What's in Season for January

Have you ever noticed that we stopped following the seasons? We can get anything at any time. Gone are the days where we were waiting impatiently for the first strawberries to arrive, or where we wouldn't have been surprised not to cook with tomatoes in winter.

I have recently watched a video from TedxDublin where months back, Kevin Thornton held a talk about the seasons and how we have forgotten about him. That talk pushed him up on the ladder of my 2013 heroes. He spoke about his childhood and how he and his family thought nothing of following the seasons - that's what people did back then. And for myself growing up (I am still not admitting to my age), it was normality to eat what was available and I can't remember that people were even asking for tomatoes in the winter months. So, the question is, if no one was asking for out of season produce, why did it happen that we are shipping food from around the globe to our supermarket shelves?? Now we are so used to having everything available at all times that we demand it when a shelf in a supermarket is empty. Farmshops closed down in the process and are just coming back slowly and are considered 'cool and vintage'.

I have to admit, even I sometimes go out of season simply because it is on the shelves. But do I really need fresh tomatoes?? I have jars filled with tomato chutney as the season gave us a wonderful crop. Why didn't I simply preserve tomatoes to use now. Because I know that I love the chutney, it's a great gift for friends and Mr T loves it with his cheese. But I also know that I just have to pop down to Blarney and pop into the local supermarket to get tomatoes at any time.

So, I am as guilty as everyone. But I grow my own vegetables, so know how good they taste when they come fresh out of the ground - nothing compares to it no matter how the supermarkets use modern technology to make the food look good in the shelves. Nothing is more rewarding to place freshly prepared vegetables in front of your family and friends and hearing them say that it tastes better than anything they have ever eaten. So I have decided to share with you what's in season for every month. Starting with January you will see that a lot is still in season. Beetroot is such a versatile vegetable, makes amazing soups & risottos. But you can also roast it nicely with balsamic vinegar or serve it with a nice hazelnut crumble.

Kale is a rich flavoured cabbage that is mostly loved by chefs - not so much by homecooks but it has such a wonderful dark green colour that dresses every plate so beautifully. By the way, the darker the green colour of a vegetable, the more iron it is suppose to have.

Parsnip taste wonderful when slow roasted with a drizzle of honey and who doesn't love a good old fashioned cauliflower cheese gratin. You see, winter vegetables are not boring - they are meant to warm us and give us the minerals our bodies need to get us through harsh winters.

Please have a look at the video of Kevin Thornton - I think you will be inspired as much as I was. So remember the seasons.

Gift Ideas for Food Lovers

It is so easy these days to find gifts for food lovers. Gone are the days (hopefully) where you got a selection of dried herbs (mostly out of date) in a dodgy little wonky rack or getting pasta & bean shapes piled up in beautiful jars (have you ever used the pasta or beans???).

We are now lucky enough to have great produce available that will make every food lover smile and dance. Below are some ideas that might inspire you (and please feel free to send any of the below my way lol)

For Coffee Addicts

Badger & Dodo have a great approach to coffee - only the best is good enough. They have now introduced a subscription of monthly coffees send to your door. Monthly subscriptions are roasted on the first Tuesday of each month, couriered Wednesday to arrive Thursday. The only exception to this is in January where it is roasted on the second Tuesday as couriers aren’t operating so early in the new year. Only the 1kg and 2.5kg bags are available for this service and costs from €265 - you can choose from whole beans and different grinds. Email info@badgeranddodo.ie  or call 087 0532660 for more details. You can also find them weekly at the Douglas Farmer's Market

For Kitchen Gardeners

Get ready in time for your kitchen garden with a hamper from Brown Envelope Seeds - their seeds are Irish grown and Madeline McKeever has creative ways of creating gift sets like the Heritage Hamper, Baby's first meal and the Purple Veg Box. She also runs courses on seedsaving and vouchers are available at their online shop. Make sure to read their story when online.

Staying in the kitchen garden - Irish Seed Savers have done amazing work in keeping heritage seeds alive and storing and archiving them. Through cuts in funding, they are in a bit of a bother and need lots of support. You can give a membership this year as a present that includes several packets of seeds & potatoes, discount on sales and workshops, free access and a bumper newsletter. A year's membership costs €50 and it ensures that Irish Seed Savers can continue their very important work.



Cookery Classes

We are very lucky in Ireland, especially in Cork to have some amazing cookery schools. If the 3 month course in Ballymaloe is a bit out of reach, fret not, we have something for everyone.

