (55g) castor sugar
1 oz (30g) icing sugar
1 free range egg

Filling
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
zest of 2 lemons (washed well)
juice of 3 lemons (200ml/7fl oz) and juice of 1 orange (150mls/¼ pint)
3 pint (150ml) double cream
5½ ozs (155g) sugar

Candied Julienne of Lemon Peel
2 lemons

stock syrup made with 6 ozs (170g) sugar and 6 fl ozs (175ml) water, cooked together for 2 minutes.

1 x 8 inch (20.5cm) tin

First, make the pastry. This pastry can be made by various methods. Number 1 is our preferred method.

1. Make in a food processor. Stop as soon as the pastry starts to come together. Flatten, wrap and chill overnight if possible.
or
2. Make by pâté brisée method. Flatten, wrap and chill overnight if possible.
or
3. Make by the rubbing-in method. Flatten, wrap and chill for several hours if possible.

If the pastry is needed urgently, divide into 2-3 equal parts. Flatten and chill for minimum 30 minutes, better still an hour.

Preheat the oven to 1801C/3501F regulo 4. 

Line the 8 inch (20.5cm) tin with pastry and bake it blind for 20-25 minutes until it is golden and fully cooked. Remove the beans, paint the base with a little egg white and replace in the oven for 2-3 minutes. When it is cooked, let it cool while the filling is prepared. Lower the oven temperatures to 160C/325F/regulo 3.

Grate the zest finely, (careful not to get any pith).

Whisk all the ingredients for the tart filling together - the eggs, orange and lemon juice, lemon zest, cream and sugar. When the mixture is nice and frothy, pour most of it into the tart shell. The mixture needs to come right to the top, but to avoid spilling it, put the partly filled tart into the oven (with the temperature now reduced) and finish filling it with a spoon.
Bake the tart until the filling has become firm. This should take about 35 minutes. Check by giving the tin a little shake. Take the tart out of the tin when it is lukewarm and leave it on a 
wire rack to cool. Decorate it crystallized lemon rind and tiny mint or lemon balm leaves. Best eaten on day it is made.

Candied Julienne of Lemon Peel

Peel 2 lemons very thinly with a swivel top peeler, be careful not to include the white pith, cut the strips into a fine julienne. Put in a saucepan with 2 cups of cold water and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the pot, refresh in cold water and repeat the process again. Put the julienne in a saucepan with the syrup and cook gently until the lemon julienne looks translucent or opaque. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to cool on bakewell paper or a cake rack. When cold sprinkle with castor sugar.*
* Can be stored in a jar or airtight tin for weeks or sometimes months.

Apple Fudge Cake
From “Rachel’s Favourite Food”by Rachel Allen

This is one of Rachel’s recipes given to her by her sister-in-law, Penny. It's perfect as a dessert or with a cup of tea or coffee. 
Serves 10

2 large cooking apples, such as Grenadier or Bramley
2oz (50g) dark brown sugar

Cake Batter
6oz (175g) butter
6oz (175g) light brown sugar
6oz (175) self-raising flour
4 eggs

Fudge Sauce
4oz (110g) butter
4oz (110g) light brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

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

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4

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

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

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

Darina's fool proof food

Wild Damson Jam
Damsons, bullaces or wild plums still grow wild in many parts of Ireland, they ripen towards the end of September – we love collecting them, and eat lots freshly picked the surplus we make into damson pies, compotes and jam. They also make a delicious sauce to accompany roast pork with crackling and freeze perfectly.

*The new cultivated varieties are much sweeter so you will need to reduce the sugar to 1.8kg (4 lb) for 2.7kg(6lb) fruit 

Makes 4-4.5 kg/9-10 lbs approx.

2.7 kg/6 lbs damsons
2.7 kg/6 lbs sugar*
900 ml/11/2 pints water

Pick over the fruit carefully, wash and drain well and discard any damaged damsons. Put the damsons and water into a stainless steel preserving pan (greased with butter) and stew them gently until the skin breaks. Heat the sugar in a low oven, add it to the fruit and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and boil steadily, stirring frequently. Skim off the stones and scum as they rise to the top. Test for a set after 15 minutes boiling. Pour into hot sterilised jars and cover. Store in a cool dry place.
Note: The preserving pan is greased to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom.


Hot Tips

West Cork Slow Food Event Sunday 10th September
A Historical Walk and Hog Roast at Dun Lough Castle in partnership with the Mizen Peninsula Archaelogical Society – meet at Barley Cove car park at 1.00pm (car pool will be organised). Food by Food for Thought Catering and wine sponsored by Febvre. Not suitable for children and dogs not permitted. Sturdy footwear required. Cost €25 per person with discount for Slow Food and Archaeological Society Members. Booking essential, Tel Sarah at 087-7528940 or 087-7528945, or Deirdre on 028-28350.

A Taste of West Cork Food Festival 2006, Skibbereen – 14-17th September 2006
Includes ‘A West Cork Feast’ at the West Cork Hotel, story telling at local primary schools, final of schools cookery competition, photo exhibition by John Minihan, West Cork Food Festival Pub Trail, demonstrations and tastings in supermarkets, Farmers Market, Art Workshops, field visits, open air Food and Craft Market and much, much more. Visit www.atasteofwestcork.ie  for more information. Food producers contact Kevin Santry at 023-34035 & 086-2672288, Craft makers contact Ivan McCutcheon on 023-34035 or email foodfestival@skibbereen.ie  


Certificate in Marketing Skills for Tourism 2006/2007
Starting in Cork in September/October 2006, the programme runs till May 2007 with workshops scheduled for 2 days each month. It is tailored specifically to the tourism industry by Failte Ireland and the Marketing Institute of Ireland to develop the professional marketing skills of managers. Information from Josephine O’Driscoll 021-4313058, Josephine.odriscoll@failteireland.ie

I’m regularly asked where I’m off to for my Summer break, naturally people expect me to name some exotic location – Azarbejan, Lanzerotte, St Barts …… not a bit of it. Nothing would persuade me to holiday outside Ireland during the Summer months. Airports are a nightmare, why on earth would one want to endure the queues in sweltering heat, the delays, the ratty responses of overstretched staff. Travel has become so frantic that one really needs a very good reason to go anywhere.

A further aggravation is the fact that most holiday bargains end up costing a fortune in over weight charges. Another very good reason to stay close to home is the bounty of the garden in late Summer, both the vegetable and fruit gardens are bulging with produce, lush ripe and ready for harvesting. There are not enough meals to eat it all, a glut of gorgeous ripe tomatoes, a glut of courgettes, a glut of cucumbers, blackcurrants and red currants. We’ve already had a feast of white peaches (they grow on a south facing wall under the dining room of the school). They crop unbelievably well and bruise very easily but make a divine puree to use for a classic Bellini. This freezes well in ice cubes ready to be popped into a glass of processo, - one sip is enough to transport you to Harrys Bar in Venice. We’ve also had the first Beauty of bath and Irish apples and soon there will be grenadier to make the first apple tart of the new season – Why on earth would one want to be anywhere else?

