WONDERS OF THE FARMGATE

WONDERS OF THE FARMGATE

Last time, I wrote about the Farmgate, I headlined the piece: Great balls of flour. The “balls of flour”, were there again today: Golden Wonders with skins intact. I cut one in half to demonstrate to my two UK guests what is meant by the phrase.

I must admit that the potatoes didn’t form part of my own dish but I did take a half, just because I couldn’t resist They are just as gorgeous now as they were last November and illustrate what the Farmgate is all about: local produce in good nick, cooked to perfection and served by a friendly and efficient crew in this busy day-time restaurant overlooking the English Market.

My main course is a regular on the menu: Old Millbank Smoked Organic Salmon (12.50), served with a cracking salad and Crème fraîche. Old Millbank are regulars at Mahon Point Farmers Market and their salmon is always top notch as indeed it was here.

The menu description of the salad wasn’t exactly spot-on but the dish itself was and I and one of my fellow diners were very happy with it. One of the visitors enjoyed the Lamb’s Liver and Bacon and the other polished off one of the specials, the Cod pie.

Two of us, myself included, went for the fruity Porter Cake with the coffee; one picked the light and tempting Lemon Tart while another choose the Fruit Crumble. Four empty plates, four happy customers.

Just wonder – didn’t check – if the Porter cake was made with the Knockmealdown Porter by the 8 Degrees Brewing Company. They sell that here but it was the same company’s Howling Gale ale that I imbibed with my main course. Must say, I’m getting to really like that after some initial ambivalence towards the Mitchelstown product.

But never any ambivalence with regard to the Farmgate. Top class.

Happy New Year, With Rosé en Primeur!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

With Rosé en Primeur!

Just got a Happy New Year card from the folks at Laurent Miquel vineyard near Beziers. Dominique is one of the signatories and she explained to me previously that the French spread out the New Year Celebrations over the first few weeks. No rush there then!

But you may want to rush out for an offer that Dominique also told me about. It is one where you pay less for your Rosé rose by buying it “en primeur” via From Vineyards Direct 

 Three years ago From Vineyards Direct launched what is now a traditional  “en Primeur” release of new vintages of Pontet Bagatelle Rosé, raising a good few eyebrows by introducing pale pinks into what has often seemed to be the preserve of more ‘serious’ wines from a particular left or right bank.

Describing the rationale for selling Pontet Bagatelle rosé en Primeur, Esme Johnstone, co-founder of FromVineYardsDirect, said: “It is the best rosé from Provence, probably France, and the first 2011 rosé to be sold en Primeur. It is outstanding… We want our customers to be able to enjoy this wine without paying through the nose.”

The 2011 harvest at Château Pontet Bagatelle was ideal and, producer Garry Stephens describes the wine as “The best rosé we have ever produced at Pontet Bagatelle – an appetising pale pink colour with a nose that bleeds intense but restrained summer berry fruits. Good balance, acidity and a great finish. Just about perfect – I am thrilled”

• The wine can be purchased at the remarkable price of €51 in Bond. This is €45 less than the price of the 2010 vintage as fromVineyardsDirect have been able to purchase the majority of the harvest this year – and Garry wishes to thank FVD customers. This stunning Rosé will also be available in Magnums, Double Magnums and Imperials.   The larger bottles add a touch of drama as well as flavour to any party, reception or wedding.

The prices in bond for delivery late April/May are as follows:

Bottle    €4.25Bt or €51cs       

Magnums or €9 or €54 cs(6)

Double magnum(300cl) €25 or cs (3) €75

Imperial (6oocl) €78

Queries to info(at)fromvineyardsdirect.ie  

CARRIGALINE: TOP RIESLING COUNTRY

RIESLING COUNTRY

Germany, Alsace and the Clare and Eden Valleys in Australia are noted as great places to grow Riesling. But Western Australia can also come up with the goods as evidenced by the Tingleup below. It won Decanter magazine’s Regional Champion Award for the best Australian Riesling on sale in the UK at under £10.00 and is one of a few I've tasted recently.