The Firehouse Bakery is run by Patrick Ryan and Laura Moore and they are running breadmaking courses in their home bakery on Heir Island. Patrick is the creator of the Real Bread Revolution - so join him in his quest and learn how to make amazing breads in a beautiful setting. I am a big fan of Patrick & Laura and can only recommend their courses highly to anyone who always wanted to make their own 'real' bread. Courses run throughout the year and cost €110 incl. fee for ferry, lunch and you get to take bread home with you. Alone the lunch is worth half the money as Laura is a fantastic cook. You will be made welcome and time will pass so quickly that you want to do it all over again. Classes are booking out quickly, so don't wait too long. Email info@thefirehouse.ieor call 085 1561984for more details.

The wonderful Christine Girault of La Spoon Patisserie is offering courses on French Patisserie throughout the year. Join her in her home kitchen where she will show you how to make macaroons, petit fours and anything you like to learn. The courses are tailored to all skill levels but Christine also gives one-on-one classes if needed. I have attended one of her classes and can only recommend her as one of the best teachers I have come across. Her style is relaxed and informative but best of all, it's hands on. Email laspoon.ie@gmail.com for more details.

If your 'thing' is more Indian Cuisine, than Annam is one to watch. Banu & Ruth are giving classes on traditional authentic Indian cooking with recipes handed down from generation to generation. But they not only offer classes but their Indian Supper Clubs are to die for. Hands on, everyone chips in with the preparations and cooking and afterwards everyone sits around a big table and tucks in nicely. This is a great ways of learning new cooking techniques and cuisines. Banu & Ruth are also planning to do 'house parties' where they bring the supper club to you. Gift vouchers are available.  Email annamkitchencork@gmail.com for more details.

Knockdrinna Cheese

And for cheese lovers - why not give the gift of cheesemaking to the foodie in your life. Knockdrinna Cheesemakers in Stoneyford in Kilkenny are offering courses throughout the year. I have attended the December course and have learned so much. Helen Finnegan is generous in sharing her knowledge and expertise and it is a great day out in a beautiful area of County Kilkenny. The course is €80 and includes lunch. Contact (056) 772 8446 for more details. They have also an online shop where the courses can be booked. If you don't want the to attend the cheese course, why not buy the cheese lover in your life a beautiful hamper instead.   




For the Traveling Foodie

Good Food Ireland has come up with a wonderful idea - the Good Food Ireland Prepaid MasterCard is a unique multifunctional card that can be purchased as a Gift Card or Food Travel Passport. More details via info@goodfoodireland.com. The GFI online shop has also hampers with Irish produce on offer.           

Hampers for Food Lovers

The wonderful people at Flemings Country House & Restaurant have been busy making lots of delicious goodies for their famous hampers. For inquiries, please call 021/4821621.

Not actual hamper - presentation only

Bradley's in North Main Street are the place to go when you are looking for a wonderful selection of craft beers and of course their amazing hampers. They are delivering nationwide and don't have a minimum requirement for orders online. For latest offers please call 021/4270845

Nash19 has long been a strong supporter of local produce - even before it became fashionable and their hampers are legendary.  Download their Christmas brochure from their website and you'll be sorted in time for Christmas.

Urru is located in Bandon and is a treasure chest for foodies and it has just won the Good Food Ireland Retail Shop of the Year award. Hampers, equipment, cookery books and so much more can be purchased at Urru just in time for Christmas.

I am stopping here but there is so much more to be had for food lovers - keep watching this space for more updates. You might say, why doesn't she include cookery books - because that is a complete post in itself as there are soooooo many out there.... coming up soon

     

Sweet Chilli Sauce - Homemade is the Way

Our poly tunnel is bursting with chillies at the moment and I am trying to find ways of using them up before they go wonky. Yes, I could dry them but I still have lots of dried chillies that I got from friends in Sardinia. I made Harissa (amazing) and I made a wonderful chilli oil but there is only so much you can do. And then it hit me - why not make sweet chilli sauce - an article in the Irish Examiner from my wonderful talented friend Kitty gave me the idea but I wanted to get my own hang on things, so I ignored her delicious recipe - one reason was that I didn't have rice wine vinegar at home and was way too lazy to go out for shopping. So after a few thoughts and reading the label of a shop bought bottle of chilli sauce, I came up with this. Quantities are depending if you like it more hot than sweet and if you like it more liquid running or sticky. I personally like the sauce more thickly (great to brush it over meat & fish) but I was a bit too conservative with the heat - next batch will be a bit stronger :-) One tip tho - make sure you wear rubber gloves and don't touch your yes, nose or mouth as long as you are handling the little red beauties. The sauce will keep unopened for a few months but once opened needs to be used up quite quickly and needs to be stored in the fridge. If you are using nice decorative bottles, this sauce will make a wonderful Christmas present (just make sure they do like hot sauces).

