As children around the country return to school, two of Ireland’s top food organisations are taking action so that ‘back to school’ does not have to mean ‘back to junk’. ‘A is for Apple: Educating our Children to Eat Well’ was the topic for discussion at the 4th National Food Forum & Fair at Brooklodge, Co. Wicklow, which is organised annually by Euro-toques Ireland, the Irish branch of the European Community of Chefs.
At the forum Euro-toques called on the government to take urgent action to work towards changing children’s diets and proposed a national programme throughout primary schools to educate children about all aspects of food and eating. Euro-toques, in conjunction with Slowfood Ireland, today also launched a pilot programme of School Food Workshops. Ireland’s two major food organisations, which collectively represent chefs, food producers and consumers, will visit 10 schools around the country during the autumn term carrying out workshops which cover origin and growing of food, food tastings, food preparation & healthy lunchbox ideas. These workshops take a hands-on approach which empowers children to make good choices about what they eat. 

Speaking at the event, Euro-toques Commissioner and Chef/Proprietor of Chapter One Restaurant Ross Lewis commented; “We feel that the situation in terms of children’s diets and eating habits is reaching crisis point. Eating unhealthy food is set to create a massive public health crisis and we feel this must be tackled pro-actively from the ground up. But for Euro-toques this is not just about obesity and health problems, it is about an overall attitude to eating and food culture. That is why we advocate a holistic approach to educating children about all aspects of the food chain and giving them an appreciation of food and taste”.

“With my own children I have aimed to introduce them to a wide variety of food from a young age”, he added, “We believe that all children should have access to a wholesome and balanced diet”.
The recent National Children’s Food Survey carried out by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance shows that:
One in four girls and one in five boys between the ages of 5 and 12 in Ireland are now overweight or obese. 
Children are consuming 40% more fat than they need and that one fifth of their calories is obtained from biscuits and other high fat treats. 
salt intake is too high.
Fruit and vegetable consumption is half what is required, and some children eat no fruit and vegetables whatsoever, many are malnourished despite adequate or excessive calorie intake, as their diet is made up of processed foods which are low in nutrients. 
If this trend continues we are certain to seeing growing rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. . This is, of course, partly due to changes in lifestyle and a decrease in physical activity, but diet also has an obvious part to play. 

The discussion was opened by Euro-toques Commissioner-General Martin Dwyer who spoke of the need for parents to take control of what their children are eating and to bring children back to the table; “Appetites educated on the high sugar, high flavour foods which hide under the label of convenience will never enjoy the gentle subtlety of crunching into a sweet young carrot, or relish the mouthful of the ocean that is a piece of fresh fish”.

Restaurants were increasingly being asked to serve chicken nuggets, funny fish and burgers to children who refuse to eat anything, because they are constantly grazing between the fridge and the microwave. Anne O’Hara who is responsible for the food of 300 children in Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, made a plea for vending machines to be banned in schools unless they can be used for healthy snacks.

The Forum continued with a panel discussion chaired by John Bowman. The panel included executive council member of Slowfood International Giacomo Mojoli, Mairead McGuinness MEP, Chairman of Unilever Foods Paul Murphy, Food Writer Hugo Arnold. The event also included a colourful day long Farmers Market featuring about 50 small food producers from across Ireland. Among the large and varied range of stall-holders were Govenders Indian Delights, The Gallic Kitchen, Irish Seedsavers, The Organic Herb Company, Denis Healy’s Organic Vegetables and Oisin Healy’s Pancakes, Straight Sausages, Wicklow Fine foods, Glenboy Goats Products and many more too numerous to mention them all. The farmhouse cheesemakers too were well represented, among them were Corleggy, Gubbeen, Cratloe, Ardsallagh and Crozier Blue cheeses, Sheridans Cheesemongers were there also. 

Evan Doyle owner of Brooklodge at Macreddin Village, Co Wicklow, served a delicious buffet which included some local food in season and delicious fresh organic vegetables from Gold River Organic Farm in Aughrim, Co Wicklow. Brooklodge also had a stall selling their own organic brown bread which is baked in their licensed organic bakery on the premises.

Euro-Toques was established in 1986 in Brussels as a guardian of European culinary heritage and as a lobby group addressing the concerns of Europe’s top chefs about food quality and the future of food. www.eurotoquesirl.org  

Slowfood, founded in 1986, is an international organisation whose aim is to support artisan and traditional food producers and protect from the homogenisation of modern fast food and life. It encourages its members to slow down and sit down to enjoy meals with family and friends around the table. Through a bio-diversity of initiatives it promotes gastronomic culture, develops taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity, and protects traditional foods at risk of extinction. Slow Food is gathering momentum around the world and now boasts over 80,000 members in over 100 countries.

www.slowfood.com  www.slowfoodireland.com  

Some lunchbox or after school recipes to tempt those reluctant eaters. 

Foolproof Food

Smoothie

Play around with whatever fresh fruit you have, at its simplest it could be just banana and yoghurt. A few blueberries would be delicious just now.

Banana and Yoghurt Smoothie

Serves 1-2

225ml (8fl oz) natural yoghurt
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Peel the banana, chop coarsely, blend with other ingredients in a liquidizer until smooth.
Pour into a beaker and cover tightly.

Fruit and Nuts
For a healthy lunchbox snack mix together a few raisins, hazelnuts and cashew nuts.

Frittata with Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Chorizo and Goat’s Cheese

Frittata is an Italian omelette. Kuku and Spanish tortilla all sounds much more exciting than a flat omelette although thats basically what they are. Unlike their soft and creamy French cousin, these omelettes are cooked slowly over a very low heat during which time you can be whipping up a delicious salad to accompany it! A frittata is cooked gently on both sides and cut into wedges like a piece of cake. Omit the tomato and you have a basic recipe, flavoured with grated cheese and a generous sprinkling of herbs. Like the omelette, though, you’ll occasionally want to add some tasty morsels however, to ring the changes perhaps some spinach, ruby chard, Calabreze, asparagus, smoked mackerel, etc. The list is endless but be careful don’t use it as a dustbin - think about the combination of flavours before you empty your fridge!

A mini frittata cooked in a muffin tin makes a tasty and nutritious addition to the lunch box or an after school snack. Children will have their own favourite additions. 
Serves 6-8

450g (1lb) ripe or sun-blushed tomatoes 
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs, preferably free range
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons basil, mint or marjoram
110-175g (4-6oz) chorizo, thickly sliced, cut into four
40g (11/2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
25g (1oz) butter
110g (4oz) soft goat’s cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

Non-stick pan 10cm (7 1/2in) bottom, 23cm (9in) top rim

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

Arrange in single layer in a non-stick roasting tin. Cut the tomatoes in half around the equator season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast for 10-15 or until almost soft and slightly crinkly. Remove from the heat and cool. Alternatively use sun-blushed tomatoes. 

Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, chorizo and grated cheese into the eggs. Add the tomatoes, stir gently. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn down the heat, as low as it will go. Divide the cheese into walnut sized pieces and drop gently into the frittata at regular intervals. Leave the eggs to cook gently for 15 minutes on a heat diffuser mat, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny.

Preheat a grill. Pop the pan under the grill for 1 minute to set and barely brown the surface. 
Slide the frittata onto a warm plate. 
Serve cut in wedges with a good green salad and perhaps a few olives. 
Alternatively put the pan into a preheated oven 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Alternatively cook mini frittata in muffin tins (for approximately 15 minutes). Serve with a good green salad.

Variation for a yummy vegetarian alternative omit the chorizo and add 110g (4oz) grated Gruyère cheese to add extra zizz.

Top Tip: The size of the pan is very important, the frittata should be at least 3 cm (11/4in) thick. It the only pan available is larger, adjust the number of eggs, etc.

Tomato and Basil Soup

We worked for a long time to try and make this soup reasonably fool-proof. Good quality tinned tomatoes (a must for your store cupboard) give a really good result. Homemade tomato purée although delicious can give a more variable result depending on the quality of the tomatoes. Careful seasoning is crucial so continue to season and taste until you are happy with the result.

Serves 6

1¾ pints (750 ml) homemade tomato purée or 2 x 14 oz (400 g) tins of tomatoes, liquidized and sieved
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ oz (15 g) butter
8 fl ozs (250 ml) Béchamel sauce (white) (see recipe)
8 fl ozs (250 ml) homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
4 fl ozs (120 ml) cream

Garnish
Whipped cream
Fresh basil leaves

Sweat the onion in the butter on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. Add the tomato purée (or chopped tinned tomatoes plus juice), Béchamel sauce and homemade chicken stock. Add the chopped basil, season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.

Liquidize, taste and dilute further if necessary. Bring back to the boil, correct seasoning and serve with the addition of a little cream if necessary. Garnish with a tiny blob of whipped cream and some basil.

*Tinned tomatoes need a surprising amount of sugar to counteract the acidity.
* Fresh milk cannot be added to the soup – the acidity in the tomatoes will cause it to curdle
Note: This soup needs to be tasted carefully as the final result depends on the quality of the homemade purée, stock etc.

Tomato and Mint Soup
Substitute Spearmint or Bowles mint for basil in the above recipe.

Béchamel Sauce

1 pint (300 ml) milk
Few slices of carrot
Few slices of onion
3 peppercorns
Small sprig of thyme
Small sprig of parsley
1½ozs (45 g) roux (see recipe)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

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

Tomato and Coconut Soup

Substitute Coconut milk for béchamel in the above recipe

Roux 

110 g (4 ozs) butter
110 g (4 ozs) flour

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

Brownies

These have a high sugar content which gives them their delicious and characteristic crust, so keep for an occasional treat.

32 ozs (100g) butter
7 ozs (200g) golden organic castor sugar
2 eggs
2 teasp. pure vanilla extract
2 ozs (55g) best quality dark chocolate
3 ozs (85g) white flour
2 teasp. baking powder
3 teasp. salt
4 ozs (110g/1 cup) chopped walnuts

1 x 8 inch (20.5cm) tin lined with silicone paper

Melt the chocolate in a pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water.

Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the lightly whisked eggs, the vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Lastly stir in the flour, baking powder and chopped nuts. Spread the mixture in the square tin and bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4, for approx. 30-35 minutes.

Cut into 2 inch (5cm) squares for serving. 

Cruditees with Dips

Cruditees simply means raw vegetables, but to be really delicious you’ll need very crisp and fresh vegetables. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized bits so they can be picked up easily. You don’t need knives and forks because they are usually eaten with fingers. Garlic mayonnaise is great but you could use a variety of yummy dips.

Pack them in deep plastic containers or a bright spotty beaker, a nutritious and delicious way to make a little vegetable go a long way.

Use as many of the following vegetables as are in season:

Very fresh button mushrooms, quartered
Tomatoes quartered, or let whole with the calyx on if they are freshly picked
Purple sprouting broccoli, broken (not cut) into florettes
Calabrese (green sprouting broccoli), broken into florettes
Cauliflower, broken into florettes
French beans or mange tout
Baby carrots, or larger carrots cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long, approx.
Cucumber, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Tiny spring onions, trimmed
Red cabbage, cut into strips
Celery, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Red, green or yellow pepper, cut into strips 5 cm/2 inches long approx., seeds removed
Very fresh Brussels sprouts, cut into halves or quarters
Whole radishes, with green tops left on

Typical Cruditees might include the following: 4 sticks of carrot, 2 or 3 sticks of red and green pepper, 2 or 3 sticks of celery, 2 or 3 sticks of cucumber, 1 mushroom cut in quarters, 1 whole radish with a little green leaf left on, 1 tiny tomato or 2 quarters, 1 Brussels sprout cut in quarters, and a little pile of chopped fresh herbs.

Wash and prepare the vegetables. Arrange on individual white side plates in contrasting colours, with a little bowl of garlic mayonnaise in the centre. Alternatively, do a large dish or basket for the centre of the table. Arrange little heaps of each vegetable in contrasting colours. Provide a little tub of garlic mayonnaise in the centre and then your friends can help themselves. 

