I’ve been checking out chocolate cakes for this month’s easter recipe and it’s led me down an interesting path. Our chocolate and hazelnut cake, which used to be so popular in our shop, first came to mind. However when my brain scanned the ingredients, I realised that the 300 grams of chocolate required to make one cake was a huge investment at today’s chocolate prices. We are all horrified at the rising price of fuel but the rising price of chocolate would be even more shocking if it was an essential, as the price has stealthily risen by 100 per cent a kilo in the past five years. I talked to Niamh from Hungry Crow, the classy fairtrade chocolate shop in Clonakilty, and she said that the world of the cocoa bean is faced with a combination of climate chaos and human rights issues, which has led to crop failure and driven the prices sky high. Even the big suppliers find this problematic but hedge around the issue by reducing chocolate bar size and pumping up the packaging.

I started sifting through my files – there are many ways to make a chocolate cake – and came upon an ancient French recipe, one of the first chocolate cakes that I ever made. It only needs 120g chocolate, so it’s a little more budget-friendly. The recipe has been tweaked many  times over the years as we had so many requests for gluten- and dairy-free cakes and it’s quite a flexible recipe. Olive oil is delicious in this cake – it complements the chocolate and makes a light, moist sponge. The flour can be regular or gluten-free, it doesn’t make any discernible difference to the end cake – both versions are below.

I played around with the chocolate content, swapping out the chocolate for cocoa, which works well, but I have to say that when I made both cakes side by side. even though both were delicious and got scoffed, my testers opted for the chocolate version, when asked to choose their favourite.

The first time I ate chocolate with olive oil was in Spain where we were served a small chocolate cup, which contained a little puddle of olive oil and a few seasalt flakes. I thought I’d gone to heaven, what a combination! I think I have been chasing that taste profile ever since.

Chocolate is far from vital in our lives but recent studies at the University of Pisa have brought to light that a combination of chocolate and olive oil can bring health benefits. Twenty-six volunteers, who were all susceptible to some kind of cardiac risk, took part in a 28-day trail eating a combination of 70 per cent chocolate and extra virgin olive oil.  The results showed a positive effect on blood pressure and cholesterol readings. 

Dark chocolate, at least 70 per cent, and extra virgin olive oil are both high in polyphenols and beneficial antioxidants, which reduce inflammation, improve blood pressure, circulation and help reduce cholesterol. It’s proven that when consumed together they can have a powerful effect,  making us energised, focused and healthy. Check out the internet for more information if you’re interested. It sounds like we’re okay to eat  sensible amounts of 70 per cent chocolate and olive oil – it could even have us skipping down the street.

So here you go, a cake with health benefits! 

Chocolate and
Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

• 120 mls extra virgin olive oil

• 120g caster sugar

• 120g chocolate

• 60g white flour, sieved OR 40g rice flour+20g potato flour

• 60g ground almonds

• 3 large eggs, separated

Method: Prepare a 20cm cake tin. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and rub the side with olive oil

Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Put a pan with a small amount of water onto heat. Put the chocolate into a bowl and sit the bowl onto the saucepan. The bowl should sit above the water. Gently melt the chocolate. 

In a large bowl whisk the olive oil and sugar together until creamy, then add the egg yolks one by one. Add the melted chocolate and then the ground almonds. Put aside while you whisk the whites.

Put the egg whites into a large clean bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer), be sure the bowl is clean and there are no traces of yolk otherwise the whites won’t whip. Begin whisking, quite slowly if you’re using a machine, then increase the speed, whisk until they begin to hold their form but are still quite loose, add 1tbs sugar, then whisk until the egg whites are stiff. The bowl should hold glossy white peaks. When you get to this point stop as it’s possible to over whisk which will make the whites grainy and more difficult to fold in.

Using a large metal spoon or a spatula gently fold in one-third of the whites into the chocolate mix, then one-third of the flour. Do this twice more.

Pour  the mix into the prepared tin and bake  for about 25 mins. Test with a clean knife. Insert the knife into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean the cake is ready. 

Leave to cool and then turn out onto a wire rack. The cake must be completely cool before topping.

Chocolate Topping

Ingredients:

• 75g chocolate

• 1.5 tbs olive oil

Method: Melt the chocolate and olive oil  together over a pot of boiling water. Allow to cool a little before spreading over the top and sides of the cake. Do this slowly and if it’s too runny wait a while then try again. Leave to set before eating.

