The race is on to get the decorations up, the pumpkins carved, the costume sorted and the treats and goodies all laid out! Yes, Halloween is literally two days away. I've just moved into a new house so despite the fact that we've been carting furniture in and out I have found time to pick up some pumpkins, although carving them is still on the 'to do' list. I'm planning to make a velvet pumpkin soup served in the pumpkin itself, some roasted savoury pumpkin seeds and an all American pumpkin pie if I get a chance over the weekend, but this week I've been busy baking up barmbrack! I had planned to include the recipe in last week's Cork News Menu pages but unfortunately it was eaten up before I got a chance to take a picture!
Barmbrack is a big part of Halloween tradition here in Ireland, with objects baked in the dough signifying different things. In most shop bought barmbracks you'll find a ring, which if you're lucky enough to receive it in a slice means you should be wed within one year! My mother recently told me the story of when she lived in Finland as a child and my grandmother generously baked a barmbrack for their Finnish neighbours, only to be berated by the lady next door after her child nearly choked on the ring! Needless to say they moved back to Ireland not long after! In keeping with tradition, I cheekily asked the baker at our local supermarket if he could give me a ring to put in my barmbrack, and he had no problem handing over a few, so don't be afraid to ask! This is a really easy recipe but it does take a bit of time, so if you want to enjoy it on Halloween night, make sure to get cooking today!
Halloween Barmbrack This recipe makes a really beautiful moist loaf which is packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which sits overnight in cold tea and whiskey to soak up all the goodness. You can drop the whiskey if you wish but I think it adds another flavour kick...
Makes one 900g loaf 225g cream flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder 375g packet of fruit mix 250ml cold tea 50ml of whiskey 125g light brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice A ring to place inside
Place the fruit mix in a bowl and pour over the whiskey and cold tea. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight. Preheat the oven to 170oC/Gas Mark 3 and grease and line a 900g loaf tin Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice in a mixing bowl. Make a well and break in the egg, using a wooden spoon, mix the egg with the dry ingredients. Add a little bit of the liquid the fruit mix is sitting in and mix it through. You may not need all the liquid, you are looking for a wet dough. Then stir through the fruit mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Add in the ring and stir through. Spoon the wet dough into the lined loaf tin and place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on wire rack. Cover in cling wrap and tin foil and allow to sit for 1-2 days before cutting into it. Serve in slices spread with a little butter and good cuppa!
We arrived in Cannes for a holiday last week, I came armed with a copy of Elizabeth David's French country cooking and Sofie my girlfriend with a copy of "The Notebook" (yes the soppy love story, the big screen version of which she has seen way too many times to count), so as you can imagine we have fairly different agendas on this summer holiday! I think it's always important to have a sniff around the local food market as a way of getting your bearings when you first arrive at a new place. It's been something that is engrained on my mind from an early age after hours of traipsing behind my parents on every family holiday, my dad busy comparing prices to the fruit and veg at home, while my mom being a bit more practical would be eyeing up a nice piece of meat for dinner. Needless to say it didn't take me very long to tire of reading by the pool and after a long drive the wrong way into Cannes and a fight with the GPS who I thought might be more interesting if we changed the language to French, we discovered the most beautiful French food market.
The Marché Forville is a massive covered market specialising in fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers and takes place every day except Monday's when it becomes the home to a spectacular antique market. The place literally crawls with activity. Big beefy stall holders eyeing up potential customers and of course the many well endowed Cote D'azur ladies, savvy French shoppers in the know, picking up up pieces of fish to inspect every inch of it, bronzed grannies beating their way through the crowds filling those distinctly French wheely bags to the brim with the best the market has to offer and then of course the tourists who like ourselves are busy snapping photos and taking it all in. You can't leave a place like this without a paper bag heavy with the summers finest fruit.
Baked Peaches with Vanilla Sugar Stoned summer fruits are whack bang in season at the moment and there are lots and lots of different recipes you can use to make the most of them, however I think keeping things simple brings out the natural juicy flavours and leaves you with far less washing up to do. A win win situation I think you'll agree! If you can't get vanilla sugar you can quite easily make a homemade batch by popping a vanilla pod in a jar filled with caster sugar. Or alternatively just use caster sugar and a splash of good quality vanilla extract.