Sweet Chilli Sauce

• 
  
• 500g red chillies
• 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 300 - 700ml white vinegar
• 600g caster sugar

Homemade sweet chilli sauce

Top and tail the chillies and set 2 third (up to half if you like it hot) aside. Chop the one third (or half) and place in the bowl of a food processor. De-seed the rest of the chillies, chop coarsely and add to the food processor. Add the crushed garlic and pulse until the chillies become a paste. Add about 100ml of vinegar and blitz again to combine (it makes it easier to mix the rest of the vinegar in). Place the chilli paste in a large saucepan and heat up just before adding rest of the vinegar and the sugar. Here it is up to you how much vinegar you are adding. The sauce will thicken towards the end of the cooking process and more when it is cooling down. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer until the rawness of the chillies has cooked off and the sauce starts to thickens nicely. I cooked it about 40 mins, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Pour into sterilized bottles and close.

Bon Appetit

Rose Petal Jam - Floral beauty in a jar

When I moved into the cottage almost 14 years ago, I found a few rose plants in the front of the house and was happy to see that these roses were full of fragrance. When my mum moved in with me, she loved the roses so much that we called them 'mums roses' and that what they are up to this day. One of my neighbours stopped by the other day and said 'your mum's roses smell beautiful again this year and what a pity that we can't preserve the fragrance'...... that got me thinking, how is rosewater being made..... and then, why not make jelly from it. Browsing through all my cookbooks I came across some ideas on how to make jelly from almost anything - so I simply used the method that I use for my lemon verbena jelly and it worked a treat.

One problem you have to look out for when making jelly is the pectin content of the fruit/flower/herb you are using and rose petals don't have any pectin. So adding a high pectin fruit is essential as well as using jam sugar rather than granulated or caster sugar. Some recipes will tell you to use granulated sugar - it won't set unless you add pectin to it. You can buy pectin in liquid form but also in powder form. It is not widely available (at least not in Cork) - the Organic Shop in the English Market has the powdered pectin while I got the liquid pectin from the Quay Coop shop in Cork.

When using extra pectin, follow the instructions. Some have to be added before the sugar while others are being added towards the end of the process. I am giving you here the powdered pectin version.

The result is simply beautiful - adding the lemon juice will intensify the colour and if using dark pink roses, the colour will be beautiful. A word about the roses - don't by the supermarket flowers, they are to 99% treated and can be nasty. If you have roses in your garden and you haven't sprayed them, use these. Otherwise ask your rose growing friends for some petals. Also, make sure that they are very fragrant - if they are not, the jelly will just be sweet and no flavour whatsoever will develop. I have made rosewater beforehand and used a few drops towards the end but if you don't have any, don't worry, the flavour will still be wonderful. Freshly baked scones go best with this jelly.


The recipe below makes about 1 jar of 250g

Rose Petal Jelly

• 6-8 heads of roses
• 300ml boiling water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 pack of powdered pectin
• 300-400g jam sugar

Remove the petals from the heads, snipping of the white/yellowish part of the petals. Place them in a bowl and pour the boiling water over and leave to stand for 30 mins. 

Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing the petals to get as much of the oil out as possible. You still should have about 300ml. Pour the liquid into a pan and add the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and sprinkle over the powdered pectin. Stir until dissolved. Add the jam sugar and stir until also dissolved. Bring back to the boil and boil rapidly for 1-2 mins. If using rosewater, add it now. 

Pour into sterilised jars and seal. 

Mr T called this elkelicious :-)

Toad in the Hole without the Toad

This is a vegetarian version of Toad in the Hole and a great standby recipe if you have lots of people coming over or want to use up the garden produce from your kitchen garden. You can use almost any vegetables - the more colours you are using the more attractive the dish looks. You can do the same with apples as a dessert version, add a bit of cinnamon then. I like the batter to be soft but it is up to you how browned you like this. I served this dish at the last Kitchen Garden Workshop I was hosting @ The Cottage with Kitty Scully and it went down a treat - not a crumb was left over. Fresh salad with a light dressing is the perfect partner for these slices.

• Mixed vegetables, like peppers, onions, courgettes, mushrooms - sliced or chopped (big chunks)
• 1 egg
• 100g plain flour
• 180 - 200ml milk
• 1-2 tbsp Thyme, leaves
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• salt & pepper
• 5 tbsp Sunflower Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Prepare the vegetables - slice the courgettes in 4mm slices, half the mushrooms if they are big otherwise keep them whole, remove the seeds from the peppers and cut into large strips, peel the onions and cut into large chunks. Place the vegetables into a roasting tin with the sunflower oil and toss the vegetables so that they are nicely coated with the oil. Roast for about 15 mins, turning once. In the meantime, combine the egg, flour and milk and whisk until smooth and has the consistency of thick cream. Add the herbs and stir through and season to taste. Remove the roasting tin from the oven -  make sure that the oil is really hot, pour over the batter and return immediately to the oven. Bake for about 30 - 40 mins until the batter has puffed up and is baked through. Sprinkle some fresh herbs over, cut into nice handy slices and enjoy. This is also handy for lunchboxes as it tastes also great at room temperature.