Red Currant Jelly

Red currant jelly is a very delicious and versatile product to have in your larder. It has a myriad of uses. It can be used like a jam on bread or scones, or served as an accompaniment to roast lamb, bacon or ham. It is also good with some rough pâtés and game, and is invaluable as a glaze for red fruit tarts.

This recipe is a particular favourite of mine, not only because it's fast to make and results in delicious intensely flavoured jelly, but because one can use the left over pulp to make a fruit tart, so one gets double value from the red currants. Unlike most other fruit jelly, no water is needed in this recipe.

We’ve used frozen fruits for this recipe also, stir over the heat until the sugar dissolves, proceeds as below.

Makes 3 x 1 lb (450g) jars

2 lbs (900g/8 cups) red currants
2 lbs (900g/8 cups) granulated sugar

Remove the strings from the red currants either by hand or with a fork. Put the red currants and sugar into a wide stainless steel saucepan and stir continuously until they come to the boil. Boil for exactly 8 minutes, stirring only if they appear to be sticking to the bottom. Skim carefully.

Turn into a nylon sieve and allow to drip through, do not push the pulp through or the jelly will be cloudy. You can stir in gently once or twice just to free the bottom of the sieve of pulp.

Pour the jelly into sterilised pots immediately. Red currants are very high in pectin so the jelly will begin to set just as soon as it begins to cool.

Apple and Tomato Chutney
Makes 10 x 1 lb (450 g) pots

7-8 lbs (3.2-3.4 kg) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 
1 lb (450 g) onions, chopped
1 lb (450 g) eating apples, peeled and chopped
3 lbs (1.35 kg) sugar
1½ pints (900 ml/3¾ cups) white malt vinegar
2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 teaspoons all spice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 level teaspoon cayenne pepper
8-12 oz (225-340 g/1½-2 cups) sultanas

Prepare all the ingredients. Put into a large wide stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer steadily until reduce and slightly thick - 1 hour, approx. Pot in sterilized jars.

Cucumber Neapolitana

A terrifically versatile vegetable dish which may be made ahead and reheats well. It is also delicious served with rice or pasta. It makes a great stuffing for tomatoes and is particularly good with Roast lamb.

Serves 6 approx.

1 Irish cucumber
½ oz (15g\c stick) butter
1 medium onion - 4 ozs (110g) approx., sliced 
4 very ripe Irish tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2½ fl ozs (63ml/generous ¼ cup) cream
1 dessertsp. (2 American teasp.) freshly chopped mint
Roux (optional) 

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, when it foams add the onion. Cover and sweat for 5 minutes approx. until soft but not coloured. 

Meanwhile, peel the cucumber cut into ½ inch (1cm) cubes; add to the onions, toss well and continue to cook while you scald the tomatoes with water for 10 seconds. Peel the tomatoes and slice into the casserole, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cover the casserole and cook for a few minutes until the cucumbers are tender and the tomatoes have softened, add the cream and bring back to the boil. Add the freshly chopped mint. If the liquid is very thin, thicken it by carefully whisking in a little roux. Cucumber Neapolitana keeps for several days and may be reheated.

Tomato Fondue

Readers of my books will hopefully have incorporated this wonderful tomato stew into their regular fare. It is best made during the summer months when the tomatoes are very ripe, but it can still be very good made with tinned tomatoes in the winter. It is another of my 'great convertibles', we serve it not only as a vegetable but also as a sauce, a filling for pancakes and omelettes, or a topping for pizzas etc. Reduce it a little more for pizza topping or it may be too sloppy.

4 ozs (110g/1 cup) sliced onions
A clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
1 dessertspoon (2 American teaspoons) olive oil
2 lbs (900g) very ripe tomatoes, or ½ fresh and ½ tinned
1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of any of the following chopped or a mixture of - thyme, parsley, mint, basil, lemon balm, marjoram
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste

Sweat the sliced onions and garlic (if used) in oil on a gentle heat. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added. Remove the hard core from the tomatoes. Put them into a deep bowl and cover them with boiling water. Count to 10 and then pour off the water immediately; peel off the skins, slice and add to the onions. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar and add a generous sprinkling of chopped basil. Cook for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens.

Tomato Fondue with Chilli and Variations
Add 1-2 chopped fresh chilli to the onions when sweating.

Tomato Fondue with Chilli and Basil
Add torn basil instead of mixed herbs to the Tomato Fondue.

Tomato and Coriander Fondue
Substitute fresh coriander for basil in the basic recipe.

Blackcurrant Fool

Serves 10 approx.

¾ lb (340g) fresh blackcurrants
Stock syrup (see recipe)
Whipped cream

Cover the blackcurrants with stock syrup. Bring to the boil and cook until the fruit bursts about 4-5 minutes. Liquidise

and sieve or puree the fruit and syrup and measure. When the puree has cooled, add up to equal quantity of softly whipped cream, according to taste. Serve with Jane's biscuits.

Note: A little stiffly beaten egg white may be added to lighten the fool. The fool should not be very stiff, more like the texture of softly whipped cream. If it is too stiff stir in a little milk rather than more cream.

Frozen blackcurrants may be used
Alternative presentation chose tall sundae glasses. Put 2 floz of blackcurrant puree into the base of the glass, top with a layer of softly whipped cream, another layer of blackcurrant puree and finally a little more cream. Drizzle a little thin puree over the top, serve chilled with shortbread biscuits.

Blackcurrant ice cream

Left over blackcurrant fool may be frozen – it makes a delicious ice cream. Serve with blackcurrant coulis made by thinning the blackcurrant puree with a little more water or syrup.

Stock Syrup
Makes 28 fl ozs (825 ml/3½ cups)

1 lb (450 g/2 cups) sugar
1 pint (600 ml/2½ cups) water

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

Frosted Blackcurrant Fool with Blackcurrant Coulis
Pour the blackcurrant fool into a loaf tin lined with pure cling film. Cover and freeze. Serve cut in slices with blackcurrant coulis drizzled over the top.
Serves 10 approx

Jane’s Biscuits – Shortbread Biscuits

Makes 25

6 ozs (170g/1¼ cups) white flour or Spelt
4 ozs (110g/1 stick) butter
2 ozs (55g/¼ cup) castor sugar

Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter as for shortcrust pastry. Gather the mixture together and knead lightly. Roll out to ¼ inch (7mm) thick. Cut into rounds with a 2½ inch (6cm) cutter or into heart shapes. Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 to pale brown, 8-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the biscuits. Remove and cool on a rack.
Serve with fruit fools, compotes and ice creams.

Note: Watch these biscuits really carefully in the oven. Because of the high sugar content they burn easily. They should be a pale golden colour - darker will be more bitter.

Darina's Fool Proof Recipe

Courgette Soup with Curry Spices

Serves 12

8 large courgettes, sliced
2 large onions,peeled & sliced 
4 teaspoons curry powder 
6 ozs (175g) butter
4 pints (2.2 litres) homemade chicken stock 

Melt the butter and allow to foam. Add the sliced onions and curry powder. Coat in the butter, reduce the heat, cover with greaseproof and a lid and sweat gently until the onions are tender. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the courgettes, season with salt & pepper and cook quite gently, uncovered until the courgettes are just tender. Purée immediately and correct seasoning. Thin with extra stock if necessary. Serve with chopped parsley & chives. Add a little cream if the soup needs it.

