Taste of the Week. Ardsallagh Goats Cheese

Taste of the Week. 

Ardsallagh Goats Cheese

A totally unexpected gift from a travelling salesman started Jane Murphy’s long term love of goats and led to the beautiful Ardsallagh cheese that so many people know and love today.

Back in the late 70s, that insurance salesman in County Carlow wasn’t getting the best of receptions from Jane. During the conversation, he noticed, “couldn't help but notice”, that her children had eczema and said that goats milk would be a help. Jane said thanks very much for the tip and sent him on his way.

An hour or so later, she sighed as he returned. This time with a gift. He lifted a goat out of the boot, presented her to Jane and carried on his way. She never saw that salesman again but the goat led to greater things.

For a start, the eczema cleared up and "since then we have always had goats in the garden and following years of experimenting this has grown into something wonderfully and tasty." Ardsallagh has now been making cheese for over 20 years.

Ardsallagh cheese keeps popping up on restaurant menus and not just in Cork. It is one of the most popular and one of the very best goats cheeses in the country. It is widely stocked in shops and supermarkets, various farmers markets and in delis such as On the Pig's Back. I got this particular piece via On the Pig's Back on Neighbourfood.

Ardsallagh soft goats cheese is a white cheese with a creamy texture. This cheese has a gentle flavour as it is made daily from fresh goats milk. It is delicious and very handy these warm days as a lunchtime treat. I just added some beetroot from the garden (not a great crop this year), a few juicy cherry tomatoes, also via Neighbourfood, and a few leaves of basil.

* Luke was one of her toddlers with the eczema and he is now the Dairy Manager at Ardsallagh.

Read all about Ardsallagh Goats Cheese.

Taste of the Week. A Local Salad, Boy

Taste of the Week.

A Local Salad, Boy

The sun may not be as constant as we would like, but these are certainly salad days. And it so easy to put a good one together, just like this very local combination, our Taste of the Week.

The main player here is perhaps the Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, a renowned East Cork product that is readily available. Also in there is a terrific Spiced Apple and Carrot Chutney from On The Pig's Back. And those tasty little red salad onions come from Kilbrack Farm in North Cork. The leaves and radishes from the back garden!

As you know, I'm a big fan of Neighbourfood and virtually everything (cheese, onions, chutney, tomatoes) above came through my delivery so that made it even easier for me! 

Enjoy and continue to support local.

Vienna Woods Hotel, Strikingly Lit For Christmas, Serves Up Quite An Excellent "At Home" Meal.

Vienna Woods Hotel, Strikingly Lit For Christmas, Serves Up Quite An Excellent "At Home" Meal.

Must say I absolutely enjoyed my Saturday evening with the local Vienna Woods Hotel playing a key role. Not alone did we enjoy their "At Home" menu but the visit to the hotel itself was a bonus as the avenue up from the river was splendidly lit and decorated as was the exterior of the hotel itself. 

Once inside, and having sanitised the hands (their unit here is operated by a foot pedal), we took in the terrific indoor decorations and while there was an eye-catching Christmas tree by the desk, it wasn't just all Christmas, and we could see the hotel is well maintained and loved on n ongoing basis.

A lovely warm welcome too and soon we were off on the short journey home where we tucked into the meal. And then something different. A call from the hotel checking if everything was okay! Haven't come across that after-sales service before! And, yes, everything was okay!

I had spotted their offering on social media on Friday and each course has quite a few choices, so there is something for everyone. And you may add  a bottle of wine if you wish. All items are individually priced but you may also choose a 2-course offer for €21.95, 3-course for €25.95.

No need to do any "finishing" here as the dishes were just cooked (they match it with your collection time) and warm enough to eat after the short trip, though the mains did get to stay in a warm oven for a spell. 

One of our starters was the McCarthy's spicy chicken wings (in-house hot sauce, celery sticks, blue cheese dip sauce.). No shortage of wings and that in-house sauce was spot on. As good and tasty as any chicken wings I've come across recently. This is also available as a main course.

The other starter was Ardsallagh goats cheese (candied walnuts, beetroot spirals, sour dough, organic mixed leaves.) and this too was as good as expected, those raw beetroot spirals added a matching flavour and a nice little bit of crunchiness.