Serves 4 8 peaches, halved with stones removed 3 tablespoons of vanilla sugar 2 tablespoons of water Vanilla ice cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas Mark 6. Arrange the peaches in a non stick baking tray and sprinkle over the water. Dust each peach with a little of the vanilla sugar until each one is nicely coated. Place the peaches into the oven for around an hour or until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife. Serve the peaches with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Another recipe from that amazing dinnerparty I keep mentioning, this time it's the turn of the amazing cheesecake which Sadhbh's son Jamie prepared. Cheesecake is definitely a winner when it comes to making desserts ahead of time, and even if you don't have a son to make it for you, it's not to tricky to get great results! :)
White Chocolate Cheesecake (Recipe from Bill Granger's "Bills Food")
Serves 8 100g plain digestive biscuits 50g butter, melted 400g of good quality white chocolate 284 ml carton of double cream 250g full-fat soft cheese (such as Moonshine Farm cream cheese) 250g tub of mascarpone cheese
For the sauce 275g blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, plus extra to serve 50g golden caster sugar 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Whizz the biscuits in a processor until they look like breadcrumbs. Pour in the melted butter and whiz again briefly. Line the base of a 20cm springform tin with a disc of baking parchment. Tip the mixture in and press firmly to cover the base in an even layer – use the back of a spoon. Cover and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make the topping. Break the chocolate into small pieces into a heatproof bowl. Put it over a pan of simmering water, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the chocolate has melted. Stir once or twice. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool slightly. Gently beat the cream, cheese and mascarpone in a bowl until well-combined – don’t overbeat it or it will go too stiff. Stir in the melted chocolate until the mix is smooth. Spoon this mixture on to the biscuit base and put the cheesecake back in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. To make the sauce, tip half the blueberries into a blender or food processor, add the sugar and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Press through a sieve into a bowl and set aside until needed. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and cut into slices. Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with the fruit sauce and top with the remaining fresh fruit.
Grand Marnier: blended cognacs with orange essence
Speaking of tradition, it's as good as written law around here that when there are fresh, local strawberries on hand there must also be strawberry shortcake. So, we had back to back shortcake. The second time 'round though I needed it to be an easily transported dessert to bring to a party. Cake form seemed like the perfect way to go, all assembled and easy to head out with. Playing on the orange tones of my first orange-rosemary shortcake, I incorporated some Grand Marnier to lend a sweet citrus flavor to the whipped cream. Also, instead of a plain vanilla bean cake, I made a rustic cornmeal cake to add pleasant texture and sweetness from the fresh milled corn.
Cornmeal cake with Grand Marnier vegan whipped cream and fresh berries
One note though, as pretty as it is to have the green tops on the strawberries topping this cake, it's a total suckers move and I implore you to resist it! I can't tell you how many ways in which I should have known better, but the beauty of the berries with the tops still on conspired to drag me down as I opted, thoughtlessly, for aesthetics over eating. A choice that meant I later had to sit, shamefaced, as my friends picked berries out of the mess of whipped cream to remove the tops, which of course they couldn't enjoyably eat. Sigh.
Strawberry rhubarb pie with cornmeal pâte sucrée
I tried to make it up to them though with my favorite pie, strawberry rhubarb. Following the thought about cornmeal and strawberries, which worked so well in the cornmeal shortcake, I made a tender pâte sucrée with cornmeal and coconut oil instead of margarine or oil. The coconut was a very mild flavor influence on the end result and worked surprisingly well in the crust which was wonderfully flaky, light and tenderly sweet against the tart fruit filling.
Fresh strawberry jam filled rambutan mochi with Thai basil sauce and strawberry powder
Last year I served my strawberry rhubarb pie with basil ice cream, but this year my basil is not incredibly bountiful. My lemon verbena could swallow up the yard, but the basil is sort of a no-go. It's sad. There is enough to work smaller projects with though, so I made a dessert that caught my eye in Johnny Iuzzini's Dessert FourPlay a couple months ago. In the original version, Iuzzini fills strawberry mochi with strawberry rhubarb compote and serves it with basil fluid gel. I took some liberties to make the dessert a little faster to assemble and different in flavor, pairing my fresh strawberry jam filling with a freeze-dried rambutan mochi (reasoning that if I find an affinity between strawberries and lychees, rambutans would work as well) and serving it with Thai basil sauce. My mochi technique could use some work (I blame the leakage on my imperfect motor control with a hand still swollen from carpal tunnel release surgery) but overall, I adored this light little dessert and its intriguing Southeast Asian flavors.
Chocolate spiced baby banana pudding with strawberries
A more straightforward, classic pairing between strawberries and chocolate was something I noticed had fallen by the wayside this season. I guess I've been taking my chocolate pretty straight these days and have been in a particular rut with the super dry, dark and lovely 84% Theo single origin bar from Ghana. So good. But I digress. Feeling that these amazing strawberries could make chocolate even more magical, I whipped up a very random pudding of organic baby bananas, dark chocolate, anise, chilies, cinnamon, nutmeg and espresso salt, sweetened with date syrup and topped with fresh berries. It was meant as a quick treat of no consequence but was so good, I'm pledged to make it again and actually write down every element of the recipe since several friends have proclaimed it's one of the best things ever, period.
