Taste of the Week. Keogh’s Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Crisps

Taste of the Week

Keogh’s Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Crisps

Our Taste of the Week is quite a mouthful, a lot of words up there. But it is a tasty mouthful and quite a delightful surprise to me.

Salt and Vinegar was never my favourite combination. When I got the two samples from Keogh’s, I thought it was odds on that the Cheese and Onion would be my winner. And it is a good one too. Tasted that first and had my opinion confirmed.

Onto the Atlantic Sea Salt and Irish Cider Vinegar then and what a pleasant ambush on the palate. The combination is flavoursome, so well balanced, the best combination of salt and vinegar I’ve ever come across. A nod from the other half confirmed the tasty surprise and our Taste of the Week was unanimous! Two thirty-somethings were later recruited and again both came down on the Salt and Cider Vinegar side.

The two varieties are now available in Multipacks, just in time for picnic season. Each contains 6 individual bags. The new multipacks are available alongside the Farm Favourites Multipack which was introduced last year and includes 2 x Dubliner Cheese and Onion, 2 x Atlantic Sea Salt and Irish Cider Vinegar and 2 x Roast Beef and Irish Stout.

Commenting on recent survey results, that showed some 22% of Irish workers eat lunch at their desk on any given weekday, Tom Keogh, Keogh’s Farm, said: “Much of my working life has been spent outdoors on the farm so it’s hard to imagine spending all my lunch breaks cooped up at a desk but unfortunately this is the reality for many people. The weather can sometimes be off-putting but with the summer sun now shining, the Irish public should make the most of it by taking their lunch to a local park or eating dinner in the back garden. Any excuse for some fresh air and an impromptu picnic!

This year, we’re proud to have our three multipack varieties in store just in time for picnic season. The multipacks are lightweight, easy to carry and perfect for sharing and as always, they are made fresh on the farm using only the finest Irish ingredients.”

The newly launched Keogh’s Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Multipack and Dubliner Irish Cheese & Onion Multipack and the Keogh’s Farm Favourites Multipacks and entire Keogh’s Crisps range are available now in stores nationwide, RRP €3.99.

For further information on the Keogh’s #PerfectPicnic campaign and Keogh’s Multipacks, please visit www.keoghs.ie.

Taste of the Week. Woodcock Smokery Tuna

Taste of the Week

Woodcock Smokery Tuna

On a recent visit to the Woodcock Smokery in Castletownsend, smoker Sally Barnes gave me a piece of her Albacore Tuna to bring home.

It is really amazing; looks as if Tuna is meant to be smoked. Maybe, meant to be smoked by Sally. “It is hot smoked. Our tuna are guaranteed line-caught and are certified by Friends of the Sea.This is a tuna unlike any you have ever tasted. It's a succulent meaty bite with subtle smoke and ocean tastes”

I think that last sentence really sums up our Taste of the Week. We used it in a version of a Salad Niçoise and it was delicious. By the way, if you are looking for Anchovies, you can get very reasonably priced tins in O Português  in McCurtain Street.

Sally uses only wild fish, quite a variety of them, and her products are much sought after by top chefs. And you may read all about her operation here.

Woodcock Smokery

Gortbrack

Castletownshend

Skibbereen

County Cork

Ireland

Telephone: 028 36232 (Ireland)

00 353 28 36232 (International)

You may order online from Sally. Check the products and the prices here.

Taste of the Week. Toons Bridge Cacio Cavallo

Taste of the Week

Toons Bridge Cacio Cavallo

In the Big Shed during LitFest16, I met Toby of Toonsbridge Dairy with two big rounds of cheese over his shoulder, one to the front, one to the rear. “I’m like the horse,” he joked. And, having read a piece on their website a few days earlier, I knew that he was talking about his Cacio Cavallo, now our current Taste of the Week.