Quite a lot of talk as we picked our main courses a day earlier before we settled on our choices. Roast half farmyard duckling (apricot & coriander stuffing, glazed chateau potato, sweet & sour sauce) was one. No shortage of quantity here nor of quality either, that stuffing and the sauce each playing key roles.

Equally satisfactory was the Supreme of chicken (caramelised apple and wild mushroom duxelle, toasted pine-nuts, tender stem broccoli, parma ham, fresh thyme, wholegrain mustard sauce), full of flavour and texture and again no shortage.

Indeed, there was an unexpected side of Gratin of potato and roast vegetable (peppers, onions, carrots, turnip etc.). I certainly enjoyed those particular vegetables also. I've mentioned quantity once or twice and that seems to be common in quite a few of the "At Home" meals that we've enjoyed recently. There has been, if anything, a little too much on the plates!

Delightful dessert - you could taste the Baileys.

So much in fact in this case, that we held the dessert (just the one!) for the following day. Then we found the Bailey's & chocolate cheese cake (biscuit crumb, chocolate shaving, wild berry coulis) of a better standard than most, really outstanding, the flavours reflecting exactly the detail in the description. 

Well done indeed to the kitchen at the Vienna Woods. Next time, we'll have to visit the restaurant itself and again enjoy the wonderful lighting and decoration both inside and outside.

Nduja in Newcestown. On the West Cork Pizza Trail with The Curly Stu

Nduja in Newcestown. 

On the West Cork Pizza Trail with The Curly Stu

Scamorza

The Curly Stu is bringing a touch of Naples to a trio of mid and west Cork villages. We called to Newcestown last Friday evening to see what all the fuss is all about. Stuart Bowes is the man behind The Curly Stu and, we know, from his many years as Head Chef at Barnabrow House, that the Scot is a good one.

He told me: "I left Barnabrow at the end of August so I’m doing the pizzas Wednesdays in Castletownkenneigh (small country pub, Cookies, near my home beside Coppeen). Friday nights I'm in Newcestown in O’Mahony's Bar car park and Sunday evenings in Cloughduv in the Spreading Chestnut pub car park, all from 5-8.''  He keeps Saturdays free for all kinds of private parties and gigs.

He has a regular menu posted up on the side of his converted horse-box and every session he has at least one special and they can indeed be very special. The regulars include Margherita and Pepperoni, both very popular with the younger generation. Also in Newcestown, his Nduja (spicy salami on a Margherita base with fresh chilli, red onion and chilli oil) and his  Smoked Scamorza cheese (again on a Margherita base with roast piquillo peppers and West Cork Garlic scape pesto).

O'Mahony's and the horsebox

We were early and got ourselves one of the picnic tables by the pub. A week earlier, we'd have been able to take our pizzas inside. Still the sun was out as we sat down with the Nduja. We had enjoyed one of those in Barnabrow months ago and this lived up to the memory, absolutely top class with the occasional delicious hits from the Nduja itself.

Nduja

On then to the Scamorza. Another gem with the Italian cheese a star with the peppers and that garlic scape pesto also playing leading roles. Of course in all his pizzas, that base is out of this world, great for the taste buds and, as you can read below and in his social media, for the digestion. 

At the end of the second pizza, the rain started to come down and as the evening was also rather cold, we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and made a run for it. But not before Stuart boxed a third, the special, for us. We were wondering how it would survive the 40 minute spin home. 

But not a bother.  Just a few minutes in the oven and the Ardsallagh goats cheese on a Margherita base with artichokes and caramelised onion ketchup came up tasty trumps. Another beauty from the Scotsman. That super base, the artichokes adding juice and texture and their unique modest flavour to the pie and the ketchup also pitching in. 

Busy boys

So three pizzas on a Friday night and all three of the highest standard, a standard that you won't find in too many places on these islands. Skill, and attention to detail pays off, quality in quality out. Some very lucky villagers in West Cork.

Stuart confessed: "I’m a man obsessed with the Neapolitan way. Since the lockdown I’ve been doing them Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and they were very busy! Since everywhere opened up I’ve managed to keep a lot of regulars and there’s new customers coming so it’s still going very well!"

