Côtes Du Rhone. Two to try!

Côtes Du Rhone

Two to try!

Mont Ventoux dominates the area and it wasn't too pleasant on top when I arrived

A Little History

The roots of  Côtes du Rhone go back to the 17th century though it was not until the middle of the 19th (both banks now planted!) that the plural came to be used. Finally in 1936, the reputation was formally recognised, and the Appellation officially made its debut on 19th November 1937.

The Mistral wind - Ventoux is the windy mountain - is both renowned and feared in Provence and was at its worst in 1956. Wind speeds of 100kph and temperature of minus 15 degrees crucified the area. The olive trees perished in their 1000s but the vines proved more resistant. After that, the farmers bet on the winners!

No less than 22 varieties are allowed in the AOC but often just three - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - are used. Others that may figure are Cinsault, Carignan, Bourboulenc, white Grenache., Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier.

Grenache, which offers fruitiness, warmth and body, is resistant to wind and drought, so most red wines of the southern C-d-R are Grenache based. In the AOC, it must be a minimum of 40% Grenache. Both the excellent wines below are well above that minimum.

Santa Duc Les Vieilles Vignes,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2012, 14%, €15.60 Le Caveau

The average age of these old vines is 40 years. Colour is between medium and dark. It is slightly cloudy but, don't worry, this is natural as the wine is unfiltered. Jammy red fruits feature on the aromas. The smooth and full palate shows big ripe fruit flavours, tannins at play here but with little bite, good balance;  longish finalé and Highly Recommended.

The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The mix will vary from year to year. The fruit comes from the Rhone villages of Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Seguret and Rouaix and the wine is technically a Côtes du Rhone Villages in everything but name. Production is organic.

Chateau de Bastet Terram,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2014, 13%, €15.20 Mary Pawle Wines

No herbicides, no pesticides. This is both organic and biologique and the blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. And note that the recommended serving temperature is 14 degrees, quite appropriate as this is a delicious summertime CdR!

Colour is ruby, the liquid attractively bright in the glass. Jammy red fruits on the nose and then lively red fruit flavours on the palate, a nice light spice too, rounded tannins, fresh acidity but well balanced for sure. Very clean and accessible and Very Highly Recommended.

A Happy Lot in Blarney. Hydro Farm Allotments

A Happy Lot in Blarney. 

Hydro Farm Allotments

Hot Seat

Okay, so you have your own plot. But you are not alone. You have “neighbours” to the left and right, to the rear and in front. You chat, they chat. You help. They help. They have different levels of experience, different experiences. They are from Crosshaven, from Ballincollig, from Russia, from Latvia, from Nigeria and from the Blarney area of course.

I am talking about the Hydro Farm Allotments where you may “come and join the buzz”. They held an open day last Sunday and hundreds turned up to see the place, to have a bite and a cuppa and to chat.

Flourishing

Save the water. The buckets (right) are used
in German wine industry

It was all very well organised and I had quite a few chats myself as I worked my way around the various plots, all much the same size. The growing of vegetables, including the regular spuds and cabbage, seems to be the main occupation. But no shortage of fruit and flowers either.

Some plots are like your own back garden with colorfully painted sheds, tables and chairs out and little patio areas. Here, the gardeners get the chance to talk, to exchange ideas and plants. And all seem very happy with the experience as most of them have been there for eight, nine, ten years.

A Lovely Plot

And, if you want to learn from the experts, you get that opportunity as well via organised courses. This past Spring for example, the gardeners learned how to make Strawberry and Herb Wheelie bins, how to keep bees, all about composting and recycling. Earlier this month, you could have learned how to design and maintain a herb garden and there was also an opportunity to go foraging.

Everything you need to go gardening is right here. The water is deep well water and there is one shared tap per 4/5 plots. There is an abundant supply of well-rotted manure and mulch on site, free to all ‘Plotters’ for their plots. There is a Tool Shed available to keep your garden tools. Some plotters opt to have Sheds/Poly Tunnels/Glasshouses on their plots where they keep them.

