Food and Drink Spotting: Flynn’s Magical Kitchen

Flynn's Pate and Red Onion Relish; salad on the way.
Bread by Arbutus.

Ballintubber Farm's
Sprouting Broccoli 

Flynn’s Magical Kitchen

Iain Flynn runs a modest stall at Mahon Point Farmer’s Market and you’ll also find him in Douglas on Saturdays and in Kinsale on Wednesdays. Don’t pass by. He has one of the outstanding ranges of food available. Everything from soups to quiches, from jams to readymade meals.

I regularly go for the soups. They change according to the season. Favourites include the Roast Butternut and Sweet Potato and also the Spiced Carrot.

The meals from Flynn’s Kitchen are something else. You just have to treat yourself to the Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni! If you want something handy for lunch, he has Quiche Lorraine and also an Aged Parmesan & Organic Leek Quiche to try.

And then there are the delicious jams. Most of the regular fruits are covered and the favourite here at the moment is Mixed Berry Jam, with Cracked Black Pepper and Kirsch.

And last but not least are the preserves, such as Sweet Tomato Chutney, Mint Jelly, and Cumberland Sauce. Iain is always on the development trail and I think he has hit the jackpot with his latest preserve: the Red Onion Relish. Tried it recently and it is superb.

Martin Conroy of Woodside is a regular at all the Farmer’s Markets and most of the time, you’ll find him right up close to Flynn’s Kitchen. Martin and wife Noreen have had their own reasons to celebrate this week with the announcement that they won a Silver Medal for their Black Pudding from "Confrerie Des Chevaliers du Goute Boudin ". It looks as if the pudding is right up to the standard of their other free range bacon and pork products. Well done to them both.

I know Martin loves the Purple Sprouting Broccoli sold by Ballintubber Farm at the markets. So do I, just class. It may be coming towards the end of its season but let’s hope Ballintubber has it for another few weeks.

Coffee
Have been enjoying some really good coffee this month and one of them came from the Mahon Point Farmers Market, from the Golden Bean stall: the Canta Galo, Brazil Natural Process, Varietal: Rubi 100i. The other came from my regular supplier, the Robert Roberts club, and is the Dominican Barahona AA, a perfect all rounder, one you can drink all day.

Drinks
On the 16th of May, as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations for Star Anise, Sami Ghosn of the famous Lebanese winery Massaya will host a wine dinner. See the tantalising menu here.

On the following evening, the 17th, Ballymaloe will host the Riesling Revolution. More details here.

Most companies find it difficult to come up with a top notch stout but Dungarvan Brewery has managed to give us two five star drinks. Tasted the two together recently. The Blackrock Stout is fabulous, perhaps the Guinness of the two.

I had already been acquainted with the Coffee and Oatmeal one and won’t be dropping that acquaintance. Just love it since having it forced down my throat by one of the “bad” Blair Boys! This is perhaps the Murphy’s. Try them out for yourselves, if not at Blair’s, then Bradley’s on the North Main Street.

Shorts
Bump up your berry intake. That’s the advice from the Irish times via @foodforlivingie http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2012/0508/1224315729641.html

Lime and Black Pepper Fries? http://punchfork.com/recipe/Black-Pepper-and-Lime-Fries-Framed-Cooks

A pulled pork sandwich http://www.foodspotting.com/reviews/1705490

Taste of the Week. Santa Isabel Coffee

Taste of the Week

Santa Isabel Coffee

via the Golden Bean

I recently bought a pack of new crop Santa Isabel Coffee beans from Golden Bean at the Mahon Point Farmers Market and have been enjoying cup after delicious cup. It is nearly finished now, unfortunately.

The beans come from the region of Coban (around the city of the same name) in Guatemala and are grown at a height of 1400 to 1600 metres. The Valdes family have put the emphasis on quality in recent decades and the result has been two placings in Guatemala’s Cup of Excellence.

This current coffee is full of flavour with a bright acidity and is our Taste of the Week.