Goats cheese, artichoke

"The dough is made in the traditional Neapolitan way, so mixed the day before and is generally always kept at room temperature, normally for 24-30 hours. They have a really nice airy puffy crust, a little soft in the middle and are cooked for 60-90 seconds at 420-450 degrees c."

"I’m playing around with the actual fermentation, I was using a sourdough culture before but I’ve been using a (pre ferment) called poolish for the last few weeks and that has given great results. I’m going to try biga next, which is similar to the poolish method, but with half the amount of hydration in the pre ferment."

"I have an Italian supplier that is really passionate about his produce! The flour I’m using is Molino Spadoni PZ4. This flour mill is very well known for their quality in pasta flour, I would have used this in London. The mill is in Ravenna, northern Italy, and only uses Italian grains that are quality controlled and checked."

"The best thing is my supplier organises for me to get the flour straight from the mill now so it is super fresh. You can actually smell and see the difference when mixing the dough!!"

"I have a Sunmix mixer on order. This mixer is known for being one of the best you can buy. It can make and close the dough in 15 minutes so you are not overheating the dough with the friction. These are made to order in Italy. Fifteen long weeks I’ve been waiting so far but it is going to be well worth the wait!!"

The 400 year old village has some food history!

"The Fior Di Latte mozzarella is made in the Campania region - "The mother land of mozzarella" my supplier calls it. There are no chemicals in this cheese and the difference compared with most of the other mozzarellas I’ve tried is very noticeable. The cheese melts nicely and goes stringy when cooked in the high heat and doesn’t colour and go crispy!"

"The tomatoes are certified organic from a company down south of Italy called Manfuso; they have good ethics and all tomatoes are canned on the same day as harvest with no added salt."

"I also get organic extra virgin olive oil, so straight from the first press of organic olives and with no heat."

"Nduja and smoked Scamorza are both becoming well known with the folks here in West Cork and both are really good quality products."

"And then I have Ardsallagh goats cheese, I use West Cork garlic scapes for pesto, I got a load of scapes from him at the end of the season. I have Gubbeen chorizo on the options for weddings. I used Toonsbridge Stracciatella last week for a special, I got Asparagus from Drummond House for a few weeks on special so I’m just trying to work my way around the suppliers around the general area.

Toonsbridge stracciatella special

"The ovens I use are Gozney Roccbox. They are easily portable and a great product that are exceptionally good at keeping the high temperature inside the oven consistent at between 420-450c to get that Neapolitan crust. Especially when I’m busy!"

You'll see those little ovens mounted on the counter, that is if you can take your eyes off the busy chef as he assembles and cooks and talks all at the one time. As we were quite early, we were kind of wondering what all the action was about. But it turned out he gets quite a few advance orders for collections. 

Do watch out for those specials. I'll give you just two examples here.

1 - Braised Ham hock with smoked Scamorza cheese and portobello mushrooms and then finished with a honey mustard mayonnaise.

2 - Toonsbridge stracciatella with roccbox roasted tenderstem broccoli, gremolata and toasted almonds. "Really nice veggie pizza that packs a punch and full of flavour."

And you can check out others on his Insta page thecurlystu

And another thing to watch out for is his offer. All the pizzas are keenly priced but best of all is the standing offer of three for €22.00, terrific value for a family meal on a Friday, a Sunday, or a Wednesday!

The Curly Stu

085 196 0706

Barnabrow where Bowes sprinkles his Kitchen Magic

Barnabrow where Bowes sprinkles his Kitchen Magic

Lamb

Barnabrow means "Top of the Fairy Fort" and here, in the medieval-style banqueting hall, the Trinity Rooms, Head Chef Stuart Bowes continues to delight and surprise.

It is an ace place for weddings and family celebrations but did you know you may also enjoy a delicious Sunday lunch here? It was one of our first calls this year and just as enjoyable as always, thanks to the superb local produce, the very friendly front of house and the confident skills of the kitchen.