Hot Tips:

Georgina Campbell’s Ireland for Garden Lovers – Gentle Journeys through Ireland’s most beautiful gardens with delightful places to stay and eat along the way – co-authored with Marianne Heron. This guide provides a wonderful framework for the garden lover’s Irish holiday, North and South. www.ireland-guide.com info@ireland-guide.com

Visiting Bristol – 
On a recent trip to Bristol, I had a delicious breakfast at Ocean Cafe, lunch at Quartier Vert and dinner at Fishworks – the fish was spanking fresh and beautifully cooked, we had the bonus of extra special service from our waitress Sarah from Douglas in Cork, who is doing a Masters in International Politics in Bristol University. All three restaurants are on Whiteladies Road in Bristol. Ocean – Tel 0117 946 9825 Quartier Vert – Tel 0117 973 4482 Fishworks – Tel 0117 974 4433

I have just had a completely delightful fun afternoon at the Schull Agricultural Show. These country shows celebrate much of what I hold so dear in country life.
Many have been floundering in recent years as people flock to the glitzier Food Festivals that are springing up all over the country. (Don’t forget to put the date of the Midleton Food and Drink Fair on ?? September into your diary.) However I sense a real revival of interest. Schull show, founded in 1966, was an annual event until 1999, by then the insurance costs coupled with the animal movement costs sounded the death knell of the once vibrant show.
This year the Show Committee, linked up with Schull ICA and the Slow Food movement to revive the Show. The committee headed by Jimmy Donavan, Charlie McCarthy and Josephine Ahearne gathered a feisty band of volunteers from the local community. They worked long and hard to plan the line-up of events. They were well rewarded when over 3000 people poured into the Showgrounds. The Schull Farmer’s Market had decamped up to the Showgrounds for the day and when we arrived just after 1 o’clock the event was well underway. There were ? categories. Knowledgeable looking ? were studying form.
The mare and foal category was being judged, an adorable little piebald foal took my eye but I headed down towards the exhibits, stopping to buy an onion bhaji, a caraway seed cake and some local cheese and cured meat at the Farmers outlets.
In the ? hall the Flower, Vegetable, Craft and Bakery exhibits were proudly displayed. The judges had made their decisions so the 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize winners had red, green and ? rosettes attached. These agricultural shows acknowledge the value of the Farmer and importance of preserving and passing on the traditional skills.
The skills of the stockman, the plantsman, the honeymaker, the cook, the traditional craftsman are increasingly valuable in a world where a growing number of people are beginning to appreciate the value of what for many people are forgotten skills.
Despite the headlong embrace of the breakfast roll and fast food culture there is also a tangible revival of interest in learning forgotten skills, how to keep a few hens, how to rear poultry for the table, beekeepers report an increase in inquiries for beginners beekeeping courses, organic vegetable growing courses are oversubscribed. Several young people I know are keeping a few pigs again so they can cure their own pork and taste bacon as it used to be. Others want to know how to make home butter, cheese and yoghurt. All these skills can add value to farm produce at a time when many farmers are racking their brains to come up with ideas to supplement their income. 
The Agricultural Shows provide a platform for the top quality producers to be acknowledged and rewarded. Beside the ? members of Schull ICA, headed by Mary O’Keeffe and founder member Violet Glanville, were busy serving tea and coffee, carrot and coriander soup and cakes to the queues of people. There in the midst of them all the 93 year old Violet Glanville was judiciously filling beef, ham and salad rolls. Vi, who is one of my heroes, was overjoyed to see the revival of the Agricultural Show, an event which she feels is of the utmost importance in rural areas. She and Mary O’Keeffe, chair of the local guild, represent the indomitable spirit of the ICA.
As I queued for tea I listened as the local women discussed the cakes. They knew at a glance who had made each one. They are Jean’s scones, she always makes them for a special occasion and cuts them out with a champagne glass. I chose a delicious slice of coffee cake and then sneaked back for a slice of ? cake and another coconut cake made by the Australian Donna ?. I chased her up and she sweetly agreed to sharing the recipes with Examiner readers.
While all this was going on, a merry band of traditional dancers were dancing to the music of ? under the tutelage of ?. Catherine Jepson was carding wool and spinning it on her wheel. ? demonstrated the skill of making fishing nets. ? was making rattles to show people the craft of traditional rush weaving.
Meanwhile the dog show got underway. Over 70 dogs and every size, shape and description were entered. Nina Constance had the unenviable task of choosing the winners under the critical glare of the dog owners, each of whom was convinced that their pooch was the star of the show.
The only shadow on the day was the discovery that the carefully erected fences had been vandalised overnight, but this didn’t deter the hardworking committee who rebuilt and repaired the damage before the off.
The committee were very happy with the relaunch but are now in the process of reviewing and analysing the event with a view to creating a bigger and even better event next year.
For details of other agricultural shows this Summer check www.irishshowsassociation.ie.

Caraway Seed Cake

I hated Seed cake as a child and now its one of my great favourites, my father had a passion for it so it was always an option when we went to visit our Tipperary relations on Sunday afternoons.

6 ozs (170g) butter
6 ozs (170g) castor sugar
3 eggs, free-range if possible
8 ozs (225g) plain white flour
1 tablespoon ground almonds, optional
2 dessertspoons caraway seeds
3 teaspoon baking powder

some caraway seeds to sprinkle on top

Round cake tin 7 inches wide x 3 inches deep (18cm x 7.5cm)

Line the cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat until very soft and light. Whisk the eggs and gradually beat into the creamed mixture. Stir in the flour and ground almonds. Add the baking powder and 2 dessertspoons of caraway seeds with the last of the flour. Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin, scatter a few caraway seeds on top and bake in a moderate oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 50-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Keeps well in an airtight tin.

Coffee Cake with Chocolate Coffee Beans

Serves 8-10

Another splendid cake, keeps well too. This cake may be baked in a larger tin to make it look more like a gateau.

8 ozs (225g) butter
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
8 ozs (225g) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 teasp. baking powder
4 eggs, preferably free range
scant 2 tablesp. coffee essence (Irel or Camp)

2" x 8" (5 x 20.5 cm) sandwich tins 

Coffee Butter Cream (see recipe)
Coffee Icing (see recipe)

Decoration
Hazelnuts or Chocolate Coffee Beans (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.
Line the bottom of sandwich tins, with greaseproof paper, brush the bottom and sides with melted butter and dust with flour.
Cream the butter until soft, add the castor sugar and beat until pale and light in texture. Whisk the eggs. Add to the mixture, bit by bit, beating well between each addition. 
Sieve the flour with the baking powder and stir gently into the cake mixture, finally add in the coffee essence and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes approx. in a moderate oven. When the cakes are cooked. The center will be firm and springy and the edges will have shrunk from the sides of the tin. Rest in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto the wire rack, remove the greaseproof paper from the base, then reinvert so the top of the cakes don’t get marked by the wire rack. Cool the cakes on the wire rack. When cold sandwich the cakes together with Coffee Butter Cream and ice the top with Coffee Glace Icing .Decorate with Hazelnuts or Chocolate Coffee Beans

Coffee Butter Cream Filling
2 ozs (55g) butter
4 ozs (110g) icing sugar (sieved)
1-2 teasp. Irel Coffee essence

Whisk the butter with the sieved icing sugar, add the coffee essence. Continue to whisk until light and fluffy.