Breakfast with berries and nibs
After finally getting my strawberry and chocolate fix, I realized that I'd sort of been enjoying the two together all along in my breakfast bowl. Homemade cocoa nib granola with fresh berries isn't quite chocolate dipped strawberries, but it's more than satisfying at seven am.
Almond crust mini tarts with fresh fruit, nibs and lemon verbena
Thinking about how nicely nibs complemented strawberries, I sprinkled a few Taza chocolate covered nibs into my mini tarts. They provided a nice bittersweet crunch against the fruit and buttery almond crust.
Almond strawberry cheesecake
Almonds are a natural complement to strawberries. Their rich sweetness and lightly bitter edge are perfect against tart berry notes. And there's a reason why strawberry cheesecake is so popular; sweet tangy cheese has its richness both cut slightly and complemented by each bite of berry. So, an almond crusted and amaretto spiked cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries glazed with hot strawberry syrup and sprinkled with almond slices seemed like just the thing.
Whole wheat English muffin with farmer's cheese and strawberry rhubarb jam
I've had a lot of semi-successful vegan cheese-ish substances around lately as I've been experimenting to find one that really suits me. None of them are perfect, but with a good amount of fiddling, they've all turned into tasty additions to desserts and ice cream bases. The mixture that I turned into cheesecake was also spun off into a nice mellow farmer's cheese that went wonderfully with fresh strawberry rhubarb jam (again from the Joy of Jams, but with much less sugar than called for).
bagels fresh out of the oven
In fact, I made several jams from the new book: plain strawberry, strawberry rhubarb and strawberry kiwi. With such deliciously fresh tasting jams are hanging around the house, it seemed pretty much obvious that I needed to make a delicious delivery mechanism for them. So when King Aurthur flour had a free-shipping deal, I refilled my stock of organic high gluten flour and made a batch of bagels from the Bread Baker's Apprentice, some coated into sesame seeds and some streaked with pasilla chili powder and topped with chili lime Hawaiian sea salt.
Brunch at Dara's with everyone's delicious contributions: homemade bagels and jam, fennel seitan, chicory in tahini garlic sauce, roasted potatoes, beet orzo and melon with mint
Toasted and spread equally with fresh made jam and strawberry cream cheese, these were a delicious promise that the joy of strawberries in season can last as long as the jars of jam do, even if we've only got another week or two to enjoy them fresh.
Yes we arrived safe and sound on Saturday morning and to settle in to Parisian life we spent a lovely evening with some old friends in their home just outside the city. I am here as you probably have read in my earlier post to cook for 500 people on Wednesday night at an event called Foodstock organised by Parisian magazine, Le Fooding. Knowing that the few days before the big night would be a little crazy, I thought it would be important to have the weekend to get reacquainted with the city I loved so much during my teens. One of the biggest things for me, was to come back with a really good camera and photograph the amazing scenery.
When I spent some time here during my teens I used to sketch things and I guess that was how I interpreted the beauty, but now I am back armed with my trusty Canon 5 MK II and there is no stopping me! Of course, the other thing to note since I was last here, is my increased interest in food, while I would have been preoccupied with the sights and sounds of this stunning city, I may have overlooked the vast and varied amount of endless foodie haunts to be discovered. As if to make up for the shortsighted choices of my teens, we spent the whole of Sunday trawling through as many of the foodie recommendations as possible, which had been made to me by people on twitter, our Parisian friends and of course the lovely Noreen from Bord Bia.
First stop on the list was the amazing Raspail Organic Market which is based on Boulevard Raspail quite close to St. Germain de Pres. After a somewhat failed attempt at searching for foodie stops the day before, it was an absolute pleasure to walk up the steps from the metro right into the market itself, which at 10am on a Sunday, was already a hive of activity. It is quite clear that while the rest of world is still shivering with the cold, spring has most certainly sprung in Paris, with bunches of daffodils being sold for €1 each, the trees above the market showing signs of buds already, and of course the fantastic array of new season produce on offer at the stands. The market which operates normally on a Tuesday and Friday morning, changes things up on a Sunday and provides only organically grown produce. Apparently it is where the jet set shop, on Le weekend, and Sofie claims to have spotted Christian Audigier but I'm not so sure!
There was truly a wonderful selection of fresh vegetables and mouthwatering fruit and nothing gets me more excited than seeing such a wide array on offer. My only problem is I want to cook it all, but have nowhere to cook, so I have promised myself the next time I come to the city, we will rent a place with a beautiful kitchen to make some fantastic dishes fresh from the market.