For tips on making the perfect cup of coffee, check out the Robert Roberts website. For me, the best way to enjoy the full flavour is to take the Espresso route. In addition, I always stir the cup as I think the flavours concentrate in the bottom otherwise - probably no scientific basis for this, but it works for me!

Flavours of Christmas (but may be tried at any time of the year!)

Flavours of Christmas

(but may be tried at any time of the year!)

Bubbles from the Loire

Ummera Smoked Chicken (served with a Cajun Potato Salad). Lovely contrast after days of turkey!

Rwandan Coffee, the Cup of Excellence award winning Maraba Sovu 2012 lot #14,  via Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club.

Organic Pink Bubbles (made from Cabernet Franc) from Chateau Miniere and Domaine du Clos d’Epinay Vouvray Brut. Souvenirs of the summer holidays in the Loire Valley.

Mella’s Rum & Raisin Handmade West Cork Fudge.

Ummera smoked chicken.

Cashel Blue mature and Warre’s LBV Port (2002).

The Cornstore’s Plum infused Whiskey.

Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout, by now a Christmas standard.

Eight Degrees Zeus Black IPA, 7%. Looks like a rich dark porter but tastes like a pungent IPA.

Fleming's fantastic Orchard Chutney.

Fleming’s Orchard Chutney (Apples, Pears and Green Tomatoes from their own orchard).

Barrie Tyner’s Pates (from the local Farmers Markets, inc. Mahon).

Pandora Bell’s Honey Nougat with Almonds and Pistachios.

Cashel Blue

NEW YORK ROAST #6

WATCH OUR FOR NEW YORK ROAST NO 6!

Petroleum and coffee had no value a few centuries ago.  Now, they keep us going. And this new coffee will keep you going more than most.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

A few weeks back, I got a sample of Clonakilty Chocolate from the Fresh from West Cork stall in the English Market. Allison Roberts is making some gorgeous bars in Clon and has Easter treats (eggs and bunnies) on the way.

Allison, a member of the town's Fair Trade committee, is committed to producing her chocolate ethically and also to producing a top class product. She has over a dozen bars on the market with prices ranging from €2.50 to €3.00. Flavours include Orange Crunch, Milky Bar, Snow White, Decadent Dark and Espresso.

I got a bunch of them the other day and so far, the favourite is the 70% Pink Himalayan Salt. Mind you, there's just a pinch of the salt but it makes a difference. It is a delightful bar and is our Taste of the Week. Looking forward to having fun exploring the others. Might even get myself an Easter treat!

Read all about Allison and Clonakilty Chocolate here and don't overlook the report on her trip to Ghana. We’ve had lots of heroes in Irish food in recent decades.  Allison and fellow chocolatier Shana Wilkies of Midleton are among a new wave.

From Dungloe to Kenmare: Eight Irish Tea Rooms

Irish Tea Rooms

Adare's Old Creamery

Never heard tell of the Adare Old Creamery store until a recent visit. Now feel like I should tell you all about it. It is just a few hundred yards from the County Limerick village and it quite fascinating.

Maybe you want to buy a doll’s house or furniture for it. Some beautiful scented candles perhaps. Maybe high quality china such as Aynsley or Belleek. Well, this is the place to check out – see it on Facebook.

Downstairs there is an old style sweet shop (including ice-cream) and upstairs a gorgeous tea-rooms (with the best apple pie ever!). Fun animations all over the store. Books and clothes and much much more in this treasure house. And later in the year it turns into an incredible Christmas store. A must visit.

Three Tea Rooms: one in a church, one in a churchyard and one in a "big house" kitchen.

Drumcliffe Tea House (Sligo)

Ben Bulben

“Under bare Ben Bulben’s head” sits Drumcliffe church and the churchyard where poet William Butler Yeats is buried. “Horseman pass by” is the last line of the famous epitaph.

Today’s horseman though is more likely to sup at the Drumcliffe Tea House, also in the church grounds, before turning the key in the ignition.

Here, just outside Sligo on the road to Donegal, they serve good teas and coffees (Bewley’s), “mouth-watering cakes and desserts” and good “wholesome food”, including soups and tarts.