Hot Tips

West Cork Leader Co-op is launching an exciting new initiative website for primary schools to encourage healthy eating among children. The package is called www.Foodskool.ie  which takes the approach to presenting food in a fun and interactive manner. The pilot programme is currently being run in 3 West Cork schools and 1 Cork based school. Other schools please take note! www.westcorkleader.ie 

Food Safety Authority of Ireland have recently produced an information leaflet with simple advice for convenient and nutritious lunchbox ideas – available from the helpline 1850 404 567 or on line at www.safefood.com  

Green Festival in the Northwest – running 16 - 25 September, celebrating our environment , heritage, culture, food and economy, on – Sunday 25th there will be an Organic Fair at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim – Stalls of food, wines, crafts and much, much more - this is the single biggest organic event in the country and attracts hundred of visitors. Email:organiccentre@eircom.net  www.thegreenfestival.com

Well, Summer is almost over. It’s that time of year again when families are gearing up for the school term, so I can return to one of my major preoccupations, the food we feed our children. Now that some of my grandchildren are of school going age, I’m even more concerned about the endless struggle to protect them from gobbling down rubbish.
What a help it would be to parents if the Minister for Health were to forbid or even discourage the fast food outlets from giving free toys and drinks to their young children. It would also be a heck of a lot easier to get kids to eat a bowl of delicious and nourishing porridge if all the other kids in school weren’t collecting the toys out of cereal packets. What public spirited supermarket chain will take the health of our children seriously and support tormented mothers by removing the crisps, fizzy drinks and sweets off every colour and hue from beside the tills and replace them with fruit. Would the positive PR and the gratitude of demented mothers not be worth the loss of revenue?
What we put in our children’s mouths is much more important than what we put on their bodies or in their brains.
In fact it is increasingly obvious that what they eat affects not only their physical growth and immune system but their behaviour and ability to concentrate.
Jamie Oliver’s television series highlighted the deplorable state of school meals in the UK. The Soil Association, the UK’s most highly respected organic organisation, highlighted the problem when they launched the Food for Life Pilot scheme with five schools in 2003. 
They quickly discovered that children were being fed what Peter Melchett, former Minister of the Environment called ‘muck off a truck’. He used this much quoted term to describe the low quality and low price processed foods that were dominating school dinners served by contract caterers.
This was not a slur on dinner ladies but a condemnation of the food they were forced to feed with a budget of 31p per child for lunch.
Jamie’s tv series sent shock waves through the UK. In an election year the government was quick to respond so the budget has been increased somewhat. Turkey twizzlers and chicken nuggets have been dropped from many school menus and many new initiatives are underway. Better still, it focused everyone’s attention, albeit for a brief period on the deteriorating quality of food as a result of the fixation on producing the maximum food at the minimum cost to the detriment of quality and nutritional content. The reality that much of the food we now eat is nutritionally deficient, a fact well known by the FDA, is gradually dawning on more and more people.
In Ireland few schools provide school lunches so the responsibility falls fairly and squarely on parents to provide a nutritious school lunch which we hope the kids will eat. There is no excuse for schools who sell soft sugary drinks, crisps or sweets to kids, no headmaster or headmistress can plead ignorance at this point. The fact that the profits are reinvested in sports facilities or computers is hardly a logical response.
In the UK the school meal revolution, pre Jamie Oliver, was spearheaded by one feisty dinner lady Jeanette Orrey who is on a mission to improve the food our children eat. She has been catering manager at St Peter’s Primary School, East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, for fourteen years. She is also schools meals policy advisor to the Soil Association and travels around the country talking about what has been achieved at St Peter’s and encouraging other schools to implement the Food for Life targets. She has won numerous awards, including the Observer Food Award for ‘The Person who has done most for the food and drink industry’ in 2003. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and has three sons.
Jeanette believes in simple, traditional dishes with the occasional modern twist, made with the freshest local, seasonal and –where possible – organic ingredients. Now she has written a unique family cookbook full of tasty, healthy and practical recipes that are easy to make and can be enjoyed whatever age you are.
The book also tells the inspirational story of how Jeanette has become Britain’s most vocal campaigner for good food for our kids. In a climate of rising child obesity and of constant food-related scares, The Dinner Lady’s quiet food revolution reveals how to put Jeanette’s simple ideas into practice. Also included are her tips, after years of experience, on getting even the fussiest children interested and excited by food, both at school and at home; guidance for busy parents on how to make life in the kitchen easier; notes on nutrition, organics and the hidden dangers of processed food; and how to make mealtimes a truly enjoyable experience.

Reuben’s Deli Wraps

– from The Dinner Lady published by Bantam Press at £16.99

Serves 4

450g (1lb) chicken breast
olive oil
225g (8oz) iceberg lettuce
225g (8oz) white cabbage
225g (8oz) carrots
115g (4oz) Cheddar cheese
115g (4oz) mayonnaise
25g (1oz) tomato ketchup
4-8 tortilla wraps

Preheat the oven to 120C/250F/gas ½

Cut the chicken meat into fine slices and stir-fry in a little oil in a heavy-based pan until thoroughly coated. (If making a larger quantity, bake the chicken strips in the oven preheated to 200C/400F/gas 6 for 5-10 minutes until thoroughly cooked.)
Finely shred the lettuce and cabbage, and grate the carrots and cheese. Mix together the grated vegetables and cheese. Mix together the mayonnaise and tomato ketchup to make a sauce.
Brush the tortilla wraps with a little oil and put in the low preheated oven for 2 minutes to warm through.
Spoon a little of the sauce over the wraps, lay a slice or two of the chicken strips along the wrap and put a spoonful of the vegetable and cheese mix on top. Wrap up and serve.

Real Chicken Nuggets

This is one of the simplest recipes in the book. Get the children to help you make them – they love tossing the chicken in a bag of breadcrumbs. Serve with some home-made tomato sauce or relish.

Serves 4

225g (8oz) bread (brown or white)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 egg
125ml (4fl.oz) milk
900g (2lb) diced chicken

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

Slice the bread, then toast it until light brown. Break up into pieces, crusts and all, and reduce to fine crumbs in the food processor. Add the garlic powder and paprika, and whiz again. Place the breadcrumbs in a large plastic freezer bag or deep tray.
Beat the egg in a large bowl with the milk, and add the chicken pieces, in batches if necessary. Transfer the chicken pieces to the bag or tray of breadcrumbs and toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the crumbed chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until browned and crisp, and cooked through.

Cheesy Yorkshire Puddings

Jeanette says ‘When I make these, I always leave the batter mixture to rest for about 20 minutes. Then, just before I put the liquid into the tin, I give the batter one last whisk. The puddings always seem to rise better this way – try it! Serve with some good local sausages, mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.

Makes about 24 small puddings
Serves 4 

225g (8oz) plain flour
a pinch of ground pepper
2 eggs
600ml (1 pint) milk
115g (4oz) cheddar cheese
olive oil

Sift the flour and pepper together into a bowl. Add the eggs and half the milk, and beat well until smooth. Beat in the remaining milk. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven well to 220C/425F/gas 7. Grate the cheese.
Grease patty or Yorkshire pudding tins with olive oil and put into the hot oven for 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and divide the batter mix between the tins. Quickly add a little cheese to each Yorkshire, and bake in the very hot oven until well risen and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Tuna Pasta Bake

This is a firm favourite with the children and teaching staff alike and is so easy to make.

Serves 4

225g (8oz) spring onions
olive oil
2 x 185g cans tuna in brine
225g (8oz) frozen peas
450g (1lb) dried pasta

Cheese Sauce
115g (4oz) cheddar cheese
25g (1oz) butter
25g (1oz) plain flour
600ml (1 pint) milk
a pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas 3

Cut the green of the spring onions into 5mm(¼in) lengths, and finely slice the remaining white onion. Stir-fry the spring onions for 1-2 minutes in a little oil.
Drain the tuna well, and flake into a bowl. Grate the cheese for the sauce.
Cook the peas in boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente.
To make the sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and cook until sandy in colour and texture. Add the milk, whisking all the time, and when it is smooth and has thickened, add the cheese, keeping a little back for the topping. Stir in the cayenne.
Mix the pasta, peas, spring onion, tuna and cheese sauce in a deep dish, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese and bake in the preheated oven until golden on top, about 25 minutes.

Cowboy Casserole

This is very easy and children love it. If you buy good quality sausages and bacon, less fat will come out of them. If you do see some fat, drain it off before adding the beans. Use low sugar and salt baked beans for this recipe, and serve with a jacket potato.

Serves 4

16 thin sausages
225g (8oz) diced lean bacon
2 x 400g cans baked beans

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

Cut the sausages into small pieces. Put these into a deep tin with the bacon, and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until just golden brown.
Add the beans to the sausage and bacon, cover with tin foil or a lid, and cook for a further 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Sneaky Pie

Jeanette calls this pie ‘sneaky’ because of the veg it has in it. They are ‘hidden’ in the baked beans. Use low sugar and salt baked beans.

Serves 4

225g (8oz) plain flour
a pinch of cayenne pepper
55g (2oz) butter or margarine
55g (2oz) vegetable shortening
25ml (1oz) water

Filling and topping

900g (2lb) potatoes
50ml (2fl.oz) warm milk
25g (1oz) butter or margarine
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 courgette
½ red pepper
½ green pepper
olive oil
1x 400g can baked beans
115g (4oz) cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas 3.

For the pastry, sift the flour and cayenne pepper into a bowl. Cut the margarine and vegetable shortening into cubes, add to the flour and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix with a knife until you have a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to chill, before rolling it out and using it to line a 20-23cm (8-9in) flan tin. Neaten the edges and bake blind (lined with foil and baking beans or dried beans) in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Remove, and turn the oven tup to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Peel the potatoes and cook in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes with the warm milk until very smooth, then add the butter or margarine.
Peel the onion and carrot. Trim the courgette and seed the peppers. Dice all the vegetables into small pieces, and sweat to soften in a little olive oil.
Pour the baked beans into the flan case then layer the vegetables over them. Finally smooth the potato on the top. You can sprinkle a little grated cheese over the flan if liked. Bake in the hot oven for about 20 minutes.

St. Peter’s Mud Pie

This is a dessert that’s fun to make with kids.

Serves 4

225g (8oz) digestive biscuits
55g (2oz) glace cherries
175g (6oz) butter
1 tablespoon drinking chocolate
115g (4oz) castor sugar
115g (4oz) mixed dried fruit
115g (4oz) milk chocolate

Break the biscuits into smallish pieces. Wash the glace cherries of their sticky coating, dry them and chop into smallish pieces.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the drinking chocolate and the sugar to the pan and mix together, then add the dried fruit, broken biscuits and chopped glacé cherries. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Line a 20-23cm (8-9in) round flan tin with foil, and pour in the mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt over an indirect heat (in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water). Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the chilled mixture, and spread, using a palette knife. Chill until set. Cut into pieces.

Jam Roly-Poly

This is a firm favourite in the winter term, served with fresh custard made with local milk.

Serves 4

350g (12oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
175g (6oz) butter or margarine
200ml (7fl.oz) milk
350g (12oz) raspberry jam

If baking, rather than steaming, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5

Sift the flour and baking powder together, then coarsely grate the butter or margarine into the flour. (This can be done easily if the fat has been kept in the freezer). Mix to a soft dough with the milk.
Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 30x20cm (12x8in). Lift onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Spread the dough with jam, leaving a border of 1cm (½ in) all round. Brush this border with water, and fold over a little dough at either end to seal the jam inside. Roll the dough up like a Swiss roll, using the greaseproof paper. Wrap in loose foil and seal with string at each end.

Bake in a roasting tray in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
Foolproof Food

Jane’s Coleslaw

Jane makes this every day for the children and they love it. It can also be made up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge.

250g (9oz) red cabbage
175g (6oz) carrots
2 tomatoes
½ cucumber
110g (4oz) dried apricots
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Finely shred the red cabbage and put into a large bowl. Peel and grate the carrots, and add to the bowl.
Quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds, then chop the flesh roughly. Split the cucumber lengthways and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut into long strips then cut across to make fine dice. Chop the apricots into dice.
Add the tomato, cucumber and apricot to the cabbage and carrot with the mayonnaise, and mix well.


Hot Tips 

Vegetable Seed Saving – Sunday 4th September at Madeline McKeever’s, Ardagh, Church Cross, Skibbereen, West Cork.
Help preserve our heritage varieties by saving your own seeds. You’ll learn about the biology of pollination and how to separate, dry and store your own seed. You’ll also be developing West Cork’s unique local food.
Contact Madeline on 028-38184 email:madsmckeever@eircom.net  

New Farmers Market in Youghal on Friday mornings from 10.00am in Barry’s Lane

Irish Blueberries now in season – feast on them while you can.

“Way over our expectations”, “professionally managed and organised”, “a resounding success” were some of the responses made by the stallholders after the inaugural Midleton Food and Drink Festival in September 2004.
The hard working organising committee headed up by Sean Woodgate were delighted with the response, 20,000 people poured into Midleton over the weekend to taste what became known as the Feast of the East. The festival was sponsored by “Jameson Irish Whiskey” and “Dart”. The latter is an abbreviation for Developing Active regions of sustainable tourism is a project commissioned under the European Intemreg IIL programme – the Irish porters are E-CAD 1.

Spurred on by last year’s success, a bigger and ever better festival is planned. Retailers, hoteliers, publicans and entertainers are pooling their talents to provide a memorable experience for all ages, - it will be a real family event. Lots of fun for the children, face painting, mime jugglers, acrobats, stilt walkers, balloon artists, puppet shows and circus workshops. There will be kiddies cooking classes in Midleton Park Hotel, great music from the Midleton Brass bands – a wonderful Irish rural tradition that we can be so proud of. Midleton Comhaltas and String Quartet will also be delighting the visitors. 

This year there will be over 60 stalls selling everything from roast suckling pig to local and Thai band crafts. Midleton Farmers market will be out in force selling local food so bring a few large shopping bags so you can fill them brimful with delicious local food. 

Midleton Food and Drinks Festival, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September 2005. For further details see www.eastcorktourism.com/midleton

Dan Aherne’s Traditional Roast Stuffed Organic Chicken

Dan’s chickens take 12 weeks to reach maturity. They are fed on organic feed and range freely on his farm in Dungouney, East Cork. Every Thursday and Saturday, customers queue at his stalls in Mahon Point and Midleton to by the flavourful chickens.

Serves 6

4½ - 5 lbs (1.5 - 2.3kg) free range organic chicken preferably with giblets

Stock
Giblets (keep the liver for a chicken liver pate), and wishbone
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 stick celery
A few parsley stalks and a sprig of thyme

Stuffing
12 ozs (45g/3 tablesp.) butter
3 ozs (85g/: cup) chopped onion
3-32 ozs (85-100g/12-1: cups) soft white breadcrumbs
2 tablesp. (2 American tablesp. + 2 teasp.) finely chopped fresh herbs eg. parsley, lemon thyme, chives and annual marjoram
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A little soft butter

Garnish
Sprigs of flat parsley

First remove the wishbone from the neck end of the chicken, this isn't at all essential but it does make carving much easier later on. Tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken to make a neat shape. Put the wishbone, giblets, carrot, onions, celery and herbs into a saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, skin and simmer gently while the chicken is roasting.

Next make the stuffing, sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, 10 minutes approx. then stir in the crumbs, herbs, a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold. If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half fill with
cold stuffing. Season the breast and legs, smear with a little soft butter. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo4. Weight the chicken and allow about 20 minutes to the lb and 20
minutes over. Baste a couple of times during the cooking with the buttery juices. The chicken is done when the juices are running clear. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the chicken to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow to rest while you make the gravy. To make the gravy, spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan juices with the fat free stock from the giblets and bones (you will need :-1 pint depending on the size of the chicken). Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.