All neat and tidy

There is even a Tea Room and Potting shed.  This is off the Courtyard where there is a fridge to keep milk, sandwiches etc. while in the garden. This is a fun place where people can have a chat or a sandwich or even pot a few plants on a rainy day. The farm even have Free Range Eggs (when available) from their poultry in the fridge.

Hydro Farm allotments are part of a private farm between Blarney and Tower, Co Cork. A hidden piece of paradise that even people living in the area may not be aware about.

Visitors on Open Day

 The allotments are located on a secluded raised site, bounded by trees which form a shelter belt. Security is not a problem as the allotments are only reachable by private roadway and Zwena McCullough  the allotment owner lives on the farm

There is a large all weather car park adjacent to the Plots and Toilets on site for your comfort. The Allotments are open from 1st February to 31st December each year and open all day every day during this time.

Zwena McCullough

Hydro Farm Allotments, Tower, Blarney, Co. Cork.

Tel: 087 2333183 Email: hydroallotments@gmail.com

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Taste of the Week. Seaweed Salad

Taste of the Week
Seaweed Salad

 Seaweed is all around us. All around the coast, obviously.

For a long time, it just grew there, except for the odd picker, acting out of a folk memory, of dillisk and carrageen moss. And then came the odd purposeful forager. Some became authors, spreading the knowledge, among them Prannie Rhatigan, Marie Power and Sally McKenna.

And then the seaweed and plants from the shore began to find their way onto restaurants plates, in all kinds of dishes, from starters to mains to desserts. Food producers too, including bakers such as Arbutus, took it up. Indeed, I enjoyed a gorgeous Nori bread in O’Dowd’s of Roundstone (Connemara) recently.

It looks like the march of plants from the sea and the shore is very much on. Next step is to get it from the plate on the restaurant to the plate in the kitchen at home. And that step will surely be aided by a product I came across at the recent Cork Kerry Food Forum in the Cork City Hall, seaweed salad that is our Taste of the Week.

The company based at the Rubicon Centre, on the CIT Campus, is called Healthy You and the products seem to be aimed at “busy people on the go, the elderly, teenage school children or sports enthusiasts”. At present, they have two products available: Ginger Seaweed Salad and Sesame Seaweed Salad.

For three euro, I bought one of the 100g packs of Sesame Seaweed, after a little tasting of course. These salads may be enjoyed on their own or as a component in a meal with other elements and, helpfully, Healthy You have recipes http://www.seaweedsalads.ie/?page_id=14  on their website.

Indeed, if you use the term seaweed salad recipes, you’ll get a great catch from all over the world. Basically though, we used a salad with big prawns and couscous, cucumber, red onion and roasted red peppers, not exactly the stir-fry on the site. It worked very well indeed, lovely flavours and textures and, especially, a lovely crunch and taste from the seaweed.

For more info, contact Dermot Twomey, see below.

Healthy You

The Rubicon Centre

CIT Campus

Bishopstown

Cork

Tel: (353) 21 4892726

Mob: (353) 87 9600775

Email: dermot@seaweedsalads.ie

Web: www.seaweedsalads.ie

Stockists: http://www.seaweedsalads.ie/?page_id=14

Youghal’s Munster Brewery. Ireland's First Organic Red Ale

Youghal’s Munster Brewery
Ireland's First Organic Red Ale

“The space is great,” said Padraig Hyde of Youghal’s Munster Brewery as he showed me around their new unit in an industrial estate above the town. “Now we have room to grow!” We are Padraig and Adrian his identical twin.

Padraig showed us the two tanks they started with, both 1,500 litres and both clad. Well, they really started with home-brewing! Currently, they make three beers, two lagers and a red ale, but, now that they have the space, expect more, maybe even a seasonal in time for Christmas. Their unit includes a brewery, a bar and a tasting room and they do tours here.