It is a cow's milk cheese, made in Toons Bridge by their Italian cheesemaker Franco.  Translated it means "horse cheese", as it is traditionally tied in pairs and transported to market by pack horse. No horse in the Big Shed at Ballymaloe so Toby took over! That’s what stallholders do.

Cacio Cavallo is the cheese of Southern Italy. It is, like mozzarella and scamorza, made from raw milk with the addition of whey starters. It is ripened and, when ready after some hours, stretched in boiling water.

We bought a big slice - it is cut on the length from the five or six kilo round - and enjoyed every bit. Cracks appeared on the paste and it comes away in soft slivers, beautiful and creamy. You’ll read that the Piccante version - one of  our Toons Bridge versions - has a spicy background but it is quite mild.

Must try the Dulce version, as it looks very much like the Spanish Tetella.

Toons Bridge Dairy

Toons Bridge Macroom Co Cork

Contact:

087 3457790 (texts work as well)

or by email toonsbridgeshop@therealoliveco.com

Toons Bridge cheeses at Ballymaloe Litfest16

Taste of the Week. Ummera Hot Smoked Rump Steak

Taste of the Week. 
Ummera Hot Smoked Rump Steak

Always something new out of the west. In Ballymaloe for the Litfest, I met up with Anthony Cresswell of the Ummera Smokehouse at his stall in the famous Big Shed. And he had something new for me, indeed I got the very first bite of his Hot Smoked Rump Steak.

He tried cold smoke too but eventually settled on the hot; it is then marinated and allowed rest for a couple of weeks. The smoke and the rump seem made for each other, great flavour and texture, gorgeous stuff and our Taste of the Week.

Ummera, operating on the banks of the little river Adrigeen in Timoleague for close on forty years, is licensed to smoke both fish and meat and the products are exported worldwide. Anthony smokes salmon, chicken, duck (I got an early taste of that beauty too a few years ago!) and bacon and you may buy them all and more online. Very Highly Recommended.

Ummera Smokehouse

Timoleague

Co Cork

Tel: +353 (0)23 88 46644

Email: info@ummera.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ummera 

Twitter: @ummera 

Taste of the Week. Kerry Lane Pale Ale

Taste of the Week

Kerry Lane Pale Ale

Cotton Ball pic

“This is one terrific ale,” I thought to myself last night as I sipped the cool Kerry Lane Pale Ale (5%), made a very short walk from me by the Cotton Ball Brewing Company. I hadn’t had a Kerry Lane with a while and was very pleasantly surprised by the reacquaintance.

I’m not the only one pleased with our latest Taste of the Week as the Kerry Lane won gold at last October’s Blas na hEireann Awards in Dingle. It is full bodied and “the classic aromatic hop flavour is accentuated by a late kettle hop addition”. I had bought a bottle (or two) at the Cotton Ball’s off licence but I’ve also enjoyed it in draught at the bar itself, along with the other beers being produced in the attached micro-brewery.

The beers are finding their way around the country now and indeed getting high praise. Recently, Leslie Williams nominated their Indian Summer as the Irish Examiner Beer of the Week. Other mainstays are their Lynch’s Stout and Mayfield Lager. Watch out too for specials. After all, Indian Summer started life as a seasonal but turned out to be a beer for all seasons.

The Cotton Ball, owned by the Lynch family, started brewing in late 2013. The pub itself was bought by their ancestor Humphrey J. Lynch (he appears on the bottles) in the 1870s.

Taste of the Week. Galtee Irish Honey

Taste of the Week

Galtee Irish Honey

Got a bit of a drop recently when Michael Creedon of Bradley’s told me they had run out of my favourite honey. Not available again until the Autumn! But he has sourced a fantastic alternative from Galtee Irish Honey, our latest Taste of the Week.