If possible serve the chicken on a nice carving dish surrounded by crispy roast potatoes and some sprigs of flat parsley then arm yourself with a sharp knife and bring it to the table. Carve as best you can and ignore rude remarks if you are still practicing but do try to organise it so that each person gets some brown and some white meat. Serve with gravy and bread sauce.

Willie Scannells Gratin of Potato and Wild Mushrooms

Willie is famous for the flowery potatoes grown on his farm overlooking Ballyandreen in East Cork. He too has a cult following at the midleton farmers market.

Serves 6

If you have a few wild mushrooms eg. chantrelles or field mushrooms, mix them with ordinary mushrooms for this gratin. If you can find flat mushroom, all the better, one way or the other the gratin will still be delectable.

1 ½ lb (700g) 'old' potatoes, eg. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks
2 lb (225g/4 cups) mushrooms, cultivated mushrooms, or a mixture of cultivated mushrooms, brown mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shitake
butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pint (300ml/13 cups) light cream
3 tablesp. (4 American tablesp.) grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), or Irish mature Cheddar cheese

Ovenproof gratin dish 10 inch (25.5cm) x 82 inch (21.5cm)

Slice the mushrooms. Peel the potatoes and slice thinly. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the potato slices to the boiling water. As soon as the water returns to the boil, drain the potatoes. Refresh under cold water. Drain again and arrange on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. 

Grease a shallow gratin dish generously with butter and sprinkle the garlic over it. Arrange half the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with the sliced mushrooms. Season again and finish off with a final layer of overlapping potatoes. 

Bring the cream almost to boiling point and pour over the potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for ½ an hour approx. at 180°C/350°F/regulo 4, until the gratin becomes crisp and golden brown with the cream bubbling up around the edges. 

This gratin is terrifically good with a pangrilled lamb chop or a piece of steak.

Ardsallagh Goat Cheese and Thyme Leaf Soufflé
Local goat cheese makers Jane Murphy sell a range of 8 or 10 cheeses made from the sweet milk of their 400 goats on their farm outside Carrigtwohill in East Cork.

Serves 6

In season: year round

We bake this soufflé until golden and puffy in a shallow oval dish instead of the traditional soufflé bowl it makes a perfect lunch or supper dish.

90g (3oz) butter
40g (1½ oz) flour
300ml (½ pint) cream
300ml (½ pint) milk
a few slices of carrot
sprig of thyme, a few parsley stalks and a little scrap of bay
1 small onion, quartered

5 eggs free range organic, separated
110g (4oz) crumbled goat cheese, we Ardsallagh goat cheese
85g (3oz) Gruyere cheese
55g (2oz) mature Coolea or Desmond farmhouse cheese (Parmesan – Parmigiano Reggiano or Regato may also be used)
a good pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Garnish: thyme flowers if available

30cm (12 inch) shallow oval dish (not a soufflé dish) or 6 individual wide soup bowls with a rim

Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/regulo 8

Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with melted butter.
Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, add a few slices of carrot, a quartered onion, 4 or 5 peppercorns and the fresh herbs. Bring slowly to the boil and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the flavourings, (we rinse them off and throw them into the stockpot if there is one on the go.)

Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in the strained cream and milk, bring to the boil and whisk until it thickens. Cool slightly. Add the egg yolks, goat cheese, Gruyere and most of the Coolea or Desmond (or Parmesan if using.) Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Taste and correct seasoning. Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold them gently into the mixture to make a loose consistency. Put the mixture into the prepared dish, scatter the thyme leaves on top and sprinkle with the remaining Coolea or Desmond cheese. 

Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until sides and top are nicely puffed up and golden, the centre should still be creamy. Garnish with thyme flowers.
Serve immediately on warm plates with a good green salad.

Siobhan Barry’s Rainbow Chard

Serves 4

Siobhan and David Barry grow a huge range of vegetables on their farm in Ballintubard including some unusual and exotic varieties. Look out for them at the Midleton Food and Wine Fair and the Mahon Farmers Market every week.

There are several ways of using Swiss or Ruby chard stalks including tossing them in Vinaigrette or olive oil and lemon juice or serving them in a Mornay sauce however this way is particularly delicious and also works well with Florence fennell and courgettes which have been blanched, refreshed and sliced first. Intersperse the courgettes with a few leaves of basil if you have them to hand.

1 lb (450g) ruby chard
Butter or olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the chard in cold water, drain. Pull off the leaves and slice the stalks into pieces about 1 inch (2.5cm) long. Cook the stalks in boiling salted water until almost tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the leaves, toss and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Drain very well. Toss in extra virgin olive oil, season with lots of freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.

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.

Foolproof Food

Frank Hederman’s Smoked Salmon Pate

Frank sells smoked wild, organic and farmed salmon, wild – smoked mussels, eels, mackerel, haddock and sprats etc. Frank sells a selection of his products at his stall in Midleton and Mahon Point every Saturday and Thursday.

This is a delicious way to use up smoked salmon trimmings.

Smoked salmon trimmings
Softened butter, unsalted

Remove any skin or bones from the fish. Weigh the flesh. Add three quarters the weight in butter. Blend to a smooth puree. Fill into pots and run clarified butter over the top. Alternatively, mould in a loaf tin. Turn out and cut in slices when set.

Hot Tips 

Bia 2 – Second Irish food studies symposium
This will take place at Sligo and the Irish Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim on 22-23 September as part of the Green Festival North West – see www.thegreenfestival.com
Bia is all about the study of food. It attracts a broad range of people who share an interest in food – sociologists, restaurateurs, historians, chefs, anthropologists, vegetable growers, retailers, journalists, food safety experts – anyone who is passionate about food and eating, and in understanding more. To book, contact Perry Share or Oliver Moore, bia2, Dept of Humanities, Institute of Technology, Sligo. Tel 071-9155340, share.perry@itsligo.ie  

Growing Awareness Farm Walk on Sunday 28th August at Doire Dubh (Black Oak Trees) Coomhola, Bantry.
Graham Strouts has a small Permaculture plot on 4 acres with native tree nursery, orchard and fruit bushes, young plantings of coppice species, yurts and a reciprocal-framed cordwood roadhouse. Situated about 8 miles north of Bantry the land descends in a series of natural terraces to the Coomhola river. Contact Graham Strouts on 027 66931
www.growingawareness.org  

The Bretzel Bakery in Dublin’s South Richmond Street has been in operation since the 1870’s.
It inspires love and loyalty in the hearts of Dubliners and is still known as the Jewish bakery and even though the Kosher certificate is no longer there, the tradition and quality remains. The recipes and the sitting room sized double-decked brick oven have not changed much in the past 100 years. The bakery was in the ownership of various Jewish families until the 1960’s when Christe Hackettt took it over from Ida Stein, however it remained strictly Kosher until the mid 1990’s, it was under the custodianship of the Hackett family until the end of the century when ill-health forced a sale. A new century – a new owner, William Despard stepped in to revitalize this institution which is the Bretzel Bakery. Its history parallels the history of the Jewish community in Dublin. The streets stretching from Portobello to Clanbrassil Street were once the heartland of a vibrant Jewish community – now a museum at Richmond Hill and the Bretzel are the only lingering Jewish landmarks.

Catherine and Vincent ‘Donovan’s roadside stall on the main Cork to Innishannon road about a mile from the Halfway Roundabout sell sweet juicy sweet corn. They are open every day and hope to have sweet corn for the next month or so, if you would like to order some for the freezer ring Vincent on 087 2486031.

Food lovers should make a note in their diaries for the Cork Slow Food Weekend, 23rd -25th September 2005. Event organiser Clodagh McKenna has scheduled a meeting for volunteers at the Bodgea on the Coal Quay in Cork on Tuesday 30th August at 7.00pm. All are welcome.

For vegetable gardeners this is the season of both delight and frustration. Delight at the abundance in the garden and frustration at not being able to use it all quickly enough. Visitors get given baskets of beautiful fresh produce.
In Spring it’s so easy to get carried away. It’s tempting to sow a whole packet of lettuce seed forgetting they will all develop into soft frilly or crunchy heads at exactly the same time. There’s a limit to how many salads one can eat no matter how delicious they are yet when you lovingly grow vegetables and fruit its heartbreaking to see even a little go to waste, so here are some delicious ways to use up the surplus. 
 
Wilted lettuce with lots of fresh herbs is a really yummy way to use up a glut. Simply wash, dry and roughly slice the lettuce – you’ll need 4 reasonable size heads for 4 people because like spinach it dissolves in the cooking. Minutes before you are ready to eat, just heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a wok or frying pan over a high flame, toss in the shredded lettuce. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and continue to toss over the highest heat. The lettuce will exude lots of liquid, keep tossing for 2 or 3 minutes, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs e.g. mint, tarragon. Taste and correct the seasoning and serve in a hot dish. 

You can also ring the changes in many delicious ways – a good pinch of chilli flakes in the olive oil adds plenty of excitement. Freshly roasted and crushed of coriander seeds and a fistful of flat parsley is also delicious. The latter also makes a luxurious puree if there is more than can be reasonably used. Parsley pesto is also good, and parsley and potato soup is another favourite. 

Remember that all herbs and vegetables are at their best for eating before they go to seed. They become coarse in texture and bitter in flavour as they put their energy into ensuring the continuation of the species.

As a gardener it’s fun to allow a few plants to flower and run to seed, they change shape, elongate and look wonderfully dramatic in the garden. The reality is it’s devilishly difficult to predict how much to grow. As a gardener we need to come to terms with the fact that there is always likely to be a little more than we can comfortably use or share with friends. The great thing is not to fuss but to look on a glut as an opportunity to bulk up the compost heap which will enrich the fertility of the soil to grow even better vegetables next year – so there’s really no need to feel any quiet pangs.

Beans of all shapes and sizes can of course be frozen. They’re best blanched and refreshed first which is horribly time consuming and fills one with resentment on sunny Summer days. Why not allow the beans to mature, the seeds will enlarge and fill the pods. They can be eaten as shell beans in the Autumn. Alternatively allow the beans to dry and then shell and store them for Winter stews and casseroles – a delectable source of guilt-free protein. Later in the Autumn I’ll provide some delicious recipes to utilise dried beans and pulses.

Pickled Beetroot and Onion Salad

Serves 5-6

1 lb (450g) cooked beetroot (see above)
8 ozs (225g) sugar
16 fl ozs (475ml) water
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
8 fl ozs (250ml) white wine vinegar

Dissolve the sugar in water, bringing it to the boil. Add the sliced onion and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the vinegar, pour over the peeled sliced beet and leave to cool.
Note: The onion can be omitted if desired.

Roast Beetroot with Ardsallagh Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4

6-12 baby beetroot, a mixture of red, golden and Clioggia would be wonderful
Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
170g (6oz) goat cheese -Ardsallagh or St. Tola
Rocket and beetroot leaves
Wild garlic leaves if available

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/regulo 8

Wrap the beetroot in aluminium foil and roast in the oven until soft and cooked through – 30mins to an hour depending on size.

To serve:
Rub off the skins of the beetroot, keep whole or cut into quarters. Toss in extra virgin olive oil.
Scatter a few rocket and tiny beetroot leaves on each serving plate. Arrange a selection of warm beetroot on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Put a dessert spoonful of goat cheese beside the beetroot. Sprinkle with Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with tiny beet greens or wild garlic flowers and serve.

Piccalilli

- from Good Housekeeping Complete Book of Home Preserving

3kg (6lb) mixed marrow, cucumber, beans, small onions and cauliflower (prepared weight- see method)
375g (12oz) salt
275g (9oz) granulated sugar
15ml (1 level tablesp.) mustard powder
7.5ml (1½ level teasp.) ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed
1.5 L (2½ pints) distilled vinegar
50g (2oz) plain flour
30ml (2 level tablesp.) turmeric


Seed the marrow and finely dice the marrow and cucumber. Top, tail and slice the beans, skin and halve the onions and break the cauliflower into small florets. Layer the vegetables in a large bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt. Ad 3.6 litres (6 pints) water, cover and leave for 24 hours.
The next day, remove the vegetables and rinse and drain them well. Blend the sugar, mustard, ginger and garlic with 1 litre (2 pints) of the vinegar in a large pan. Add the vegetables, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp. Blend the flour and turmeric with the remaining vinegar and stir into the cooked vegetables. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Spoon into pre-heated jars and cover immediately with airtight and vinegar-proof tops.

Lettuce and Mint Soup

Serves 6 approx.

Fresh mint is more fragrant in Summer than in Winter, so it may be necessary to use more towards the end of the season. Use the outside lettuce leaves for soup and the tender inside for green salads, great if all your lettuce comes together in the garden. It can be frozen for use later.

55g (2oz) butter
140g (5oz) peeled, diced onions
170g (6oz) peeled, diced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt approx.
Freshly ground pepper
170g (6oz) chopped lettuce leaves - stalks removed
900ml-1.2L (12-2 pint) homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons freshly chopped mint
1 tablespoon cream (optional)

55g (2oz) softly whipped cream
2 teaspoons of chopped mint

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams add potatoes and onions and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are soft. Meanwhile remove the stalks from the lettuce, chop finely, add the lettuce and boil with the lid off for about 4-5 minutes, until the lettuce is cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Add the mint and cream if using, liquidise.
Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and a little freshly chopped mint.
Tip: Freshly chopped dill is also great with lettuce.

Tomato Puree

Note: Tomato Puree is one of the very best ways of preserving the flavour of ripe summer tomatoes for Winter however whole tomatoes also freeze brilliantly if you have room in your freezing cabinet. Use for soups, stews, casseroles etc.

