HEARTY WINTER SOUP AND BROWN BREAD

As the garden offers up her final fruits

The days are that beautiful autumnal crisp and heavy with the scent of damp leaves

Fire is now a ritual every evening as opposed to an occasional occurance

The seasons are vivid in the Irish Countryside

 and so much of the season is about what we eat 

 

and right now hearty soups with warm brown bread feel just about right

The thing about soup is, to me it feels a little contradictorary to offer a recipe 

as really soup, in this house, is usually about what is available or waiting to be used up 

So the following "recipe" is a guide and you should substitute the contents of your own larder

HEARTY WINTER SOUP

2 onions chopped 

A 1" piece of fresh ginger

2 large carrots

2 sticks celery

2 cups red lentils

1 tsp salt

1 stock cube 

METHOD

put onion in pan and sprinkle with salt, sautee until soft, 

add chopped carrots, celery and finely chopped ginger

sautee for 5 mins

add 2 cups of lentils 

add 3 pints of cold water and stock cube

simmer for 45 mins until everything is soft 

Blend until smooth

serve as is or with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with chive flowers 

(sweet potato, butternut squash and parsnip would all be welcome additions)

This was one of those occassions where I didn't have everything the recipe called for,

made some substitutes and the results were better than the original

BROWN BREAD

225g coarse wholemeal flour

100g whole spelt flour*

150g plain flour

1 tspn salt

1 tspn bread soda

25g butter

1 tbspn dark brown sugar

300 ml milk

100ml plain yoghurt

1 egg

seeds (optional)

*if you do not have spelt flour simply divide the 100g between the other 2 making it 

275g wholemeal and 200g plain

METHOD

Pre heat oven to 200c

line a loaf pan with a sheet of grease proof paper

Place flours, salt, bread soda into bowl

add cold butter 

rub in 

sprinkle in brown sugar

put the egg, milk and yoghurt in a jug and combine

add the wet to the dry mix and combine 

add a handful of seeds if desired, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy all work well

pour mixture into loaf pan

Bake for 40-45 mins 

allow to cool completely before cutting

 

Creamy Fudge

This is incredibly creamy and delicious

Very simple to make but you must follow the instructions 

paying special attention to timing 

INGREDIENTS

1lb caster sugar

4fl ozs milk

1 tsp salt

1 Can condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

line a 6" x 9 1/2" tin with parchment paper

Place the sugar and milk in a heavy bottom saucepan 

stir on medium heat for 2 mins until sugar is dissolved

( stir a little longer 30 seconds, if sugar is still grainy)

Add salt and condensed milk and let it start to bubble

Stir constantly bubbling mixture for 7 mins

it should be a light butterscotch colour

if you feel it is still pale stir for 1 minute longer 

but keep watching so it doesn't burn

gently stir in vanilla essence

**NOW THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT**

pour into bowl and allow to cool for 5-6 mins

when cooled whip for 1-2 mins until thick and creamy 

quickly pour into tin to set

if it starts to set mid pour 

place a sheet of grease proof paper on top and press down to smooth it out

leave to set 10 mins

turn out and cut into squares

this will keep in an airtight container for a good few days

**whipping the mixture while it is still hot will make the fudge grainy and sandy

also transferring it to a clean bowl before you whip it helps cut down on the risk of graininess

if you follow thos 2 instructions you shouls get thick and creamy fudge**

Sheridans Food festival

Yesterday was Sheridans Food Festival
there were so many things I was looking forward to
and it did not disappoint

This really is an exciting time for food in Ireland

I was blown away by not only the quality but also the quantity of
incredible food producers here

The cheese selection was amazzzzzingggg
and I love my cheese

There were also fantastic breads

good coffee

a new to me tea label

Some of them smelled so good I could have worn them as perfume
I purchased the Morrocan mint....... delicious

There were Food "celebrities "
including Donal Skehan 
and the Doyenne of the irish food movement herself

If you don't already own her book then you must go and buy it
Indeed any of her books, they are all must haves and ones you will go back to again and again

As well as food there were a small number of non food items
including my Friend Vanessa from
Very Pure soap

I use the face oil and oil cleanser and they are really great products
especially if you have sensitive skin

THE Highlight of the day though had to be finally meeting
Imen
from
I Married an Irish Farmer
......and her son

Imen did a cookery demonstration
chicken with honey dressing
and little potato and cheese tartiflettes
(not really sure what to call them )
But they were both YUMMY
the recipes will be up on her blog soon

I also purchased some of
Keogh's  hand cooked crisps = yum
A pottery bowl
some Dunany Rye bread (kicking myself for not getting some of their flour too) 
Coolea cheese
Killeen cheese
and
Clonmore cheese
as I said I like cheese

we all do

So good job Sheridans
I will be back again next time 

x x

Food Blogging baking

The loveliest thing about having a few free days 

Is having some time to bake 

The first thing on my list was 

Imen from

I Married an Irish Farmer's

Irish Brown Bread

and I can attest that this is a perfect brown soda bread

moist and crumbly

and full of flavour

I added sunflower seeds to mine

Imen has been nominated for the

Saveur food blog awards

you can vote for her here

It would be a much deserved win in my opinion

Yesterday evening Imen tweeted about 

a baking blog that is also nominated for an award

Call me cupcake

What a beautiful blog!

Maybe you already know about it

and if so .... why didn't you tell me !

The photography is stunning

so late last night I just had to try the recipes

-as great photography is all well and good but if the recipes don't work? 

pufh! well I wouldn't like to send you there and 

not be able to back up my recommendation.