Mr T. called this Elkelicious :-) 

The Wild Table - A Foraging Day

Martin O'Leary will take us on a tour through the woods of Blarney. Come and join us for a day of fun and learn more about free wild food that grows right in front of us. Email biasasta@hotmail.com to secure your place. Price per person is €13 and includes information material and recipes. Children are welcome but need to be supervised. Appropriate footwear and clothing is essential. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the woods of Blarney.

Broad Beans Paté - Delicious Summer on a Plate

Mr T planted some broad beans for me but they are only in flowering stage... while the educational garden in Kenmare (went to Kenmare for the Food Carnival)
has already full pods on their plants - jealousy cropped up big time. The gardener of the VEC garden (I forgot to ask for his name) is a friendly soul who was very willing to answer all my questions about how to get rid of pests and why my beetroot is so small at this stage. If you are in Kenmare, make sure to pay him a visit - you can even buy some of his vegetable which are all organically grown. I went home with a big bag full of broad beans.

Broad beans are now more and more on menus of restaurants and readily available (Tesco is selling frozen broad beans) and recipes are popping up all over the place. Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso was one of the first chefs to use this lovely bright green little fella a few years ago with their couscous cake and haloumi dish. Simply delicious. When podding broad beans, make the effort to remove the outer skin of the beans - slips off easily when you blanch them quickly in hot water and then pop them into cold water. Slightly squeeze the bean and the skin should slip off. You can of course remove the skin before blanching - just more labour intensive.

This dish is the ideal for a light lunch or an easy supper. The bright green colour stays if you don't boil the living daylight out of the delicate beans. I have used goats' cheese and basil here but you can use feta and parsley or any other combination you can think off. I just happened to have a full plant of basil and some leftover goats' cheese. This recipe will be enough for 6 'bruschettas'. Drizzle slices of bread with olive oil and toast under a grill on both sides. Add the paté and serve with some basil leaves.

Broad Bean Paté

Broad Bean Paté Bruschetta

• 200g Broad Beans, podded twice
• 100g goats cheese, crumbled
• handful torn basil leaves
• Olive Oil
• salt

Throw the podded beans into boiling water and cook until just tender - about 5-7 minutes (a few minutes longer if you haven't removed the skin around the beans - you can squeeze the skin off the beans after cooking). Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave to cool. 

In a food processor, combine the cheese with the beans and the torn basil and whizz once. Now add some olive oil and blend until you achieved the consistency you want (I like mine a bit lumpy), adding olive oil as you go along. 

Spoon mix into a bowl and season with salt and if you like some white pepper. 

Bon Apetite

Herb Salt - A great Standby

Fresh Herbs

My herbal bed has exploded since the sun came out and I am busy trying to use the glut of herbs.... there is only so much you can use in cooking so I am looking for other ways of preserving these wonderful rich herbs.

My sage has overtaken one of the beds almost completely (the other bed is dominated by lemon balm and I am making lots of jelly and cordials).... so what better way to use savoury herbs than in making your own herbal salt.... so easy and if you keep the jar in the fridge - lasting forever with the salt preserving the freshness of the herbs beautifully.

I am not giving measurements here as it all depends on the herbs you have available - there is no strict rules but keep in mind that the mix of herbs will determent the flavour of the salt. Also keep in mind that 'wet' herbs as chives are not well suited for this salt. In my last batch of herb salt, I used mostly sage and rosemary which will go well in Italian cooking but feel free to use your own judgement.

Herb Salt

Herb Salt

• Sage
• Rosemary
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Garlic, chopped
• Dried Chillies, crumbled
• Zest of one lemon
• Sea Salt - fine grind (the finer the grind the more uses for the salt) about 350 - 500g

 Method

Rinse the herbs well and let to dry overnight on a flat surface. 

Minced Herb Mix

The next day, put all ingredients - apart from the salt - into a food processor and pulse until all herbs are finely minced. In a large container, pour in the salt and add the minced herbs. Close and shake well. Divide between jars and leave in fridge. Decorate the jars nicely and you have a great gift.

Lemon Balm - Delicious

Fresh Lemon Balm

My lemon balm plant has taken over my herb bed and needed to be strimmed down - it also happened that we had an impromptu BBQ arranged for Mr T's sister who celebrated her birthday...... it was one of these wonderful sunny days in Cork that makes you fall in love with Ireland all over again.

So there I was with lots and lots of lemon balm but what to do...... lucky for me, I had already frozen my ice cream maker so that a sorbet jumped to mind. But since it is a small machine, I knew I wouldn't be using all of the lemon balm.... so what else... it was a hot day and remembering times when coke was a luxury rather than a normal daily drink, I decided to make a wonderful old fashioned lemonade and crikey, was it good. Just imagine, a sunny afternoon, friends and family around, a BBQ on and a refreshing cold glass of lemonade.... I call that a perfect day.

