Faceless saint, unknown knight and wrong-way Corrigan

Limerick
Day 1

Faceless saint, unknown knight and wrong-way Corrigan

There is, in the Askeaton Franciscan Friary, a saint whose face is fading away. For generations, visitors with toothache and related problems have been kissing him on the face in the hope of a cure. Not too sure if the aches vanished but the saint’s face, at least the area round the mouth, is vanishing.

In the same abbey, there is a statue of Saint Patrick, high in one of the internal walls, easily missed. I’d not have seen it but for the help of a local man who also told me about the toothache saint and the unknown knight. The story is that this anonymous knight arrived in Askeaton and died there and is buried in a wall in the abbey with the following inscription: Pass me for I am strange.



But the real highlight for me is the cloisters (below), more or less intact in this 14th century building. These, plus the saint, the knight and Patrick are national treasures, open to the elements, including the criminal ones.

No chance that early aviator Douglas Corrigan would remain anonymous. Denied permission to fly from New York to Dublin, he was given the option of NY to San Fran. But the intrepid pilot headed east and landed in Dublin, claiming his compass had mal-functioned!

Heard that yarn and a whole lot more in the fascinating Flying Boat Museum in Foynes earlier in the day. Many stories are about the flying boats in their heyday at Foynes (late 30s, early 40s) and obviously lots are of Irish interest. The highlight though is a full size replica of the Yankee Clipper (built by Boeing and called the B314). This gives a terrific idea of what a flight in this type of machine was like.

Here also you’ll hear how, and why, Irish Coffee was invented. There is a little gift shop and also an impressive little restaurant, the B. O’Regan. ”Mouth-watering home cooking at very reasonable rates” they say. Soup and brown bread for €3.95 sounded reasonable but my plain scone cost €2.95! But it was of decent quality as was the reliable Bewley’s Coffee.

Mustard Seed garden

After that, headed out the Shannon estuary, as far as Tarbert where we saw the impressive car ferries come and go between the Kerry port and Killimer in Clare. Pity the day’s weather wasn’t the best. It was dry and generally dull but we still got a great idea of the impressive estuary,  Ireland's largest.

Mustard Seed garden

Headed back then, via Askeaton, to Ballingarry and the Mustard Seed, set in a former convent. Great welcome here, local cheddar, peaches and Prosecco in the room, and then a walk in the garden, a garden given over mainly to vegetables but with some gorgeous flowers and surprising mini-vistas, even including a little Buddha shrine!

Plate of lamb

All that was needed now was a good meal. And I got it at the Mustard Seed. Superb from start to finish. Briefly, it was Rabbit and Pig Terrine, Lemon Sorbet, Assiette of Lamb (above), and Selection of Irish Farmhouse Cheeses (including Milleens and Cashel Blue).  Five star. And then a comfy finish with the end of the wine and coffee in front of the fire! Happy days.

See Day 2
See Day 3

Cashel Blue in Safe Hands

Cashel Blue in Safe Hands

Cashel Blue, at 3 weeks. See the needle holes made to allow the blue develop

“One sunny summer’s day my daughter Sarah and I were watching my husband, Louis, herd his cows in from pasture. What a deliciously rich and creamy milk they gave! I started to experiment. Eventually, in 1984, I created Cashel Blue, a cheese I believe truly represents the outstanding quality of Tipperary milk. I hope you will agree.”

This is Jane Grubb telling how Cashel Blue cheese came into being and we do agree, as do thousands of customers worldwide, from the US to Australia, from Harrods to IKEA. “All areas of the market are supplied," Sarah told us on a recent visit. Sarah emphasises that this is a deliberate decision, as they want everyone to try their cheese, not just those that shop in elite outlets.

I should of course say cheeses as Cashel Blue has been joined by two other products, the very latest being Cashel Cream Cheese, a convenient cheese in a tub for everyday use, a mix of Cashel Blue, Natural Cream cheese and 5 per cent cream.

The other cheese is Crozier Blue. Jane’s nephew, Henry Clifton Brown, of Ballinamona Farm, overlooked by the Rock of Cashel, set about establishing a flock of milking sheep, then somewhat of a rarity in Ireland. As a result, in 1993, Crozier Blue was developed. To this day Crozier Blue is the only blue cheese made from sheep’s milk in Ireland.

Blue is doing well here on a 6 week Crozier

But back to Jane and those early days. She had decided to make cheese but didn’t know how. So she got herself a library book. Even that wasn't available locally and had to be obtained via the inter-library route. That book, lots of experiments and then the aquisition of a small vat, led to the famous Cashel Blue.