2 lbs (900g) very ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Good pinch of salt 
A few twists of black pepper

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and put into a stainless steel saucepan with the onion, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Cook on a gentle heat until the tomatoes are soft (no water is needed). Put through the fine blade of the mouli-legume or a nylon sieve.
Allow to get cold, refrigerate or freeze.

Tomato Fondue

Tomato fondue is one of our great convertibles, it has a number of uses, we serve it as a vegetable or a sauce for pasta, filling for omelettes, topping for pizza.

Serves 6 approximately 

115g (4ozs) sliced onions
1 clove of garlic, crushed 
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
900g (2lbs) very ripe tomatoes in Summer, or 2½ tins (x 14oz) of tomatoes in Winter, but peel before using
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar to taste
1 tablespoon of any of the following;
freshly chopped mint, thyme, parsley, lemon balm, marjoram or torn basil

Heat the oil in a non-reactive saucepan. Add the sliced onions and garlic toss until coated, cover and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added. Slice the fresh tomatoes or tinned and add with all the juice to the onions. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar (tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity). Add a generous sprinkling of herbs. Cook uncovered for just 10-20 minutes more, or until the tomato softens. Cook fresh tomatoes for a shorter time to preserve the lively fresh flavour. Tinned tomatoes need to be cooked for longer depending on whether one wants to use the fondue as a vegetable, sauce or filling. Note: A few drops of Balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking greatly enhances the flavour.

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

Tomato Fondue with Kabanossi 
Add 1 – 2 sliced Kabanossi to the tomato fondue five minutes before the end of cooking, great with pasta.

Pesto

Home made Pesto takes minutes to make and tastes a million times better than most of what you buy. The problem is getting enough basil. If you have difficulty, use parsley, a mixture of parsley and mint or parsley and coriander - different but still delicious.

Serve with pasta, goat cheese, tomato and mozzerella.

4ozs(115g) fresh basil leaves
6 – 8 fl ozs (175 - 250ml) extra virgin olive oil
1oz(25g) fresh pine kernels (taste when you buy to make sure they are not rancid)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2ozs(55g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiana Reggiano is best)
Salt to taste

Whizz the basil with the olive oil, pine kernels and garlic in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar. Remove to a bowl and fold in the finely grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and season. 

Pesto keeps for weeks, covered with a layer of olive oil in a jar in the fridge. It also freezes well but for best results don't add the grated Parmesan until it has defrosted. Freeze in small jars for convenience.

Mint and Parsley Pesto
Substitute 2 ozs (55g) fresh mint and 2 ozs (55g) parsley for the basil in the above recipe.

Pea, Bean and Courgette Soup

This soup is made according to our basic soup formula 1,3,5, - 1 cup onion, 1 cup potato, 3 cups of any vegetable of your choice (which season) and 5 cups stock, so other delicious combinations can be used depending on what you have in your garden, larder or fridge.

Serves 6

12-2 ozs (45-55g) butter
6 ozs (170g) potatoes, chopped
5 ozs (140g) onions, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pints (1.1L) stock, chicken or vegetable
4 ozs (110g) French beans, chopped
5 ozs (140g) courgettes, chopped, cut into 3 inch (5mm) dice
5 ozs (140g) peas
Creamy milk, optional

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, when it foams, add potatoes and onions and turn them until well coated in butter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and cook until the potatoes are soft. Add the French beans, cook for 5 minutes, then add the courgettes, cook for a further 5 minutes, lastly add the peas and cook for no more than 2 minutes, (keep the lid off the pot while the green vegetables are cooking to preserve the colour).
Liquidise, until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If necessary, the soup can be thinned to the desired consistency by adding a little creamy milk, extra stock or even water.
Note: If reheating a green soup remember to keep the lid off, just bring to the boil and serve immediately, prolonged simmering will spoil the fresh colour and flavour.

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) red currants
2 lbs (900g) 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.

Foolproof Food
How to cook Beetroot

Leave 2 inch (5cm) of leaf stalks on top and the whole root on the beet. Hold it under a running tap and wash off the mud with the palms of your hands, so that you don't damage the skin; otherwise the beetroot will bleed during cooking. Cover with cold water and add a little salt and sugar. Cover the pot, bring to the boil and simmer on top, or in an oven, for 1-2 hours depending on size. Beetroot are usually cooked if the skin rubs off easily and if they dent when pressed with a finger. If in doubt test with a skewer or the tip of a knife.

Hot Tips 

Keelings Peppers –
Keelings the long established family vegetable, fruit, salads and flowers firm in North Co Dublin have opened a new pepper facility which will create 50 jobs and will be a major source of Irish peppers during the spring, summer and autumn, giving Irish consumers the choice of buying Irish grown peppers which will be on the shelves within a day of harvesting. Up to this year 95% of peppers were imported.
Peppers are an excellent form of Vitamin C when eaten raw. Red and yellow peppers contain almost as much Vitamin C as oranges. Peppers are high in antioxidants which are associated with the prevention of cardiovascular disorders, cataracts and cancers.

AstroPuppees ‘Sugar Beat’
Singer-songwriter-producer Kelley Ryan’s fourth album ‘Sugar Beat’ will be released on 26th August and to celebrate the release Kelley will do a live gig at the Blackbird in Ballycotton on Friday September 2nd at 9pm. Kelley fell in love with Ireland and particularly with ‘The People’s Republic of Cork’ during her time attending the 3 month Cookery Course at the Ballymaloe Cookery School some years ago. In addition to the cookery classes she found time to compose songs for the first AstroPuppees album as well as play at local pubs. She now divides her time between Co Cork and Los Angeles and is as much at home in the kitchen as the recording studio.

Foods Matter 
Foods Matter is a monthly subscription magazine which supports anyone on a restricted diet – food allertics, coeliacs, diabetics, IBS sufferers, depressives, children with ADHD hyperactivity disorder ….. it reviews new products, devises ‘everything free’ recipes, reports on research, runs a help line – for more information or a free copy of Foods Matter call 00 44 20 7722 2866 and speak to Laura or Michelle or check in www.foodsmatter.com 

Bravo to Fields Supermarket in Skibbereen for highlighting local produce in their vegetable section, other local supermarkets and shops please follow.

A few weeks ago I ran a course here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School called ‘How to keep a few chickens in the garden’, it was totally over-subscribed – I was thrilled because keeping hens has been one of my great passions ever since I was a child. Later in the year in October we have a course called ‘Everything but the Squeal’ with Frank Krawczyk, Frank will show how to use every bit of a pig – making brawn, pates, salamis, sausages, kassler, dry cured smoked bacon – even how to construct your own simple home smoker.
I’ve also had a request for a course on bee-keeping, how to rear a few turkeys for Christmas, how to make butter, simple cheese, how to grow a few simple vegetables – suddenly there seems to be a craving to learn forgotten skills which is music to my ears. I’ve always felt that we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater in our headlong rush to forget the hard times and embrace modernity. Now that we are a bit more prosperous we’re determined to show the neighbours that we can afford to buy anything we like and don’t have to grow it or make it ourselves.
Well – guess what arrived on my desk this week – a book entitled ‘Preserved’ by Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton with a foreword by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, which is completely perfect for those of us who are becoming more and more disenchanted with the quality of mass-produced food and who are craving slow foods, cooked or preserved in the time-honoured way.
We are unquestionably witnessing a backlash against additive-heavy, mass-produced foods. Home-preserving – whether smoking, drying, salting, fermenting or infusing – is a hugely satisfying and often surprisingly simple process that enables you to prepare food just the way you like it, enjoying the fuller flavour that results from traditional techniques. For example, many shop-bought ‘smoked’ meats have merely been infused with ‘liquid smoke’, a process that undermines their rich taste. As more of us seek greater involvement with our food in the garden and the kitchen, a new generation is being seduced by modern interpretations of the age-old methods that produce the most delicious and rewarding results. Above all, preserving is tremendous fun. 
This book combines a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the techniques of home-preserving with lots of exciting recipes to showcase the results, Preserved includes international favourites such as biltong, pickled eggs, herbes de provence and pancetta as well as familiar delicacies: smoked salmon, kippers, sloe gin and exquisite jams. Regaling us with anecdotes from the history of preserving – the practice among American World War II pilots of tying cartons of the ingredients to their planes to make ice cream, for example – Nick and Johnny show how to build your own smokehouse, bottle fruit in alcohol, dry herbs and cure ham. Preserving is alchemy. It is about transforming food, creating dishes that you will enjoy not only because they are cheaper and more flavoursome than shop-bought products, but because you will have crafted them to your own palate. It is also – as Nick and Johnny’s families will testify – addictive: once you have tasted your own efforts, you will be increasingly reluctant to return to inferior, mass-produced food.
Here are some of the many recipes from the book.

Goose Rillettes from ‘Preserved’

Rillettes consist of seasoned meat slowly cooked in fat, then teased apart and preserved in it.

1 goose, weighing around 4kg (9lb)
800g (1¾ lb) pork shoulder, boned
600g (1¼ lb) pork belly fat
3 bay leaves
3 thyme branches
8 black peppercorns
salt
6 juniper berries

Remove the skin from the goose. De-bone the bird, then cut the meat into chunks, reserving any fat you come across.
Mince together the pork shoulder, belly fat and goose fat.
Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy-based pan. Cook slowly 3 hours with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the mixture stick. If it starts to, add a drop or two of water.
The goose meat will eventually start to fall apart. You can hasten the process by teasing it with a fork.
Sterilise some pots*. Take out the goose meat with a slotted spoon and press it down firmly into them. Pour the remaining fat on top, cover and leave to set in the fridge.
Serve with warm French bread and cheap rosé wine. The rillettes will keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge.
*To sterilise the pots:
To sterilise jars or bottles, wash them in soapy water, rinse thoroughly, then immerse them in boiling water for 10 minutes before drying in a cool or recently switched-off oven. Ditto lids, seals and funnels if using. 

Dried Tomatoes

In recent times, sun- and semi-dried tomatoes have become indispensable to cooks wherever they happen to live. But unless you can reliably predict several days of breezy weather with low humidity and daytime temperatures in excess of 32C/90F, which is roughly never where we live, you’ll have to fall back on other options.

The chief options are using a dehydrator, a low oven with the door ajar or your home-made drying box. An ingenious alternative is to place a rack of tomatoes on the shelf under your car’s rear window on a hot day.

Fully dried tomatoes
Drying times will vary according to the size of your tomatoes, but as a rule of thumb, 15 hours in a low oven or 30 in a drying box is about right. However, tomatoes in any given batch will not dry at exactly the same rate, so you need to remove them individually as they become ready. This when they are firm but no longer juicy.
Whichever method you use, you have two main choices. The first is to cut the tomatoes in half and lay them face up on a fine-meshed rack, sprinkling a few grains of sea salt on each face. The second is to dry them intact on the vine. This involves lying the tomatoes on a similar rack, vine stalk down, before cutting a small cross in the top of each and filling it with a pinch of salt.
Once dried, tomatoes can be stored at ambient temperatures in sealable containers for up to 6 months. Before use, they will need to be rehydrated by soaking in warm water for half an hour. They should always be cooked before they are eaten.

Semi-dried tomatoes

As the name suggests, semi-dried tomatoes are removed from the source of heat half way through the drying process. They are then packed into sterilised pots which are filled with olive oil. These will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. They are moist and more than good enough to incorporate in stews, sandwiches and sauces without further ado. We’ve achieved our best results using various varieties of cherry tomatoes.

Candied Peel

Candying can transform things you wouldn’t normally want to eat – in this case sour orange peel – into luxurious delights. Try dipping one end of the finished peel in molten dark chocolate and the other in granulated sugar.

One of ingredients here is glucose syrup. Its function here is to give the candied orange peel lustre and to prevent is surfaces from hardening.

1kg (2¼lb) navel orange skin* (this equates to 4-5kg (9-11lb) whole oranges)
1.8kg (4lb) caster sugar
200g (7oz) glucose syrup


*Try to get hold of unwaxed oranges. To skin them, cut into quarters and gently peel away the flesh. Alternatively peel them whole and use the fruit to make ‘Oranges in Brandy’.
Cut the skin into strips and simmer them in water for about 30 minutes until soft. Drain the strips, then place them in a saucepan along with 1kg (2½lb) of the sugar.
Cover with water so that none of the peel is protruding, then simmer for half an hour. Remove the syrup from the heat and leave it to cool with the saucepan lid on.
Next day, remove the strips of peel with a slotted spoon, then add a further 200g (7oz) sugar to the syrup and heat it to boiling point, making sure that all the ‘new’ sugar dissolves. Remove the syrup from the heat and replace the peel. Then leave the pan to cool for another 24 hours, again with its lid on.
Repeat the process three more times, adding 200g (7oz) of sugar to the syrup on each occasion until you have used it all up. On the fifth day you add the glucose syrup instead. Bring to the boil as before, then pour over the peel.
Leave the peel covered for 24 hours, then remove it and lay it out on greaseproof paper. Allow to dry for 24-48 hours until all moisture has disappeared but the peel is still soft.
Dip in granulated sugar and store between layers of greaseproof paper in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Candied Orange Segments
You can also candy entire orange segments in this way, with the skin still attached to the flesh. Proceed exactly as above, simmering the segments for a time before combining them with sugar. When ready, they are wonderful dipped in chocolate.

Bresaola

Bresaola is soft, salted and air-dried beef eaten raw. The original and best examples hail from the Valtellina mountains on the borders of Italy and Switzerland. Cut into thin, succulent , almost translucent ruby-red slices and served with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan, bresaola is one of the classic Italian starters.

To make bresaola.