Lemon Balm Sorbet

Lemon Balm Sorbet 

• 1 liter water
• a good bunch of lemon balm leaves, cleaned
• Juice of 2 oranges
• zest of 1 lemon
• 75g caster sugar

Combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture infuse. When cooled, strain the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until the sorbet forms. Either serve straight away or freeze for later use.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply freeze the mix after cooling down for 2 hours, take it out and mix it up with a fork. Return to freezer for another 2 hours and fork up again. Continue until you have the sorbet as you like it. 


Lemon Balm Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

• 3-4 lemons, zest and juice
• A good handful of lemon balm leaves
• 100g sugar
• 200ml boiling water
• Sparkling water
• Ice Cubes
• Small lemon balm leaves for decoration

Peel the zest of the lemons and place in a bowl/pan together with the lemon balm and sugar and pour over the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon and bruise the leaves to release their oils. Leave to cool for a few minutes before adding the juice of the lemons. Cool completely.

So serve, pour a good measure into a tall glass, top up with sparkling water and ice cubes. Decorate with a small lemon balm leaf.

Wild Food - Free Food - Delicious Food

Kitty Scully and I are currently running a series of garden workshops to help people creating their own kitchen garden. Kitty is covering the gardening side while I prepare the food for the workshops with seasonal ingredients. Of course, there is almost nothing left in a garden at this time of year and considering the cold spell we are experiencing these days, it will take a bit more time but there is still wild food readily available. Wild garlic and nettles are in full season now and Kitty went foraging for us and came with 2 bags of wild garlic and a bowl of nettles...

Yuk, nettles you might say, but don't disregard them - with a little of of TLC, you end up with a delicious soup. And it is much easier than you think. Wild garlic is the rage at the moment - and rightfully so, the taste of a freshly made pesto is just too delicious - and again, much easier to make than most people think.

When foraging, the best for beginners is to join an experienced guide - it is too easy to mistake wild herbs. Also, make sure to forage responsibly - don't rip out roots, just cut of the tops, when collecting elderflowers, make sure to leave some of the flowers on to ensure that the berries can come afterwards. Sustainability is just as important in foraging as it is with all kind of farming. And as a rule - if in doubt, don't take or eat it. When collecting wild garlic keep in mind that you don't need much to make 3 jars. Don't be tempted to make more - the pesto will last 3 weeks tops. So better to go out twice to make sure you get the best.

In late April/early May, we will have a foraging day, where we will be collecting wild food and prepare it afterwards for lunch/dinner. Final details will be published soon - register your interest by emailing us on biasasta@hotmail.com

The recipe below for the pesto is only a guideline. It all depends on how much wild garlic you have. Just keep adding the oil, cheese and pinenuts until you have the consistency you want. Keep in mind that Parmesan cheese is quite salty - so keep tasting the mix before adding more cheese. The traditional way of the Italian Pesto would be to pound the ingredients in a pestle and mortar but I am using a kitchen machine - life sometimes is too short.... but it depends on your preference really - if you got the muscle - do it.

Vibrant Wild Garlic Pesto

Wild Garlic Pesto

• Wild Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Pinenuts
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Clean the garlic leaves to make sure no grit, sand or bugs are present. Place the leaves in a kitchen machine with a metal blade and start mincing the leaves. With the motor running, add slowly the oil. When you have reached a pesto like consistency, add the pinenuts and give the mix a blitz again to crush the nuts.  Now add the Parmesan cheese - you will see that the consistency has changed again so you might need to add more oil. 

When you have reached the consistency you like, store the pesto in cleaned and sterilised jars - top up with oil to make sure that the pesto is covered. This will keep now in the fridge for about 3 weeks - always making sure that the pesto is covered in oil. 

Bon Appetit

Apple & Rhubarb Muffins

Apples & rhubarb go together like sunshine and laughter, just perfect. We had some rhubarb in the garden the other day. What to make of it - I wasn't in the mood for another crumble. Searching through the pantry, I found some apples and of course apple & rhubarb crumble came to mind, I still wasn't not in the mood for crumble tho. I started to peel apples and rhubarb, threw all in a saucepan, added brown sugar and started to heat it up. Since I threw all together, the rhubarb started to fall apart and acted as a binder for the apple cubes, similar to the texture you have when buying a cherry pie in the states. The flavour was amazing so I wanted to use it. That's when I thought of muffins and this recipe was born. I may add that Mr T ate 4 in the first sitting :-)

Apple & Rhubarb Muffins (makes 12)

• 200g self raising flour, 
• 150g Unsalted butter, 
• 100g caster sugar, 
• 2 eggs, 
• 100ml milk, 
• 2 tsp vanilla essence, 
• 4 apples, 
• 4 large sticks of rhubarb, 
• 2 tbsp brown sugar,
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Peel and chop the apples and rhubarb. Place the fruit together with the sugar in a saucepan, and cook over a medium heat until the rhubarb starts falling apart. Add the cinnamon. Keep simmering until the apples have softened.