As if there wasn't enough excitement from the fruit and vegetable stalls, there was amazing cheese on offer from countless stalls, with one of the stands offering samples of a delicious soft cheese on top of some crusty bread, and a really gutsy butcher counter with cuts of meat which would scare off even the toughest Irish supermarket shopper!
We came to the end of the market with our mouths watering and just in time for Le petit dejuener! In a small cafe nearby, I ordered the simple French dish of crepes avec fromage et jambon (savoury pancakes with cheese and ham) which certainly hit the spot as we watched people walk past with bags full of ingredients ready to cook up a big Sunday lunch!
I thought I should really post this sooner rather than later, as I would imagine the remaining blackberries on the bushes have only a matter of days before they are all completely gone. So go out and get picking before it's too late! This is my recipe for this month's Irish Tatler magazine to which I now regularly contribute, this month's edition is out now, so check it out!
If you can't get your hands on blackberries you could just as easily use frozen mixed berries which are a great freezer stand by and just allow them to thaw before you add them. Boylans fruit farms have a great selection of frozen berries and you should be able to find them in most Irish supermarkets. They should work wonderfully in this recipe if your stuck!
Good Mood Food Blackberry Mess
This is my take on the classic English recipe "Eton Mess" which originally uses strawberries. You can really use any fruit here and just adapt on the cream and meringue mixture. The recipe takes minutes to throw together and is a super last mintue dessert.
Serves 4 200g of blackberries 6-8 tablespoons of blackberry coulis 4-5 meringues 250ml of cream 4 glasses for individual servings
In a bowl, whip the cream until it becomes thick. Crumble the meringues into the cream and stir to combine. Gently fold half the blackberry coulis into the cream and meringue mix until you get a nice marbled effect. Place a few blackberries in each glass and layer with the cream and meringue mixture. Repeat the process. Serve with an extra drizzle of coulis and a few more blackberries on top of each. Delicious!
It's quickly becoming an annual tradition that early on a Saturday morning at the start of autumn just before the leaves fall from the trees, we take my little cousin out blackberry picking. It doesn't take too much persuading really, because at the end of our trek around the local hedgerows and fields, she always knows we'll end up cooking a whole batch of sweets and treats. Last year we spent a bumper day of cooking, which included, Blackberry Coulis, Blackberry Mess and the most amazing blackberry cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting! AMAZING!
This year it was just a big batch of blackberry jam and these really easy blackberry crumb slices. Blackberries are most certainly not the most pretty of fruits our Irish countryside has to offer, especially when compared to our most prized summer berry the seductive and far more grown up, glamourous, strawberry. No the blackberry is a bit more like your rough and ready cousin who doesn’t bother with the latest trends and insists on wearing wooly jumpers! But despite all this, blackberries are by far the most accessible and economical of all the fruits our countryside has to offer, with bramble bushes along most road sides literally teeming with the bulging black fruit. So if you have the time this weekend, grab a few extra hands, pull out an old basket or a bucket and get picking! I got some good advice to bring an umbrella with a hook on the end to pull down the branches- the big ones are always at the top!
Blackberry Crumb Slices I think these blackberry crumb slices match the fruit perfectly! They are most definitely and bit more rustic looking than most cake slices, but are full of warm sponge and juicy flavours. Both the cake mix and the crumb topping are extremely easy to make and great for baking with kids!
Makes 24 delicious slices 115g butter, at room temperature 175g caster sugar 1 large free range egg 280g self raising flour 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 125ml milk 300g of fresh blackberries (you could use frozen if you’re stuck)
For the sweet crumb topping 115g caster sugar 85g plain flour zest of 1 lemon 75g of butter
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5. Grease a rectangular baking tin and line it with parchment paper. If you’re stuck for parchment paper you could probably get away with greasing the tin and flouring it instead. Using a hand mixer, in a bowl beat together the sugar and butter until pale. Add in the egg whisking to incorporate the mixture little by little. Using a wooden spoon fold in the flour, cinnamon and milk. Mix gently until you have a sticky dough like mixture. Spread evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking tin, this requires patience as the dough can be sticky, but bear with it you’ll get there! Then arrange the blackberries on top. Set aside while you prepare the sweet crumb topping. Add all the ingredients for the sweet crumb topping to a bowl and rub the dry ingredients into the butter with your fingertips as you would with pastry. Keep mixing until you have a mixture that resembles rough breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the blackberries in the baking tray and place in the oven on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into 24 pieces.
My mom called me last week to tell me she'd eaten the first of the berries from her newly planted patch. "It was amazing," she sighed, "like they used to be when you were young." While I can't say for sure how good store-bought strawberries were when I was a kid, I do know that 20-some years of agribusiness hasn't done the strawberry any favors. Typically, they are as big as they are bland, streaked with white inside and dry as a sun-baked bone. They contain only the barest hint of what they could be were they ripened to a bright red by the sun, picked in season and eaten immediately.