There are Yeats and Irish interest books to browse through and a selection of good quality original souvenirs. Plenty of parking for the churchyard and there are well kept toilets in the tea rooms.

Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom (Dungloe, Donegal)

The old chapel in Dungloe

Another famous Irishman, happily still with us, Daniel O’Donnell, famously used to serve tea to the world and mainly to the world’s wife. That function has now been taken over by the unusual Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom in Dungloe, County Donegal.

You’ll find this friendly place in the old chapel at the top of the main street.  Not alone does the cafe offer teas and coffees (Robert Roberts) but they also have a full bakery service. The products can be taken home to enjoy or enjoyed in the unique tearoom within the old church building.  “Our tearoom has a select menu of gourmet sandwiches, wraps, bagels, light meals and delicious homemade soups”.

The converted building also hosts the tourist office, the library and other local services, and, yes, toilets!

Doneraile Court Tea Rooms (Doneraile, Cork)

Doneraile, with outside eating area.

Tea Rooms in the old kitchen, open daily, and a Farmer’s Market  are among the recent attractions added to Doneraile Court in North Cork. The old pile itself, just off the main street in Doneraile, is surrounded by hundreds of acres of parkland where you have a great selection of walks.

Called in there the other day for a sandwich. This was filled with real ham, cut from the bone, and was a bargain at four euro. A toasted sandwich, packed with chicken and served with a salad, came to €4.50. But there is quite a menu here. Soups, sandwiches and curries and also breakfast dishes and a specials board for during the day. You can even order some items to take away. Lots of picnic tables scattered around the park also.

Four Tea Rooms: Town, city, coast, mountain.

Jam and cream in Bandon

Lovely scone and  gorgeous plate at the Duchess.

Never really associated myself with tea rooms but I’ve been in at least four over the past few months.

Began with a call to the lovely Tea and Garden Rooms in Ballyvaughan (Co. Clare); next up was the Phoenix Park Tea Rooms; up the Kerry hills next to the Pancake Cottage before the most recent call to the Duchess Tea Rooms in Bandon.

It was a bitterly cold morning in Bandon and after a visit to the local Farmers Market a hot cup was required. Just happened to be passing the Duchess Team Rooms and popped in. Nice bit of heat there and three or four welcoming sofas, just like home.

Sat myself down and soon I was tucking into a really well made fruit scone with no shortage of cream or jam. Coffee was excellent but next time, I must try the tea as they have a massive selection.

There is great degree of comfort here, lots of calming colours all around and perhaps the ideal place for afternoon tea with a wide assortment of finger sandwiches, scrumptious mouth-watering delicate pastries, little cakes and scones to choose from.

It is the best part of two years since I indulged in the full afternoon tea. Wonder if the Fota Island Resort Hotel are still doing it.

Just like the Duchess Rooms, you may enjoy a little lunch or a light meal in all the tea rooms. Had a great Fish Pie in the well situated Tea and Garden Rooms in beautiful Ballyvaughan. This is a lovely spot, right alongside Galway Bay, and with gardens front and rear. But if you go here, you will not be able to avoid the sweet cakes. As you go in, you’ll see them in all their tempting colours, the table groaning underneath.

The Phoenix Park Tea Rooms, just across from the entrance to the Dublin Zoo, looked splendid under the Autumn colours of the many nearby trees and, as we ate, the squirrels were hopping around outside.

They are open all day long and include some terrific organic stuff on the menu, including the coffee and tea. All the vegetables, salads and fruits are from Kinneden Organics in Roscommon, the chicken is from Cootehill in Monaghan. And their sourdough is by Arun Bakery.

On the road from Sneem (Co. Kerry) to Moll’s Gap, there is a place called A Strawberry Field  where you will find Pancake Cottage, which is open all year round. The views from the garden are splendid, weather permitting!

While you may enjoy a cuppa here, maybe with a Dutch Apple Pie, their speciality is the pancake. The selection of pancake toppings just goes on and on, sweet and savoury, and also a kids menu.