Pre-heat oven to 160c. In the meantime, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally go prevent the sugar from sticking to the bottom. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Combine the milk and eggs and add together with the melted butter to the flour. With a wooden spoon stir until combined but don't overbeat.

Place some muffin paper cases into a 12 hole muffin tin. Spoon one tbsp of batter into each case.  Top with a tsp or 2  of the apple and rhubarb mixture followed by another tbsp of batter mix. Bake  for about 15-20 mins or until slightly browned and baked through.

Garden Workshop

Onion Tart

I love comfort food. This warming, hugging food that makes all feel so much better. Especially on winter evenings in front of the fire when you know you don't have to go outside the door - this is when you need either a creamy soup or an onion tart.

I came across this type of tart when living in Germany. I was part of a craft circle and one of the women made it when it was her turn to host the craft circle. Onions, slowcooked and enriched with caraway seeds - might sound like an odd combination but it works and it gives you the warming, hugging feeling that is so comforting on a cold January evening.

The amount of caraway seeds depends on your liking - add more if you really like the flavour or add less if you are not sure. Caraway has a long tradition of medical uses, primarily for stomach complaints - one reason, the Germans add it to their famous Sauerkraut (the caraway seeds are suppose to make the cabbage better digestible for the stomach).

The onions really benefit from slow cooking in this dish - apart from that, everything else is pretty simple and easy to assemble. You want the sweetness of the onions to come out completely and this is only achieved by cooking the onions on a low to medium  heat for about 30 mins - keep an eye on them so that they won't burn, stirring every now and then.

• Short crust pastry (enough to line an 18cm tart dish
• 3 large onions
• Butter
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 250 ml cream
• 1 egg
• Seasoning

 
Line the tart dish with a pastry and set aside. 
 
Slice the onions thinly, heat the butter in a frying pan and slow cook the onions until starting to caramelise. That can take a while and taking your time is the key to success with this dish. 
 
Mix the cream with the caraway seeds and eggs. Add some seasoning. Spoon the onions into the pastry case and cover with the cream mixture. 
 
Bake at 160C for about 15 mins or until the cream has set. Serve at room temperature with a lovely fresh salad.

Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes

Have you ever heard people of an certain age saying 'Tomatoes just don't taste like tomatoes anymore'...... well, they won't be growing their own. There is nothing more satisfying and tasty and to pick a tomato straight from the vine and take a bite. Nothing else is needed, no salt no nothing - just savour the wonderful richness that a 'real' tomato has. 

Wonderful tomatoes - simply delicious

We are very lucky that we have a greenhouse. So we had some carrots and a big glut of tomatoes this year (our outside vegetable garden doesn't show much recovery) and the challenge was on what to do with them. So far I have made 8 jars of chutney (I am famous for my tomato chutney by the way), tomato salads and tarts.... so what to do next..... Tomato sauce of course. We have planted several different types of tomatoes and the colours were ranging from red over yellow to purple (looks amazing in a salad) and I thought it would be a great idea to use the whole mix for the sauce...... the colour turned out a big pale but wow - what a flavour. When I pureed the sauce, I took a few ladles out before the tomatoes were totally pureed and had it as a soup (delicious).


I slow cooked this sauce for a deep rich flavour and added carrots and celery as well as onions. The result is a thick, creamy and delicious sauce which can be used not only as a pasta sauce but as base for a soup (just add some red lentils) or even a stew. You can also add tomato paste to the sauce but with homegrown tomatoes you don't really need to.

As I had different sizes of tomatoes, I was to lazy to peel them all - just the bigger ones - and passed it through a sieve. But as you puree the sauce, there is no real need to peel them but it will give you a smother texture.

You will need:

• 1kg tomatoes (skinned and chopped)

  

  Tomato soup

  
  
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• olive oil
• basil, parsley, fresh and chopped
• seasoning

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and tip in the chopped vegetables apart from the tomatoes. Stir-fry until the carrots are starting to soften. Add the tomatoes and simmer on a low heat until the tomatoes become mushy. Add seasoning and the fresh herbs and stir well and cook for a further 5 mins. 

Take off the heat and puree it to the required consistency. If you want a very smooth sauce, pass it through a sieve. Just before serving, add some more basil.