Happy Easter!

March has the potential to be the greenest month with everything gearing up to go after a long wet and grey winter. The grass, the nettles, the kale and broccoli, the leaves on the trees – they are all ready to burst into full green mode and are so welcome. 

Our garden is wet and very muddy as I write but I hope by the time you are reading this the first seedlings will be unfurling in the glasshouse and the peach and apricot trees will be blossoming in the tunnels – we have our own little Mediterranean paradise in there along with our winter garden, which will be in full production with salad, rocket, spinach, kale and raddichio. We planted these last autumn and they comfortably overwintered in semi -animated suspension but now the days are longer the daylight has set off the growth again..

It’s a time of abundant greens as besides all of the aforementioned  which is growing inside, the sprouting broccoli will make an appearance. 

Sprouting broccoli is a sure sign that spring has arrived properly – rather than by the technicality of a date, and when it comes , if picked properly, little broccoli spears can be harvested for four to eight weeks. Sprouting broccoli takes its time to grow. Like most brassicas it’s a vegetable that needs forward planning, as the seeds are set way back in the previous March/April, transplanted into pots, then in situ and protected by a brassica cage to prevent the birds from eating it. With all this star treatment it becomes a treasured vegetable, which produces at a time when most things are just thinking about growing.

Treasured or not treasured, a continuous supply of any vegetable eventually dampens the enthusiasm and although we haven’t got there yet, I have plenty of plans for when we do. One being this very simple broccoli sauce for pasta.

For this recipe you can use calabrese (regular) broccoli, tenderstem or sprouting broccoli. 

It would make the perfect post St.Patricks day parade dinner, fast, simple and green. It may also be a way to get your children to consume more broccoli although I am aware they are not stupid. I made little green fairy cakes one year for Paddy’s day with beautiful lemon icing and primroses on the top and the children wouldn’t go near them!

The best pasta for this recipe is something that will scoop up the sauce – rigatoni, penne, orrichiette, gnocchetti, conchigle, there’s plenty of choice.

As there are so few ingredients it’s important to use extra virgin olive oil. The cheese can be parmesan or pecorino and the broccoli any of the above – and that’s about all that’s in it.

Definitely worth a try as it is fast and simply delicious!

Broccoli Pasta 

Serves 2-3

• 300g broccoli

• 2 cloves garlic – peeled

• 75g parmesan or pecorino cheese

• 75-100ml extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and black pepper

• 300g pasta

• 1tbs salt

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Break the broccoli into small florets if you are using Calabrese, or chop the tenderstem. Sprouting broccoli is probably fine as it is unless very large. 

Grate the cheese – finely is best as it will melt smoothly into the sauce.

Drop the broccoli into the boiling water  together with the peeled garlic – no need to chop it. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the broccoli is just tender. Lift the broccoli and garlic from the water with a slotted spoon and remove half a cup of the cooking water. Drop the pasta into the same boiling water and set the timer. Check the packet for the cooking time. Cook for one minute less than recommended. Meanwhile put the broccoli and the reserved water into a beaker of a handheld blender, a nutribullet or food processor then buzz until smooth. Now you can either slowly drizzle the olive oil in with the motor running or tip the buzzed broccoli into a bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in most of the cheese then season with salt and cracked black pepper. You should now have a smooth green sauce.

When the timer goes off for the pasta drain it into a colander. I always set the colander over the serving bowl that I’m going to use (in the sink) as this heats the bowl at the same time. Reserve a cup of the cooking water. 

Put a shallow pan on the heat, add the pasta, the sauce and half  of the remaining reserved cooking water and toss everything together. Add more water as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta generously. Cook for one minute then tip into the serving bowl. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top then serve immediately.

Green to go!
Happy St. Patricks Day.

This month’s recipe comes from India, where we escaped for the month of January. India is huge, one of those countries whose size exceeds expectations – it never looks that big on a map. We have worked our way up from Kerala in the very south, which is lush and green, hot with occasional tropical rainfall – ie bombastic downpours. It’s kind of obvious that it rains, as nowhere is that green without reason.