Bernhard Mehrlein, 2008 Riesling Classic, Rheingau, 12%, €12.80 Karwig Wines, www.weingut-mehrlein.de

Bird in Hand Riesling 2005, Clare Valley, 12%, €19.88, Karwig Wines, www.birdinhand.com.au

Tesco Finest Tingleup Vineyard Riesling, Great Southern, Western Australia, 2010, €11.99, Tesco, http://www.howardparkwines.com.au

Karwig Wines in Carrigaline is probably the best place in Ireland for Riesling and they have some very good ones indeed, including the Kerpen Riesling Blauchiefer Trocken 2010, 11.5%, €12.69, a well priced favourite of mine.

Must try older ones like this!

I also enjoyed their Mehrlein. Nose is aromatic with a slight hint of the famous petrol. The intro to the palate is lively and fruity, crisp and fresh, lime and apples to the fore with an almost perfect balance of sweetness and acidity and it comes complete with a decent minerally finish. Perhaps practice makes perfect in this vineyard as 95% of the output is Riesling. A good wine at a good price.

The Bird in Hand has that petrol, both in the aroma and on the palate. It also has more fruit than the Rheingau but still holds a good balance. It also has more body, maybe less liveliness, and that petrol is always there. This estate grown limited release is classed as a premium wine from an area renowned for its Riesling.

The Tingleup bottle comes from an area better known for excellent Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon but one can see why it won the Decanter award. It is fresh, fruity and dry with a fine long finish. Apple, pear and lime combine to give the refreshing tingle (this one is well named) and the finish echoes the introduction.

And so my Riesling education continues. At present, I have to say that I prefer the younger ones, such as the Kerpen and Tingleup. But I’ll have to get my hands on more of the older ones and see how it goes.

By the way, the Eden Valley topped the Riesling charts in Decanter for the over £10 category. The winner was Peter Lehmann’s Wigan 2005. Not too sure who sells that in Ireland.

According to both Hugh Johnson and Oz Clarke, Howard Park is one of the top producers in the Margaret River area. They make this Tingleup but you’ll need your glasses on to see their name on the label. Still, this is a top Riesling. And well priced.

TOP NOTCH FOOD AT THE BARN

THE BARN

I enjoyed a lovely meal at The Barn  last evening. For over thirty years, the venue, on the Mayfield to Glanmire Road, has been a fixture on the Cork dining scene. And that kind of longevity doesn’t happen by chance.

This is a comfortable place, starting with the ante-room where you may take a seat and check the menu while sipping an aperitif. The coats are put away neatly in the cloakroom and you are led along the carpets to your comfortable chair as the live music from the piano-man fills the room (not especially for your entrance, of course).
Service too is excellent, leisurely but not laggardly. For instance, when the main course was being served to our group (4), three people, maybe four, appeared with the dishes and, within a few seconds, all four of us had our main plates, along with the side plates of veg, in front of us and the water had been refilled without our asking for it to be done. And all done with a little chat and a big smile!

But all this comfort and service, even the piano-man, would count for little unless the food is good. And it is. It has of course moved on quite a bit from the early days of The Barn and now you see words like wasabi, tapenade, hummus and pork belly on the extensive menu.

All four of us were very happy with the meal. After some nice breads, I started off with the Crispy Pork Belly with Sour Cherry and Plum Chutney and Caramelised Red Onion (about €7.50, forget the exact price). Absolutely top class, done to a T, and the chutney was so moreish (even though I got two decent scoops of it!).

Then on to the piece de résistance! This was the Tapenade crumbed Cod Fillet, with Chablis Sauce and Spiced Mango Chutney (€21.50). Quite a decent sized piece of fish and there was also a side dish of nicely done vegetables (potato, carrot and creamed broccoli). Must say I really enjoyed it, the combination on the main plate was gorgeous. Quantity and quality was spot on here and left no desire for anything else, though I did look longingly at the famous dessert trolley that we passed on our exit!

MARC RETURNS TO CORNSTORE

What: Beer Loves Food Series

Where: Cornstore, Cornmarket Street, Cork

When: Wednesday 18^th January at 19.30

Price: €24.95 for a three course meal with beer

Contact: Cornstore for booking on 021 4274777

The ‘2012 Beer Loves Food Series’ kicks off at the Cornstore, one of Cork’s most popular restaurants to celebrate the naturalness of beer and food matching.  Beer and Food enthusiasts will be taken on a journey of beer tasting, beer history and food matching by Master Beer Sommelier, Marc Stroobandt, from Belgium. The ‘Beer Loves Food Series’ was created by Heineken Ireland to deliver on the growing global trend of beer and food matching.