Craigie on Main, a local restaurant, makes an admirable proclamation on their menu, "sorry, no tomatoes til August." It's an acknowledgment of the fact that local tomatoes eaten in season are pretty much the only tomatoes worth serving and eating. While it might seem sad to not have a tomato at any other time of the year, it turns that moment in which local tomatoes are available into a celebration of the perfection to be found in eating locally and seasonally. It's in that spirit that I also advocate a "sorry, no strawberries 'til June" position, but you know what? It's June!
This is the strawberry moment for New England. The fields are full of juicy red fruit, ready to tumble from the stem into an outstretched hand. And that's just what they did on a recent trip out to Western Massachusetts where we spent the morning picking.
Even the plants in my newly inherited community garden plot are bearing fruit, despite being uncared for over the winter. Next year I expect they will be even more plentiful, but this year they are good only for a quick garden snack, which is probably fine since I had so many other berries to deal with from the picking trip.
There's little that can improve upon the experience of a perfectly ripe strawberry, heavy with sun-warmed juice, but a freshly plucked mint leaf is a nice touch, the cool sharpness contrasting with subtle sweet-tart warmth.
If you do insist on messing about with these perfect berries though, I can't think of many better ways than to go with the classic strawberry shortcake. Of course, I really can't help but mess about, which is how this one-off shortcake was born. Thinking of the natural affinity between strawberries and oranges and a less obvious connection between berries and astringent herbs, I employed my orange-rosemary sugar to make spelt biscuits with lots of flavor and a little more substance than usual, but with all the flaky tender-crumbed charm of a standard shortcake. Instead of macerating the strawberries with sugar, a process usually employed to soften the berries slightly and make them give up some of their juices, I tossed the already juicy and soft berries with a strawberry syrup, made with instruction from the new and wonderful book, The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves.
The syrup is a simple matter of macerating the berries with sugar and letting them sit overnight before cooking them down, pureeing and straining the mixture. It yields a gorgeous thick syrup that is purely, deliciously full of strawberry flavor. It's wonderful over waffles and refreshing mixed into sparkling water or sparkling wine (I recommend Moscato d'Asti) for a fun brunch drink that mixes things up from the traditional mimosa.
http://dinnerdujour.org/ - A new Irish blog that sold me on the cookbook graphic selection alone!
http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/barefoot-contessa-kitchen-of-the-year - Ina Garten's 50 ideas for a better kitchen, lovely illustrations!
http://www.bestinseason.ie - A big thanks to Bord Bia for their lovely harvest hamper, this site is great as it outlines which fruit and vegetables are in season.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027P8GLQ/- A really cool ginger peeler from OXO, very clever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-zrMCY2W5s- Barbara Walters attempts to tackle Paula Deen's fatty foods!
After a fairly busy weekend the majority of my worldly belongings have been moved into our new house! The bad news we got today however is that it's going to take a whopping 25 days to get broadband installed in the house because there hasn't been a line there since 1994. So a life of robbing other peoples internet is what's on the cards for the next 25 days. Which isn't a bad thing really, I mean I would get far more things done if I wasn't drooling over my new favourite food blog What Katie Ate and talking crap on twitter. The truth is that I will probably far more focused now on cooking in the kitchen without my laptop keys getting covered in flour, corners nearly being singed and screen getting a lovely smattering of grease.
We should really talk about the kitchen, it is a bit of a work in progress but there is lots and lots of light and space so in the next few days I'll be adding a few touches to make it perfect and then you most definitely will be due a photo or two. Very exciting stuff! The other advantage this new lovely house has is a big back garden, which at the moment looks like an overgrown jungle, but with a bit of work, by next spring will make the perfect little vegetable garden! Right enough new house talk how about a recipe?
Rustic Apple and Blackberry Galettes These are one of my favorite little autumnal (yes I said autumnal, it rolls off the tongue doesn't it!) desserts, because they are really easy and make you look like a baking genius, when, realistically all you do is make some pastry and fill it with apples and blackberries. No messing around with blind baking, pie tins, or fancy latticing here, this is a no fuss dessert which you have to serve with cream or, even better, a soft scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Serves 4 Pastry: 250g of plain flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 140g of chilled butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg yolk 3 tablespoons of cold water
Filling: 250g of blackberries 250g of cooking apples, peeled and sliced thinly 4 tablespoons of light brown sugar A good squeeze of lemon juice 1 egg whisked together with a drop of milk to brush on the galettes
Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. This can take time, but don't worry the mixture will come together. Add the egg yolk and water and form the dough using your hands. Press the dough into a sausage shape and cover it in clingfilm, place in the fridge to chill for at least 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas mark 5. Mix together the blackberries, apples, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Split the dough in four and roll each quarter out into 6"/15cm circles on a floured work surface with a rolling pin. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet with a non stick surface. Add a handful of the blackberry apple mix to the centre of each pastry circle and fold the sides of the pastry up and over the sides of the fruit mix. Brush with the pastry with egg wash and place in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving with a dollop of thick, cool whipped cream and dust with a little icing sugar.
