Morning eggs

While we were away in France, we were lucky enough to have my Naas Cousin come to house- and chicken-sit for a few days. Not only did she take extraordinarily good care of the place and livestock, she also left us a gift of the cutest pair of dozy bear eggcups. Boiled eggs will simply never be the same...

Mallow Food Festival announced

While I was away in France, this year’s Mallow Food Festival was launched. Last year’s Festival was very successful – I’ve been hearing about it from my customers all year! – and this year it will be taking place on Sunday 31 August. The organisers, who are William Healy (URRU),...

Cooking in France

1 saucepan + 1 gas burner + 1 vegetarian + 2 omnivores (1 very much on the carni- side of omnivore) = very simple one-pot cooking in the campsite at night. It’s not difficult to do with a small store of non-perishable picnic basket perennials – olive oil, harissa paste, sherry vinegar, grainy...

Gone to France

It will be quiet around here this week as I have abandoned the Irish summer for some time soaking up the French sun with the Husband, the Teacher and the Tax Advisor. We have taken ourselves camping in the Vendée and Charente-Maritime regions on the Atlantic Coast for ten days, staying in small campsites...

Mandy’s Marvellous Muesli

With lighter, warmer mornings (theoretically, at least), porridge is long gone from the mornings and this granola-style muesli is a big favourite in our house. I got the recipe from the Husband’s mother while we were in New Zealand in January. She’s been working with people who have ME and...

Conversations on a Farmers’ Market at URRU, Mallow

If you’re in the Mallow area next week, we’re hosting a week of Conversations on a Farmers’ Market in URRU at 11am each morning. Several of the producers from the Mallow Farmers’ Market are going to be talking about how they make their wares – smoked fish and cheese, salad...

Now we’re up to four…

…eggs a day. That’s a dozen every three days, 28 in a week and 124 in a calendar month – and that’s a hell of a lot of eggs to be used up! Redistribution has already started. If you’re nearby and needing some free range eggs, just let me...

In Season: Artichokes

During the summer, the Killavullen Farmers’ Market moves to Friday nights for a time, which is useful for me going home from work, and I was delighted to pick up a couple of just-picked globe artichokes there last week from the Nano Nagle stall. The first time I ever encountered them in real life...

Sweet Treats for Work: Butterscotch Almond Shortbread

The Sweet Treats still continue, although I spend more time making rather than writing about them these days. Last week’s offering was Butterscotch Almond Shortbread, which is like Tan Slice but not quite as buttery! I already got one request for the recipe, from the Teenage Workmate, so here it is....

Eggs aplenty

After the excitement of our first – albeit cracked – egg, three out of four of the chickens have been earning their keep. We’re still not sure who’s holding out, but most mornings, when we go out to the run to feed and water them, there are three eggs waiting in the nesting box....

Comments working – finally

Still trying to figure out this upgrade – paid work keeps getting in the way, unfortunately – but the comments are back working for me, finally, so feel free to let me know what you think about recent posts.

The Irish Times: East is the new West – A foodie roadtrip East of Cork

Published in The Irish Times Cork First supplement on Wednesday 2 July. Get started early – farmers’ markets wait for no tourist – at the busy Middleton Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning, making time to pick up some artisan Arbutus bread, a selection of Frank Hederman’s...

The Irish Times: Cork First

Published in The Irish Times Cork First supplement on Wednesday 2 July. Eat your heart out With so many cafés and restaurants to choose from, deciding where to eat in Cork can be mind-boggling so we’ve chosen some of the best for you. Words by Caroline Hennessy. BEST BREAKFASTS Hardwood Sunday...