Ingredients

The Youghal twins are passionate about using local ingredients. And, to that end, have been growing their own hops. Weather may not have been ideal but the first harvest was fantastic and last year’s was excellent also. But the planting is very small scale and Padraig would love to see a local farmer grow the crop, promising that he would buy it. The two hops they’ve grown so far are Nugget (a bittering hop) and the well known Cascade.

Their 12 Towers red ale has just been certified organic, the first in Ireland, and the organic version should be in the shops by the end of this week. And those shops include SuperValu, No 21s, local pubs and speciality off licences. See the full list of outlets here.

At the Cork Kerry Food Forum

The lads are fussy! And that works to the advantage of the customer. They don't use chemicals, “hate them”. They don't contract out the bottling, “we want to keep full control”. No shortcuts here. “Our lager beers can be conditioned for around three months.”

That evening I tried out my three beers, all good. But, first a word about their names. You probably all know that Blackguard means “troublemaker” and /or “messer”. The Fir Bolg (Men Belly - wonder if they had a brew or two) were the ancient inhabitants of Ireland while the 12 Towers was named (via a competition) after the towers of the town's medieval walls.

Munster Brewery Blackguard Lager, 4.2%, 500ml bottle

Lovely golden colour, cloudy, with fountain of bubbles. And in the mouth, it is crisp and refreshing, very approachable thirst quencher with more than enough flavour to easily distinguish it from mass-produced beers.

It is the only one of the three to come in a long-necked bottle. Water, malted barley, wheat, hops and yeast are the ingredients they work with. Enjoy this chilled. You might notice some sediment and cloudiness. Don't worry, all natural. Padraig’s and Adrian’s beers are all bottle conditioned.

Munster Brewery Fir Bolg Lager, 4.2%, 500ml bottle

Colour here is a deep amber. Flavours are somewhat stronger, “malt heavy and hop strong” they say, but nothing off the scale, very approachable indeed. Again this has been slow-lagered and aged. Flavoursome, mellow and refreshing with a bit more heft than the Blackguard. But both are well recommended. Lots of ales for sale in craft beer but not too many lagers and fewer still as good as this pair.

Again the Fir Bolg is bottle conditioned and the ingredients are the same. By the way, you’ll read on the label that yeast is an allergen.

Munster Brewery 12 Towers Irish Red Ale, 4.2%, 500ml bottle

This beer, with its earthy aromas, is well worth a try. It is billed as a hearty Irish ale and the mix of carefully selected hops and Irish barley (malted in Togher in Cork City) gives it muscle. It comes in a dark amber robe with fruity flavours and a toasty finish. Excellent on its own and should be great with food.

Did you know that quite a bit of Youghal’s medieval walls are still standing and that you can walk along them? Another highlight of Youghal is the 13th century St Mary’s Collegiate Church, still intact, still in use, and well worth a visit. After a trek around the old church and the walls, treat yourself to a pint of this superb Red Ale. Indeed, all three beers are excellent and went down well during the final of Euro16.

Munster Brewery
Parkmountain, Youghal
County Cork
Tel: 087 9878171
Email: info@munsterbrewery.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/munsterbrewery
Twitter: @Munsterbrewery
Web: www.munsterbrewery.com

Amuse Bouche

I caught the train into town, walked from the station to Waterstone’s and went straight to the cookery section. I made my choice by width: I wanted the book with the most recipes. Rose Elliot’s Complete Vegetarian Cookbook won by a good half-inch. I took it with me to the only wholefood shop in central Belfast and set about restocking my cupboard. I bought home a lot of lentils.

From Here’s Me Here (Further Reflections of a Lapsed Protestant)  by Glenn Patterson (2015)

Beautiful Barnabrow. An East Cork Hideaway

Beautiful Barnabrow

An East Cork Hideaway

We came in off the narrow twisting road and drove up an even narrower lane, where trees meet overhead, donkeys and ducks in the small fields. The sun was shining brightly as we approached the inviting restaurant, set in trees with parasols and tables outside. We could well have been on the continent but were in one of East Cork’s delightful venues.