Who knew writing a book would actually take a bit of work! I've been meaning to post something over the last few weeks, but every spare minute has been focused on the writing and taking pictures. But more importantly I'm here and I have a recipe!
This is Sofie's very first Halloween, as they don't celebrate the night as much in Sweden. She was working late last year and was less than impressed when I tried to introduce her to the fun of the event by jumping out of the wardrobe with a mask on! With the big night landing on a friday this year, we're getting into the spirit of things and have been busy carving pumpkins. Sofie has named our two "The Dark Knight" and "Darth Wader" (I think she meant "Darth Vader", must be the Swedish pronounciation!).
Hope you like our's, we'd love to see your pumpkins, so if you have pictures post a link in the comments section!
I had planned to post this recipe since the start of the month, so I'm glad I'm finally getting around to it. Just in the nick of time too! It's Halloween this Friday, so if you haven't got a pumpkin just yet, here's a great little snack you can put together with the reminants of the gutted vegetable.
Nacha's Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
My parents are in the fruit and vegetable business, this meant we always had two massive pumkins every Halloween, when my brother and I were growing up. Carving pumpkins became an annual tradition and everyone had a role. My brother and I would draw the faces, my mom would gut the pumpkins, and my dad would carve them. There was always huge arguements over choosing the right pumpkin and even more competition when it came to drawing the best and most scary face! I picked this recipe up from our first au-pair from France, Nacha, who taught us never to throw away any of the precious seeds. They are so tasty toasted with butter and sea salt. Here's the simple recipe.
The seeds of 2 large pumpkins. 4 tablespoons of melted butter. A generous pinch of coarse sea salt. A generous pinch of ground black pepper.
Cut off the top of the pumpkins. Using your hands, separate the seeds from the gooey insides and transfer to a colander. Rinse the slippy seeds under cold water and pick out any remaining stringy orange flesh. Transfer to a few sheets of kitchen paper or a dry tea towel and pat dry. Tip the seeds into a large roasting dish and spoon over the melted butter. Toss the seeds so they are all coated in the butter and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toast in the oven at 200oC/390oF/Gas 6, for 20 minutes or until nice and golden.
The weekend we went blackberry picking I sacrificed making blackberry jam so that we could make this coulis. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough to make both and the thing about coulis is that it can be used in more than one recipe, it's essential for the blackberry cupcakes I'll be posting tomorrow and perfect for the delicious blackberry mess which I submitted as my recipe for the November edition of Irish Tatler. After a long walk over Howth hill the other day, it seems like there is still a huge amount of berries still ripe for the picking. I may just have to go and get some to make some jam during the week.
Blackberry Coulis
(Recipe from BBC Good Food) Blackberry coulis is a wonderfully versatile fruity sauce which is perfect for a wide variety of desserts. The coulis also freezes extremely well and should last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Makes about 150ml/¼ pint 250g blackberries 50g golden caster sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract
Put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml/31⁄2fl oz water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft. Stir in the vanilla, remove and cool a little. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and whizz to a purée, then strain through a sieve, rubbing it through with the back of a ladle or spoon. Serve warm or chilled. Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
September is always one of those months like January where the slate is wiped clean and it's time to start all over again. The kids are back at school and students back to college, and professional nomads like myself are back to reality! Between all our moving around over the summer months, things were a little chaotic especially when it came to food. Normal routine went out the window, replaced by irregular eating times and extra helpings of desserts - a good dollop of cream with everything. You could definitely say I indulged over the last few months and unfortunately, I'm not exactly feeling the better of it!
Since we arrived back in Ireland however, things are back on track, the kitchen is stocked with fruit and veggies and all my essential storecupboard ingredients have been replenished. As amazing as it is to travel, there really is nothing like being back home in your own kitchen.
With the winter months fast approaching, the inclination to stay inside and out of the cold becomes all the more tempting, so instead of dodging the weather and waiting until the New Year, I'm heading outdoors and getting active! All this new healthy living will take it's toll, mind you, so luckily I have a few healthy, filling recipes up my sleeve to stave off starvation and make sure I'm getting all the good stuff. This recipe comes from my book Good Mood Food: Simple, Healthy, Homecooking, it's the perfect little pick me up for those cold winter days - packed with nutrients from start to finish and full of flavour!