NOTE:
If you would prefer to ice the cake with Coffee Butter Cream use 
8 ozs ( 225g) butter
1lb ( 450g) icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons of Irel Coffee

Coffee Icing

16 ozs (450g) icing sugar

scant 2 tablesp. Irel coffee essence
4 tablesp. boiling water approx.

Sieve the icing sugar and put into a bowl. Add coffee essence and enough boiling water to make it the consistency of thick cream.

Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans

V VV C

Irresistible nibbles or great decorations for cakes, mousses, and chocolate or coffee desserts.

3 ozs (85g) dark chocolate, at least 54 per cent cocoa solids
4 tablesp. medium roast coffee beans

Melt the chocolate gently in a small bowl over a saucepan of hot water. When the chocolate is soft add the coffee beans. Stir gently to coat the beans, then lift them out with a fork and drop them one by one onto a plate or marble slab evenly covered with non-stick silicone paper. Leave to harden. Remove the beans with a palette knife and store in an air-tight jar. Alternatively, drop the wet chocolate-coated beans on to a plate or marble slab covered thickly with sieved good quality cocoa powder. Separate as above and leave to harden.
22/06/99(LH)

Traditional Kerry Apple Cake

Makes 25-30 pieces

Scone mixture
450g (1lb) plain white flour
175g (6oz) butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
175g (6oz) castor sugar
3 free range eggs
225ml (8fl oz) milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

cooking apples

Baking tin 30x20cm 7.5cm deep (12x8in 3in deep)

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

Peel, core and chop the apple into 5mm (1/4in) dice. Rub the butter into the flour. Add the baking powder, castor sugar, diced apple and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Whisk the eggs with a cup of milk in a bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be a soft texture. Pour into the greased and lined roasting tin. Bake at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top and apples are soft and golden. Dredge with soft castor sugar while hot.

Donna Higgins’s Five Star Coconut Cake

Donna who is originally from Sydney now lives in west Cork and is an enthusiastic member of the Schull ICA guild. In Australia she ran the Energy Australia Cookery School and developed recipes for food companies.

225ml (8fl oz/1 cup) milk
35g (1 1/2oz/1/3 cup) coconut
340g (12oz/2¼ cups) self raising flour, sifted
75g (3oz/½ cup) custard powder
450g (1lb/2 cups) caster sugar
4 eggs
250g (9oz) butter, softened 
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

2 tablespoons toasted coconut (decoration)

Grease and line a 23cm deep cake pan or two 23cm x 12cm x 7cm loaf pans.
Heat the milk, pour onto coconut, and stir well. Leave aside until cold.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake in a moderate oven 180° C for 1 – 1 ¼ hours or until cooked when tested. 
Allow to sit in the tin or tins for five minutes before turning out. 
Meanwhile make the Cream Cheese Icing – see below. 
Spread the icing over the top of the cake or cakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Cream Cheese Icing

60g (2 1/2oz) cream cheese, softened

125g (4 1/2oz/1 cup) icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla
Milk 


Beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in the icing sugar. Mix in vanilla and sufficient milk to form a smooth creamy icing.
Pipe or spread onto coconut cake.

Fool proof Food

Mary O’Keefe’s Featherlite Sponge

4 free range eggs
110g (4oz) castor sugar
110g (4oz) plain white flour

2x 20cm (8in) tins, greased and floured

Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. 

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the whites stiffly and fold into the egg and sugar mixture, then fold in the sieved flour in batches. Add 2-3 drops water just off the boil.
Divide the mixture between the greased and floured tins. Bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 15 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Sandwich together with homemade gooseberry and raspberry jam and whipped cream. Dredge with a little icing sugar on top.

HOT TIPS: 

(Don’t forget to put the date of the Midleton Food and Drink Fair on 2nd & 3rd September into your diary.)

Jellies and Pickles from West Cork
I bought a delicious pot of Rose Petal Jelly at the Schull Farmer’s Market, made by Eva Johnson from Ballydehob – (Tel. 028-37956) – Eva’s jelly is sold alongside Sonia Bower’s Inner Pickle Caribbean style pickles (Tel 028-34895, 086-2209836) - available at Mahon Point, Schull, Kinsale and Bandon’s Farmers Markets – also sold at the Fuchsia Shop in Cork Airport. 

Eco Harvest is a New Shop opened by Catriona Daunt and Willie Doherty in The Village Shopping Centre (by the library) in Ballincollig, Co. Cork. Eco Harvest stocks organic fruit and veg (as much local Irish produce as possible), Gubbeen meats and cheeses, wholefoods, blueberry tonic, apple juices, a wide range of olive oils, olives and other Mediterranean delicacies, fresh lavender bunches, Arun's spice packets, Mella's fudge and Arbutus breads. It is a small, but beautiful and well stocked shop and it has a large private carpark out front where the market is held on a Wednesday. Open Monday to Saturday from 9.30 to 6.30.

Offalydelicious – The Network of local food producers in Offaly
Offaly Leader is dedicated to assisting the development of local food products and has developed a support programme tailored to meet the specific needs of the county’s small food producers. Honey, organic cheeses and soups, grass-fed beef and lamb, traditionally produced pork products, sauces, pickles and relishes, even wedding cakes – you name it and the small producers of Offaly are making it. Brochure available from Offaly Delicious, c/o Michelle O’Brien, Offaly Leader, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Tel. 057-9322850, email:michelle@offalyleader.ie  or admin@offalyleader.ie  www.offalyleader.ie 

Sweetcorn
Vincent and Catherine O’Donovan’s roadside stall on the main Cork to Inishannon road (N71 to west Cork) sell juicy sweetcorn. They are open everyday and hope to have sweetcorn for the next month or so. If you would like to order some for the freezer ring Vincent on 087 248 6031.

In 2002, Myrtle Allen, then in her late seventies, decided that there was a need to collate the information about good food producers in Cork County. She travelled from village to town, from one end of the county to the other, seeking out the best butchers, bakers, jam and chutney makers, fish smokers, poultry producers, farmhouse cheese-makers, bacon curers, salami makers and artisan producers, of every kind.

The result of her gastronomic travel was put together in a leaflet for growers of fruit and vegetables, and published in 2002. Then the following year with help of her grandson Cullen, Myrtle published a simple booklet called ‘Local Producers of Good Food in Cork’. Her grand-daughter Fawn helped produce the 2003 edition and in 2004 help came from Arun Kapil a chef at Ballymaloe House, who now has his own range of spices under the name Green Saffron.

The fourth edition ‘Good Food in Cork’ launched last week at the Crawford Gallery Café is the biggest and best so far.

This year, Caroline Workman collaborated with Myrtle. Caroline, a food writer from Northern Ireland, newly arrived in Cork to marry fish smoker Frank Hederman, embraced the project with vigour and enthusiasm. In a short time Caroline got to know almost everyone in the book and found many new treasures.

She and Robin Bryant, a New Zealand designer now living in Cork, gave the book a brand new look. Quotes from food producers and Caroline’s delicious prose, give this year’s edition yet another dimension.