Over twenty years later, the new dairy was established near the original, farmhouse (which had become almost overwhelmed by the success) and opened in 2010 right in “one of the best fields” and locally became known as Louis’ shed. Louis is Jane’s husband and the entire family were glad to get their home back.

Some of the thousands of wheels in the Maturation Room.

 While there is no great visible signs of it in the Tipperary countryside, this is a major operation and a boon to the area. The production team now consists of about twenty members, sometimes joined by their children. And isn’t it great to have such a place to sustain the countryside, keeping the people at home. Sarah told us that some forty children under 10 live between the two local crosssroads and she finds that so encouraging for the future of the area.

The early cheesemakers too needed encouragement as they tried to find their way. And that encouragement came in the shape of an early prize and soon they were on the right path, choosing to make the blue rather than what many others were making.

The Dairy

 Cheesemaking is no easy job. Lots of muscle and hands on work is required. Cheesemaking starts at 6.00am and work goes on everyday, though they do try and keep it that bit less demanding at weekends. Still, someone has to be there 365 days a year!

We saw Geurt van den Dikkenberg, now the main cheesemaker, (by the late 1980s Jane developed a bad back, the infamous cheesemaker’s back, and so taught Geurt how to make Cashel Blue) in action with the cheese harp, drawing it through the curds and whey in large vats time after time. Not easy work at all and yes that Cheese Harp has to be re-strung from time to time.

Main cheesemaker Geurt van den Dikkenberg,
using the cheese harp.

 With all that hard work, some people would be tempted to cut corners and speed up the process. But glad to say, there is no compromise here. The quality of the milk, which is pasteurised but unhomogenised, is all important and the care that it gets from the time it it piped into the vats, through to the final wheels in the Maturation Room, is hands on.

There is of course some mechanical help with placing the mix from the vats into moulds and also with the injection of the wheels to allow the blue to occur and also the turning of the wheels but nothing whatsoever to compromise the integrity of this natural product. Find out more about the Cashel way of cheese making  here. 

Wheels, ready for turning

We recently enjoyed an eye-opening guided tour of the Dairy with Sarah showing the way ( and also met other members of the family who are involved, including Jane’s husband Sergio Furno and her cousin Louis Clifton Brown).  The cheesemaking operation at Beechmount Farm was in good hands from the start with Jane and her husband Louis the pioneers and is in good hands now and for the future with Jane and Sergio and their team.

Wish we had more leaders like them in this country, modest people who get on with it. It is a fascinating story, a slice of history even, and you may read more about it here. 

Some Beechmount facts:

·         Sixty five per cent of the cheese output is sold abroad.

·         25,000 wheels in the Maturation Room

·         Crozier is white while the Cashel as it matures tends to be more of a yellow colour.

·         The sheep milk, used for the Crozier, is heavier and that means more muscle needed especially while it is in the vats.

·         The wheels are salted by soaking in brine, the better to preserve it. Previously the salt was added by hand but soaking in the tanks of brine gives a more consistent result. You will probably notice that the edible rind is that bit more salty than the paste.

Buying local. Market Meal #5

Buying local. Market Meal #5

Simple salad with Marinated Butter Beans from the Real Olive Company

Haven’t posted a Buying Local post in a while. Just took a break from preaching about buying Irish (only stopped talking about it, mind you, I was still buying) and supporting local producers. This latest post was inspired by some delightful Lamb Merguez Sausages, new from Eoin O’Mahony in the English Market, and by last week’s visit to the makers of Cashel Blue.

Domini Kemp's Cashel Blue Cheese, recipe link below.

 Saturday

Let us start with those chunky sausages. Despite the Merguez name and also a few dollops of harissa, they won’t blow the head off you. We wanted to try the sausage flavour as pure as possible and tried them with a little mashed potato. Really tasty, moderately spiced and full of flavour and a great texture. I’m sure you’ll find lots of use for them, maybe with lentils, maybe with white beans, perhaps sliced lengthways and packed into a roll with salad, maybe in a Spanish Rice recipe such as this one. 

Moved up a few stalls in the market after that and called to the Real Olive Company for some sun dried tomatoes and also a scoop of their marinated butter beans. Got more of the slightly spicy beans than we bargained for so, for a quick lunch, used them with a straightforward salad and a few slices of the Country Baguette by Tom’s Bakery which is sold at ABC in the Market. Easy peasy! And tasty!