Boot Camp Soup This a surprisingly tasty soup, which is wonderfully cleansing. Used originally as part of a weight-loss diet, I make it regularly as a really substantial lunch. This recipe makes a generous amount – I freeze half the soup and keep the rest in the fridge.
Serves 8 3 onions, chopped into chunks 2 green peppers, chopped into chunks 1 bunch of celery, chopped into chunks 1 iceberg lettuce, chopped into chunks 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 800ml/1½ pints vegetable stock 300g/10½oz lentils or soup mix Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes until the lentils are soft. Blend the soup to a smooth consistency with a hand blender; you may need to add a little extra stock if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
In case you didn't know already I'm from Howth, which, for the benifit of foreign readers, is a really picturesque fishing village just north of Dublin. I've grown up here all my life, and I have to admit that it is only recently that I have really started to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. There is so much to see, amazing cliff walks, boat trips to the nearby island, Ireland's Eye, a super collection of fresh fish mongers and some really well respected restaurants.
During the summer months we try and get out fishing as much as possible, mackerel is normally the fish of the day, but sometimes pollack is pulled out of the blue too. Early on most sunny Sunday mornings, hidden from the sight of land lovers, there is a eclectic little group of small fishing boats from Howth, which can be found floating just off the back of Ireland's Eye, all with one aim, the day's catch. Rods and lines at the ready in the calm blue, the process of fishing takes pride of place, but of course amongst the peaceful calm there is the secret competition for the first fish. Even the most relaxed individual can't deny the envy of another boat with a line full and heavy with fish. Our most recent trip, in the first week in June, unfortunately did not produce any fish, so we arrived back to land with food on the brain.
For the past few years, traders and food producers from all over Ireland come to Howth to the farmers market which is set up every Sunday to provide locals and tourists with tasty treats, fresh vegetables, and quality meats. Although the quality of produce is generally high, it can be quite expensive, so I normally only purchase something I can't get in the supermarket. With the suprisingly good Irish summer fully in swing, there was a huge selection of fresh summer fruits on offer and I couldn't resist. Fresh cherries were my fruit of choice as I had been contemplateing a cherry clafoutis for the last few weeks, so the opportunity couldn't be passed.
Also on offer, was an incredible full cooked pig which was slowly being roasted on a spit, which they were slowly slicing pieces off, for sandwiches which were being sold.
If you are ever in Howth make sure to come on Sunday, the market is open from 10am - 4pm pretty much all year round.
This week I was on The Afternoon Show cooking up some diabetic desserts and in preperation I did a lot of research on the topic and spoke to lovely Sinead from Diabeties Federation of Ireland who gave me the low down on some fantastic dessert ideas for people with diabeties. This delicious panna cotta is one of the desserts recommended and it’s an absolutely perfect one for entertaining!
Simple Panna Cotta with summer fruits and dark chocolate! If you have never made this type of dessert before, don’t be put off, it is super easy and this is a wonderfully light and fruity dessert which is the perfect little pick me up after a heavy meal. The advantage of panna cotta is that you can make them ahead of time and stick them in the freezer allowing you time to prepare the rest of your meal. I particularly like them because they really look impressive when you slip them out of their moulds and serve them with the delicious fruit.
Makes 2 Panna Cotta 4 gelatine leaves 2 tablespoons of artificial sweetener 4 tablespoons milk 500g natural yogurt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract To serve: 200g strawberries, hulled 2 squeezes lemon juice 1 tablespoon artificial sweetener 200g raspberries 100g blueberries A small handful of dark chocolate shavings
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water in a shallow dish. Put the artificial sweetener and milk in a small pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring up to the boil, then take off the heat. Take the gelatine out of the water and stir into the hot milk. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Beat in the yogurt and vanilla extract and pour into 2 moulds or you could use ramekins. Chill in the fridge until set, this usually takes about 3 hours. To make the sauce, puree the strawberries with the lemon juice and artificial sweetener. Sieve to remove pips. Mix the raspberries and blueberries in a separate large, pretty serving bowl. To serve, dunk each mould into warm water for about 10 seconds, swiftly dry the base, then turn the panna cotta out on an individual plate. Spoon a little of the strawberry sauce and berries around each pudding, sprinkle with some dark chocolate shavings and serve.
I think Sweden is slightly behind on the garden growing front, we visited Sofie's dad's little garden patch last night and his strawberries are still a little bit away from bursting into colour. Though bearing in mind the last time I was here the ground was covered completely in a thick layer of snow, could have a lot to do with it! When I left on Monday our strawberries plants were heaving with big ruby red fruit and suprisingly enough the birds weren't hatching their usual plan to steal them all. I guess seeing me shouting at them in my underwear with a stick during last years seige did the trick!