We ventured on to Goa in search of sandy beaches and sea that is hospitable enough to swim in, which it mostly is, but with random rough days thrown in when the waves tip you on your head and drag your togs off. It’s like a winter ‘Costa del Sol’ destination with beautiful sunshine and very tourist-friendly, although without the high rise apartments. You can go as fancy or as cheap as you wish – it’s all there. We spent a week walking the beaches and meeting interesting people before adventure beckoned and we headed up to Amhedebad in Gujarat. This location was chosen mainly because we would be heading north and there were very cheap flights. We were also very curious. One Indian friend asked us where were we going next and when we said Ahmedabad she said: ‘Why would you go there?’ We soon found out why she was so horrified.

Ahmedabad is a city of more than five million people – we really should do more homework! It is huge – the population of Ireland all jammed into one city. What a crazy place! So many people, so busy, so noisy – about one million people honking the horns on their tuk tuks (motorised rickshaws), scooters, buses, bicycles and, to top it all, low-flying aircraft passing overhead every five to 10 minutes. The racket is unbelievable and there is so much pollution that the town is observed through a low-lying fug. We stayed in the old part of town in a functional hotel – except the window didn’t open – that served very interesting and tasty Indian breakfasts. We wandered out to explore this boiling mass of humanity; getting around was full-on with broken footpaths and having to dodge around street vendors and cows amidst the traffic. It was even more hazardous at night when some of the footpaths turn into dormitories. 

Ahmedabad is also where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram is located; this austere compound where Gandhi lived was a wonderful respite from all the chaos, and we spent a morning wandering around and learning about this great peacemaker. There were pictures of various famous dignitaries that had visited, including our very own Mary Robinson.

The food was great, especially the street-food, which was super tasty and super cheap, the average pice being around 50 cents a dish. For sure you could live very cheaply there but saying that, after two days we ran out of there, our sensory functions on overload.

We took the overnight sleeper bus to Jaisalmer. As the distances are so great in India, planes are used like buses, and buses can be used as hotels-on-wheels, although they are not suitable if you have weak bladder. The buses are surprisingly comfortable – you get a curtained off mattress with an overhead light and air-con and, as long as you can filter out the racket – and didn’t drink too much before you got on it – it’s possible to get a reasonable night’s sleep. We awoke to a totally different landscape, flat and shrubby with sandstone buildings. The bus arrived to the dusty bus station on the outskirts of town and we were collected by tuk tuk and transported to our new abode – an ornate sandstone haveli with numerous floors and areas with cushions to  enjoy the terraces – bliss, and all for €23 a night. 

Jaisalmer, known as the golden city, is dominated by a huge sandstone fort with ninety nine buttresses and a population of around 3000 people living inside. It’s magnificent in a rather crumbling way and bustling with activity. We are staying outside of the fort close by the fruit and vegetable market. There are still plenty of scooters, some tuk tuks and a large population of cows that wander the streets hoovering up any food scraps to be found.

Jaisalmer is located in the middle of the Thur desert and was formerly a centre for camel based trading, these days the camels are mostly used to show tourists the desert, which we are working up to do.

Here’s a recipe for a Masala Fish Fry, which I was given whilst we were in Goa where there’s an abundance of fresh seafood. It’s very simple to make and would perk up any fish dish. In India it’s usual to cook whole fish, head, spine and all but this could be used for filets of fish which means there aren’t any bone issues. Best for thicker fillets though as the skin needs to be slashed to marinate the flesh before frying. The recipe is suitable for most fish.

To make the ginger/garlic paste it’s probably easiest to peel the garlic and ginger then  finely grate into a small bowl.

Methi is available in the Asian shop in Spillers Lane, Clonakilty.

Masala Fish Fry

Ingredients:

• 150-200g fish per person

• 2tbs Greek yoghurt

• 1tbs vegetable oil plus extra for frying

• 1-2tsp mild Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1tbs garlic/ginger paste

• 1tsp ground cumin

• 2tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1tsp garam masala

• 2tsp methi – fenugreek leaf

• 1tbs lemon juice

Put all of the above ingredients into a bowl except for the fish.

Whisk everything together to make a smooth paste.

Carefully slash the fish fillets across the skin side several times, without cutting through the fish. 

Rub the marinade over both sides of the fish. massaging into the slits. Leave to sit for 5-10 minutes. Not longer or the marinade will start cooking the fish.

Heat a heavy pan over a medium high heat, then add enough oil to just cover the bottom. Take the fish from the marinade then gently slip it into the pan, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium then cook for three minutes, until the skin begins to crust. Don;’t poke it out about. Carefully turn the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. The cooking time will depend on the size of your fish, it may need a little longer if the fillets are very fat.