At the launch, Lord Mayor Deirdre Clune and deputy County Mayor both congratulated the artisan producers for putting Cork city and county on the top of Ireland’s gastronomic map and paid glowing tribute to the authors. 

Frank Hederman in his introduction spoke of the food revolution that started in East Cork and has gathered momentum throughout the countryside and has now become the focus of the majority of food and travel writers who visit Ireland.

Many of the artisan producers brought their food for guests to taste at the launch.

This little gem – a must for everyone interested in tasty whole and unusual foods, is available from many bookshops, farmers markets and health shops, or contact Caroline Workman at caroline.workman@food-stuff.co.uk.

Good Food in Cork 2006-2007 – a guide to local producers - by Myrtle Allen and Caroline Workman, designed and illustrated by Robyn Bryant. Cork Free Choice Consumer Group – www.corkfreechoice.ie 

Mackerel with Tomatoes and Tapenade

Serves 4

4 fresh mackerel fillets
4 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
l teasp.thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper

Tapenade Dressing
30g (1 oz) Kalamata olives, stones removed
2 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
1 ½ teaspoon capers in brine, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Flat parsley sprigs.

Preheat the grill to high. 

Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking tray. Season lightly with some salt and pepper and sprinkle with the thyme leaves.

Slash the skin of each mackerel fillet two or three times and place, skin side up, on top of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile make the tapenade dressing. Chop the olives, anchovy and capers, add the crushed garlic, it should have a coarseish texture. Add the oil and vinegar and season to taste.

Grill the mackerel until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked through and the tomatoes are warm. 

Transfer to warm plates and spoon over a little of the tapenade. Serve immediately with little sprigs of flat parsley.

Spatchcock Chicken with Oven-roasted Vegetables

Serves 6-8

1 free-range organic chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
Extra virgin olive oil or butter
A few cloves of garlic

Insert a heavy chopping knife into the cavity of the chicken from the back end to the neck. Press down sharply to cut through the backbone. Alternatively place the chicken breast side down on the chopping board, using poultry shears cut along the entire length of the backbone as close to the centre as possible.

Open the bird out as much as possible. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, sprinkle with chopped rosemary or thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to a roasting tin. Turn skin side upwards and tuck the whole garlic cloves underneath. Roast in a preheated oven 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 for 40 minutes approximately.

Note: Cook the chicken on a wire rack over a roasting tin of roast potatoes or vegetables.
Carve and serve hot with a good salad of organic leaves.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil, Olive Oil and Irish Honey

The Ballymaloe Cookery School stall has a unique selection of heirloom tomatoes of all shapes and sizes. Red, yellow, black, striped, round, pear shaped, oval. They make a divine tomato salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella and lots of fresh basil.

Serves 4

8 very ripe heirloom tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 dessertspoon pure Irish honey
3 tablespoons Mani extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves

Cut the tomatoes into ¼ inch (5mm) thick slices, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix the oil and honey together and add 'torn' basil leaves, pour over the tomatoes and toss gently. Taste, correct seasoning if necessary. A little freshly squeezed lemon juice enhances the flavour in a very delicious way.

A Salad of Quail Eggs with Smoked Venison and Avocado

Serves 6

18 quail eggs
1 slice white bread cut into ¼ inch cubes for croutons
1 avocado
4 ozs/110 g smoked Irish salmon cut into strips

Salad
4 ozs/110 g curly endive
2 ozs/55 g lambs lettuce or purslane
1 head chicory
2 ozs/55 g Lollo Rosso
12 sprigs of watercress OR

A mixed leaf salad instead of above

French Dressing

Tiny spring onions or chives

A few chive or nasturtium or wild garlic flowers

Wash and dry the salad leaves. Hard boil the quail eggs in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes. Put them in cold water and shell when required, keep six still in their shells so guests can peel them.

Fry the croutons in about 3 tablespoons of walnut oil over a medium heat until crisp and golden. Keep warm.

Peel the avocado, remove stone and cut into dice or slices, brush with a little dressing.

To Serve
Toss the salad leaves in a little of the dressing, the leaves should just glisten. Divide between 6 plates, arrange the avocado slices between the leaves and put 3 eggs on each plate, perhaps 2 peeled and 1 unpeeled. Finally sprinkle warm croutons and the strips of smoked salmon.
Garnish with herb flowers and serve immediately.

Sausages with Dips

Seek out some top quality pork sausages for al fresco entertaining or barbecues and serve with a selection of dips. Many butchers throughout the city and county make their own delicious sausages, as well as providing a range of delicious meat - Good Food in Cork gives details on a regional basis, town by town – so seek out these treasures and support them.

450g (1lb) best quality pork sausages, eg Caherbeg (023-48474) or Gubbeen (028-28231)

Cook the sausages in the usual way.

Serve with:
Honey grainy mustard and rosemary dip
4 tablespoons local honey
4 tablespoons grainy mustard
1-2 teaspoons rosemary finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients together and put into a deep bowl ready for dipping.
Sweet chilli sauce mixed with squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Mix together to taste.

Barbecue sauce

Makes 225ml (8fl oz) approx. Can be used to marinate lamb, chicken, pork or sausages. Also yummy as a dip.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
110g (4 ozs) finely chopped onion
1 x 400g (14 oz) tin of tomatoes
7 tablespoons tomato puree 
7 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons pure Irish honey
4 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, onion and sweat gently for 4-5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and juice, cook for a further 4 or 5 minutes, season with salt, freshly ground pepper. Puree in a liquidiser or food processor, add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to the boil, simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. Use as a sauce or marinade.

Macroom Oatmeal Crackers

Makes 25-30 biscuits

1oz (25g) Macroom oatmeal
75g (3oz) brown wholemeal flour
115g (4oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
25g (1oz) butter
5-6 tablespoons cream

Mix the oatmeal, brown and white flour together and add the salt and baking powder. Rub in the butter and moisten with cream, enough to make a firm dough.

Roll out very thinly - one-sixteenth inch thick approx. Prick with a fork. Cut into 2 inch (5cm) squares. Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and quite crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Raspberry Ice Cream with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

Still lots of wonderful fresh berries and currants around, they make divine ice-cream and sorbets.

Serves 6

450g (1lb) fresh raspberries
285g (10oz) sugar
150ml (5floz) water
1 teaspoon gelatine
600ml (1pint) whipped cream

Fresh Raspberry Sauce
225g (8oz) fresh raspberries
4 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons water
lemon juice - optional

Garnish
fresh raspberries and fresh mint leaves

Puree and sieve the raspberries. Dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 2 minutes, sponge the gelatine in 1 tablespoon water and dissolve in a saucepan of simmering water. Blend raspberry puree with the syrup, add a little to the gelatine and then mix the two together. Fold in whipped cream and freeze.

Meanwhile make the sauce, 

Make a syrup with sugar and water, cool and add about two-thirds to the raspberries. Liquidise and sieve, taste, sharpen with lemon juice if necessary or add more syrup as necessary.