1 large lean top rump (around 2kg/4½lb) tied tight with string
500ml (18fl.oz) red wine (eg Chianti)
2 teaspoons ground red chilli powder
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 bay leaves, shredded
750g (1lb 10oz) coarse salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
10 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped
10 sprigs of thyme, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons sugar

enough muslin to wrap the beef
red wine vinegar, for washing

Place the beef in a large Tupperware container and cover it with all the ingredients bar the muslin and vinegar. Massage them well in. Leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for 1 week, turning it over every day to ensure an even distribution of marinade.
After this period, brush the marinade off the beef and wrap it in muslin. Hang it in a dry, cool place for 1 month. It will drip for a day or two, so take appropriate measures to protect your floor.
The bresaola has matured when it feels firm to the touch. Once it is ready, wash it down with red wine vinegar, then dry it with a cloth. Store in the fridge, preferably in a container, for up to 1 month.

Salt Pork

Salt pork is usually made from pork belly and often from the fattier portions thereof. It can be either dry-cured or brined. We prefer the dry-curing method, and here’s how we do it.

To make salt pork

Take 5kg (1l lb) of pork belly and cut it into strips of about 1 kg (2¼lb)
Trim off the bones and make regular incisions in the skin. 
Get hold of a wooden box and sprinkle a layer of sea salt at the bottom.
Lay a single layer of pork on top, cover it with salt and massage it in a little. Repeat the process until all the pork is covered with salt, leaving a layer of salt on the top.
Place a lid on the box and leave in a cool place for 4 weeks. The juices will run from the base of the box as the salt draws them out by osmosis, so you will want to place a suitable receptacle underneath to catch them.
Every few days check to see that the pork is well covered with salt. If it isn’t, don’t be shy about adding some more.
When you remove the pork from the box, wipe it down with a cloth, then wrap it in muslin or in a paper bag and hang it in cool, dark, airy place. It will keep for years, though it will become harder as time goes by. You may want to halt the hardening process by transferring the pork to an airtight container and placing it in the fridge after a month or two.
If it is very hard, salt pork needs to be soaked before you cook with it. You may want to soak or at least rinse it thoroughly anyway, as it is unsurprisingly on the salty side.
Salt pork is delicious chopped up into small pieces and fried until crispy. It goes very well with rice, peas and salt cod
Foolproof Food

Righteous Raspberry Lollies

- from Preserved

These lollies contain no dairy products or refined sugar. You can suck on them with a clear conscience and allow your children to do the same.

300g (10½oz) raspberries
200g (7oz) clear honey
juice of 1 medium lemon
lolly moulds (available in catering shops and department stores)
ice-cream sticks*

*You can buy these in catering shops, alternatively, use wooden kebab skewers cut to size.
Heat the raspberries in a saucepan with the honey and lemon juice until the mixture comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher.
Pass the mixture through a vegetable mill or conical sieve to get rid of the pips.
Leave it to cool, then pour into the lolly moulds. Insert the lolly sticks, then freeze.
 
Hot Tips

Preserved by Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton, has just been published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, London. www.kylecathie.ie 
The Authors – Nick Sandler likes to cook while climbing, and unbelievably while playing the piano. A development chef, he comes up with new concepts in food and how to process and preserve them for retail customers such as delis and supermarkets.
Johnny Acton is an entrepreneurial writer/journalist whose career has included driving a mini-cab and writing obituaries for The Times. Johnny and Nick have co-written two previous books for Kyle Cathie Ltd – Soup and Mushroom.

Ballyknocken House and Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co Wicklow
Set in the beautiful ‘Garden of Ireland’ a charming Victorian Farmhouse famed for its country house cooking - is owned by our past pupil Catherine Fulvio – Catherine reached the top 20 finalists of AA Landlady of the Year for Britain and Ireland of out of over 4,500 B&B owners and also won the Wicklow Porridge Making Championship 2005 - Congratulations! www.ballyknocken.com  Tel 0404 44627 email:cfulvio@ballyknocken.com 

Mna na Mara – early in 2003 Mna na Mara announced their intention to develop a coastal network of women in fishing and farming communities. They held their first of many events last April in Kilmore Quay with a cookery demonstration by former BIM staff member Phena O’Boyle, the evening was supported by BIM. The purpose of the evening was to bring women of the community together to progress their ideas – their objectives demonstrate a clear commitment to the preservation of traditional values while at the same time advancing technology and infrastructure in their localities. Details of forthcoming events will be published in the local press in different areas.


RELAY – research for the food industry is based in the Dairy Products Research Centre in Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork. It provides access to the research information and facilitates contact between the researcher and industry. For further information on any of the research products you can contact RELAY on 025-42321 or logon to www.relayresearch.ie  Relay is a national inter-institutional research dissemination project funded by FIRM through the Dept of Agriculture and Food under the National Development Plan.

As soon as the weather gets warmer my craving for summer salads begins. The vegetable garden and greenhouse are bursting with fresh ripe produce begging to be harvested. We’ve had lots of broad beans, my absolutely favourite summer vegetable. The fresh peas never made it into the kitchen, we ate them all off the plants. The globe artichokes have now gone past their best for eating but the ones that survived my greed are now bursting into flower resembling giant blue and purple thistles.
Even though we have tempting recipes for every season summer is definitely the best time for salads – both vegetables and fruit are bursting with sunny flavour.
Salads have come a long way since my childish concept of lettuce, tomato, hardboiled egg, beetroot and maybe a few scallions. I still love that simple combination, particularly when served with the old-fashioned salad dressing, a gem of a recipe which was passed down in our family from Lydia Strangman, a Quaker lady who lived in the house in the 1900’s. 
Nowadays virtually anything can go into a salad, crisp and crunchy ripe juicy fruit, a myriad of salad leaves, Asian greens, fresh herbs of every colour and hue, edible flowers embellish a salad, rose petals, chive and zucchini blossoms, scarlet runners, violas all add magic. Tasty morsels of meat, fish – either fresh or smoked, make delicious additions. Shellfish are also irresistible.
Spices are a feature of many of our salads, particularly in winter and the components can be a combination of fresh and cooked, as with a potato salad. At this stage the salad has become such a varied and exciting concept that in the hands of a creative cook it almost defies definition. As ever, a salad is only as good as the sum of its parts and the quality of the ingredients is crucial to the wow factor of the finished dish.
Really good extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar is an essential dressing for many salads, a good homemade mayonnaise is another asset. The latter takes less than 5 minutes to make by hand and the homemade variety raises a salad onto a new plain. Here are a few suggestions to tempt the tastebuds.

Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad

Serves 8

450g (1lb) vermicelli noodles or fine rice noodles

Dressing

110ml (4fl oz) soy sauce
50ml (2fl oz) rice or cider vinegar
50ml (2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
1 thinly sliced red chilli
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar or palm sugar

48 shrimps or 32 prawns, cooked and peeled
1 small organic cucumber
8 spring onion, sliced at a long angle
10g (1/2 oz) fresh coriander
10g (1/2 oz) fresh mint
110g (4ozs) chopped peanuts

Lime wedges

Put the noodles into a bowl. Cover with boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Meanwhile make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. 

Drain the noodles well and toss in the dressing while still warm. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or a sharp spoon and discard. Cut the cucumber into thin slices at a long angle. Add to the noodles with the prawns, spring onions, whole coriander and mint leaves. Toss well, taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with chopped peanuts and serve with wedges of lime.

Noodles of all types are a must have for your store cupboard, there are a million delicious salads you can make, they are also great added to soup or as an extra something in spring rolls.

Basmati Rice, Pea, Broad Bean and Dill Salad

225g (½lb) basmati rice

110g(¼lb) peas, shelled
110g(¼ lb) broad beans
4 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Cook the rice in lots of boiling salted water. Meanwhile cook the peas and broad beans separately in boiling salted water, drain. As soon as the rice is cooked, drain. Put in a wide bowl drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice. When cold add the peas and broad beans and freshly chopped dill. Toss, taste and correct the seasoning. 

Summer Salad with a Twist

You can vary this salad with whatever additions you have to hand, using a variety of summer salad leaves and baby spinach as a base.

Serves 8

350-500g (12-18oz) Summer leaves and baby spinach
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cucumber, peeled and deseeded
6-8 tomatoes, chopped
rind of 1 preserved lemon, chopped, optional
1 handful of flat parsley, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
6 spring onions, chopped
6 radishes, quartered

Verjuice vinaigrette:

3 shallots, peeled and finely diced
15ml (1 tablesp) lemon juice (juice of approx. ½ lemon)
45ml (3 tablesp.) white verjuice
125ml (4 fl.oz) extra virgin olive oil
2 tablesp. roughly chopped coriander
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


To make the dressing:

Chop the shallots and macerate in lemon juice, verjuice and a good pinch of salt for 5-6 minutes.
Whisk in the olive oil. Add the coriander. Taste and correct the seasoning.

Combine all the salad ingredients except the summer leaves and baby spinach in a serving bowl and toss together lightly. Just before serving add the summer leaves and baby spinach and add enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the ingredients. Toss gently. Serve immediately.

Panzanella with Pan-grilled Chicken (Tuscan Bread Salad)

This is the best time of year for making Tuscan Bread Salad, the season of heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. For this recipe, I use Declan Ryan’s sourdough bread from the Arbutus bakery. Pangrill the chicken breast and add to the salad to make an easy and delicious lunch or supper dish.

Serves 8

3-4 organic chicken breasts (weight 450g/1lb approx.)
olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

450g (1lb) crusty sourdough country bread, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
125ml (4fl.oz) extra virgin olive oil
8 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion, roughly chopped
75g (3oz) black olives (weigh stoned)
1 bunch whole basil leaves, torn into ½ inch (1cm) pieces – about 24
2 tablesp. Balsamic vinegar
1 tablesp. white wine vinegar
125ml (4fl.oz) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper


Coat each side of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350f/gas 4. 
Put the garlic and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the croutons of bread all at once and toss to coat evenly. Spread the bread on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until golden, 5-6 minutes.
Return the croutons to the bowl, add the onion, olives and basil leaves. Chop the tomato into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces and add to the salad with all the juices.
Heat a pan grill over a medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts on both sides until the chicken is firm to the touch. Remove to a clean plate and let rest.
Cut the chicken into strips ½ inch (1cm) x 1 inch (2.5cm) and add to the salad. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together, toss to coat the salad. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve as soon as possible.

Smoked Irish Salmon or Gravlax with Thai Cucumber Salad

Serves 8

1-2 small cucumbers
125ml (4fl.oz) sunflower oil
1½ tablesp. nam pla (fish sauce)
50ml (2fl.oz) white wine vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablesp. Thai sweet chilli sauce

8-16 slices of thinly sliced smoked salmon or gravlax
lime wedges

Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into thin strips with a peeler or cheese slicer. 
Whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing. Pour over the cucumber, toss gently.

To serve:
Arrange 1-2 slices of smoked salmon on a large white plate, put a portion of cucumber salad alongside. Garnish with a segment of lime. Repeat with the remainder.

Chorizo, Potato and Avocado Salad

Serves 4-6

2lb (900g) small potatoes (preferably waxy)
2 ozs (50g) walnut halves
1-2 fresh chorizo (depending on size)
2 fist fulls watercress sprigs or rocket leaves – enough for 4 people
1 Hass avocado 
1 lime

Dressing

2 teaspoons whole grain honey mustard
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper

Scrub the potatoes, cook in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Meanwhile make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together (add a little honey if honey mustard is unavailable). 

Heat a frying pan, add a little extra virgin olive oil, add in the walnuts and toss over a gentle heat until roasted and fragrant. Remove to a bowl. Slice the chorizo â…“" thick and add to the pan. Cook over a medium heat until the oil runs and the chorizo begins to crisp. 

Peel and slice the potatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss with a little of the dressing while still warm. Add the chorizo, chorizo oil and walnuts to the potato. Sprinkle a little dressing over the watercress sprigs or rocket leaves. 

Turn onto a wide shallow serving dish. Top with the potato, chorizo mixture. Peel and slice the avocado lengthwise or cube. Toss with a little freshly squeeze lime juice. Add to the salad. Drizzle with dressing, mix and lift gently to combine.

Satay Chicken Salad

Serves 6

The aromatic dressing that coats this moist crunchy salad is also delicious with fish and pork.

4 large handfuls mixed fresh organic salad greens
1 red pepper, quartered, deseeded, and finely sliced at an angle
3 tender stalks celery, thinly sliced at an angle 
2 pan-grilled or poached chicken breasts, skin removed and sliced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
150g (5oz) French beans, cooked 1-3 minutes in boiling salted water.
75g (3oz) roasted peanuts
2 tablesp. chopped coriander

Satay Dressing:

1 teasp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teasp. garlic, crushed
2 tablesp. peanut butter
250ml (8fl.oz) coconut milk
juice and finely grated rind of 1unwaxed lemon (no pith)
1 teasp. red chilli, chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded, (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Pan-grill or poach the chicken breasts, cool and slice.

Put the salad greens, pepper, celery, chicken, spring onions, beans, peanuts and coriander into a large mixing bowl.
Next make the dressing. Simply puree the dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy and toss through salad. Serve at once.

How to poach chicken breast with an Asian flavour. 
Put the chicken breasts in a saute pan so they can sit in a single layer. Cover with light chicken stock or cold water, add 4-5 thin slices fresh ginger, 1 small red chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes, a few black peppercorns, a good pinch of salt and a spring onion. Bring slowly to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the chicken to cool in the cooking liquid.