Stuart is quite a versatile chef and has been sharpening his baking skills in recent years. And we were reminded of that when we sat down as his sourdough, with Glenilen butter, arrived with the menus. We had to restrain ourselves with the bread as we knew there were three courses ahead! Even a fourth as the coffee (or tea) and petit fours are also included for a fairly priced twenty nine euro. And, by the way, there is also an excellent Children’s Menu (which can include half-portions of the adult for half the price).

Halibut

O’Connell’s Irish Beef is a regular here, a very attractive dish indeed, but this time my pick was the Roast Leg of Midleton Lamb, with baked beans, chorizo, crispy kale, thyme and lamb jus. The top notch meat was very much enhanced by the beans and the chorizo and a terrific jus.

Salmon

There were four mains offered in all including a vegetarian option featuring Sautéed Wild Mushrooms. CL likes her fish and her choice was the Baked Fillet of Atlantic Halibut with pea purée, crispy kale, and Parmesan cream. Another superb combination, faultlessly cooked and presented, and that cream was a key part of it.

While quality is more or less a given here, you won’t lack for quantity either! And our main were accompanied by a large dish of seasonal veg (including broccoli and cauliflower) and roast potatoes.

Blackpudding

Oak Smoked Salmon with Roast Garden Beetroot, caper dressing and vegetable crisps was CL’s starter. That, including those tasty crisps, got a big thumbs up. And it was a similar reaction from me for my Warm Clonakilty Black Pudding salad with Feta, crispy potato, apple, and tomato dressing, perfectly put together. Two very clean plates went back to the kitchen.

Also in the starter menu were a Whipped Ardsallagh Goats Cheese with pickled red onion and hazelnut dressing and a Spiced Parsnip Soup.

Crème Brulée

Would we have dessert? Of course. Just could not resist the Archer’s Crème Brulée with shortbread, a few raspberries adding colour to the temptation. And the Iced Parfait of Atlantic Sea Salt and Caramel, marshmallows and strawberry sauce, was another winner. Also on offer was a Chocolate and hazelnut brownie with Chantilly Cream and raspberry and A Selection of ice-cream and sorbet.

Parfait

We finished off in style with excellent coffee and a few petit fours, a meltingly gorgeous fudge and a sea salt and caramel chocolate. Oh, by the way, you may also buy these treats if you want to take a few home.

The word Barnabrow means "Top of the Fairy Fort" and is a magical, romantic wedding setting. The country house is situated on 35 acres perched high on a hillside overlooking the rolling countryside of East Cork with tantalising glimpses of Ballycotton Bay. 

Great for big events and smaller ones too, such as private parties and meetings. It has quaint and quirky accommodations in a mysterious labyrinth of buildings offering the perfect secret getaway and also has quite a few holiday cottages in the grounds. It has its own organic walled-garden, a big help to the kitchen with its seasonal supplies.

* After their seasonal break, Barnabrow will be serving Sunday lunch from next Sunday (Feb 9th).

Barnabrow Country House  

Cloyne

Co. Cork

Tel: (021) 465 2534

Great Start to the Day at Good Day Deli

Great Start to the Day at Good Day Deli

GDD Benny

It was with a good gut feeling that we headed to Good Day Deli for a recent breakfast. And it was with a very good gut feeling that we left this oasis in the gardens of Nano Nagle Place off Douglas Street Cork.

You won’t get your Full Irish here as GDD is close to being fully vegetarian; they do offer a few (sustainable) fish dishes. Owners Claire and Kristin bill the restaurant as a “Sustainable Foods Cafe serving a mix of healthy, local, seasonal, organic and fair trade foods with a commitment to sustainability throughout our food chain. We aim to inspire sustainable lifestyles in Ireland by empowering people to make good food choices that will boost health and wellbeing; elevate local producers; support animal welfare; and protect the environment now and for future generations.”. 

Pear & Pancakes

And they have a host of local suppliers recruited to help them attain those goals.  Organic for Us (milk), Holo Organics (Kombucha); My Goodness (Kefir), Wilkie’s Organic Chocolate, West Cork Coffee, Blanco Nino (tortillas), Pana Bread, and Leamlara Micro-greens, are among the names on the January list.