One of the cool things Sweden has on the strawberry front are these fantastic wild plants which produce the tiniest little sweet strawberries you can imagine. They grow in garden hedgerows and are found throughout Sweden. Hopefully there will be a few ripe ones ready to pick before I leave so I can photograph them and show you. Today's recipe is one I shot a few weeks back with some beautiful Irish strawberries which are bang smack in season right now, so if your tempted pick up some and make this delicious cake!
Mega Strawberry Summer Cake Strawberries really should be celebrated with over the top desserts and if you want to look beyond the simplicity and utter deliciousness of strawberries and cream then this is the cake for you! When you are assembling the layers of cake make sure you give it an extra little squeeze to ensure those mouth watering dribbles of jam down the sides.
Serves 8 3 large eggs 225g of caster sugar 50g of butter, melted 100ml of milk 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 210g plain flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder
For the filling and topping: 80g of strawberry jam 300g of strawberries, hulled 250ml of cream
Preheat the oven to 175oC/Gas 4 and grease and line two x 8 inch spring form baking tins. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Mix the milk, melted butter and vanilla extract together in a measuring jug and pour into the sugar and egg. Mix through to combine. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and then using a spatula, gently fold in to the cake mix until completely smooth and combined. Divide the mix evenly between the two baking tins and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When both cake layers are completely cooled, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Sieve the jam into a bowl to ensure it is really smooth. If the cake layers have a peak in the middle make sure to slice it off so you are left with perfectly flat layers. Place one layer on a cake stand and dollop with half the cream, spread evenly and then drizzle with the smooth strawberry jam. Carefully place the second cake layer on top and add the remaining whipped cream and strawberries.
Denis Cotter is going to be doing a cookery demonstration at The Cookery School @ Donnybrook fair on the 27th of March. If you haven't come across Denis before, you have been missing out! His award winning restaurant, Café Paradiso in Cork city is well known for its innovative and inspirational food and of course Denis's love for fresh fruit and vegetables.
I came across Denis through his book "wild garlic, gooseberries ... and me" which is beautifully illustrated with really interesting closeup shots of vegetables and amazing Irish landscapes. Like another of my favourite cookery authors, Nigel Slater, Denis writes books which read more like a journey or a discovery of food rather than just recipes denoted into seperate chapters.
You can read more info about Denis on his website here or contact Monique if you are interested in attending! Sounds like it's going to be a good one!
There's a huge list of delicious ingredients coming into season this month, so now really is the time to check what your local supermarket, butcher, fishmonger or farmers market has to offer. As the season changes, bringing with it a nip in the air and beautiful crisp golden leaves, kitchen habits inevitably begin to sway a little more towards those more comforting and warming dishes.
Personally, as much as I love nice quick meals, if I have the time, delicious slow cooked meats, warm healthy soups and bubbling autumn fruit desserts always beat them hands down on a cold evening. Of course it's very important to keep active during the colder months, but nothing can be better than spending an afternoon cooking up a storm in a warm cosy kitchen, safe in the knowledge that you have a feast bubbling away in the oven. October has lots of fantastic produce coming into and already in season, including mussels, pumpkins, nuts, celeriac and blackberries.
This week's recipes are part of my Big Harvest Feast; creamy mussels steamed in cider, delicious slow cooked lamb shanks with colcannon mash, and a cosy little dessert of rustic apple and blackberry galettes. I think they make the most of what's in season right now and after devouring it all after taking these photographs, I can promise you it tastes darn good!
Mussels in Irish Cider Mussels have a reputation for being difficult to cook, but this is just not true. The hardest part in reality is the washing. Place them in cold water (they should close, if they don't you should throw them away). Scrub any dirt off the surface of the mussels and remove the beard with a small knife. If you can get this down you will have no trouble and they take minutes to cook, so they're the perfect little starter. I love serving the pot straight to the table from the stove and clunking large spoonfuls of the cooked steaming mussels onto guest's plates. Make sure to serve with some chunky bread to mop up the juices!
Serves 4 1.5kg mussels, washed and the beards removed 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 200g of pancetta pieces. A good knob of butter 400ml good Irish cider 4 tablespoons of cream A good handful of freshly chopped parsley, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and any that stay closed after cooking. Place a large pot over a high heat and brown the pancetta pieces until just golden and sizzling. Add in a knob of butter, allow it to melt and then add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for three minutes until the onion is soft. Add in the cider and allow to bubble away for a few minutes so all the flavours mingle in together. Tumble in the mussels, cover with a lid and allow them to steam for about four minutes until they open, making sure to give the pot a good shake once or twice during the cooking time. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and parsley and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Serve with some crusty bread to mop up the liquid!