Marc Stroobandt

Marc has been awarded some of the highest accolades in the global brewing industry.  He has been given an honorary knighthood by the Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs of the Confederation of Belgian Brewers and the title of Commander in the Order of De Roze Olifant. Marc hosted a similar event here in November and I found it to be a very enjoyable evening indeed as you may read here.

BEER LOVES FOOD

Beer is a natural accompaniment to food both savoury and sweet, with its ingredients of hops, barley, water and yeast. At the Cornstore, matchings like braised lamb shank with Affligem, an Abbey Ale with spicy and citrus flavours; slow roast pork belly withTiger, an Asian pilsner-style lager with hoppy flavours; and white chocolate mousse with Paulaner, a Bavarian Weissbier with fruity flavours and a crisp dry finish will reveal how beer and food complement each other to create unique and surprising taste sensations.

The ‘Beer Loves Food Series’ was created by Heineken Ireland, Ireland’s number one lager company, to deliver on the increasing demand for deeper understanding of beer and food matching.

Log on to www.thisisbeer.ie for more information.

CORNSTORE BEER LOVES FOOD MENU

SELECTION PLATE OF STARTERS

Duck liver parfait with brioche,

Wild mushroom and brown bread dumpling,

Goat’s cheese crostini with sundried tomato pesto,

Mini white bean and bacon soup                                                                                               

With Zywiec - The malty sweetness of Zywiec compares well with the creamy parfait, while the hoppy bitter dryness can cut through the richness of the goats cheese and the soup.

MAINS

OVEN ROAST HAKE with lemon and basil mash, sautéed samphire, with Cornstore red pepper relish (g)

With Heineken - The crisp, lemony slightly spicy hoppiness of Heineken blends well with the fish and uplifts all the other flavours.

CHICKEN BREAST stuffed with chorizo on crushed baby potatoes, red onion and tomato salad and tarragon infused natural yoghurt

With Zywiec - The sweetness of the chicken matches the beer and brings together the other flavours without overpowering them.

SLOW ROAST PORK BELLY with roast potatoes, sauerkraut, candied walnuts and a cider reduction (g)

With Tiger Beer  -  The richness of the dish requires the complexity of the beer and the well balanced bitter-sweetness of Tiger can handle the variety of ingredients while the spicy notes add another dimension to the dish.

BRAISED LAMB SHANK with roast orange sweet potato, celeriac and green beans (g)

With Affligem - The honey bitter sweetness of Affligem acts like a seasoning for the lamb while the light tartness of the beer cuts through  the other ingredients.

CANNELLONI OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH goats cheese, spinach and figs with sun dried tomato pesto, rocket salad (v)

With Birra Moretti - The sweetness of both the beer and the dish marry well together whilst bringing out the spicy peppery flavours of the pesto and rocket.

DESSERT

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE west cork strawberries and short bread biscuit

With Paulaner - The silky creamy texture of Paulaner and its honey-like sweetness with a lemony touch create a great combination bringing out the gorgeous flavours of both the mousse and the strawberries.

EARLY CALL TO LIBERTY GRILL

LIBERTY GRILL

Called in to Liberty Grill early (6.00pm) last evening. No reservation but no problem getting a table, though it did get quite busy later on. Seating was comfortable and service was friendly and courteous.

I started with the Southern Fried Chicken Salad (€7.65): slices of southern fried chicken on a bed of seasonal leaves with Jalapeno peppers, toasted cashews and tomato salsa. Really enjoyed this tasty (medium spicy) starter which is also available as a main course.

CL picked the Deep Fried Cambozola (€4.80) as her starter and was quite pleased with it. Nothing exceptional but well done and served with a cranberry coulis and salad.

Her main course, the Californian Chicken (€15.95), also falls in the nothing exceptional but well done category. This was marinated supreme of chicken, chargrilled and served with red pepper and basil oils, duck-fat roasted potatoes and herb salad.

I had been expecting something exceptional for mine (pictured); it was all that when I tried it first a couple of years back (they don’t change the menu much here). But, for the second time in a row (a big gap in between), it proved a huge disappointment.