They are based in Cahir but their bees, from 150 hives in the Galtee Vee Valley, patrol three counties: Tipperary, Limerick and Cork, collecting from a big variety of fauna, including sycamore and horse chestnut blossom, dandelion, oilseed rape, hawthorn, blackberry blossom, clover and heather. And the resulting honey is gorgeous with a classic texture and a delicious complexity of flavour. Check out their excellent website for more information on Irish honey.

Some years back, I threw out the odd jar of honey when it became solid and cloudy until a helpful man at a farmer's market told me that this “crystallization” is a good sign, that the honey is pure and natural. Galtee Honey helpfully repeat that message on their jars. Just gently heat your cloudy jar and it will soon be back to normal.

They also say that honey does not spoil easily; the best before date on my current jar is end of 2020. I guarantee you it won't last that long in this house; it will hardly make the end of the week!

Galtee Honey

Burncourt

Cahir

Co. Tipperary.

0876743030

galteebees@gmail.com

www.galteehoney.com

Taste of the Week. Mega Munchy Muesli by The Foods of Athenry

Taste of the Week

Mega Munchy Muesli

by The Foods of Athenry

I have always enjoyed my breakfast when the Lawless family, the people behind the Foods of Athenry, are involved. So I was very much inclined to try their Mega Munchy Muesli when I saw it on the shelf in Bradley’s recently. At the back of my mind, there was a little hesitation though as sometimes muesli can be very very dry - unless you drown it with milk!

But no worries here. Just added a normal drop of milk and I had my Taste of the Week. They got this blend spot-on, a lovely mix of high-fibre gluten and wheat free jumbo oats with 40% added seeds, fruits and nuts - and nothing else. Aside from that drop of milk! Delicious.

I have also enjoyed their Strawberry and Vanilla Granola and their High Omega Very Berry Granola. Haven't had their Sunshine Porridge yet! So that’s on the list now. Variety is the spice of life

They make lots of gluten free products on the Lawless farm, including cakes and bars. Check them all out here. They are widely available in Ireland, in the UK and further afield. See stockists lists here.

Many Irish producers sell you a product and have very little info on the pack or online about how to use it. Again, The Foods of Athenry come up trumps here with a good recipe section.

Taste of the Week. St Tola Ash Log

Taste of the Week

St Tola Ash Log

It is fresh and creamy and looks quite attractive in its ash coating. I’m talking about St Tola Ash Log, a premium goat's milk cheese and our Taste of the Week. The normal St Tola Log is also delicious but the Ash has that little bit more!

In their own words: “We have a peaty soil near the Atlantic. The St Tola Log cheese is quite natural, a little fruity, hints of the peat and undertones of salt. The St Tola Ash is made in the same way but in smaller log and is rolled in a food grade charcoal to produce the Ash rim. The Ash makes it stand out on the cheeseboard and keeps it fresh.”

And not just fresh. The Ash also enhances the creaminess according to the recent Guide to Cheese by Sheridans: “When ash is used on the rind, it attracts a more even spread of yeast and the cheese can become quite creamy under the skin.” So now you know. Well worth a try.

For more on St Tola, check their website here http://www.st-tola.ie. I got mine in Iago in Princes Street in Cork but it is widely available.

Taste of the Week. Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider

Taste of the Week

Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider

This is one of the best ciders I have ever tasted and is our Taste of the Week.

Made in County Meath by Mark Jenkinson, it has a rich amber colour, micro-bubbles constantly rising in the glass. The aromas are impressive too, redolent of the orchard. And on the palate there is a very pleasing concentration of real flavour and then a lovely dry finish.

Mark makes it in small batches in the heart of the Boyne Valley from 100% fresh pressed Irish apples. Each 1000 litre batch is unique and may vary slightly.

Keeving is not the easiest to explain as “it is more intuitive than an exact science”. But Mark gives a good run-down here. Crucially, it preserves the “lovely apple aromas and the rich flavours of the fruit and results in a robust yet smooth cider, complex and full-bodied with a bittersweet twist and a long dry finish.”