To serve
Scoop out the ice cream, serve on chilled plates with the fresh raspberry sauce. Decorate with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

Foolproof Food

Sweet Corn with Butter and Sea Salt

Serves 4

Unless you grow your own or are fortunate to have a close neighbour who grown sweet corn you'll never be actually able to taste it at it's most exquisite. For perfection it should be cooked within minutes of being picked and put straight into the pot.

4 ears of sweet corn, for perfection just picked
3-4 ozs (85-110g) butter
sea salt

Bring a large saucepan of water to a fast rolling boil and add lots of salt. Peel the husks and silks off the sweet corn, trim the ends, put into the boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately with butter and sea salt.

Hot Tips

Heirloom tomatoes - Chefs from San Francisco to Paris are crazy about heirloom tomatoes, the Ballymaloe Cookery School stall at the Midleton Farmers Market has a wide selection of home-grown heirloom tomatoes with names like Persimmon, Tibet Apple, Red Oxheart, Yellow Oxheart, Lily of the Valley, Black Princess, Gobstopper, Green Zebra………

Tipperary Slow Food will hold a picnic tomorrow 6th August at 3.00pm at Dovea Country House, Parkland and Arboretum at Dovea, Thurles. (2 miles from The Ragg off the Nenagh/Thurles Road) – bring any type of slow food for sharing – local slow food will also be provided. Booking essential – Tel Sharyn or Peter at Country Choice in Nenagh, Tel 067-32596, cost €6 per person or €15 per family. Will include guided tour of Ireland’s premier breeding stock of 11 bulls from traditional Irish to continental breeds. There will be a parade of bulls at 5.00pm.

New Coffee Shop and Deli in Cahir just opened – River House
River House (formerly The Crock of Gold) opposite Cahir Castle – serving local seasonal food creating a regional taste of Tipperary. Open 8-6 Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday 10-6 (Brunch all day at weekend) – wine by the glass, ‘Irish tapas’ – for reservations Tel 052-41951, info@riverhouse.ie  

Barbecues are very much a ‘man thing’, according to Antony Worrall-Thompson, its something to do with the time we spent sitting in caves ripping chunks of meat from roasted carcasses, the hunter-gatherer in us enjoying the spoils of the day, then as now, women didn’t get much of a look-in – men still love playing with fire and the nation is in the grip of barbecue fever.

In just a few short years, virtually every house in the country has a barbie of some kind, yet much of the fare on offer is pretty uninspiring, usually involving sausages, chips, chicken fillets, burgers or steaks.

Mind you, if the meat is of good provenance and well hung, a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil, some freshly ground pepper and sea salt will be adequate and one doesn’t necessarily need a fancy barbie either.

There’s so much choice nowadays from disposable trays available in petrol stations to sturdy hibachi with adjustable racks or cute little barbecues in girlie colours. The top of the range gas grill doubles as an outdoor kitchen and can be used from January to December.

I’ve cooked on them all but I’m a big fan of the kettle grill with domed lid – this gives you many more options and some can double up as a smoker.

Before you go shopping, you’ve got to consider your lifestyle and what you want from your barbecue, does it need to be portable or can it be a fixture?. Do you want to cook for large parties or just a few family and friends? Are you a purist or a pragmatist – will it be charcoal or gas? I like to have both options, depending on the occasion. 

One of the more important elements of a barbecue is the facility to control the height of the food over the source of heat. This is vital, particularly when you want to cook a large joint of meat evenly. With gas, its just a click of the switch and then you are in business.

Charcoal is a whole lot trickier. Its vital to light the barbecue well in advance. A good trick is to line the base of the barbecue with tin foil to reflect the heat upwards.

Don’t use firelighters and certainly don’t resort to petrol – screwed up paper, kindling and long matches are fine. Pile the charcoal into a pyramid and once lit leave it alone.

Meanwhile, prepare the food. Lay it out in manageable size portions on trays. Make lots of sauces, relishes and salads – many people make the mistake of overdoing the meat. Trim excess fat off the meat or it will catch fire and create lots of flame. There are masses of easy and delicious marinades that can be made in minutes but a very good bottle of extra virgin olive oil, Maldon or Halen Mon sea salt,and freshly cracked pepper are the essentials.

Add fresh herbs, particularly the gutsy ones like rosemary, thyme and sage, or freshly cracked spices to ring the changes.

Yoghurt tenderizes but drain well before cooking, otherwise it will stick and burn, as will items doused in sweet barbecue sauce.

When the coals are ready they should have burned down to a grey ash with glowing red coals underneath. Spread them out a bit at one side to create a cooler area if it is needed.

Use long-handled tongs and have a mister close by to douse flames if necessary. 

Best of all, enjoy the thrill of the grill, practice makes perfect.

There are lots of books to give you new ideas but Antony Worrall Thompson has just added his creative talent and published Barbecues and Grilling with Jane Suthering – published by Kyle Cathie. Buy this Book at Amazon

Here are some recipes from the book to try for your next barbie.

Blue Cheese Dip

142ml (4½ fl.oz approx.) carton soured cream

150ml (5fl.oz) mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sliced spring onions
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
75g (3oz) crumbled blue cheese (Stilton, Roquefort, blue Auvergne)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, blend together the soured cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, spring onions, garlic, Tabasco and the cheese. Season to taste.

Oriental Pork and Pineapple Kebabs

This is one instance where sweet and savoury combine beautifully. The slightly sharp pineapple juice helps to cut through the richness of the oyster and soy sauces.

Makes 4

500g (18oz) pork fillet (tenderloin), cut into 24 chunks
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped red chilli
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 shallot, finely chopped
24 chunks of fresh pineapple, cut the same size as the pork.

Combine the pork and the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the pineapple. Cover with clingfilm and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge. Remove at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile, soak 8 small bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Thread alternate chunks of pineapple and pork onto the skewers.

Set the kebabs on the barbecue grill over medium-hot colas and chargrill for 10-12 minutes, turning them from time to time until the pork is cooked through. Brush the pork with any remaining marinade while it is cooking. Serve immediately.

AWT’s All-American Burger

No barbecue book, or for that matter, barbecue, is complete without a classic beef burger. Cooking the onion first will give the burger a much better flavour and prevent the burger from going black.

Makes 6

15g unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Ikg (2¼ lb) finely minced lean beef
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chilli sauce
6 soft white burger buns, split and lightly chargrilled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small frying pan, melt the butter and gently fry the onion, garlic, oregano and cumin until the onion is translucent and softened. Allow to cool then transfer to a large bowl and mix with the minced beef, olive oil, parsley and chilli sauce. Work with your hands to create a blended mixture, but do not overwork it.

Form the mixture into 6 ‘burgers’, and chargrill them on the barbecue – for medium rare, 4-5 minutes each side, 6-8 minutes each side for well-done.
Fill the buns with the burgers and garnishes of your choice.

To garnish, choose from torn lettuce leaves, thinly sliced onion rings, thinly sliced tomato, sliced pickled gherkins, tomato ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.

Oriental Chicken Thighs

For a traditional presentation, serve these with noodles combined with some wilted spinach leaves and flavoured with chopped garlic, fresh ginger and light soy sauce.