Baby Spinach, Beetroot and Sesame Salad

Serves 4

Baby spinach leaves (enough for 4 portions)
2 medium beetroot, peeled and cut into fine julienne

Dressing:
2 tablesp. rice vinegar
2 teasp. soy sauce
1 teasp. sesame oil
½ teasp. sugar

1-2 tablesp. toasted sesame seeds

Wash and dry the leaves, cut into strips if large. Peel and cut the beetroot into fine julienne. 
Whisk the ingredients together for the dressing.
Just before serving toss the spinach and beetroot with the dressing, sprinkle with freshly toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Foolproof food

Lydia Strangman’s Salad Dressing

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 level teasp. dry mustard
Pinch of salt
1 tablesp.(15g) dark soft brown sugar
1 tablesp. (15ml) brown malt vinegar
2-4 fl.ozs. (56-130ml) cream

Garnish
Spring Onion
Watercress
Chopped parsley

Hard-boil the eggs for the dressing: bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, gently slide in the eggs, boil for 10 minutes (12 if they are very fresh), strain off the hot water and cover with cold water. Peel when cold.

Next make the Dressing. Cut 2 eggs in half, sieve the yolks into a bowl, add the sugar, a pinch of salt and the mustard. Blend in the vinegar and cream. Chop the egg whites and add some to the sauce. Keep the rest to scatter over the salad. Cover the dressing until needed.

We’ve had such blissful summer weather, who would want to be anywhere else but in Ireland when the sun really shines and warm breezes freshen the air.

I particularly adore the balmy evenings eating outside and being able to stay outdoors until the stars start to twinkle in the night sky. This is not the weather to spend in the kitchen frying over a hot stove, any sizzling should be coming from the ‘barbie’ – simple and delicious – this week some new ideas to add to the thrill of the grill.

Remember that people’s appetites increase when they eat outdoors, and of course all those lovely aromas of cooking food will make them hungrier still. Keep your guests’ hunger at bay with some fingerfood – particularly if you get your timing wrong and the cooking takes longer than expected!

Try to have some extra standby food on hand, such as extra sausages (which can be frozen later if they’re not used) and bananas or tomatoes which can be wrapped in streaky bacon.

Before you start barbecuing make sure that you’re organised – with your tongs, seasoning and dishes ready. Even though barbecues are laidback affairs, they will only seem effortless if you’ve organised yourself a little first.

The fundamental principle of barbecuing is controlling the heat. On a barbecue, you do this by raising or lowering the grill. Because they cook more slowly, the larger the pieces of meat, the further from the heat source they need to be. So for thick steaks, chicken legs and larger cuts of meat, you are better off searing over a high heat for a few minutes before transferring the meat to the edges of the grill, where the heat is lower. Searing will seal the meat, so that the juices remain inside during further cooking on a low heat. Smaller pieces of food (eg chicken paillarde or lamb chops) can be within 10-12.5cm (4-5 inches) of the coals. 

The appropriate time to test the temperature of a fire is when the flames have died down. The coals should be glowing red and covered with a light dusting of fine grey ash.

For an approximate guide, hold the palm of your hand flat about 12.5cm/5 in above the coals and count in seconds.

If you can only keep your hand there for:

1-2 seconds – the coals are hot 
3-4 seconds – the coals are medium hot 
5-6 seconds – the coals are medium 
6-7 seconds – the coals are medium low 
8-9 seconds – the coals are low 


If the fire burns too low, boost the heat by pushing the coals closer together and adding more charcoal to the outer edges of the fire.

For a two-level fire with hotter and cooler areas, spread some of the hot coals out in a single layer, to create an are of slightly lower heat to one side of the barbecue. Use the hand test (as above) to check the difference in heat intensity. You can then grill ingredients requiring different cooking temperatures simultaneously.

Be aware of hygiene and safety, keep all food refrigerated (or cool) until its needed. Keep cooked and uncooked meat separate and use different implements and serving dishes to avoid cross-contamination. Wash your hands after touching uncooked meat.

Never leave a barbecue unattended, always keep a fire extinguisher at hand and always damp down the barbecue completely before you empty out the ashes, and allow it to cool before moving it.

Happy cooking!

Wire Rack Salmon with Dill Butter and Roast Tomatoes

Fish works brilliantly on the barbecue provided you put it in a ‘fish cage’ for ease of turning. However you can do a perfectly good job with a ‘Heath Robinson’ type solution using 2 wire cake racks.

Serves 10-20

1 or 2 unskinned sides of wild fresh salmon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
Dill Butter
110-225g (4-8oz) butter
4-8 tablespoons of freshly chopped dill
10-20 cherry tomatoes on the vine

Sprinkle the salmon generously with sea salt up to an hour before cooking. 

Light the grill or barbecue. Just before serving, lay the salmon fillets skin side down on the wire rack. Brush the flesh with oil or melted butter and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Put the other wire rack on top. Lay on the grid of the barbecue, 15-20cm (6-8 inches) from the heat, cook for 10-15 minutes on the skin side. Turn the entire cage over and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until just cooked through. – Time will depend on the thickness of the fish.

Meanwhile melt the butter and stir in the freshly chopped dill, spoon a little dill butter over the salmon and serve with roast cherry tomatoes on the vine.

Roast Cherry Tomatoes

Drizzle the tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast on the BBQ for 5 or 6 minutes until they are warm through and just beginning to burst.

Balsamic Peppered Pork Chops

Adapted from Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath’s recipe in Barbecues.

Serves 8

8 pork free range organic pork chops, 2.5cm (1inch) thick
4 garlic cloves
2 tablesp. whole black peppercorns
1 tablesp. thyme leaves or 
1 teasp. rosemary
¼-½ teasp. crushed chilli flakes
1 tablesp. balsamic vinegar
3 tablesp. extra virgin olive oil

Trim the excess fat from the chops. Cut snips through remaining fat with a scissors at 4cm (1½ in) intervals, this keeps the chops flat and prevents them from curling and shrinking during cooking. They will also cook more evenly.

Put the garlic, peppercorns, thyme, chilli flakes, vinegar and oil in a food processor or blender; whizz to a coarse paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the chops. You can do this up to 2 hours in advance, then cover and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Grill over medium hot coals, basting with extra balsamic vinegar, for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through to the bone, there should be no trace of pink but don’t overcook as they will become tough.

You could also cook them indoors on a preheated ridged cast iron grill pan over high heat for the same length of time. 

Chilli Chicken and Ginger Paillarde

Chicken paillarde is an excellent way to prepare a chicken for the barbecue – they cook faster and more evenly. It is essential that chicken is cooked through properly, in order to safeguard against salmonella or campylobacter poisoning.

Serves 8

8 organic chicken breasts, skinless
Chilli and Ginger Marinade:
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1½ tablesp. grated fresh ginger
6 tablesp. runny honey
3 tablesp soy sauce
6 tablesp lime juice

Accompaniment:
8 tiny spring onions
8 tomato slices
½ cucumber cut into long thick batons
fresh mint leaves
fresh coriander leaves

Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise, keeping them attached at one side. Combine chilli, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce and lime juice. Dip the chicken in the mixture and toss to coat evenly. Put on a plate, cover and refrigerate until cooking.

Grill the chicken over medium hot coals, turning every 2 minutes, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes depending on thickness.
Serve hot with a selection of salads.

Chilli Chicken and Ginger Wraps

8 flour tortillas

8 lettuce leaves

Wraps with sweet chilli chicken, tomato, spring onion, cucumber and lettuce make great barbecue food – guests can have fun assembling the wraps themselves if all the components are laid out in bowls. This idea could also be used for other fillings of your choice.

Chargrilled Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa, Feta or Mozzarella and Guacamole

Mightn’t occur to one but quesadillas can also be done on the barbecue.

If you have a surplus of squash or zucchini blossoms they make a delicious addition to the quesadillas – use 3 or 4 squash or 1-2 of the larger zucchini blossoms for each quesadilla.
Serves 4

8 x 20cm (8 inch) flour tortillas
100g (3½oz) Gruyere cheese, grated
200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled or Mozzarella
Squash blossoms – optional

Tomato salsa – see recipe

4 Spring onions, chopped

Guacamole – see recipe

Spread the tortilla with a quarter of the Gruyere cheese. Put a layer of tomato salsa on top and sprinkle with some chopped spring onion. Sprinkle with a quarter of the Feta or Mozzarella. Add the squash blossoms if using. Lightly place a second tortilla on top. Assemble the remaining tortillas in the same way. (This could be done up to 4 hours beforehand – cover with cling film and keep at room temperature).

Grill over medium-hot coals until lightly browned and the Gruyere is melted, this should take about 2 minutes on each side. 

Cut into wedges with a sharp serrated knife. Serve hot with tomato salsa and guacamole.

Tomato and Coriander Salsa

Salsas of all kinds both fresh and cooked have now become a favourite accompaniment to everything from pan-grilled meat to a piece of sizzling fish.

Serves 4-6

4 very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½-1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

Mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Guacamole

One of my most treasured possessions is a dark green pottery bowl with a coarse textured interior, it was specially made in a village in the Oaxacan valley in Mexico to make Guacamole. I carried it and the lava rock pestle the whole way home and have enormously enjoyed using it ever since.

Serves 2-4

1 ripe avocado, preferably Mexican 
1 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (as a last resort)
1 tablespoon 
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper .

Scoop out the flesh from the avocado. Mash with a fork or in a pestle and mortar with the garlic, add the freshly squeezed lime juice, a little olive oil, chopped coriander, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Rosemary Lamb Chops with Mustard Mint Dressing

From : Barbecue, Where there’s Smoke there’s Flavour

By Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath
Serves 4

8-10cm (4in) woody rosemary sprigs
8 lamb loin chops, boned – see directions
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teasp. black pepper
1 tablesp. balsamic vinegar
1 tablesp. olive oil
salt

Dijon mustard dressing:

1 tablesp. Dijon mustard
2 tablesp. finely chopped mint
3 tablesp.freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tablesp. olive oil
salt, black pepper

For skewers, strip the leaves from the rosemary stalks, leaving a few leaves at one end of each stalk. Sharpen the other end to a point with a knife. Use sprigs to skewer the lamb.

Boning and herb-skewering the chops.

Trim off excess fat from cutlets. Cut around the bone to release the meat.

Pull the flap around each chop to make a round shape. With a small, sharp knife make a slit through the chop, passing first through the flap. Push the sharp end of the rosemary sprig through the slit to secure.

Combine garlic, pepper, vinegar and oil. Rub on to both sides of lamb. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For dressing, combine mustard, mint and lemon juice. Gradually whisk oil to make a thick dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grill skewered lamb according to instructions below. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon over dressing.

To barbecue outdoors:
Grill over hot coals for 3 minutes per side for medium rare, 5 minutes per side for well done.
To barbecue indoors: Preheat a ridged cast iron grill pan over high heat. Grill for 3 minutes per side for medium rare, 5 minutes per side for well done.

Think ahead:
Skewer and rub lamb up to 1 day in advance. Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate. Make dressing up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and store at room temperature

Eric’s Chicken Baguette

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, butterflied (see directions) and marinated.
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablesp. fresh marjoram
2 tablesp. extra virgin olive oil
1 teasp. black pepper
1 baguette – preferably Declan Ryan’s Arbutus bread or other good artisan bread
salt
2 large ripe beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
1 handful crisp salad leaves
garlic aioli or mayonnaise

First butterfly the chicken breasts, they cook more easily and evenly on the barbecue.

Remove the fillet from each chicken breast and save for another dish. Slice each chicken breast from top to bottom, so that you can open it out like a book. Flatten with the palm of your hand to ensure a good, flat shape.

Toss the chicken breasts with lemon, garlic, marjoram, oil and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (You could do this up to 2 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate, turn in the marinade every 15-20 minutes). Cut baguette into 4 equal-sized pieces. Split and toast baguette on the cut side until just crisp, 1 minute. 

Grill chicken – if cooking outdoors grill over a medium heat until chicken is opaque, with no trace of pink, 3 minutes per side. If cooking indoors, preheat an overhead grill and cook in the same manner. 

Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Fill the baguette with tomatoes, salad, chicken and aioli.

Barbecued Flat Mushrooms

Large flat mushrooms

olive oil
chopped fresh herbs, eg. chives, thyme, parsley and marjoram
salt and freshly ground pepper

Arrange the mushrooms on a flat dish, sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Leave for ½ - 1 hour approx. Cook on the barbecue, sprinkle with sea salt as they cook. Serve as they are or with garlic or herb butter.

Barbecued New Potatoes
Serves 6 - make a bigger quantity by doubling up recipe.

900g (2lb) new potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 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.

Cut Apple Kebabs
Dessert apples cut into large chunks, or quarters, sprinkled with lemon juice
Just before cooking toss in or paint the apples with melted butter, sprinkle with caster sugar and thread onto skewers. Grill for 5-8 minutes or until golden and caramelized.

You could also cook the fruit in tin foil papillotes on the barbecue – use a mixture of peaches, nectarines, cherries, strawberries as desired.

Foolproof food

Roast Bananas with Chocolate and Roasted Hazelnuts

Serves 6

6 ripe organic Fairtrade bananas
75-110g (3-4 oz) Green & Black chocolate, chopped
50g (2 oz) chopped roasted hazelnuts or walnuts 
crème fraîche or softly whipped cream

Cook the bananas on the barbecue until they are black on all sides. Put onto a serving plate. Split the skin on one side. Sprinkle some chopped chocolate and roasted hazelnuts over the hot bananas. Serve immediately with a blob of crème fraîche or softly whipped cream.

Other good things to serve with Roast bananas:
Cinnamon sugar (Combine 110g (4oz) castor sugar and 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon)
A mixture of rum soaked raisins and chopped walnuts
Toffee sauce and chopped pecans

Hot Tips 

Books on Barbecuing

Barbecue – Where there’s Smoke there’s Flavour – by Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath, published by Dorling Kindersley

Barbecues and other Outdoor Feasts by Hugo Arnold – published by Kyle Cathie.

Food Magazines generally do barbecue features at this time of year – eg Food and Wine, BBC Good Food, Olive, Delicious …..with lots of new ideas.