Enjoy, sunny greetings and see you in February. There are a couple of places free on the Curry class if anyone is interested.

Karen

Lettercollum, Timoleague

www.lettercollum.ie

karen@lerttercollum.ie

The decorations are packed away and we’ve nibbled our way through the last of an enormous Christmas cake so I think we can say we are really ready to embrace the new year. 

The chickens have been ready since before Christmas when their inner egg radar kicked in on December 20 and they began to lay eggs again. This just baffles me. How do they know? The change in daylight was imperceptible and they were a day early at that, as the equinox is on December 21!

The garden is still sleeping but there are vegetables waiting to be eaten, lots of leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, red cabbage, beetroots, turnips and a few Brussel sprouts. The kale and spinach are pretty static; they need a little more daylight to kick off and start growing again but I know that will all happen soon unless we have a prolonged deep freeze which isn’t very likely – they’re more likely to drown in heavy rain. 

We are lucky enough to have tunnels where we can plant a winter garden inside and that extra protection means we have steady supply of ‘green’ things growing, little pickings of spinach, chard, kale and a selection of salad leaves. Not enough to feed an army but enough for us to get by on until the outside growing begins again.

All these little pickings are great for making winter salads, which are so welcome at this time of the year when our bodies need as much vitamin C as possible to keep ahead of flus and colds. 

Kale is one of my favourite winter vegetables and is well known to be the ‘King of the supergreens’; stacked with vitamins A, C and K, it is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Brightly-coloured foods are what we need to be consuming right now, as they have the most vitamin C, so head for broccoli,  green cabbages, kales and spinach, carrots, pumpkins, peppers.

Here’s a recipe that we used to make in the shop with kale, pumpkin or butternut squash and the peak season oranges that are in the shops right now. These, together with a few protein-rich lentils will keep you firing on all four cylinders. It’s very simple to make and all the ingredients can be pre-prepped. Just wait until you want to eat before dressing and tossing everything together. The best kales to use for this recipe are the softer Raggetty Jack – aka Red Russian or asparagus kale. Curly kale is also okay but it’s much coarser so will need a good massage to soften it.

Puy Lentil, Pumpkin, Kale and Orange Salad

Ingredients:

• 100g Puy lentils or 1 can 

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 500g pumpkin or butter nut squash

• 5-6 stems kale

• 1 red onion

• 1 large orange

• 150g feta

• 50g toasted pumpkin seeds

• 1tsp soya sauce or tamari – optional

• 1tsp Dijon mustard

• 50ml white wine vinegar

• 100mls extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper.

Method:

Put the Puy lentils into a small saucepan, cover with water, then bring to the boil. Cover with a lid then turn to simmer. Cook for 18-20 mins. The lentils should be just tender and hold their shape. Test a lentil to check after 18 minutes and, if needed, cook a little longer; but keep a close eye, as this is not a dish for mushy lentils. When the lentils are ready, drain and rinse them. Tip them into a small bowl and season with a little salt, a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. If you are using a can of lentils, rinse them and then dress as above.

Preheat the oven to 180c. Peel and dice the pumpkin/butternut into 2cm cubes. Toss in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper then tip onto a baking tray – I like to line the tray with parchment paper, as it prevents the pumpkin from sticking and definitely helps with the washing up. Roast for 25-30 mins, until the pumpkin is tender. Leave aside to cool.

Peel and finely slice the red onion, sprinkle over a pinch of salt, then massage the onion to separate the rings. Mix 1tsp sugar with 1tbs white wine vinegar.

Pour the vinegar mix over the onions and mix well. Leave aside for at least 15 minutes.

Strip the kale from the stems, roll the leaves up like a cigar, then cut into skinny ribbons. I cut the ribbons across a few times, otherwise it can be like eating spaghetti.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until they begin to pop and take a little colour. If you have some soya sauce or tamari handy shake a little onto the seeds while they are hot to dress them. Tip the seeds out of the pan and allow to cool.

Peel the orange with a sharp knife, removing all the pith, then carefully remove the orange flesh from the segments. Do this over the kale bowl to catch any escaping juice. Cut the orange segments in half if they are big.