 I’m talking about the Tennessee Flambé (€17.25), described as tender medallions of beef, peppered and flambéed in a shot of Jack Daniels and served with mushrooms, sweet balsamic onions, and with crispy garlic potatoes.

Description was pretty spot-on except for the most important word tender. The steak knife had trouble going through the first medallion and there was little improvement with the second. Shame really as, when at its best, this is a fantastic dish.

THE MARKETS ARE BACK

Great see the Farmers Markets back in action. Happy New Year to all the producers and hope to see you in the coming months. Met a few in Mahon this morning and this picture represents a small selection of what was on offer.

Click on image to enlarge

SEXY CORKSCREWS; SERIOUS WINES

Vines of La Citadelle, with Ménebres in the distance

SEXY CORKSCREWS; SERIOUS WINES

LA CITADELLE HAS IT ALL

Merci mór to Mrs Tyrrell of the Wine Store who first alerted me to the treasures of the Luberon.

The Luberon is a mountain range and associated valleys in the middle of Provence in the south of France. It is very well known in these islands largely because of the writings of Peter Mayle.

Lourmarin was among the villages he featured and one of his books was filmed by Ridley Scott; the film was called A Good Year and starred Russell Crowe. It was shot in the Luberon and some of the scenes, including the cafe ones, were filmed in Lacoste, another of the many picturesque hilltop villages in the region.

The Luberon deserves to be better known here for its wines and the Tyrrells at The Wine Store have been pushing the cause.

I was down that way last summer and made a beeline for La Citadelle, one of the top producers in the area and one of the Wine Store’s suppliers. First stop was at the village of Ménebres, which overlooks the vineyards. Back down then after lunch and over the road to La Citadelle.

First we made a tour of the Corkscrew Museum  in the winery. Quite a fascinating trip back in time. All kinds of corkscrews here, some small, some very big and a few very sexy ones.

Dragged myself away to the tasting counter and went off very happy with a selection of reds, ranging from the basic Le Chataignier through Les Artemes to the top of the range Gouverneur Saint Auban.

Gouverneur Saint Auban 2006, AOC Cotes de Luberon, 14%.

Colour is a very dark red with an intense nose of blackcurrant . It is an elegant fruity wine, full bodied with the tannins and flavours giving a very smooth result indeed. Class in a bottle. The blend is 85% Syrah and 15% Grenache. It is produced from the oldest vines and has spent 12 months in oak.

Les Artemes 2007, AOC Cotes de Luberon, 14.5%.

Again a very dark red with a strong fruit nose. It is full bodied, rich and generous, spicy and fruity, made from older traditional vines. The blend is Syrah (70%), Grenache (25) and Carignan (5). Very enjoyable indeed.

KNOW A LOCAL HERO?

Only FIVE days left to nominate your local hero and honour someone who deserves recognition

for the great work they do in your community

Enter them in the 2012 ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition and they could win €10,000 for their local community and the trip of a lifetime to Chile

Closing date for entries: 17 January 2012

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for the outstanding work they do in your local community? A hard working volunteer, someone who works tirelessly to make your area a safer place or a local who is simply an inspirational individual who always seems to put others before themselves?

If you do know someone who has made a real difference to your local area,

you have only five days left to enter them in the ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition which is being run by Santa Rita, the premium Chilean wine makers and the leading Chilean wine in Ireland.

The winning ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ will receive €10,000 to spend on their nominated piece of community activity, as well as a trip of a lifetime for two to Chile, the home of Santa Rita wine. Their nominator will also receive a trip for two to Chile.

Last year’s ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ was Joe Browne, founder of the Cystic Fibrosis charity Build4Life, for his phenomenal fundraising efforts to build a Cystic Fibrosis Unit at Cork University Hospital. Joe set up Build4Life after his son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and in the last four years, the charity has raised an astounding €2.2 million.

To nominate someone for the 2012 ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ award, simply pick up a nomination form in your local supermarket, pub or off-licence or

log onto facebook.com/santarita120.

The Santa Rita 120 label, which is the winery’s most popular line of wines, pays homage to the 120 brave Chilean men led by Irishman Bernardo O’Higgins who found refuge in the cellars of Santa Rita while fighting for independence in 1814. Bernardo, whose father was from Sligo, later went on to become the first head of the Chilean independent republic. Today the same cellar is used to age Santa Rita’s 120 label wines, which were created to honour those 120 heroes.