Growing Awareness - Farm Walk on Sunday 31st July at Parkmore, Templemartin, Bandon, Co Cork on Farm of Caroline and Eddie Robinson. Tel 021-7330178-
The Robinson family live on a 30 acre organic farm keeping cattle, pigs and geese. They grow 8 acres of vegetables including 4 large polytunnels. All produce is sold directly to customers at street markets. www.growingawareness.com  

Euro-toques Annual Food Forum and Fair, Brooklodge Hotel, Macreddin, Co Wicklow Sunday 4th September.
This year’s Food Forum will centre on ‘Children and Food’; addressing the need to educate children about food, change eating habits and bring children back to real food. 
To book a place at Food Forum and Wild Food Barbecue lunch or to book at stall at the Food Fair, contact info@eurotoquesirl.org  www.eurotoquesirl.org  Tel Ruth or Abigail on 01-6779995 immediately. 

My mother is a feisty septuagenarian. As mother of nine children, of whom I am the eldest, she has a decidedly pragmatic outlook on life. She comes from a generation who ‘got up and got on with it’, so she has little patience with people whingeing about everyday challenges.

Recently she was irritated by the endless complaints about the price of food – “Why don’t people stop whingeing and go back to being self-sufficient – grow a few vegetables, plant an apple tree, keep a few hens” – How right she is, yet several times recently I’ve been reminded that the old-fashioned attitude of ‘yerra ‘tis how the neighbours will reckon we can’t afford to buy it’ still prevails – well now isn’t it about time to let that one go and to rediscover the joys of planting a seed and watching it grow. The delight of growing your own was clearly demonstrated recently when one of our teachers Shermin came bouncing in to work scarcely able to contain herself with excitement , she was now harvesting strawberries, beetroot, broad beans, sugar snaps, onions, garlic and also has potatoes and leeks

She was almost overwhelmed by the thrill of having grown all of this herself in a little patch of ground. Then I discovered that Sue was also hooked, she has been growing lettuce, spring onions, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, runner and broad beans and herbs. Emer is in her third year of growing raspberries, black gooseberries, courgettes, lettuce and spring onions. Rosalie had the first green gooseberries and also grows raspberries, tayberries and blackcurrants as well as lettuce, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. Not to be outdone, Gail has cherry tomatoes growing in a window box

Toby and Penny have also started a vegetable garden and were beside themselves with excitement when they dug their first potatoes. We were so touched when they gave us a present of some of their precious first harvest.

Little Willow, our grand-daughter aged 3½ has already become hooked on planting seeds – she’s the ‘radish queen’ and regularly presents us with a bunch of her ‘spicy radishes’.

Penny also has a few hens which eat the scraps from the house and lay delicious eggs. I’m absolutely thrilled that so many young people have discovered how much fun it is to ‘grow your own’ and to be able to cook the results of your labours. By the way, there is an unprecedented demand for allotments in the UK. Apart from the satisfaction of actually growing some of your own vegetables and fruit there’s the rediscovery of the importance of freshness. This extra dimension comes as a big surprise when one is used to buying vegetables and fruit which are understandably days and sometimes weeks old before they reach the shelves. Many have travelled half way around the world causing unnecessary pollution .

Freshly harvested vegetables and fruit are often on the table within hours of being picked and are picked with vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Is it my imagination, or do really fresh organic vegetables also cook faster? – I’d love to hear of readers’ observations.

Frittata with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Summer Herbs

Unlike their soft and creamy French cousin, these omelettes are cooked slowly over a very low heat – while you can be whipping up a delicious salad to accompany it! A frittata is cooked gently on both sides and served in wedges like a cake. Omit the tomato and you can have the basic recipe, flavoured with cheese and a generous sprinkling of herbs. As with an omelette, you will occasionally want to add some tasty morsels to ring the changes – perhaps spinach, ruby chard, calabrese, asparagus or smoked mackerel. The list is endless but be careful not to use the frittata as a dustbin – think about the combination of flavours before you empty your refrigerator!

Serves 4-6

450 g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs, preferably free-range
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil or marjoram
125 g (4½ oz) Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
40 g (1½ oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
25 g (1 oz) butter
Extra virgin olive oil

You will need:
Non-stick frying pan – 7 ½ inch (19cm) bottom, a 9 inch (23cm) top rim

Accompaniment:
Green salad leaves
Olives

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

Halve the tomatoes around the equator and season with salt and a little pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a non-stick roasting tin and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until almost soft and slightly crinkly. Allow to cool.

Preheat the grill.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, herbs, tomatoes and cheese to the eggs. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the egg mixture. Lower the heat to its minimum. Use a heat-diffuser mat and gently cook the eggs for 15 minutes, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny. Pop the pan under the preheated grill, about 4 inches (10 cm) below the element, for 1 minute to set and barely brown the surface. Use a palette knife under the frittata to free it from the pan. Slide it on to a warm plate. Serve wedges with a green salad and a few olives, sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with the olive oil.

Risotto with Broad Beans, Peas, Green Asparagus and Sugar Snaps

Serves 8

225g (½ lb) broad beans
225g (½ lb) peas
115g (¼ lb) sugar snaps 
6 stalks green asparagus 
40g (1½ oz) butter
110g (4oz) onions chopped 
400g (14oz) Carnaroli, Vilano, Nano or Arboria rice 
1.7-2L (3-3½ pints) Homemade chicken stock 
80ml (3 fl oz) white wine 
25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano
salt and freshly ground pepper 

Bring 600ml (1 pint) water to the boil, add salt, the broad beans and cook for 2 or 3 minutes or until almost tender, drain and refresh in cold water. Slip the beans out of their shells. Meanwhile cook the sugar snaps again in boiling salted water until al dente, then cook the asparagus for just 4 or 5 minutes and finally the peas for 3 or 4 minutes. Do this while cooking the risotto if you can keep your eye on several pots at the same time.

To start the risotto, bring the chicken stock to the boil at the back of the cooker and keep at a low simmer. Melt 25g (1oz) of butter in a saucepan, add the finely chopped onion and cook over a medium heat until soft but not coloured, add the rice and a generous pinch of salt. Stir the rice over the heat for 2-3 minutes or until it turns translucent, then increase the heat and add the dry white wine. When the wine has evaporated, add a couple of ladles full of stock, stir and reduce the heat to medium, keep stirring and as soon as the liquid has been almost absorb, add another ladle full and so on, stirring all the time. After about 10 minutes, add the beans, peas, sugar snaps and continue to ladle in more stock as it is absorb. After about 5 minutes, taste the rice, it should be just cooked, stir in the remainder of the butter, freshly grated Parmesan and the asparagus sliced into 1¼ inch pieces at an angle. Add a little more stock if necessary, the risotto should be soft and loose. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve immediately in hot bowls with more Parmesan to sprinkle over the top.

Cherry Tomatoes, Bocconini and Basil
Simple and delicious – great for a picnic.
Serves 4-6

450g (1lb) sweet ripe cherry tomatoes
225g (1/2lb) Bocconini or Buffalo mozzarella cut in quarters
Lots of fresh basil leaves
Maldon sea salt or Halen Mon and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Combine the cherry tomatoes, Bocconini or Buffalo mozzarella in a bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Season with Halen Mon or Maldon sea salt, add lots of fresh basil leaves.

Zucchini fritters with yoghurt sauce

– from Bill’s Food by Bill Granger

Makes 18

500g (18oz) zucchini (courgettes), grated
½ teaspoon sea salt 
8 spring onions (scallions), chopped
125g (4½oz) feta, crumbled
35g (1¼oz) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
15g (¾oz) chopped fresh mint
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60g (2½oz) plain flour
sea salt, extra to taste
freshly ground black pepper
60ml(2¼floz) olive oil, for shallow frying

To serve

Yoghurt sauce – see below
Lime wedges

Put the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with the sea salt, toss lightly and set aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini and pat dry with paper towels.

Put the zucchini, spring onion, feta, parsley, mint and eggs in a bowl and stir lightly to combine. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil, flattening gently with the back of a spoon. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with yoghurt sauce and lime wedges. These fritters are also delicious with a Greek salad.

Yoghurt Sauce

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
125g (4fl.oz) plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Blackcurrant Fool
Serves 6 approx.

350g (12oz) fresh blackcurrants, frozen blackcurrants may be used
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. Liquidize 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 light shortbread 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.

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 stock syrup.

Stock Syrup
Makes 28 fl ozs (825 ml)

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

To make the stock syrup: Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes then allow it to cool. Store in the fridge until needed.
Back to Top
Frosted Blackcurrant Parfait with Blackcurrant Coulis
Serves 10 approx

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.

Blackcurrant Coulis

8 ozs (225g) blackcurrants

1 cup stock syrup (see recipe above)
4-5 fl ozs (120-150ml) water* see below 

Pour the syrup over the blackcurrants and bring to the boil, cook for 3-5 minutes until the blackcurrants burst. Liquidise and sieve through a nylon sieve. * Allow to cool. Add 4-5 fl ozs (120-150ml) water.

Raspberry and Roseblossom Water Fool

Serves 8

Strawberries can also be substituted here.

1lb (450g) fresh raspberries
castor sugar
½ pint (300ml) softly whipped cream
¼ pint (150ml) natural yoghurt
1 -2 teaspoons rose blossom water
a few extra raspberries
Rose petals (organic)
Lady Finger (boudoir) biscuits, optional

Whizz the raspberries in a food processor with the sugar and rose blossom water. Sieve if the pips bother you – I usually do.

Fold in most of the cream and yoghurt. Taste and add a little more sugar, and cream or yoghurt if necessary. The texture should be soft, like barely whipped cream.

Serve in chilled glasses with a few fresh raspberries and rose petals scattered over the top with lady fingers (boudoir biscuits) – optional.

Strawberries with Lemon Sugar and Lavender Syrup

This recipe was given to me by one of my past pupils Doug Jeffords who made it at a cookery demonstration he did for the Herb Society of Santa Fe.

Serves 8

60g (2½oz) castor sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (use a micro-plane or grater, not a zester)
110g (4oz) castor sugar
125ml(4fl.oz) water
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms
900g (2lb) strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters vertically

Crème fraiche or Mascarpone

Using a pestle, mash lemon peel into the 60g (2½oz) castor sugar until well blended. The lemon sugar is best made 1-3 days ahead. Store at room temperature in an air tight container.

Bring 110g(4oz) castor sugar and water to the boil in a heavy saucepan over medium to high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat, add lavender and simmer until lavender flavour is developed, about 5 minutes, strain syrup into small glass bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature.

Place berries in a large glass bowl, pour syrup over berries and stir gently to coat.

Spoon berries and syrup into individual bowls. Add a dollop of mascarpone or crème fraiche, and sprinkle with lemon sugar.

Garnish with lemon balm or lemon verbena. 
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Hot Tips

Two new 2 recipe booklets to encourage use of Irish Speciality and Artisan Foods have recently been published by Estragon Press and supported by Bord Bia –

Irish Food Slow and Traditional by John & Sally McKenna and Irish Food Fast and Modern by Paul Flynn and Sally McKenna – both titles in The Irish Cookery Library are on sale in speciality food outlets, local delicatessens and wine shops nationwide at a cost of €3 each. 

Congratulations to our past pupil Thomasina Miers who won the BBC Masterchef 
Thomasina attended the 3 month Certificate Cookery Course in January 2002 – we are so proud of her.

The Midleton Food and Drink Festival returns on 3 & 4th September 2005 – with a mouth-watering line up of food exhibitors, sampling, tasting, food culture and entertainment - over 60 stalls of fresh food and drink, food demonstrations in the Park Hotel and on the street – ‘Feast of the East’ – a fusion of food, flavour and fun.

Foolproof food

Willow’s Spicy Radishes with Butter, Crusty Bread and Sea Salt

This is how I enjoy Willow’s spicy radishes – what could be simpler and more delicious!

Fresh Radishes complete with leaves
Butter pats 
Sea salt ( We use Maldon flakes) 

Crusty bread

Gently wash the radishes, trim the tail and the top of the leaves if they are large. Cut a chunk of butter into ½ inch cubes. If you have butter pats, soak them in cold water and then roll each cube into a butter ball, drop into a bowl of iced water. 

To serve. 

Put 7 or 8 chilled radishes on each plate, add 2 or 3 butter balls and a little mound of sea salt. 

Serve fresh crusty bread as an accompaniment.

The growth of the Farmers Market Movement within that period has been nothing short of phenomenal. There are now well over 100 Farmers Markets in Ireland and others are opening at the rate of one a week at present. Their success illustrates a deep craving at grass roots level for a different type of shopping experience. Customers want to be able to source fresh naturally produced local food in season.
Many people are desperate to find forgotten flavours – duck eggs, green gooseberries, carrageen moss …… Others want real artisan food from small producers and really fresh
vegetables grown slowly in someone’s garden or farm.

After initial misgivings, many businesses in market towns have realised that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’. 

Saturday used to be the quietest day of the week in Midleton, people traditionally went to Cork to do their shopping, now it is the reverse, Saturday is the busiest day. Eager shoppers crowd into the Farmers Market from outlying areas and they continue their purchases in the town. Supermarkets in the US and UK particularly have been aware of this fact for some time now and many have encouraged Farmers Markets to set up in their car parks, realising that this arrangement will be mutually beneficial. 

The management of the new Mahon Point shopping complex in the suburbs of Cork City also had the vision to see the potential of a Farmers Market and invited local artisan and specialist food producers to set up outside their main entrance on Thursday morning. The first market started on 16th June.

We had a very busy morning here at the cookery school but I was determined to go along, lured by the promise that there would be 40 stall-holders.

The early morning was miserable – misty and blowing a gale, I thought of the stall holders loading their produce and umbrellas into their vans, the new recruits like Rikki McCowen, Rory O’Connell, Pippa Wood and Arun Kappil, excited and apprehensive as they head off in the drizzle complete with stall and produce. It hadn’t occurred to them that it would be a wet day.