Make the dressing; put a tsp Dijon mustard into a small bowl, add the remaining tbs vinegar plus any liquid that is around the onions that you prepared earlier. Whisk these together with a fork then slowly drizzle on the olive oil, whisking continuously. This should emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper

Pour a little dressing onto the kale then massage through the leaves. Add the roasted pumpkin, orange, lentils and the remaining dressing then toss gently together. Crumble over the feta and add the onions then give final toss. Do not over mix. Tip into a serving bowl then scatter the pumpkin seeds on top. 

This year’s cooking classes and holidays are now up on our website, check them out and let me know if you are interested – karen@lettercollum.ie

Here’s to 2026, onwards and upwards!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

0238846251

We’ve been travelling for the past few weeks, starting off in Syros where we  hosted a cooking class with our friends Kostas and Elisa. We had decided to visit Ikaria after the class; it’s place that I’ve become very curious about, as it is known as one of the blue zones of the world where people live extraordinarily long lives. One in three people live to be more than ninety in Ikaria with many living on to become one hundred or more.

We arrived to Ikaria on a night ferry, It was dark when we arrived but the place was buzzing, as the ferry efficiently decanted the arriving passengers and all the cargo onto the very small dock, loaded up the departing passengers and disappeared back into the night.

We awoke the following morning in Evdilos, the small town at the port. It was very quiet, as if all the people had gone underground. It’s about the size and geography of Baltimore, except the harbour wall has been extended to accommodate the twice-weekly ferry when it swings in and out. There are a few tavernas, a mini-market, pharmacy, hardware store and the obligatory travel agent selling ferry tickets. There are also a few shops catering for tourists but they are closed as it’s the end of the season.

The geography of Ikaria is unique, as back in the day, rather than building settlements and fortifications for protection from pirates and marauding Turks, the Ikarian’s used camouflage and remoteness to hide from danger. The villages are tiny and are more a gathering of houses than commercial centres.

Around the island there are great neolithic boulders precariously perched on top of hills, some of which were converted to houses by building in the crevasses and old houses are roofed with large slices of rock; in fact some old houses have one massive rock for a roof. This definitely makes them difficult to spot.

There are only 8,600 people living on Ikaria, which is a large, rugged island with 160kms of coastline. It is more or less covered by the mountain of Atheras, which traverses down the middle of the island with plenty of ravines, gorges and the odd basin stretching down the sides. In general, this means if you want go anywhere, you have to go up before you can go down to get to where you want go to. There are some new coastal roads but, as settlements are scattered, most destinations follow the ‘go up, then come down’ rule. It takes a long time to get anywhere but we weren’t in a hurry.

We explored using the network of stony paths and donkey trails that cross the island, tromping through fragrant rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano. Everything is lush, especially as it had been raining. Right now the trees are dripping with oranges, apples, pomegranates, quince, chestnuts, olives and strawberry trees with the prettiest fruits. The grapes have been harvested and now the olives are being picked. And someone somewhere is growing a fantastic crop of broccoli because we keep seeing people wandering home with great big heads of it.

The diet in Ikaria is mostly plant-based with very little meat. The main foods are fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils and plenty of olive oil. Potato consumption is a considerable part of the menu. Any dairy is usually from goats and sheep and mostly consumed in the form of yoghurt or feta type cheese. Fast food is non-existent, the closest thing to a burger that we saw was the ‘goat on a boat’ which was stewed goat on a bun.

There are more than 300 Greek Orthodox churches dotted around the island and lots of feast days are observed, which bring the community together and are always a good excuse for a party. The religious holidays start with fasting, then end with singing, dancing and feasting. 

Most Ikarians are not dependant on tourists to make an income; there’s enough local work to keep everyone ticking over – farmers, fishermen, mechanics, bakers – and life goes on in it’s own particular way, with shops opening when the owner fancies, often not until the sun goes down. Time has its own rhythm…no haste, worries and stress. 

Is this the reason for  longevity? What makes it so different from the rest of the world? Or indeed the rest of the Greek islands, which also have lots of steps, hills, churches and spinach pies. 

The community is very evident, as each evening, when everyone comes out, the children are buzzing around on scooters and bikes whilst the adults sit and discuss life and the state of the world. Everything passes by quite slowly and people are not stuck to their phones; they sit around chatting to each other. There’s also plenty of physical activity with all the ups and downs; the plant-based diet, regular fasting, and lack of stress also adding to this healthy lifestyle. 