Another tea room well worth a call, just like the other three.

Greenwich Café Brunch A Perfect Finalé To Cork On A Fork Festival

Greenwich Café Brunch A Perfect Finalé To Cork On A Fork Festival

Eggs Royale: O'Connell's Smoked Salmon, Poached East Ferry Farm Eggs and Hollandaise sauce. The best Eggs Royale I've tasted in a long long time and Evin (of Brunch Cork), at the table with us, agreed. The ingredients were superb. The smoked salmon was a light and delightful surprise, so much better than what you get in many hotel breakfasts, you know those that come with a punchy aroma that dominates everything else on the plate.

Greenwich café chef patron Dermot O'Sullivan supports local all year round at the popular Caroline Street venue. So it was no big surprise to see him do it again with his Cork on a Fork Brunch special last Sunday, fittingly entitled "A Celebration of The English Market with Kinsale Gin". No surprise either to see the event sell out. 

It was quite a gin weekend for us and
the Kinsale version kept up the
standard in this welcome G&T
just after arrival.

CL enjoyed her tasty plate of Irish mushrooms on Pana sourdough toast, Parmesan shavings and slow-roasted tomatoes with basil pesto. Again the ingredients were key. The mushrooms and tomatoes were packed full of flavour and there was no shortage of moisture to soften the sourdough crust. Thumbs up again!

We had recently enjoyed the third dish on this special menu and knew the Strawberry Crumble Challah Bread French Toast using challah bread from The Alternative Bread Company, new season Irish strawberries, whipped mascarpone and oat crumble / or Rosscarbery bacon with maple syrup is another gem from the little kitchen here.

French Toast (from a previous visit)
is a regular on the menu here

Felicity Roberts of the Greenwich team heading to the sunny terrace
during last Sunday's A Taste of The English Market Brunch
 with Kinsale Gin during Cork on a Fork Fest. 
Pic: Joleen Cronin.

Supporting local is ingrained here in Greenwich. Just check out all the local names on the regular menu below.

Renovated Mount Congreve is looking very well indeed this year! Fuel up at the Stables Café.

 Renovated Mount Congreve is looking very well indeed this year.

You can fuel up at  Stables Café.

The Temple, with the River Suir in background
All pics taken 13.04.2023

Mount Congreve House and Gardens are situated in Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford, in Ireland’s Ancient East and are home to one of “The Great Gardens of the World”. 

Mount Congreve House, home to six generations of Congreves, was built in 1760 by the celebrated local architect John Roberts. It is now in the hands of the OPW and, after a recent seven million euro revamp, is looking very well indeed, both the house and the gardens.

The gardens comprise around seventy acres of intensively planted woodland, a four acre walled garden and 16 kilometres of walkways and some great viewpoints. But don’t worry. There are some long and shorter walks and all are well signed and you can check the distances before you start off. If you tired halfway through and need some feed, then check out the Stables Café. The main walks are The Woodland Garden (55 mins), the Fragrant Walk (20 mins) and the Walled Garden Walk (30 mins). There are also guided tours.

The shop is alongside the café

If you visited Mount Congreve in the past, you’ll remember that the cafe was down in the old out-buildings, near to the car park. Now it is part of the house itself with outside tables on a terrace as well. It is now run by Catoca Fine Food and Giftware, who already list Emo Court, Portumna Castle and Doneraile Court as places where they operate food facilities.

Something sweet?

You have to queue to order your food here, then pay for it and then find a table. Not too difficult but do take a look at the menu boards around and also check the displays in the glass cabinet as the queue makes progress. Lots of us would prefer a menu in hand but this is a busy spot and some 80,000 visitors are expected this year.

Approaching the house from the car park (which is not very close at all)

Anyhow, I settled on the (already prepared) Chicken Caesar Salad  (13.00) which was neatly presented and a good one. No shortage of good quality chicken, crispy bacon pieces, one or two baby tomatoes, lettuce leaves, sauce and of course the essential parmesan. CL had to wait for hers to be cooked - Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad (16.50) - ands brought to the table and that too proved quite satisfactory and we were ready for the garden walks!