There is a Kia Orana (welcome) sign on the path up to the restaurant and the welcome inside is warm, smiles and chat and no shortage of info about the menu. We are spoiled for choice, everything from Morena Granola to a Vibrant Vegan Trio to Connolly’s Any Way Organic Eggs. 

I’ve enjoyed their Benny here before and was tempted by the Smoked Beetroot version, also by the Stack of Seared Toons Bridge Halloumi. The Kia Orana Bruschetta (Ardsallagh Goats Cheese with caramelised Mealagulla apples) also beckoned.

My pick though was the Good Day Deli Smoked Salmon Benny. Frank Hederman’s superb salmon came with two organic poached eggs, a very well made Hollandaise (perfect in both quality and quantity), toasted seeds and leafy greens all on sourdough. Delicious!

CL’s choice was the The Hibiscus Poached Pear Pancakes (chunkier than usual), tasty too with a poached organic pear, coconut mascarpone and a drizzle of the Hivemind Honey from the innovative Crosshaven farm.

The drinks here are that bit different too, including a selection of natural wines via Le Caveau. Of course, they have teas and coffees but be sure and study the menu further. You may well like the Coco Mocha (a mocha or hot chocolate with rich Wilkies chocolate plus West Cork Coffee Espresso with coffee, coconut and Maple Cream Whip!)

And then there’s the Hibiscus Soda (a mix of Hibiscus and Poached Pear, with citrus fruits juice, fresh mint and Fizz). A beautifully refreshing soda is what the menu card says and I can confirm that for sure. Absolutely delicious and refreshing. And another superb drink, CL’s choice, was the Apple Juice from Mealagulla in Ovens.

Just as much choice on the lunch menu. But that’s another day’s work! Or should I say another day’s pleasure.

Good Day Deli 

Nano Nagle Place, Douglas Street, Cork T12X704

Phone: 021 4322107

A Little Night Magic in English Market. The Farmgate Supper Special

A Little Night Magic in English Market

 The Farmgate Supper Special

“If they were on every Friday night, I’d be here every Friday night,’ declared a delighted customer at the end of last Friday’s Farmgate Supper. And she was roundly applauded by the long table.

Even before the day softly and slowly turns to night, the Farmgate has much going for it, including an amazing wide-ranging larder from the market underneath, and the expertise of the kitchen. Then, when darkness shuffles into the corners of the city, the magic of the upstairs venue is enhanced, especially on the run-up to Christmas. Add in next the conviviality of the communal table and you have a winning hand of four aces. 

It’s a relaxed start; a glass or two of bubbles and an amuse bouche or two on the balcony. Soon we are being led into the famous restaurant, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. And indeed, this series of suppers is part celebration of the 25th. There are still three nights more to come, all with the winning formula. Take your pick from 29/11; 6/12; or 13/12. Just letting you know before the lady from the other evening and her friends book them all up!

We nibble on soda bread and butter as the staff fill all the drinks orders, everything from excellent European wines, Irish beers to their own Elderflower Cordial. The initial small plate of Organic Beetroot, Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Hazelnuts, a classic combination of local ingredients, gets this part evening underway as people introduce themselves across the table.

Frank Hederman, whose fish stall is downstairs, was among the company and so it was entirely appropriate that his smoked salmon (mussels too) was on the next plate. In 2000, the New York Times said of Frank (as well as labelling him “droll”): “Mr. Hederman smokes fish, which is a little like saying Steinway makes pianos.” Not much one can add to that except perhaps to say that Frank (like his now veteran smokehouse which is increasingly more than a passive player in the process), has improved in the 21st century. By the way, another refreshing taste of the sea, in the form of a dressed oyster, came with the fish plate.

Back to Terra Firma and the next treat, from Chef Pam Kelly and her team in the kitchen, was Featherblade of Beef (from butcher Eoin O’Mahony downstairs) with Artichoke and Potato Dauphinoise. Featherblade has been a favourite around Cork over the last decade or so and this rendition, perfect in both quality and quantity, won’t have harmed its reputation in any way whatsoever.

Someone asked the following day if we had had music. We didn’t but the music of the animated conversations around the table was all that was needed. The next course was chocolate, a luscious Dark Chocolate Marquise, Brandy and Shortbread Biscuit. Actually that dessert did stop the conversation flow for a short spell. The finalé, a rather splendid (and local of course) one, soon followed: Milleens Cheese with fig compote.