The biggest thing that stood out for me was the copious amounts of water everyone drank. A big glass of water is always provided when you sit down; before the menu even appears a bottle is plonked on the table or your glass refilled when empty. For sure water flushes out the system and with all of the junk and medication that a lot of us consume that has to be a good thing. Considering that water is widely available and cheap, I think it’s a habit that’s worth adopting. Who knows, it could be the secret and it’s free to try. That and plenty of movement.The diet really suited me as a vegetarian, as there was plenty of choice, lots of salads, mezze and vegetable stews. Everything is made with seasonal produce, as anything not grown on the island has to be shipped in.

Here’s a recipe for Mageirio, a green bean and sweetcorn stew. It’s very simple, basically vegetables braised in olive oil. The photo’s a bit dodgy, as we ate outside in the evenings but it gives the general idea.

Mageirio – Ikarian Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

• 100mls olive oil + extra to drizzle

• 2 onions, red or yellow

• 3 cloves garlic

• 500g green beans

• 2 green peppers

• 1 aubergine

• 2 ears of corn – frozen will do

• 1 big or 2 small sweet potatoes

• 3 ripe tomatoes chopped or 1 can tomatoes, chopped

• 400mls veg stock or water

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• Freshly chopped mint and/or parsley to serve

Method:

Peel and roughly chop the onions. Top and tail the green beans.

Peel and chop the garlic. Chop the sweetcorn into 3-4 pieces.

Deseed and roughly chop the peppers.

Chop the aubergine into decent sized chunks.

Peel the sweet potato and chop into chunks.

Chop the ripe tomatoes if you have some – otherwise it’s better to use a can.

Put a large pot on the heat, then add the olive oil and the chopped onions. Cook the onions on a medium heat until they begin to melt down, then stir in all the other vegetables except for the tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are all coated in olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper then stir in the vegetable stock/water and the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Add a little more water if it’s too dry – not too much, as the vegetables should not be swimming. Stir in the dried oregano then simmer stirring carefully the odd time to prevent it from sticking. Cook for roughly 40-45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the freshly chopped herbs and serve warm or at room temperature with a little more olive oil drizzled on top.

It’s definitely time to put my socks on!

Happy November!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

023 8846251

September bought us, amongst many other things, a lot of beans. Not our first beans – we’ve been picking them since June – but more beans…and now we are harvesting beans in pods, which is super exciting.

I managed to get my hands on some new varieties this year, which all enjoyed our warm summer and produced an abundance of beans. I felt like I was in a Barcelona allotment when I walked past the rows of multi-coloured pods hanging on the plants. Some of the bean varieties had odd names like ‘Lazy Housewife’ – not too sure how I feel about that name but I have to say they cropped very well.

We also grew Gigantes which, as the name suggests, are huge…the biggest beans we have ever grown. They are plump and white, like butter beans on hormones. The yield wasn’t great but the bragging rights were right up there. The borlotti beans are almost ready to pick, these beans, which have pink pods, will be speckled pink and cream when they are harvested. We also have Orca/yin yang beans coming on. These are black and white with corresponding dots, which are likened to orca whales and yin yang signs.

The Lazy Housewives produced cannellini beans and we have discovered that we can bottle them. We cooked the beans inside jars with a little salt and they are now in perfect condition to store. Previously we have frozen the bean crops but this is a much better option not only in flavour but also the fact that we aren’t relying on electricity to preserve them. Definitely the way forward!

The drop in temperature and the stash of beans means it’s a good time to get the soup pot out. I’m a big fan of vegetable soups laced with beans or lentils…they are what I call ‘live to be one hundred soups’ as in all the ‘blue zones’ – in places where people live to great ages they incorporate this kind of food into their diet.

There are hundreds of recipes for soups using all manner of ingredients to twist and turn the result but there’s always one important underlying factor. The base. The base of your soup is what will give depth of flavour so it’s always worth paying some attention to the start of the recipe. Most soups begin with an onion, then perhaps carrot, celery and possibly some garlic. Take time to cook these, melt them down gently in a little olive oil or whatever you’re using, season with a little salt. The vegetables will soften and sweeten and give a flavourful foundation to whatever you are going to add next. 

This recipe is an old favourite using the aforementioned beans, kale and tomatoes, all of which we are still harvesting. Mind you, by the time that you read this we will have probably eaten most of the tomatoes but canned tomatoes do a great job. Canned tomatoes are picked in peak condition and processed immediately, so often tastier to cook with than the well-travelled fresh tomatoes that we find in the supermarkets.