Plants for sale here also

The gardens are of course seasonal. The woodland garden peaks in the months of February through to May so the colourful rhododendrons and magnolias have reached their peak by now. One other side of the coin, the walled garden (a very extensive one) looks rather bare right now but will be the sight to see in late summer. Around the same time, in a three-quarter mile walk, there are over ninety different varieties of Hydrangeas is in full flower.

On this trip

Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden

The Local, Dungarvan

The Baker's Table of Lismore

Vinilo, Lismore

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

360 Town Stay, Dungarvan

The Shamrock

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

The Pagoda

Before you go be sure and check out the very informative website here 

The house, where you'll find the entrance to the gardens, the cafe and shop.

River Suir in mid distance

On this trip

Mount Congreve, Kilmeaden

The Local, Dungarvan

The Baker's Table of Lismore

Vinilo, Lismore

Marvellous Sunny Morning On The Vee (Waterford/Tipperary)

360 Town Stay, Dungarvan

The Shamrock

Seafood Delights at Cliff House Hotel Festival Lunch

 

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Kate Lawlor's Spiced Beef, Horseradish Croquette

Get Cooking

Well done to Margaret Smith and Goodall’s on publishing A Modern Irish Cookbook in double quick time. Well illustrated and uncluttered, it is packed with recipes provided by dozens of bloggers and it neatly divided into sections: Light Bites, Brunch, Dinner, Bread and Sweet Things.

Lots of us don’t like Raw Oysters but have you ever tried them grilled. Zack has just the recipe for you: Grilled Oysters with a Bacon and Blue Cheese Crumb. Many eye catching pics in the book and one features Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon and Hollandaise by Donna.

Lots and lots of Dinner recipes including Potato and Scallion Strudel with Local Pork and Apple Velouté by Fritz, the chef proprietor of County Down’s Strudel Bistro. From Kildare’s Kenny’s Kitchen comes a tasty looking Sausages with Lentils.

Some really promising looking bread recipes including the famous one by Avril of Rosscarbery Recipes titled: Cheddar, Stout and Black Pudding Bread.

Hard to resist the Sweet Things, especially the Plum, Cardamom and Almond Cake by JensKitchen and the Beetroot and Orange Blossom Fudge by Kate from Fenn’s Quay, known as FQChefess on Twitter.

I even got roped in – hard to say no to Margaret! You’ll find my Marinated Mushroom Salad on Page 9. The trick here is to skip the marination, entirely possible if you live in Cork. Just go to your local market and buy a jar of the delicious marinated mushrooms by Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms, remove the top and pour them out onto your salad. Top class and no bother at all!

But do take a look at the book. Check it out on the top right corner of the screen and, remember, that proceeds go to two charities, including Cork’s own Penny Dinners!

Time for Port

I’m partial to a glass of Port at any time of year but know that many prefer it during the winter season and particularly at Christmas time. Some of you will have a favourite but, if not and even if you have, why not try the Taylor’s First Estate Reserve available at €11.99 from Bradley’s in North Main Street. It comes in a full bodied traditional classic style and is an excellent introduction to the Taylor’s style.

It is blended from young red wines and then mellowed for several years in oak casks and is a lovely after meal drink. Use it on its own or as a match with a salty cheese. The Taylor Port website is a very enjoyable one, with lots of information laid out in a simple clear way – see the entertaining section on Port traditions, for example.

Panama Joe

My current coffee is the most recent offering from the Robert Roberts’ Club and is a relative rarity in that it comes from Panama.

Gareth Scully says that coffees from Panama are few and far between and are highly sought after in the US and Germany. “Rancho Gotta Coffee Estate has been producing specialty coffee since 1985 and now produces solely Arabica coffee. The harvest is all done by hand. Rancho Gotta Coffee was one of the few coffees used at the 2011 World Coffee Tasters Championship in the Netherlands. I roasted this one to a medium level which is always important to make sure all the flavours in a coffee like this come through.”