Serves 4

12 skinless and boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:
5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
3 tablespoons unrefined soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

In a shallow dish combine the soy, mirin or dry sherry, chilli sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken thighs and turn them to coat with the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours, turning from time to time. Remove from the fridge about 1 hour before cooking.

Cook the chicken thighs on the barbecue grill over hot coals for 8-10 minutes on each side, basting with the marinade several times during the cooking. Serve immediately.
For a grilled teriyaki tuna variation, take 4 tuna steaks, each about 2.5cm thick, marinate as above and cook on the oiled barbecue grill over hot coals for 2 minutes each side. Serve at once.

Indian Spicy Chicken

Yogurt tenderises the chicken and beating the meat ensures that it won’t take too long to cook. If there’s any leftovers, the chicken makes a great sandwich filling with salad.

Serves 6

6 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

For the marinade:
4 garlic cloves, crushed with a little salt
300ml (10fl.oz) Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala spice mix
½ teaspoon English mustard powder

Mix together all the marinade ingredients.

Lay a chicken breast between two sheets of clingfilm, then beat it with a meat mallet or rolling pin until its widened to about twice the size. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Cover the chicken with the yogurt mixture and marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Wipe the excess yogurt from the chicken and oil the barbecue grill. Cook the chicken over hot coals for 4-5 minutes each side, until lightly charred.

Bananas with Toffee Sauce

A simple way of barbecuing bananas is to cook them in their skins until they blacken and feel very soft. When you cut back the skin you will discover a natural banana soufflé – delicious.

Serves 4-8

8 bananas in their skins

For the Toffee Sauce:
100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter
100g (3½ oz) unrefined soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100ml (3½ fl.oz) dark rum
142ml (4½ fl.oz) carton double cream

To make the toffee sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon and rum. Simmer, stirring from time to time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and whisk until the sauce emulsifies. Do not boil.

Place the bananas, unpeeled, on the barbecue over medium heat and cook until the skins have blackened all over and are just beginning to split.
Allow your guests to peel their own bananas and watch for their excited reactions. Serve the sauce separately.

Foolproof Food

Barbecued New Potatoes

Serves 4

750g (1½lb) new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
3 tablesp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender – 10-15 minutes depending on size.(You could do this the day before if you like). If the potatoes are large cut them in half, but if small leave whole, toss in the olive oil, salt and black pepper. 

Thread onto skewers. Grill over medium coals, turning regularly for about 8-10 minutes depending on size.

Hot Tips

Deasy’s Harbour Bar and Seafood Restaurant, Ring Road, Ring, Clonakilty, Co Cork – delicious seafood – well worth a detour – Tel 023-35741 for reservations.

Glebe Brethan Farmhouse Cheese wins Gold at World Cheese Awards
This gruyere-type cheese is made from unpasteurised Montbeliarde cows milk by David Tiernan in Dunleer, Co. Louth. Made in 45 kilo wheels, the cheese is matured on spruce timbers for a minimum of 4-6 months. It is mellow, fruity and creamy when young, becoming more aromatic with spicy, nutty flavours. Great to see some new cheese coming on stream in Ireland. For more details contact maireadtiernan@eircom.net 

Celtic Market in Patrick St. Cork on Sunday 10th September 
As part of the folk festival this September, a Celtic Market with up to 30 food stalls will be held in Cork, there will be a number of events including a Ceili Mor, Live Music and Street Theatre. Enquiries from Rose-Anne Kidney, Festival Market Manager, Cork Folk Festival, Festival House, Grand Parade, Cork. Tel 086-8283310

For those of us who love food, June and July are sublime months when the fruit garden is bursting with produce begging to be enjoyed. How fortunate we are in Ireland to have the right climate to grow such an abundance of culinary treats. We’ve been enjoying green gooseberries and elderflower followed by strawberries for the past few weeks. This week we had the first raspberries and loganberries from Walsh’s farm across the road from the Cookery School. How fortunate we are, and everyone in Shanagarry village is, to have a wonderful farm so close that grows such a variety of produce. Juicy red rhubarb early in the year and very soon the tayberries and boysenberries will be ripe also – they are sublime just with a sprinkling of castor sugar and some pouring cream but also make a divine jam. I love to combine them with peaches – a marriage made in heaven, particularly if served with a good homemade vanilla ice cream.

I bought two little Jersey cows last year so we could have access to unpasteurised organic milk. We have been enjoying the thick pouring cream with Summer berries, in panna cotta and crème brulee. Homemade ice cream made with rich jersey cream reminds me of the flavour of ice cream we made when my father-in-law Ivan Allen had a Jersey herd at Ballymaloe. We serve it as a treat with fresh Summer berries.

This evening I’m going to serve Peach Melba, named for Dame Nellie Melba, a famous opera singer – how retro is that?! The combination of sugared peaches, fresh raspberry sauce and homemade ice cream is irresistible – the perfect ending to a Summer dinner party.

Peach Melba

This much abused recipe is one of the most delicious desserts of Summer when made with best quality home-made ice cream, sugared peaches or nectarines and a fresh raspberry sauce. Quite unlike the travesty which often is served as Peach Melba, consisting of 'well known brand' of ice cream and canned peaches smothered in a sauce made from thinned out jam and perhaps a bit of chocolate flake on top for extra excitement!

Home-made Vanilla Ice cream

Raspberry Coulis 

Sugared Peaches


Serve each guest some vanilla ice cream and sugared peaches with a little fresh raspberry sauce poured over the top.

Sugared Peaches or Nectarines

Serves 8

8 perfect ripe peaches
Castor sugar
Juice of 1-2 lemons

Put the peaches or nectarines into a deep bowl, cover them with boiling water, pour off the water and drop into iced water, peel immediately, slice into 5mm (1/4inch) slices removing the stone. Put into a bowl and sprinkle with castor sugar and lemon juice to toss.

Ballymaloe Vanilla Ice-cream

The Ballymaloe Ice-creams are very rich and very delicious, made on an egg mousse base with softly-whipped cream and flavourings added. Ice-creams made in this way have a smooth texture and do not need further whisking during the freezing period. They should not be served frozen hard. Remove from the freezer at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8

50g (2oz) sugar
100ml (4fl oz) water
2 egg yolks, preferably free-range and organic
2 teaspoon pure vanilla essence
600ml (1pint) softly whipped cream

Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy (keep the whites for meringues). Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir over heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove the spoon and boil the syrup until it reaches the 'thread' stage, 106-113C/236F. It will look thick and syrupy; when a metal spoon is dipped in, the last drops of syrup will form thin threads. Pour this boiling syrup in a steady stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time. Add vanilla essence and continue to whisk until it becomes a thick creamy white mousse. Fold the softly-whipped cream into the mousse, pour into a bowl, cover and freeze.

Raspberry Coulis

8 ozs (225 g) Raspberries

3-6 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons water
Lemon juice - optional

Make a syrup with sugar and water, cool and add to the raspberries. Liquidise and sieve, taste, sharpen with lemon juice if necessary. Store in a fridge.