Fruit Pie - The last of Summer

This Summer - or the lack of it - has all growers in tatters. Same here. my raspberries didn't look too happy and my strawberries went into hibernation (or never came out of it). My own apple tree looks sad sad sad....But the rhubarb withstood all elements and stand proud and tall..... so what to do with it. Apple & Rhubarb pie of course....... since we brought apples home from the Apple Farm in Tipperary - this was a match made in heaven.

And it is sooooo easy that there is no excuse buying the awful supermarket stuff. Let's get the Nation baking once again. It is in fact so simple that it doesn't need a recipe. Simply peel 3 apples, core and chop. Wash the rhubarb and remove all stringy bits. Put both fruit (ok, rhubarb is officially a vegetable) into a pan with some vanilla sugar (or caster sugar and vanilla essence), add cinnamon to taste and bring to a simmer. Keep on a law heat until the sugar has dissolved and the apples are close to become mushy.

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a tart form with sweet shortcrust pastry (or normal shortcrust pastry), add the apple-rhubarb mix and cover the pie with a layer of shortcrust pastry. Seal the edges by crimping the pastry, brush with egg wash and pop into the oven. Bake until pastry is golden brown.

Serve either warm with ice cream or cold with warm custard - delicious.

Bon Appetit

Lemon Verbena - A Beauty

Verbena Vodka

As most of you will know, I love Cafe Paradiso and it is no secret that I have all cookbooks written by Denis Cotter. And it was in his second book 'Seasons' that I came across the herb Lemon Verbena (a gorgeous pudding with white chocolate & ricotta - just delicious). He stated in the recipe that it will be hard to find - I can report that it is not. There is a lovely guy at the Coal Quay Farmer's Market in Cork who sells them.

Freshly picked Verbena

It is a beautiful herb with such a fresh citrus aroma - sitting next to it in the garden makes you think of Italy (not sure why but it does). The leaves are too bitter to eat raw but just rub them between your fingers - you will be surprised how fantastic the smell is. I have made chocolate fillings it it and people were amazed about the delicate flavour (I believe it goes best with white chocolate). But you can also use it in teas, baths and so much more. 

Verbena & White Choc Pudding

So, I bought 2 plants and planted them in my lovely herbal garden (ok, it's a raised bed) but they got so big (despise the weather) that I had to cut them back. So, here I was, standing with lots of lemon verbena leaves which I just didn't want to waste on the compost heap. I cooked the Lemon Verbena pudding before, so I wanted to find different ways of using it.

The first idea that popped into my head was of course cordial/syrup which is dead easy to do. You can dilute it with water, sparkling water or - in my opinion the best option, add it to a glass of chilled Prosecco. It also add a nice touch to cocktails etc.

Bring a liter of water to the boil with same amount of sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it simmer until it becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat.  Add a cup (or more) of lemon verbena leaves (bruise them a bit to release the oil) and let to steep for an hour or so. Strain and bottle. Keep in fridge.

Verbena Lemonade

Lemon Verbena Syrup

Another great idea was to make lemonade from it. Got the idea from the normal lemonade which uses lemon zest and juice - so I thought, make it with verbena. In this case I boiled a kettle of water, poured it into a bowl and added lemon verbena and honey. I just kept adding leaves and honey until I liked the taste. Left it to cool completely, strained it and bottled it. I am not sure about the shelf life of this lemonade but make to keep it in the fridge and use it as soon as possible. It is delicious and refreshing especially if you add a few fresh mint leaves.

The next idea was a jelly - was thinking of fresh baked scones with cream and lemon verbena jelly or even jam tarts.... one word here for the jelly, the verbena has absolutely no pectin so it will not set on its own (even with jam sugar), so you will have to add lemon. Here I added the zest of 2 lemons as well as the juice (you can also use the pips in a bag to add extra pectin) but you can also by a bottle of pectin (the organic shop in the English Market has it).

Pour a liter water into a non-reactive pan and add about 2 cups of chopped lemon verbena leaves as well as the zest of 2 lemons (I peeled them rather than grate) and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for about 15 mins. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Verbena garden

Strain into a clean pan, add about 1kg of jam sugar and bring back to a boil. Let is simmer rapidly until it starts to thickens slightly (make the set test by spooning a bit of the jelly liquid onto a cold saucer - it is starts to set quickly it is ready to be jarred). This might take up to 20 mins (remove the scum from the top). If it fails to thickens, add the pectin and simmer for a further 10 mins.

Spoon the jelly into prepared sterilised jars and tighten the lid.

You can make so much more with lemon verbena - it is such a beautiful herb. Tea, potpourri, flavoured sugar, infused vodka (infusing away in my larder as we 'speak').... the ideas are endless. Watch this space for more delicious recipes

Are you a Home Farmer?