If you have any Parmesan rinds hanging about in your fridge add one to the soup, as this will also boost the base flavour, just remember to take it out before serving. 

Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion

• 2 carrots

• 2 stems celery

• 3 cloves garlic

• 75mls olive oil

• 2-3  ripe tomatoes or a generous half can

• 1 can or jar of cannellini beans, drained

• 1 bay leaf

• 1tsp smoked paprika

• Pinch of chilli flakes – optional

• 500mls-700mls vegetable stock

• 5-6 stems of kale

• Salt and pepper

• Parmesan rind – optional

Peel and chop the onion. Heat a soup pot, add enough olive oil to just cover the bottom and the onion. Cook on high heat until it’s sizzling, then return the heat to medium/low. The onions should not brown, you only want them to melt down. Chop the celery and peel and chop the carrots – I like to cut these quite small so there’s more surface area to cook. Add these vegetables as you are chopping them. Stir everything together, add a little salt then continue cooking gently for 5-10 minutes. If you are using a Parmesan rind, you can add it now. Peel and chop the garlic, add to the pot then cook for a couple of minutes. Add the bay leaf.

Strip the kale from the stem, chop into ribbons, then again into smaller pieces, then stir into the veg. Now add the chopped tomatoes – if you are using fresh tomatoes allow them to cook down before adding the stock. No need to do this if you are using a can of tomatoes. Add the stock – start with 500mls then add more later if you think it’s too thick, smoked paprika, chilli flakes if you are using them and the beans. Bring everything to the boil then simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. 

Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Don’t forget to fish out the Parmesan rind if you used one and it’s ready to serve. A little spritz of lemon juice at the end gives it a perky lift.

Enjoy October…It’s time to put our socks on!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

023 8846251

An aubergine is another vegetable that is biologically a fruit from the nightshade family – a berry to be precise. These beautiful deep purple – we’ll call them vegetables – are also known as eggplants. They come in many different shapes, sizes and can be various colours. From deep purple, almost black, to stripy magenta or white – which must be where the name eggplant comes from. They are beautiful and beguiling. Aubergines are grown pretty much anywhere in the world where there’s some sunshine, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean, India, China, Australia… you name it , they grow there.

The most common aubergine to be found in the supermarkets here is the large purple variety, although during the summer, smaller and more varied varieties are often available in the farmers’ markets, wholefood shops and delis, which are supplied by local growers.

A badly cooked aubergine can put people off them for life but, cooked well, they  are delicious. They are also fat-free (unless you bathe them in oil), low in calories and high in fibre. They can be roasted, fried, grilled or baked but do not boil them.

I find the best way to cook an aubergine, unless I’m roasting it over a flame or on the grill, is to salt it first. It sounds like a bit of a faff but is actually fast and simple and it makes a difference to the amount of oil the aubergine will absorb while cooking. 

Aubergines do need to be cooked, it’s not a vegetable to eat raw and, when cooked correctly, the flesh yields a wonderful toothsome creaminess, delicious combined with all sorts – just look at where they are grown and you can imagine the spectrum of flavours that all the different recipes can supply.

This month’s recipe is for a fun aubergine ‘octopus’ and everyone I have cooked it for has been delighted. I cut the aubergines into strips to the stem, salt them, then dry them off, enrobe them in panko breadcrumbs then deep fry them. The strips splay like an octopus while cooking and the aubergine is perfectly cooked within the crisp golden panko crust. It is not difficult to make,  just salt the aubergines, organise yourself with three bowls for dipping and you’re nearly there. They are good served with sauce to dip. I serve them with tomato and ginger salsa but if you’ve run out of steam a good mayonnaise could substitute.

Buy small aubergines if possible, there’s no problem using large aubergines but a large aubergine makes a very big octopus! 

Aubergine Octopus

Serve one per person

• 2-4 small aubergines

• 100-150g flour 

• 2-3 eggs

• 100-150g panko breadcrumbs

• Vegetable oil to deep fry

Peel the aubergines. Do not remove the stem. If they are big, cut in half lengthwise.

Cut each aubergine into three lengthwise, up to the stem but not through. Turn the aubergine and cut three times once more – you will have nine tentacle-shaped pieces. Hold each aubergine over a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Leave the aubergines to sweat for 10 minutes. 

