Irish Seedsavers need saving

Did you know that the original carrot was purple and the early corn on the cob had multi-coloured corns?? No?? You are not alone. We have forgotten how our vegetables and fruit used to look and taste. Has your mother or grandmother ever said that tomatoes don't taste like tomatoes anymore?? That is because they still remember the freshness of wonderful tomatoes before science got involved and 'reformed' them to look unified. Long shelf life was more important that the originality of each of our beautiful nature.

Beautiful carrots, the way nature created them

Because of that, we need dedicated people who care about our heritage vegetable and fruit to preserve them for generations to come. One organisation is Irish Seed Savers Association. A group of volunteers who formed Irish Seed Savers to preserve what makes Irish vegetables and fruit so unique. They have collected and cataloged more varieties than we even knew we have forgotten about. Irish Seedsavers have been supported by Slow Food Ireland as well as state funds. But these funds have been cut over the last few years and an organisation like Irish Seed Savers can't survive on merit alone - they need hard cold cash to do the important work we need them to do. We are not talking having some seeds in a little metal box at home and checking now and then that no mould has set on them. We are talking about verifying the seeds, researching its origin, storing, planting, caring, saving and cataloging. It is a big undertaking that these hardworking volunteers took upon themselves to do - for no other reason than to preserve them for our future generations. And how is the State thanking them??? They cut their funding.

Sweetcorn like a painting

You might ask, is it really that important?? The seed catalogs are full of seeds for any kind of vegetable or fruit. If you think that - that's fine but if you actually check where the seeds are manufactured (and I am saying manufactured as nature is not much involved in getting us these seeds) you might be surprised. These seeds have been developed in labs under a microscope to ensure that uniformity is achieved. Is uniformed food really that great?? I love picking a carrot out of the ground that is misshapen - the fun I had in the past makes me still giggle.

Now you might think; but what can I do?? Simple - there are several ways but I think the most important, apart from becoming a paying member of Irish Seed Savers is to write a letter to Mr Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture to make him aware that we all care where our food comes from and that we demand that he is taking action to save the savers. Here is the address:

Mr Simon Coveney
Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine
Agriculture House,
Kildare St.
Dublin 2.

Tell him the importance of Irish Seedsavers, tell him that you want your children to be able to learn, grow and eat our heritage food.

Thank you for any help you can provide for the Irish Seed Savers Association. For any questions, please contact the association:



Irish Seed Savers Association,
Capparoe,
Scarriff,
County Clare,
Ireland.

Opening Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm

Email: info@irishseedsavers.ie

Tel 061 921856/921866

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 :-)

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.

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.

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

Salt Sugar Smoke - Diana Henry

The first time I heard about Diana Henry and her book 'Salt Sugar Smoke' I wanted to have the book (ok, my cookbook addiction could have also something to do with it) - so here it is finally in my shelf and smiling at me, teasing me to open the pages and choose one of the wonderful recipes to re-create..... What a difficult task to just choose one. I can't wait for summer to have more choice in fruit and vegetables to cook my way through this amazing book.

Diana Henry has won several awards for her writing - she wrote several books including 'Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons' (which is now also on my wish list). Her style of writing is clear, the recipes are easy to follow and her love of food seeps through every page and recipe. You almost can follow her on her journeys of discovery to new food ventures.

Flavour combinations as you never imagined them before - anchovy mustard, summer afternoon corn relish, soy & ginger pickled green mango to name but a few. A section on home-smoking has me in total excitement to try hot smoked salmon or smoked maple & bourbon chicken, so watch this space for updates on my smoking adventures. 

Apple & Sage Jelly in the making

After I finally gave into temptation on a Sunday afternoon, to pick up the book and decide on what to make..... Apple & Sage jelly was a must (mainly, because I had all the right ingredients at home). The aroma swaying through the kitchen was fresh & musty at the same time - so homely, I was smiling inside and out. The instructions were very clear and I ended up with a clear fragrant jelly as promised.