So, in the spirit of blog research and authenticity 

I fired up the stove yesterday evening

As I had an abundance of chocolate left from Easter

I decided to make the 

Perfect chocolate espresso cupcakes

(actually there is no chocolate in the cake, but there is in the frosting)

Oh goodness these were delicious

so moist 

I couldn't believe that I had made them myself

I halved the frosting recipe and still had way too much 

but they were truly delicious cupcakes 

NOTE* in call me cupcake recipes 1dl = 100 ml 

and is a volume measure

in case, like me, you had no idea what is was 

all images Helen James

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

This is not a typo

As

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

is a mint jelly made with Apples, 

for their natural pectin and flavour 

and using Apple Mint 

(sometimes called wooly mint)

Apple mint is, 

in my opinion, by the far the most superior of mints

The flavour is flatter than regular mint

Oh and don't tell me you use spearmint to cook with?

everything ends up tasting like chewing gum!

No, Apple mint is what you need

Fantastic chopped with a little ginger and sprinkled over a fruit salad

Adds the perfect flavour to cous cous

and Lamb...... 

well of course with Lamb it is king.

As we have had a couple of mornings of frost recently here in Ireland 

I decided it was time to stock up on my mint fix for winter

And as my garden has been untended for a year

and the mint has gone a little wild

(taken over)

I made mint oil, by blanching about 

4 cups of mint leaves

chopping finely

and covering with good olive oil in a sealed and sterilised jar

I also did the same but covered the mint with vinegar

for a more traditional mint sauce 

and then decided to raise the bar, go all out and make a mint jelly

This was my first attempt at a jelly

(I mean a real jelly made with natural pectin not a chivers pack)

RECIPE

APPLE & APPLE MINT JELLY

4lbs Cooking Apples (or granny Smith )

4 cups water

2 cups vinegar

2 cups Apple Mint leaves whole

2 cups Apple Mint Leaves finely chopped

5 cups sugar (approx)

METHOD

Roughly chop the apples and add to large pan 

keep all of the core and seeds as these have the most pectin in them

add 2 cups whole mint leaves

bring to boil and boil for 20 mins

add vinegar

boil 5 more mins

Strain Apple pulp 

in a jelly bag if you have it

otherwise use an old pillow case

you should have 4-5 cups of clear amber coloured juice

Add this to clean pan and add 7/8 cup of sugar to every cup of juice

so for 5 cups of juice you will add approx 4 1/2 cups sugar

bring to the boil

add finely chopped mint

boil for 30 mins- 1 hour 

this will depend on how much pectin was released 

and how strong your mixture is

You want to reach the setting stage

You can test it using the cold saucer method 

or with a candy thermometer

you should get 4 x 8ozs jars of jelly

BREAD

Who can deny there is something about making your own bread

Something primal

a deep sense of... I am in control of my life....

In order to make bread you need
 1 main ingredient

time

yes I know there are quick recipes

and you can knock out a loaf of brown soda bread pretty sharpish

but for a yeasted loaf you need to be in the moment

while the physical acts of kneading, proofing, rising,

may actually take 20 mins of work

the timing and co-ordinating means you must be able to pay attention

The act of making bread was something I really missed while living in NYC

as I never seemed to have the expanse of unfilled hours it takes
to occupy yourself with yeast and dough

So it is with GREAT pleasure that I return to the pasttime

I am a huge fan of the

No knead method of bread making

But the above baguettes were made using the Poolish method

from this Bread book

Bread is food for my soul

photograph by HELEN JAMES

Slow Food, Westmeath

Here in Westmeath we have set up a local convivium of the Slow Food movement, last Saturday was our inaugural event.
A Hunter's Luncheon for 17 people.
We decided we wanted to keep the first event small and intimate so that a) we could handle it and b) we could meet local food producers in a relaxed and informal way.
The Lunch took place here in Coolure House, thanks to John and Una (both commitee members) for providing the picturesque venue.

John did an incredible job of setting the table

 

Each place setting had an individual Menu.

The Menu was designed by us with the intention of using as much local and seasonal produce as possible.

MENU

John Rogans Smoked Trout

Therese Gilsenan's Inny Eel Pate

Baby Leaves

Helen James' Crusty Bread

****

Wild Pheasant Consomme

****

Butter wrapped Greg Potterton Venison

Red Cabbage with Orange and Juniper

Mary Kelly's Moonshine Cheese Gratin of Potatoes

Helen Kelly's Elderberry Jelly

****

Local Cheese Plate

Morag's Oatcakes

****

Kilbeggan Whiskey and local Honey homemade Ice Cream

Helen Kelly's Mincepies

We cooked everything ourselves,

I made Bread

Other members brought their homemede Oatcakes, Mince pies and Elderberry jelly but most of lunch was cooked (by us) in the Kitchen at Coolure

Including the MOST delicious Consomme, now I wouldn't have thought Consomme to be the most exciting thing in the world but in Una's hands this was pure clear golden nectar.

The taste was so delicate and complex. It was made using a method where you add eggwhite to the broth which clarifies it and then the whole concoction is strained through muslin cloths and I can tell you it was purely sublime.

The Venison was cooked for 12 hours...............

 The fire was Lit

 

Candles were Lit

Conversation and good wines flowed.

Wines were carefully selected and provided by Winesdirect, and Paddy the owner gave a very eloquent history to each one as it was served.

The ethos of Slow Food is about Local, Seasonal food and knowing where your food has come from. Personally getting involved for me, is about that, but also about meeting local people who are interested in food, bringing us all together and becoming involved in my community.

We will be hosting more events throughout the year and are planning some exciting adventures on a larger scale.

To find out more about Slow Food you can go to the website or if you are in Ireland the irish website

To find out more about the local producers we used click on the links in the MENU.

All photographs by Helen James