“The medium roast compliments all the unique flavours, with strawberry, peach and dark chocolate notes. Among other things, are hints of blueberries as it cools. An incredible body to this coffee with a butterly feel to it too. Poetic license I know, but another great example of what specialty coffee should taste like….. Enjoy!”


Shorts
David Hohnen, who visited Ballymaloe last month,tells us about his Margaret River Porkers

Christmas offers from Amandine Confectionery 

Blair’s Inn nominated for Good Food Ireland Award!

Clonakilty Chocolate. From Ghana to Clon.

Clonakilty Chocolate. 
From Ghana to Clon.

Allison (centre) in Ghana with farmers

Allison Roberts of Clonakilty Chocolate held a very enjoyable and informative chocolate and tapas evening in Molly’s Bar last week. She is treasurer of the town’s Fairtrade Group and has been active in that role too as Clonakilty recently highlighted its commitment to the Fairtrade idea. Read all about it here.   

Clonakilty Chocolate import their beans from Ghana and owner Allison, who has visited her suppliers there, started the evening by explaining where the chocolate beans come from and the importance of the fairtrade idea. She explained about the hard work in producing the crop, the cacao pods, the hand-harvesting. 

By going through the Fairtrade route, and Clonakilty town is the leader here, the profit-taking middleman is eliminated and the producers get a fair price for their hard-won produce. Read here to see how the interaction between Clonakilty and Ghana plays out.

The new bars

Once the chocolate beans are in Clon, Allison has some hard work to do herself and she took us through the technical aspects of producing chocolate and the different types. The hard work though is well worth it: Cacao is an amazing product…highest concentration of antioxidants in any food..gets our blood flowing better…make us feel happy……a life giving treat..it is a powerful aphrodisiac..a gift of love… food of the gods…”

Everybody in Molly's seemed happy enough and with women making up about 90 per cent of the audience, there must have been some surprised stay-at-home husbands in Clonakilty beds last Thursday night when the wives came back!

The evening began with a welcome Prosecco and some shards of 65% Chocolate with Puffed Brown Rice. Some we were into the Savoury Spread:

Bluebell Falls Goats Cheese with 75% chocolate, honey, garlic and thyme;

Roasted fennel Dip with ground Cacao nibs;

Aubergine Caponata with 100% chocolate;

Spicy Mixed Bean Mole with 100% grated chocolate;

Puy lentil Toasted Tomato Salad with Raspberry Chocolate vinagrette.

They had some suggested drinks and I was happy to go with the Mountain Man Hairy Goat beer. The Aubergine was perhaps my favourite from the list, though the goats cheese and Rosemary Tartlet were pretty close to the top as well.

 Goodies at the tasting and, bottom right,
a conche to grind beans "into Fairtrade silky velvet".
Top right is my favourite, the Aubergine caponata.

Then a break for music before heading into the Sweet Selection:

Dark Chocolate Beamish Cake with mascarpone icing;

Chilli espresso cake with 75% dark chocolate with coconut sugar;

Beetroot Chocolate Brownie with fennel seed glaze;

Orange truffle cake;

Black-eyed bean dark chocolate loaf;

Hazelnut rum raisin and Honey sage truffles.

I think we were all feeling happy at this stage!

Hard to get the Irish away from their milk chocolate but one of Allison’s new products could well do that. She also loves goats and her new chocolate with Coconut Sugar and Goats Milk went down a treat at Molly’s. It is really excellent and she herself is also very happy with it. 

So look out for that Milky Milk and also for other new products including Seriously  Minted, Decadent Dark, Chai Chilli, and Wild West Salty with a pinch of Irish Salt & Seaweed.

Allison, who works out of her own home (the back has been converted into a chocolate factory), had help on the evening from Kate of flavour.ie. who handed out her recipes for the Rosemary Tartlet and also the Beetroot and chocolate brownies. Home-cook Kate already runs supper clubs and you’ll see details and lots of recipes on her blog flavour.ie. Soon too she’ll be running Food Tours in and around Clonakilty for visitors.