To tie-in with the ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition, Santa Rita also have a collection of limited edition wines called ‘Héroes’.

The ‘Héroes’ range consists of a 2009 Malbec from Valle de Maipo and a 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay from Casablanca Valley. The collection was created last year by renowned Santa Rita 120 winemaker Carlos Gatica to celebrate the launch of the Heroes campaign in Ireland and has received many great reviews since.

Sally-Anne Cooney, General Manager of Gleeson’s incorporating Gilbeys, which distributes Santa Rita wine in Ireland, says:

“Last year, the Chilean nation showed us how people in everyday life can be heroic. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, the Chilean nation united and acted as one to successfully rescue the thirty-three trapped miners.

“The ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ award is aimed at recognising the fantastic work that ordinary people do in Ireland every day. We are calling on everyone to nominate their local hero - someone they think deserves this prize. We’re really looking forward to hearing their heartfelt, inspiring and selfless stories. To us, these people are exactly that – a hero.”

The Santa Rita 120 range has an RRP of €9.99 and is available from all good stores nationwide.

The Santa Rita ‘Heroes’ collection: 2009 Malbec RRP €9.99  /  Chardonnay RRP €9.99 and is available in O Briens and Spar stores nationwide.

*Both the winner and the nominator must be over 18

TV3's COME DINE WITH ME. WILL YOU?

Pictured at the celebrity show on TV3

Amuse Bouche

"It is not uncommon for a bottle of Lafite ’96 to fetch a couple of thousand dollars more at auction in China that it would in Europe. Many (?) Chinese enjoy the showmanship of presenting important guests with this kind of celebrity wine, and my favourite aspect of it all is that many prefer to take it with a splash of coke.” From Around the World in 80 Trades by Conor Woodman.

Comfort food from warmer climes

Allrecipes.co.uk  |  Find recipes	9th January 2012
Moroccan comfort food   Spice up January with comfort food from warmer climes. From lamb tagine tocouscous royale, our Moroccan recipes are sure to beat the winter blues! What’s your favourite comfort food?	More Moroccan ideas Slow cooker chicken tagine Moroccan harira Vegetable tagine All Tagines All Moroccan recipes

ONE CHATEAUNEUF’S NOT ENOUGH

WHEN ONE CHATEAUNEUF’S NOT ENOUGH

Old bottles in the museum in Chateauneuf

Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine Barville, Brotte, 2007, 14.5%, Nash Wines

Over the Christmas, I had the opportunity to sample not one but two Chateauneuf du Pape. I bought this one last June at the Domaine's outlet in the village itself, where they also run a very interesting wine museum, and it cost €28.00. Not sure that Nash Wines have this exact vintage but you may check their site .

The grapes are hand selected in the vineyard and there is further sorting in the winery . The blend is Grenache 80%, Syrah 15% and Mourvedre 5%. It is ruby red in colour with a fruity nose of red fruits and also spicy.

On the palate, I found a beautiful combination of fruit, spice and acidity. It is a smooth mouthfeel and succulent; tannins, yes, but no rough edges whatsoever, just well textured, an excellent example.

The shell of the Papal holiday palace remains after wartime bombing

Roger Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape, 2009, 14.5%, €14.99 (Dunne’s Stores)

Got this one as a present and must say it turned to be quite an enjoyable drink. It is a few years younger than the Brotte, has different characteristics and is good value.

It is a darker red with mainly red fruits in the aroma. The palate gives a red fruit and nice spice, light, not unlike a Pinot Noir, with silky tannins and a long finish. Not bad at all for a relative youngster.

The ruin dominates the village with the Rhone in the distance

The blend is of seven grapes but the main ones are much the same as the Brotte: Grenache (72 to 74 %) and also Syrah and Mourvedre included. The average age of the vines is 65 years. See more details here.

My import is the better wine now but there is excellent value in the Dunne’s offering. I must say, I really enjoyed my visit to the village of Chateauneuf du Pape and the time spent in the wine museum and, of course, the chat and the tastings. Hard to put a value on those things.

But somebody, from the east, is! Maybe we should all be stocking up on Rhone wines. Buy Rhone before they do is the early warning from Jancis Robinson here. 

If you’d like to see some more photos from last summer’s trip to Provence, click here