Soon we were leaving in happy dribs and drabs. It’s cold outside, someone warned, but we were pretty well warmed at this point, happy too or happy out as we are inclined to say in these parts. In fact, we felt as if we were i gcorplár an tsamhraidh, the name of Cormac Mehegan’s 2012 painting reproduced on the cover of the menu card.

Inside the card, the producers and suppliers were acknowledged and here they are: Glenilen Farm, Kilbrack Farm, Ardsallagh Cheese, On the Pig’s Back, Hederman’s, O’Connell’s Fish, O’Mahony’s Butchers, Longueville House Apple Brandy, and Roughty Foodie.

The Curly Stu Mobile Sourdough Pizza

The Curly Stu Mobile Sourdough Pizza

A great turnout in Barnabrow House last Sunday afternoon as Stuart Bowes launched The Curley Stu. This is a horsebox with a  difference, one that serves up delicious pizzas. And Stuart and that horse box will be coming to a venue near you in the not too distant future. 

Njuda

Stu, who most of you will know from his excellent food at Barnabrow, told me that he is feeling his way into this new venture. “I’m getting used to the trailer and adjusting accordingly, few adjustments to make, there is a nice mixture of places I’m going to be so far over the summer.”

“I’m doing pizzas in Midleton by the Granary on Sunday the 23rd June when Ironman is on, I have a private birthday party in the city, then I’m in West Cork in Newcestown Festival on Sunday 25th August and there is a wedding in September in Barnabrow having them the day before the wedding, so a nice mixture to get into it.”

Ardsallagh

The pizzas are made with the very best of local ingredients, featuring Gubbeen chorizo, Caherbeg free range pork, and Ardsallagh goats cheese for instance. Barnabrow diners, including wedding guests, will know that superb sourdough that the Scot turns out and that has been carried over to the pizza base.

“Today, you have Oro Agugiaro which is a very strong flour grown and milled in Agugiaro and was used by the winner of the world pizza championships this year, so I look forward to trying it out myself today.”

Hard at work

Hot!

“Normally we use the red Caputo which is the strongest of the brand and is ideal for long fermentation. We ferment the dough for two days and use a sourdough culture instead of commercial yeast as it gives more flavour and breaks down all of the nutrients in the flour to make it easy for us to digest and feel good after.” And that feel good factor was certainly present last Sunday afternoon.

San Marzano DOP is the brand of tomatoes used. “It’s very sweet with low acidity and please note that DOP means they were grown in San Marzano and not somewhere else.” The menu regularly mentioned Fior Di Latte and he explained that this cows milk mozzarella cooks well in high heat, is smooth and a bit tangy in flavour. And,  speaking of high heat, his Gozney ovens can operate up to 500 degrees centigrade!

Ingredients

Sunday’s launch was very well attended indeed with lots of families present. Stuart and the team work hard. “Just smashed 120 of these bad boys out of the horsebox today..... wasn’t easy but it was lots of fun…”, he said later.

There were five on offer:

Margherita - San Marzano Tomato, Fior di Latte, Basil.

Nduja - Spicy salami, San Marzano Tomato, Fior di Latte, Salsa Verde.

Ardsallagh Goats Cheese - San Marzano Tomato, Confit Red Onion, Gremolata.

Gubbeen Chorizo,-  San Marzano Tomato, Fior di Latte, Roast Red Pepper.

Pepperoni - San Marzano Tomato, Fior di Latte, Parmesan, Olive Oil.

My order at the horsebox was for the Nduja. And it was excellent, full of flavour with a moderate touch of spice. But I have to say that CL’s Ardsallagh was about as perfect as a pizza can get. Everything in balance, including the delicious influence of the Gremolata - an exquisite piece of work and one to watch out for. And that sourdough base, common to all his pizzas is also amazing.

So do look out for The Curly Stu. You’ll find them on Instagram (the_curly_stu) and on Facebook (The Curly Stu Sourdough Pizzas). For bookings, including Private parties, Markets, Festivals, Corporate, ring 085 1960706.