Golden Amber in a Jar

This book is for everyone who loves preserving food but wants to step it up a bit and bring preserving to a higher level.... This is the next level and the next after that... I am happy to have met Diana Henry through her book and can't wait to get my hands on her other books...

Edible Gifts - Lemon Verbena Vodka

Flavoured alcohol is a great gift but needs to be planned as it needs a few weeks maturing. I have a wonderful herb garden that gave me mint, lemon verbena, rosemary and lots of other wonderful herbs. For this flavoured vodka, I have used Lemon Verbena but the principle works with any other herb or spices as well. Last year, I made Christmas Vodka with cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel and the aroma from that combination was just amazing. 

Lemon Verbena is very 'citrussy' and works well with white chocolate and in lemonades. I wanted to try it with the vodka and I think it worked out pretty well. This vodka-herb combination is perfect for cocktails and long drinks.Poured into beautiful bottles, labelled with a homemade tag - it makes a wonderful gift, maybe add some cocktail equipment with it and you make a cocktail lover very happy.

Lemon Verbena Vodka

Lemon Verbena Vodka

• 1 cup lemon verbena leaves (or more)
• 1 bottle of vodka
• 400g sugar

Take a Kilner Jar (or any jar that can be closed airtight), put the washed and dried lemon verbena leaves into the jar and pour the vodka over it. Add the sugar and stir well. Close the lid and leave to stand overnight.

The next day, either shake the jar or stir for the sugar to swirl around (you won't get the sugar to dissolve straight away). Continue for a week or until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to stand in a dark, cool place for a month.

Strain into clean and sterilised bottles, add a new verbena leaf per bottle and add a tag or label. 

Serve with sparkling wine, orange juice or lemonade.

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

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

The Best Herbed Salt

My herb garden has provided me with a lot more herb that I could use in my normal cooking (small tip - lemon balm has the habit of taking over - so either leave it in a pot or in its on bed) so I made my famous (yeap, my foodie friends know this salt for years) herbed salt. I am actually embarrassed to admit how easy it is but here we go - you need a good mix of herbs - I used parsley, rosemary, sage (purple and green), thyme and some dried chilli. The combination of herbs will determent the flavour of the salt (too much rosemary might overpower the other herbs). I always add chilli to the mix as it first of all looks nice with the red speckles in it but it also lifts the salt into a new dimension. Some grated lemon zest makes the herbs come alive.

Simply wash and dry (best overnight) the herbs, put them together with the salt (about 500g) in a food processor and blitz until all herbs are mixed up with the salt. I personally don't like my salt to be too fine, so I blitz the herbs separately and mix the salt in afterwards.



I have a big jar which I keep in the fridge but it is also a lovely gift for your friends. I collect small jam jars (the ones you get sometimes in restaurants when ordering scones) and at Christmas my friends get it as a stocking filler.

Stockcube in a Jar

As a passionate cook - I try to cook as much from scratch as possible. That includes making stock. I really don't like stock cubes at all - especially since the cube has never seen any real ingredients apart from salt. I am not squeamish about salt but I like to decide myself what I put into the food. And let's face it - it doesn't have any flavour. I love risotto and it is one of my midweek treats but you need a good stock to make a great risotto and making stock in midweek is not a task I want to do after a day's work.



River Cottage has a series of handbooks out and one of them is Preserves (I also have the bread & mushroom editions). While flipping through the pages I came across a recipe for Souper Mix - a brilliant idea (not sure why I didn't come up with it). Basically you mince an assortment of vegetables with salt and store it in sterilised jars. Take 1 tsp or 2 and pour boiling water over it and et voilá you have freshly made stock - that actually tastes of stock. I chose a selection from the garden, carrots, leeks, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage & parsley (yeap, all from my Kitchen Garden). I also had a jar of sundried tomatoes and added a few as well.

You can use any combination - just be careful as the choice will determent the flavour in your end product. I personally believe that carrots give the best aroma and I love parsley - my main ingredients were indeed carrots, leeks and parsley. Give it a try - it is well worth it. The amount of salt depends on the amount of vegetables.

By the way, if you like preserving food - River Cottage Handbook is a great book to use and learn