I am very lucky that I have a bit of land with my house and that I am able to grow a lot of vegetables (if the weather lets me). When my dad still lived with me, we had chickens, ducks, rabbits and for a few years even our own turkeys. We were organic before it became fashionable and I grew up with the mantra - make it yourself.

My dad has moved about 2 years ago and he gave away all the chickens as I thought I couldn't cope on my own (after all we had over 50 chickens). Looking after a small holding such as ours was almost a full time job in itself. So I was delighted when Mr T built me lots of raised beds and we started to grow our own vegetables. Now we are even thinking of getting a few chickens (definitely not 50).

As much as I grew up within the small holding idea - I don't know much about it to be honest. So I was delighted when I came across a magazine that is designed to help people like us - although it is a UK magazine, it is packed full of information for people with small farms, allotments and small holdings. I started to buy it last months as cider making was one of the topics in it (Mr T is determent to make his own cider).

The kitchen garden is covered with tasks per month (this months special tips on leeks), how to keep chickens etc and a lot more. This month also covers Orchards - and as much as Mr T wants to make cider - as much do I like to have an orchard.....and it shows you how to make your own sausages. A great source of information and I really hope that the Irish market will come up with something similar as well so that I can stick to my own mantra of buying local as much as possible.

Happy reading

Beetroot Chutney

Beetroot Chutney

RTE Food was asking yesterday on Twitter how we eat beetroot. I personally love beetroot and grow it every year. I pickle it, make chutneys, soup and risotto with it. So basically, I love beetroot (by the way, if you grow your own, you can pick some of the smaller leaves for your salad - just be careful not to pick too many leaves as it can kill the plant). I will also try a sweet version of samosas soon as I saw a recipe in Reza's Indian Spice cookbook. But anyhow, here is the recipe for beetroot chutney. I have also seen a recipe that includes orange juice and zest - so basically you can vary any recipe. As always, your imagination is your limit.

• 1.5kg cooked beetroot, cut into small cubes
• 450g onions, chopped
• 450g Apples, chopped
• 450g sugar
• 600ml white wine vinegar
• 2tsp salt

Put the chopped onions and vinegar in a large saucepan, heat gently and bring to a simmer. Add the beetroot, apples, sugar and salt and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the chutney thickens.Stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the saucepan
Pour or spoon into hot sterile jars and cover tightly with lids. Store in a cool dark place and leaven for at least 2 months before opening. Once opened refrigerate.

Bon Appetit

New Garden Magazine

... The question is, do we need another one??? I think so when reading the new magazine published by GIY (Grow it yourself). This magazine is dedicated to the kitchen garden - in any form, may it be a plot, containers or a field - and it is Irish. Experts in their field give masterclasses on how to prepare the soil, use a polytunnel or grow vegetables in containers. Adverts are also Irish, so it is easy to get the material and tools sourced locally rather than ordering it from the UK. And let's face it, our weather doesn't match any other country, so it is useful to get help tips based on our climate. Kitty Scully who will host a kitchen garden talk for us next week is one of the experts who shares her knowledge freely.

The magazine seems to be annual rather than monthly at the moment (that might change) and can be purchased in Easons for €4.50.

GIY Ireland is a grassroots organisation and everyone is welcome. You can join with an annual subscription of €35 (individual) or €50 (for family) and you will receive quite a bit for that: the annual magazine, 7 packs of organic seeds, grower's guide, wallchart, members card and the weekly E-zine...

So, if you want to get your hands dirty, start with the magazine and come to our kitchen garden talk on May, 9th in Blarney with Kitty Scully. 'Armed' with the knowledge you will get you can call yourself a gardener.... no matter what size of garden you have. Email biasasta@hotmail.com to book a place.

We have also teamed up with Shournagh Valley Allotments who are renting out plots on a farm. Frances & Ken are experienced farmers and are always ready with help and advise. Email Frances on shournaghvalleyallotments@live.ie, mentioning Bia Sásta.

Jerusalem Artichokes

My good friend Sofie gave me about 3 years ago some Jerusalem Artichokes tubers and we planted them...I almost forgot about them when a few months later I was able to harvest some amazing artichokes (or sunchokes as they are also known). The first time I tried themw as in Cafe Paradiso and it came in a lovely creamy rich soup and risotto balls. Just yum. But you can of course do so much more with it (by the way, the recipe for the soup can be found in Denis Cotter's cookbook - Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me).

Last Sunday I made a roast chicken for Mr T and layered the roasting tray with the sunchokes, carrots, beetroot and onions. Drizzled olive oil over and and sprinkled it with rosemary and thyme - chuck it in the oven and keep basting the chicken and turning the vegetables. I wasn't able to take a photo when the tray came out of the oven as Terence tucked in straight away - but he loved it. A very simple way of cooking but it gives you a burst of flavour

Tomorrow I will let you know how to grow sunchokes bhut if you like some more recipes for sunchokes, click here