Briefly, Keeving means it is not filtered, not pasteurised, and not sweetened. The fruit sugars are naturally retained as are the intense apple flavours and aromas from the original must.

Hope that doesn’t sound too complicated. To put it simply, the result is a terrific drink with an ABV of 5% and is very highly recommended. Well worth a try. I got mine, a 75cl bottle, in Bradley’s for €9.95. See also Le Caveau who distribute it.

Taste of the Week. Glenilen Mango & Passionfruit Cheesecake

Taste of the Week

Glenilen Mango & Passionfruit Cheesecake

No major discovery this week as many of you will have come across this gem before. The Glenilen Farm Mango & Passionfruit Cheesecake is a winner and is our latest Taste of the Week. Not alone is it delicious, it is also convenient! Forgot something for dessert? Well this is your gorgeous creamy solution.

The subtle flavour of the mango and the more intense passionfruit work so well together with the creamy topping. They had been using the fruits in their popular yogurts and just thought it would be a great idea to make a cheesecake. They were spot on and “it's proved very popular”.

And like many Glenilen products - you may check them all out here - the secret is not so much the exotic ingredients but the rich creamy milk from the beautiful green green grass of their West Cork farm. Reckon there’s more than one Taste of the Week in Drimoleague. Indeed, I think we’ve featured one or two in the past, including their fabulous butter.

Taste of the Week. Kilmichael Goats Cheese

Taste of the Week

Kilmichael Goats Cheese

It comes in simple packaging. Just a round label on top and a wrap of cellophane. But there is a little beauty inside and it is our Taste of the Week. Kilmichael Soft Goats Cheese is made in Terelton, near Macroom, by Brian and Ann Bond. I came across this one in the Fresh from West Cork Cabinet in Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork, but you will find it in quite a few Farmers Markets as well.

The cheese is made from raw milk, from their mixed herd. It is soft and creamy, as you might imagine, but full of flavour too. And yet the balance of flavour is such that a beginner to goats cheese won't be put off and still there’s enough there to keep you more then happy if you indulge in these cheeses regularly.

Taste of the Week. Old Millbank Salmon Paté

Taste of the Week

Old Millbank Salmon Paté

Geraldine Bass is a regular at the local farmers markets here in Cork and her Old Millbank Salmon Paté is our Taste of the Week. You’ll certainly see her stall in Mahon Point (Thursdays) and Douglas (Saturdays).

The paté - you can get a nice little pot of it for four euro - comes two ways. The original is in a very tasty creamy paste, ideal for spreading on canapes or, if in  a hurry, spooning! And now there is a variation. She adds little chunks of her salmon to it, giving an extra twist to the texture and the flavour (see photo above). Either way, it’s delicious.

Geraldine also sells her award winning smoked salmon to restaurants and delicatessens.

Old Mill Bank Smoke House, Willow Pond, Summer Park, Buttevant, Co. Cork.

It’s between Mallow and Buttevant, so sometimes you’ll see Mallow in the address.

Email:	bass3@indigo.ie
Phone:	+353 22 23299

Taste of the Week. Another Bloody IPA

Taste of the Week

Another Bloody IPA

Cotton Ball’s Another Bloody IPA, 5.8%

“A medley of citra based hops are infused with Blood orange zest and peel to create a refreshing citrus aroma.” The aromas are fairly much what you'd expect and certainly there are citrus hints there. Malt, more than hops, on the palate, not that the hops are shy! Quite a rich and flavourful mouthful with that Blood orange a light and pleasant (rather than forceful) presence. A lip-smacking finish too. Overall, our Taste of the Week is another reminder, this with an attractive dark amber colour, as to why we ought to be grateful to our craft brewers.