Raspberry Jellies with Fresh Mint Cream

Makes 9-10

Syrup
225g (8ozs) sugar
225ml (8 fl ozs) water

4 sprigs fresh mint
1 dessertspoon Framboise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 rounded teaspoon gelatine 
3 tablespoons water
450g (1 lb) fresh raspberries

Mint Cream
15 mint leaves approximate 
1 tablespoon lemon juice
150ml (5 fl ozs) cream
Mint leaves and Rapberries for garnish

9-10 round or oval moulds - 3fl.oz. capacity (2½x1¼ins/6.6x 3cm)

Make a syrup by bringing sugar, water and mint leaves slowly to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes, allow to cool, add Framboise and lemon juice.
Meanwhile brush the inside of the moulds with non scented oil, I use light peanut or sunflower oil

Sponge the gelatine in the water, then place the bowl in a pan of simmering water until the gelatine is completely dissolved. 
Remove the mint leaves from the syrup, then pour the syrup onto the gelatine. Add the raspberries and stir gently. Fill immediately into the lined moulds. Smooth them over the top so they won’t be wobbly when you unmould them onto a plate. Put them into the fridge and leave to set for 3-4 hours.

Meanwhile make the Mint cream.
Crush the mint leaves in a pestle and mortar with the lemon juice, add the cream and stir, the lemon juice will thicken the cream. If the cream becomes too thick, add a little water.

To serve

Spread a little Mint cream on a chilled a white plate, unmould a raspberry jelly and place in the centre. Place five mint leaves on the mint cream around the jelly. Decorate with a few perfect raspberries, repeat with the other jellies. Serve chilled.

Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar

Marcella Hazan first introduced me to this unlikely sounding combination, it takes a certain amount of courage to try it but believe me it makes strawberries taste exquisitely intense. Aceto Balsamico the aristocrat of Italian vinegars varies enormously, it is precious and expensive, buy the best one you can find and use it sparingly.

Serves 6

2 lbs (900g) strawberries
3-5 tablesp. castor sugar
1-2 tablesp. Balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico)

Shortly before serving, remove the hulls from the berries and cut in half lengthways. Sprinkle with sugar and toss gently. Just before serving add the balsamic vinegar and toss again. Serve immediately.

N.B. this recipe is not successful with wine or malt vinegars.

Summer Pudding

We actually make our Summer Pudding with cake but many people line the bowl with slices of white bread instead. I've used a mixture of fruit here, but it is also delicious made with black currants alone. Summer fruit salad with sweet geranium leaves also makes a successful filling, but you need to cook the black currants and red currants until they burst and then add the soft fruit. Remember to pour the fruit and syrup boiling into the sponge-lined bowl, otherwise the syrup won't soak through the sponge properly.

Serves 12 - 16

2 x 7 inch sponge cakes (see Foolproof Food recipe)

½ lb (225g) black currants
½ lb (225g) red currants
1 lb (450g) raspberries or ½ lb (225g) raspberries and ½ lb (225g) strawberries
21 ozs (580g) granulated sugar
24 fl ozs (680ml) water

3 pint (1.7 L) Plastic pudding bowl 

First make the sponge (see recipe). 

Cut each round of sponge in half, horizontally. Line the bowl with the cake, crusty side inwards. It doesn't matter if it looks quite patched, it will blend later.

Dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 2 minutes, add the black currants and red currants and cook until the fruit bursts -about 3 or 4 minutes - then add the raspberries (and strawberries). Taste. Immediately, ladle some of the hot liquid and fruit into the sponge-lined bowl. When about half full, if you have scraps of cake put them in the centre. Then fill to the top with fruit. Cover with a layer of sponge. Put a plate on top and press down with a heavy weight. Allow to get cold. Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours before serving, but it will keep for 4 or 5 days.

To Serve: Unmould onto a deep serving dish and pour any left-over fruit and syrup over the top and around the side. Serve with lots of softly whipped cream.

Almond Meringue with Loganberries

Serves 6

1½ ozs (45g) almonds
2 egg whites 
4½ ozs (125g) icing sugar

Filling
½ pint (300ml) whipped cream
½ lb (225g) loganberries

Check that the bowl is dry, spotlessly clean and free of grease. Blanch and skin the almonds. Grind or chop them up. They should not be ground to a fine powder but should be left slightly coarse and gritty. Mark two 7½ inch (19cm) circles on silicone paper or a prepared baking sheet. Mix all the sugar with the egg whites at once and beat until the mixture forms stiff dry peaks. Fold in the almonds. Divide the mixture between the 2 circles and spread evenly with a palette knife. Bake immediately in a cool oven, 150C/300F/regulo 2 for 45 minutes or until set crisp and just brown on top. Allow to cool.

To Assemble

Sandwich the meringues together whipped cream and loganberries. Chill for some hours before serving. Decorate with rosettes of whipped cream.
Garnish with little sprigs of mint or lemon balm.

Summer Fruit Salad in Lemongrass Syrup

Serves 8-10

4 oz (110 g) Raspberries 
4 oz (110g ) Loganberries
4 oz (110g ) Red currants
4 oz (110g ) Black currants
4 oz (110g) small Strawberries
4 oz (110g) Blueberries 
4 oz (110g) Fraises du bois or wild strawberries 
4oz (110g) Blackberries

Syrup 

14 oz (400g) sugar
16 fl oz (450ml) water

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

Foolproof Food

Great Grandmother’s Cake

Use this delicious tender sponge unfilled for the Summer Pudding , or sandwich together with whipped cream and homemade raspberry jam or fresh raspberries as a delicious treat for tea.

6 ozs (175g) flour
6 ozs (175g) castor sugar
3 eggs
4½ ozs (125g) butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder

filling

4 ozs (110gg) home-made raspberry jam
10 fl ozs (300ml) whipped cream
castor sugar to sprinkle

2 x 7 inch (18cm) sponge cake tins

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/regulo 5.

Grease and flour the tins and line the base of each with a round of greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and gradually add the castor sugar, beat until soft and light and quite pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition. (If the butter and sugar are not creamed properly and if you add the eggs too fast, the mixture will curdle, resulting in a cake with a heavier texture). Sieve the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Mix all together lightly and add 1 tablespoon of milk to moisten.

Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins, hollowing it slightly in the centre. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. Turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool.

Sandwich together with homemade Raspberry Jam and whipped cream. Sprinkle with sieved castor sugar. Serve on an old fashioned plate with a doyley.

Hot tips :

Seasonal goodies:

British Queens are now in season. The best I’ve had this year have come from Mary and Patrick Walsh. For a selection of summer berries contact -

Mary & Patrick Walsh, Shanagarry, Co Cork. Tel. 021-4646836
Sunnyside Fruit Farm, Rathcormac, Co Cork. Tel. 025-36253
Nick Westendorf – Tel. 021-4771477

Visiting Galway this summer - perhaps for the Arts Festival or Race Week - see the revamped Eyre Square - enjoy the buzz of this cosmopolitan city.
Stroll down Quay Street and enjoy a delicious meal at Martine McDonagh’s award winning Quay Street Wine Bar and Restaurant (No 21)– Tel 091-565662, www.winebar.ie  info@winebar.ie 

Have a cocktail in the wonderfully glamorous g Hotel, designed by milliner Philip Treacy – stunning décor and friendly staff, overlooking Lough Atalia – www.theghotel.ie  - midweek ESPA spa breaks also available. Tel. 091-865200