Lamb Merguez sausages from O'Mahony's in the English Market

 The sun dried tomatoes had been bought to be part of a terrific Cashel Blue cheese recipe from Domini Kemp and available on the Cashel Blue website http://www.cashelblue.com/official-recipe/puy-lentils-with-sundried-tomatoes-and-cashel-blue/ The other main ingredients are Puy lentils (from Len’s Cereals in Mahon Point Farmers Market) and red onions. And keep a few slices of that Country Baguette handy.

Tom's Country Baguette from the ABC Stall in the Market.

Sunday

On the following day, we had a collection of left-overs and added the butter beans to the Cashel Blue recipe and that gave us quite a plateful at lunch today. Looks like being a good day foodwise as the aromas of garlic and rosemary are now wafting around the house as a shoulder of lamb from Eoin O’Mahony is slow cooking for the Sunday dinner.

Buy local and everyone’s a winner, producers, suppliers and customers. 

New Cream Cheese from Cashel

Cashel New

Cashel Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the makers of Cashel Blue, have come up with a creamy beauty. I was introduced to Cashel Cream Cheese in Carrigaline at the weekend and it could well be a long lasting affair.

It is basically a mix of the famous Blue Cheese matched by Natural Cream Cheese and then they add some more cream! It has a mild and creamy flavour and a gorgeous rich creamy texture. No stabilizers, no additives, just all natural ingredients.

So why did Cashel bring out this new product? “This is an easy to eat everyday treat, which is not as strong as Cashel Blue and therefore appeals to teenagers and people who may think blue cheese is not their thing."

So go on and give it a try. I’ve tried it in various ways: simply on crackers, also on toast and also stuffed into mushrooms and baked as a simple starter. Just take it out of the easy to use tub and try it, maybe as a dip with carrot sticks, perhaps with chicken wings or in a burger or in a hot Panini with Roast beef, chicken or roast peppers. Delicious!

For more info, including recipes, check out the Cashel Blue site here. 

And here is one that was posted on Twitter this week:

Cashel Blue Cheese ‏@CashelBlue25s

Shaved asparagus and Cashel blue salad - Recipes - Food & Drink - The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/shaved-asparagus-and-cashel-blue-salad-8558589.html … via @Independent

Note: It is suitable for vegetarians but not for pregnant women.

Gubbeen. “A gentle and fertile corner."

At Ballymaloe, l to r: Fingal and Giana Ferguson, yours truly and Rory O'Connell 

Gubbeen. “A gentle and fertile corner.”

“We are dairy farmers and farm over 200 acres in West Cork, with Mount Gabriel behind us and the Fastnet out in front of us. We have a mixed herd...but are very proud of our Kerry cows,” said Gubbeen’s Giana Ferguson as she addressed those of us privileged to be in the attendance at the Trimbach Wine and Cheese evening in Ballymaloe last week.

It was a very special evening in the Grain Store, so much more than the sum of its advertised parts: wine from Alsace, charcuterie and cheese from Gubbeen and the blue cheeses of Cashel and Crozier. But put these special families together, the Allens, the Fergusons, the Grubbs and the Trimbachs, as Ballymaloe's Colm McCan did, and you have the perfect mix for a few magical hours.

Instructive too. For these family “businesses”, more a labour of love, have a certain honesty and simplicity, not forgetting an abundance of hard work, not just in the day to day tasks, but also in acquiring and maintaining the necessary skills, that put together enable them to reach the highest of standards. They don’t boast about it either but they are a shining example to us all.

Take the Fergusons at Gubbeen where they have been farming for many generations now. Like many farmers, they have cows, they have pigs, they have poultry and they have a kitchen garden. But here, they have been put together in a rather special way by a family who work hard, respect the land, their animals and their customers.

And just like the engaging Jean Trimbach, they too know their terroir: the acidic soil, the salty winds from the Atlantic, the early grass (thanks to the Gulfstream).

They started making cheese in the 70s and these first generation cheesemakers were taking a step into the unknown.

But there was help and support from two of Cork’s leading food families: the Allens of Ballymaloe and the Ryans (now in Isaac’s), a support warmly acknowledged by Giana: "The Ryans and the Allens stood by us and kept us going."

Gubbeen chorizo

And they have travelled a long way, without ever leaving Gubbeen, without ever getting “big”. The add-ons are organic. Their pigs have the best views of any pig farm and son Fingal has taken a keen interest here. He admitted to being “fascinated by meat curing” and is “always looking to learn more in the future” Already, he has over fifty products, most from the versatile pig.