Barnabrow, twenty years in business under Geraldine Kitt, is renowned as a wedding venue. But we were here for Sunday lunch and, as always, chef Stuart Bowes delivered, much of the produce coming from the nearby walled garden.

Starters

The restaurant is also rather special inside. It is here in in this spacious lovingly decorated room that the wedding feasts take place. With its pointed arch windows there is a semi-religious look to it. And your servers come and go into and from what looks like a confessional.

We nibbled on fresh and delicious sourdough (with Glenilen butter) as we studied the menu, two courses for 23.50, three for 27.00. Children may have half adult portions (though various goujons are available too) for 13.50.

Kilmore Quay Hake, soft potato puree, Fennel, Olive & Citrus salsa, Port reduction.
This was our other main dish. Superb. Empty plate went back!

Creamed celeriac, truffle and toasted almonds were the ingredients of the soup but, with the day being so warm, we decided on something else. CL went for the Clonakilty Black Pudding Salad, Crispy Potatoes Alsace, Feta, Apple and Tomato dressing. Quite a substantial starter but full of great flavor and texture.

I had been looking at the Ardsallagh Goats Cheese with confit red onion and hazelnut dressing but picked the Salmon Rillette, Cream Cheese, garden beetroot, and poppy seed dorito. With contrast provided by the dorito, this was a smooth and rich delight.

Lamp, stuffed pepper on right.

There was beef (with Ragu of Ballyhoura mushrooms) and lamb on the mains. I had enjoyed the beef on  a previous occasion so this time choose the Roast Leg of Kildare Lamb, Stuffed Piquillo pepper, Apple and Garden Mint Relish. A superb combination, every bit playing a part, and, for sharing, the sides (especially the full-of-flavour carrots) were just brilliant, looked well, tasted even better.

We were thinking of sharing a dessert but, under some gentle persuasion, went for broke! The deciding factor here was Mum's shortbread, Stuart’s Mum that is! And that shortbread came with the gorgeous Lemon Posset with crushed raspberries, a major step-up on the little jars you often get. And, yes, Mum’s shortbread was class.

Vegetable side dish

The other dessert enjoyed was the Iced Parfait of sea salt and caramel with marshmallows and strawberry sauce. I had a idea this was going to be excellent and it was. Just the job before we headed off into the East Cork sunlight for a stroll around the grounds which boasts a view out towards Ballycotton Bay and the lighthouse.

With all the different buildings, the various sheltered outdoor nooks and corners, one with a good area of decking with seating, the trees and flowers, the animals, the walled garden, it is a great location for a wedding and this is the heart of the business. There is even an adjoining accommodation “village”.

Dessert

In addition, the house (with is many different sized rooms) and grounds accommodates quite a few corporate functions, some serious, some fun. And do watch out too for special events, such as a Valentine’s weekend getaway.

Well done to Geraldine and her team on the twenty years and here’s to another twenty!

I confess, I ate well

Barnabrow House

Cloyne, Midleton

County Cork

Tel: +353 21 4652534

Email: info@barnabrowhouse.ie

Web: http://www.barnabrowhouse.ie

Twitter: @barnabrowhouse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarnabrowHouse/?fref=ts