Eight Degrees are one of the leaders in the field but it was only after drinking the Cotton Ball IPA - someone told me it reminded them of barley wine - that I got to taste their Mór, one of three Christmas specials from the Mitchelstown brewery. This is a Barleywine with a 10.2% abv. With Barleywine, rightly or wrongly, I'm thinking sweet and then what to eat with it? Didn't have too much in the house but, amazingly, it paired so well with Hadji Bey's Turkish Delight, the one thing I did have. Lucky match, lucky me!

Caroline Hennessy has been “battling” at various food shows these past few years with Colm McCann, she for beer, he for wine. And usually her trump cards are their Eight Degrees Stout and her brownies! But maybe she should consider their Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner for the next contest. I had a pint of that in Up Down, one of Cork's newest restaurants, and found it very agreeable with Asian Style Chicken wings.

Taste of the Week Loughbeg Farm 'Oat Tea Brack'

Taste of the Week

Loughbeg Farm 'Oat Tea Brack'

The Oat Tea Brack from Loughbeg Farm, near Schull in County Cork, is our Taste of the Week. Walter Ryan-Purcell tells us their brack is “wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and utterly scrumptious! Soaked in tea and cider”. It is our Taste of the Week. I got mine in Bradley's, Cork City.

The ingredients are gluten free oatlets, sultanas, mixed fruit, brown sugar, tea, eggs, cider, mixed spice, and bread soda. It is truly scrumptious. But take it easy. Though it is moist and choc-a-block with flavour, it's rather rich, great with a cuppa. Or why not try it, as I did, with a small glass of Sauternes.

Loughbeg, with Walter and wife Josephine at the helm, has benefited from the Supervalu Food Academy and now you can find their hugely popular Oat Bread loaf all across Munster. And if you do come across the loaf, ask too about this delicious Oat Tea Break.

Taste of the Week. Mella’s Irish Butter Fudge

Taste of the Week

Mella’s Irish Butter Fudge

The sweetest fudge, the cream of Irish butter, the magic touch added by Mella, and you have our Taste of the Week in your mouth. Don't rush it. Allow it to soften and then gently take it across your welcoming palate, feel its melting thickness and velvety softness, the kiss of that creamy flavour. You don't want to swallow it but soon you must. It is irresistible. Indulge.

And why wouldn't you swallow it. There is, after all, plenty more where that came from. Different flavours too. I had vanilla but you can also have chocolate, walnut, rum and raisin. And I’ve just been checking her website and see she has Irish Cream Liqueur as her flavour of the month. And an on-line shop. Oh the temptation of it all.

And let us hear from the girl herself: And by old-fashioned, we mean crumbly, buttery, the flavour your grandmother might remember from the good old days! YUM! Luxurious and decadent, you know you want it, it is addictive to say the least!

Mella is based in West Cork so there are many stockists in the area. But there is quite a spread of stockists aorund the country and you may check them out here and she is a regular attender at food fairs and festivals.  I got my most recent bar in Bradley’s of Cork.

Taste of the Week. Wicklow Blue Cheese

Taste of the Week

Wicklow Blue Cheese

Try this with a glass of Sauternes!

A delicate hand crafted creamy blue made using pasteurised cows milk and vegetarian rennet. This exceptional cheese has claimed gold, silver and bronze awards and has recently won Best Irish Cheese in the World, The World Cheese Awards Dublin 2008, alongside acclaim from food writers.

This is how the Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese describe their Wicklow Blue, our Taste of the Week. The soft cheese is deliciously creamy, slightly tangy and salty. Indeed, the blue element is moderate, not high and, quoting from the recent Sheridan’s book on cheese, may well provide a path into the category “for those who find the traditional blue cheeses a little too strong”.

This beautiful cheese is fresh and flavoursome and has won a string of awards, both at home and abroad, and is used by top chefs. Be sure and check out their other cheeses as well, particularly the companion Wicklow Bán.

I bought my Wicklow Blue in Bradley’s but Wicklow Farmhouse Cheeses are widely available, including in the main supermarkets. Check stockists here.

Pairing tip: Try it with a glass of Sauternes!