Daughter Clovisse has also added to the productivity of the farm.  She is a bio-dynamic gardener and, with a terraced acre and four tunnels, she supplies several local chefs and is the source of fresh salads, vegetables and fruit for her customers.  Her herbs are the key flavours in Fingal's cures for his smoked meats, and in the summer - if you get down early enough - you can buy her salads at the Schull or Skibbereen Farmers’ Markets.

Parents Tom and Giana have been the pioneers, Tom as the herdsman and Giana as the cheese maker; she also keeps poultry in the yards.  Special people making special food. A regional and national treasure.

• Don’t forget to visit the Gubbeen site here.

The Grubbs: Blessed be the cheese makers.

Sarah Furno speaking in Ballymaloe

Jean Trimbach loved the cheeses

Blessed be the cheese makers
The Grubbs and Cashel Blue



About this time last year, I was buying some wines in the Rhone village of Rasteau.


The English speaking saleslady was telling me all about their Signature Vin Doux Naturel which, unusually for a dessert wine, is red. She was suggesting cheese matches and mentioned the blues of Auvergne and Bresse. But when she moved on to Stilton I just had to interrupt and tell her we had our own blues in Ireland.

When she asked for a name, I gave her Cashel Blue. And she carried on as before. “Now you take a glass of Rasteau and Cashel Blue and you have a perfect match.” Quite a saleslady but glad I spoke up when I heard Sarah Furno of Cashel Blue (and Crozier Blue also) in action at this week’s enjoyable Trimbach Wine and Cheese evening in Ballymaloe.

Sarah had quite a story to tell and told it so well. She explained that their family farm in Tipperary was struggling to make ends meet in the hard times of the early 80s. Would they go into yoghurts? Into ice-cream? But they had noticed the rise in cheese-making and after much research (including visits to Gubbeen), they decided on making a blue cheese.

There was obviously a market here as the country was importing something like 25 tonnes of Danish blue at the time yet people still “thought we were mad”. But, led by parents Jane and Louis, they kept experimenting and it took them all of four years to create Cashel, which is made from cow’s milk.

The Crozier followed about ten years later. This is made from sheep’s milk. Earlier, they had been told: “You can’t milk sheep”. Sarah: “They graze on limestone fields and produce just two litres a day...It is liquid gold, high yielding, very rich.”

If Blue cheese was something of a mystery to those in Irish agriculture in the 80s, then moulds were even more so. “Something wrong with your cheese?” The moulds are important as Sarah’s husband Sergio explained: “We use mould for flavour. We rely heavily on external mould on the rind to encourage the development of the creaminess and complex flavour from the sweet nature of the wonderful milk.”

And I must say, I just love these blues for those very reasons. And so do consumers in Australia, United Kingdom and United States and online .

It was really fascinating to hear Sarah speak and tell the story and her frequent references to the terroir, references also made by Giana Ferguson of Gubbeen. Sarah for instance mentioned the limestone fields on which the sheep graze while Giana referred to the salt spray from the Atlantic that hits their fields and the warming effects of the gulf Stream.

Sarah just touched on the recent decades. For more on the Grubb family story – it goes back as far, if not further, than that of the Trimbach’s – and indeed much more on the fantastic cheeses and how they are made, go to the Cashel Blue website here.

Just been checking and found I still have a bottle of that Rasteau, bottle number 08446 from the 2007 vintage Signature Vin Doux Natural. Next stop will be the English Market to get one of those blues from Tipperary, maybe both.

Trimbach Wines, Gubbeen and Cashel Blue

Iconic French winemaker with iconic Irish food producers

Darina Allen and Jean Trimbach

Jean Trimbach, Trimbach Wines, Alsace, France
with Giana & Fingal Ferguson, Gubbeen Farm, Cheeses & Cured Meats, Schull, Co. Cork
and Sarah & Sergio Furno, Cashel Blue & Crozier Blue Cheese, Fethard, Co. Tipperary

The Grain Store at Ballymaloe, Wednesday 4th July, 7.00pm

A special evening in Ballymaloe with Trimbach Wines, Alsace, France - family run since 1626, and listed in the Top 10 White Winemakers of the world, with their wines & stories presented by Jean Trimbach. Also alongside Jean Trimbach, will be Sarah & Sergio Furno of 'Cashel Blue & Crozier Blue Cheeses', and Giana & Fingal Ferguson, of 'Gubbeen Farm, Cheese and Cured Meats',  who will also tell us their story with a tasting of their produce, to taste alongside the wines of Trimbach.

Wednesday 4th July, 7pm, €15 (includes wine & nibbles)