Foodie Destinations 2016

Foodie Destinations 2016
- Applications open 14th July -

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is on the search for Ireland’s top Foodie Destination for 2016. Formerly known as Foodie Towns, the initiative was formed as part of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2014 but proved to be so popular it became its own entity in 2015. Our aim is to celebrate Ireland’s unique and wonderful food offerings and to encourage local food tourism initiatives across the country.
The process: 
-         Applications will be accepted from Thursday 14th of July until Thursday 11th August
-         Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts and ten finalists will be announced
-         Each of these ten finalists will receive a two hour visit from two of Ireland’s top food critics
-         Online voting will commence and the public vote will count for 50% of the total score
-         The overall winner will be announced on the 29th of September at an event in last year's winning destination - The Burren
How to Apply:
-         A link to the online application form will be released on the 14th of July and it will also be on our website www.foodiedestinations.ie
-         There is a fee of €150 per application. Once your application is submitted, we will contact you for payment details. This fee goes towards administration of the project
-         A minimum of three organisations/businesses/restaurants/groups are required to submit one application on behalf of a town/destination
-         We will announce the ten finalists in due course and each finalist will receive a pre-arranged visit from our judges
For further information please contact the RAI Team on 01 677 9901 or email media@rai.ie. You can also visit our website www.foodiedestinations.ie 

Press release

Three Rouge Pour Vous!

Three Rouge Pour Vous!

Today we feature three lovely reds, including a bargain Pinot Noir from the Ardeche of all places. Not too far away from the Ardeche, comes the “poetic” La Cantilene from the little La Liviniere appellation in Minervois. And then a dash across Provence and into Italy for Mary Pawle’s soft and gorgeous Valpolicella import.

La Boussole Pinot Noir Les Grandes Cotes (Pays D’Oc, IGP) 2014, 12.5%, €13.45 Le Caveau

Colour is a bright ruby and the aromas feature strawberries. It is medium bodied, smooth and juicy. Light fruit flavours much in evidence as is a lively acidity, a little spice and an excellent fruity finish. Very Highly Recommended and great value too.

Winemaker Claude Serra employs, among other things, low yields and “a ruthless approach to quality control” to ensure a wine that reflects the variety and its terroir. And that terroir is in the Ardeche region of western Provence. The fact that it’s a cool-ish area helps the Pinot Noir.

By the way, if you ever have the good luck to be in the area, try the clafoutis! And try everything else as well. All with a glass or two of this Pinot, a very good food wine. Bon Appetit!

Chateau Sainte-Eulalie “La Cantilene” Minervois La Liviniere (AOC) 2013, 14%, €22.50 Karwig Wines

“Eulalie was a good girl

She had a beautiful body, a soul more beautiful still.

The enemies of God wanted to overcome her,

They wanted to make her serve the devil.”

From the heart of the Minervois, from an area called La Liviniere, Karwig Wines in Carrigaline bring you this superb red, a blend of Syrah (55%), Grenache (20) and Carignan (25). La Cantilene (881 AD) is the first romanesque poetic work, stanza above.

Close to Canal du Midi, north east of Carcassonne, north west of Beziers, Laurent and Isabelle Coustal run “an outstanding estate” and are one of the leading producers, respecting nature including the environment. For instance, their 2006 warehouse has its temperature controlled by a geothermal system rather than an energy hungry air conditioner.

La Cantilene has dark fruit aromas, notes of toast. Warm fruit flavours, vanilla notes, some spice too, fine tannins and a decent finish too from this full and rich wine. Recommended for game, grilled red meat and cheese. And the wine itself is Highly Recommended.

The wine area La Liviniere has a reputation for producing some of the finest red wines of the region. Read more here.

Fasoli Gino La Corte del Pozzo, Valpolicella (DOC) 2014, 14%, €20.20 Mary Pawle Wines

Corvina and Rondinella, often seen in the Amarone blend, are the grapes in this vibrant red. And indeed, a portion of these grapes is dried for 15-20 days ‘to increase the proportion of sugar and aromatic contents”. Ten to twelve months later, the two portions are blended. Harvesting is by hand and it is Vino Biologico  (organic). Highly Recommended.

It is a bright ruby. It has red fruit aromas plus some vanilla. All follow through to the smooth and balanced, rich and soft, palate experience. Suggestions for pairing include: pasta, rice; also good with grilled red meats and medium mature cheeses.