By 6am Patrick Whelan was already on his way from Kilmore Quay with a van load of fresh fish. Peter and Olga Ireson from Knockatee organic dairy in South Kerry had also arrived with their organic cheese, butter and yogurt. By the time I arrived at around 11am the market was in full swing, the clouds had given way to clear skies and Yom and Lorcan were playing a rousing air in the centre of the plaza, creating a carefree holiday atmosphere.

Customers were wandering from stall to stall exploring, tasting, seemingly mesmerized by the variety of produce. Everyone seemed thrilled to discover that it wasn’t a once off and that there would be a Farmers’ Market in Mahon Point every Thursday.

There were nearly 40 stalls including several seasoned Farmers’ Marketeers from Midleton and other markets – Frank Hederman from Belvelly Smokehouse was doing a brisk trade with his smoked wild salmon, eel, mussels, mackerel and pates, local organic farmer Dan Ahern has also developed a loyal customer base for his beef and free-range chickens. Siobhan and David Barry from Ballintubber farm also sell at the Midleton Farmers Market on Saturday. They had a fantastic supply of new season vegetables, the first white turnips, caulis, chard, beetroot, green gooseberries and elderflower… Siobhan and David also do their best to encourage people to grow their own by selling little vegetable plants in peat moss plugs. Jan and Claire de Neubourg from Co Kerry had home baking and organic fruit, vegetables and herbs from their all organic Wishbone Farm. The Organic Garden and Ballycotton Organics all had stalls piled high with organic produce, including their wonderful mixed leaf salads. Deirdre Hilliard called her company Just Food, she does a range of organic soups, salads, dips, biscuits and ready meals and has already built up a loyal following at Midleton Market.

Rikki and Arun, former Ballymaloe Cookery School students were on their maiden voyage, Rikki made a selection of sandwiches using Arbutus bread and produce from the other stalls, Pippa was selling a selection of her mum’s Thursday Cottage homemade jams. Arun had spent several days weighing up whole spices which he imports directly fresh from the spice gardens of Kerala in South India.

Rory O’Connell, former head chef at Ballymaloe House was busy cooking sizzling steak sandwiches and also offered a range of seasonal desserts. Frank Krawczyk the father of the Irish artisan cured meat industry was there with a tantalizing selection of his cured meats and salami, as well as delicious kassler, brawn and pastrami. His prize pupil Fingal Ferguson of Gubbeen Smokehouse who has also built up a cult following, was delighted with his new toy – a state of the art refrigerated trailer unit which had just arrived from France to house his growing selection of cured meats, olives and Gubbeen cheese. There are no less than three farmhouse cheese stalls, all with beautifully matured gems from Fiona Burke, the Happy Cheese Salesman and local Ardsallagh goat cheese and yogurt. Ollie and Sean O’Driscoll were there with their famous €5 bags of fish straight from their boat in Schull.

Old Mill bank Smokehouse are there with more great smoked fish, Inner Pickle Jamaican style pickles and condiments are worth looking up. Don’t miss Mella’s fudge either and look out for Joup foods scones, soups, juices and summer salads.

Declan Ryan will be there with his much loved Arbutus breads, and O’Flynn’s Butchers with their famous sausages and speciality meats. Riccardo McSweeney has his Baile Bella range of traditional Italian dishes to go and gourmet Italian coffees to refresh the shoppers. Roisin McAlpine of Juicy also provides delicious refreshment by producing her delicious freshly prepared fruit juices and smoothies on the spot.

Keane’s Garden Centre have a tempting array of plants and if you feel like a little bubbly look out for champagne occasions who import direct both champagne, wine and oils from the vineyards.

Sugar and Spice

Korma (mild)

Serves 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:

1 lb onions, peeled, sliced
2 oz butter, clarified butter or 3 tblsp vegetable oil
1 oz garlic, crushed
1 oz ginger, grated
1 packet of “‘Sugar and Spices’” Korma Mix
1 tin coconut milk
1 tin tomatoes, chopped
1 tblsp sugar
2 lb stewing lamb, cut into cubes 
½ pt (or 2 small pots) natural, plain yoghurt

How to make your meal:

Sweat the onions in the butter (or clarified butter, oil) in a large casserole dish or saucepan 
Turn the heat up to medium, add the garlic and ginger and stir for a couple of minutes. 
Next, add the packet of Korma Mix and stir for a minute or so 
Turn the heat up slightly, add the tomatoes and sugar, stir and reduce the mixture for approx. 5 minutes 
Add the coconut milk and stir thoroughly 
Add the meat, the yoghurt and cook until tender (approx. 2hr)…simple! 

Serving suggestion:

- sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander and serve with Indian Basmati rice

Alternative suggestions:

- Try replacing the lamb with 2 lbs of chicken breast cut into mouth-size pieces, but remember to only cook it for about 30 minutes otherwise the chicken will be really tough.

- Fish could also be used instead of lamb. Monkfish is recommended as it has a firmer texture. Again, remember to only just cook the fish. This could take as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

Rogan Josh (medium)

Serves 4 - 6 people – another one pot wonder

Ingredients:

1 lb onions, peeled, sliced
2 oz butter, clarified butter or 3 tblsp vegetable oil
1 packet of “Sugar and Spices’” Rogan Josh Mix
1 oz garlic, finely chopped
2 oz ginger, grated
2 lb stewing lamb, cut into cubes
1 pt (or 4 small pots) natural, plain yoghurt
1 tin tomatoes, whizzed smooth
1 tblsp sugar
1 pt lamb stock (or water)

How to make your meal:

Heat the butter (or clarified butter, oil) in a large casserole dish or saucepan on medium 
Next, add the packet of Rogan Josh Mix and fry until you hear crackling, then add the sliced onions and fry until golden 
Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes 
Add the lamb cubes and fry for a further 15 minutes 
Add the yoghurt, tomatoes, sugar and cover. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes
Finally, increase the heat and stir. Then add in the stock and cook until the lamb is tender (approx. 2hr) …simple! 

Serving suggestion:

- sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander and serve with Indian Basmati rice

Alternative suggestions:

- Try replacing the lamb with 2 lbs of chicken breast cut into mouth-size pieces, but cook the sauce for about one and a half hours then add the chicken and cook for about a further 30 minutes otherwise the chicken will be really tough.

Remember:

- It really doesn’t matter if you don’t stick to the exact measurements. So long as you end up with a tasty meal – who cares?!! And with the Sugar and Spice Mixes, you can’t go wrong!! – so says Arun!

Cucumber and Coriander Riata – side dish

Serves 4 - 6 people

Ingredients:

1 pt (or 4 small pots) natural, plain yoghurt
1 tblsp of “Sugar and Spices’” Garam Masala Mix
2 tblsp freshly chopped coriander
½ cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
Juice of half a lime
pinch of salt and pepper

How to make the riata:

Combine the above ingredients…simple!

Serving suggestion:

– use as an accompaniment to the “Sugar and Spice”, One Pot Wonder curries
Foolproof Food

Cruditees with Garlic Mayonnaise

Get yourself a selection of delicious fresh summer vegetables at the Farmers Market and make some cruditees.

Cruditees with Aoili is one of my favourite starters. It fulfills all my criteria for a first course: small helpings of very crisp vegetables with a good garlicky home-made Mayonnaise. The plates of Cruditees look tempting, taste delicious and, provided you keep the helpings small, are not too filling. Better still, it’s actually good for you – so you can feel very virtuous instead of feeling pangs of guilt!

Another great plus for this recipe I’ve discovered is that children love Cruditees. They even love Aoili provided they don’t hear some grown up saying how much they dislike garlic, and you can feel happy to see your children polishing off plates of raw vegetables for their supper, really quick to prepare and full of wonderful vitamins and minerals.

Cruditees are a perfect first course for Winter or Summer, but to be really delicious one must choose very crisp and fresh vegetables. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized bits so they can be picked up easily. You don’t need knives and forks because they are usually eaten with fingers.

Use as many of the following vegetables as are in season:

Very fresh button mushrooms, quartered
Tomatoes quartered, or let whole with the calyx on if they are freshly picked
Purple sprouting broccoli, broken (not cut) into florettes
Calabrese (green sprouting broccoli), broken into florettes
Cauliflower, broken into florettes
French beans or mange tout
Baby carrots, or larger carrots cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long, approx.
Cucumber, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Tiny spring onions, trimmed
Red cabbage, cut into strips
Celery, cut into sticks 5 cm/2 inches long approx.
Chicory, in leaves
Red, green or yellow pepper, cut into strips 5 cm/2 inches long approx., seeds removed
Very fresh Brussels sprouts, cut into halves or quarters
Whole radishes, with green tops left on
Parsley, finely chopped
Thyme, finely chopped
Chives, finely chopped
Sprigs of watercress

A typical plate of Cruditees might include the following: 4 sticks of carrot, 2 or 3 sticks of red and green pepper, 2 or 3 sticks of celery, 2 or 3 sticks of cucumber, 1 mushroom cut in quarters, 1 whole radish with a little green leaf left on, 1 tiny tomato or 2 quarters, 1 Brussels sprout cut in quarters, and a little pile of chopped fresh herbs.

Wash and prepare the vegetables. Arrange on individual white side plates in contrasting colours, with a little bowl of aoili in the centre. Alternatively, do a large dish or basket for the centre of the table. Arrange little heaps of each vegetable in contrasting colours. Put a bowl of aoili in the centre and then guests can help themselves.

Instead of serving the aoili in a bowl one could make an edible container by cutting a slice off the top of a tomato and hollowing out the seeds. Alternatively, cut a 4 cm/1½ inch round of cucumber and hollow out the centre with a melon baller or a teaspoon. Then fill or pipe the aoili into the tomato or cucumber. Arrange the centre of the plate of Cruditees.

Note: All vegetables must be raw.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is what we call a ‘mother sauce’ in culinary jargon. In fact it is the ‘mother’ of all the cold emulsion sauces, so once you can make a Mayonnaise you can make any of the daughter sauces by just adding some extra ingredients.

I know it is very tempting to reach for the jar of 'well known brand' but most people don't seem to be aware that Mayonnaise can be made even with a hand whisk, in under five minutes, and if you use a food processor the technique is still the same but it is made in just a couple of minutes. The great secret is to have all your ingredients at room temperature and to drip the oil very slowly into the egg yolks at the beginning. The quality of your Mayonnaise will depend totally on the quality of your egg yolks, oil and vinegar and it's perfectly possible to make a bland Mayonnaise if you use poor quality ingredients.

2 egg yolks, preferably free range
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of English mustard or ¼ teaspoon French mustard
15 ml/1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
8 fl ozs (250ml) oil (sunflower, arachide or olive oil or a mixture) - We use 6 fl ozs (175ml) arachide oil and 2 fl ozs (50ml) olive oil, alternatively use 7 fl oz (200 ml) arachide to 1 fl oz (25 ml) olive oil.

Serve with cold cooked meats, fowl, fish, eggs and vegetables.

Put the egg yolks into a bowl with the mustard, salt and the white wine vinegar (keep the whites to make meringues). Put the oil into a measure. Take a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other and drip the oil onto the egg yolks, drop by drop whisking at the same time. Within a minute you will notice that the mixture is beginning to thicken. When this happens you can add the oil a little faster, but don't get too cheeky or it will suddenly curdle because the egg yolks can only absorb the oil at a certain pace. Taste and add a little more seasoning and vinegar if necessary.

If the Mayonnaise curdles it will suddenly become quite thin, and if left sitting the oil will start to float to the top of the sauce. If this happens you can quite easily rectify the situation by putting another egg yolk or 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water into a clean bowl, then whisk in the curdled Mayonnaise, a half teaspoon at a time until it emulsifies again.

Aoili

ingredients as above

1-4 clove of garlic, depending on size
1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Crush the garlic and add to the egg yolks just as you start to make the Mayonnaise. Finally add the chopped parsley and taste for seasoning.

Note: Here is a tip for crushing garlic. Put the whole clove of garlic on a board, preferably one that is reserved for garlic and onions. Tap the clove with a flat blade of a chopping knife, to break the skin. Remove the skin and discard. Then sprinkle a few grains of salt onto the clove. Again using the flat blade of the knife, keep pressing the tip of the knife down onto the garlic to form a paste. The salt provides friction and ensures the clove won't shoot off the board!

Arun Kapil of Sugar and Spice kindly shared some of his recipes with us.

Arun suggests using the spice mixes which he freshly grinds and packages for his stall to make these ‘one pot wonders’ – he will be delighted to offer other suggestions to customers.



Hot Tips

Mahon Point Farmers Market – Thursdays 10-2 plaza in front of main West entrance. 

More One Pot Wonders at Ballymaloe Cookery School on 18th July – Tel 021-4646785

Tipp FM Food Fair - 12-6 on Sunday 3rd July at Thurles Greyhound Track. Booklet called ‘Savour Tipperary’ detailing the artisan food producers/processors in Tipperary will be launched on the day by Mr Alan Dukes TD. Mr Dukes chaired the Agri-Vision 2015 Task Force. 

Artisan Foods of Meath – The Artisan Food Producers of Meath have produced a tempting booklet telling the story of eleven food producers in the area, the group is a voluntary membership group composed of like minded people from very different backgrounds, while the range of food they make extends from chutneys to chocolates, bread to cheesecakes and soups to sausages, they share the ethos of producing locally to the highest standards of quality. Meath LEADER shares in the group’s objectives and fully supports their efforts to promote and aid the development of artisan food enterprises in Co Meath. info@meathleader.ie  Tel 046-9249338 - Michelle O’Brien is the Food Specialist with Meath Leader. www.meathleader.ie 

Artisan Food Producers of Meath c/o Ger O’Sullivan, tel 01-8257761 wellfieldfoods@eircom.net