Take a clean tea-towel, lay the aubergines down then pat dry. 

Crack the eggs into a bowl then whisk to mix. 

Put half of the flour into a shallow bowl/plate and half the panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or plate. The bowl/plate needs to be as wide as the aubergines.

Put the bowls in a row – flour/egg-mix/panko, in that order (or reverse if you are left-handed).

Take a dried aubergine and dredge through the flour, sprinkle a little over to ensure each ‘tentacle’ is coated. Tap to remove excess flour. Repeat with remaining aubergine. Next drag an aubergine through the egg mix until well covered then hold up and allow excess to drip off then roll the aubergine through the panko, scattering a little over the top until the aubergine is well coated.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok/large old pan/deep-fryer. There must be sufficient oil to submerge the aubergine.

Check the oil is hot enough – I usually use a piece of bread or similar, if it pops back to the surface the oil is ready. If sinks to the bottom it’s not hot enough, if the piece just pops back to the surface it’s ready and if it nearly leaps out reduce the heat.

Take an aubergine by the stem and slip into the oil, it will fan out. Cook each side until golden, turning to cook each side with the assistance of a large lifter or maybe two. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat the process with the remaining aubergine.

Tomato and Ginger Salsa

• 1 small onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4cms ginger

• 1-2tbs vegetable oil

• 2-4 large ripe tomatoes or
1 can

• salt

• Fresh coriander to serve

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel and chop the ginger very small. Dice the tomatoes.

Heat a small frying pan, add a tablespoon of oil and the onion. Cook on a medium heat until the onion has softened, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chopped ginger and continue to cook until they have also softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the diced tomato and season with a little salt. Cook on a medium/low heat until the tomato has reduced and become jammy. Check the seasoning. 

Enjoy!

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

Courgettes are not called summer squash without reason, as they only fruit well when the temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius, so although the plants grow and sprawl, they won’t do anything else until it warms up and stays there. One warm day is just confusing, as ideally they need six to eight hours of sunshine a day  They love water – a courgette is 95 per cent water, so the past few weeks warm rain has helped to bring them on.

Being 95 per cent water means they aren’t a superfood, but they do have more potassium than a banana, plenty of fibre and some vitamin A, C and B.

From mid July on expect a lot of courgettes on the menu as, once they get going and, if they are picked regularly, they will continue to produce a lot of fruit – they are technically a fruit, as they are  produced from a flower. 

Fortunately there are a lot ways to prepare courgettes, as with such gluts, variety is necessary. Saute, stir fry, roast, stuff, fritter and bake – just don’t boil them, as they will become soggy and unappetising.

I almost wrote a cake recipe for this month, I think it was the weather, as when we had the shop we realised people eat more cake when it rains, but being an optimist I have chosen a savoury loaf, which as well as being delicious, is also very portable for picnics on sunny days. Maybe it’ll bring the sunshine out!

Courgette, Cheese and Basil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 300g grated courgette

• 1 red onion

• 1tbs olive oil

• 225g flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 75g butter

• 125g grated mature cheddar

• 3 eggs

• 1-2 tbs milk

• quarter tsp ground black pepper

• Handful basil leaves, chopped or torn

• Salt – half tsp for the loaf plus extra to sprinkle on grated courgette

Method:

Pre heat the oven 180c. Line a 1lb/450g loaf tin with parchment paper.

Put the grated courgette into a bowl, sprinkle over some salt then toss together with courgette. Leave aside.

Peel and finely chop the red onion. Heat a small pan, add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook on a high heat for couple of minutes until it is sizzling then reduce the heat to medium low to sweat the onion down. It should not brown. When the onion is soft and translucent, tip it onto a plate to cool down.

Put the flour, baking powder and butter into a food processor, then buzz briefly to small crumbs, or rub the butter into the flour with your hands then tip the mix into a bowl. Add the grated cheddar, red onion, black pepper, salt and basil then mix through the flour. Take the courgette handful by handful and squeeze over the sink to extract all the water – there will be plenty, then add the squeezed courgette to the bowl and mix through. Lightly beat the eggs. Make a well in the middle of your mix and add the eggs. Bring the mix together, adding a little milk if it is very stiff. Tip the mix into the lined tin and spread evenly.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until risen and golden. Take the loaf from the tin and allow to cool completely before slicing.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. Crossing my fingers for sunny days.

Lettercollum,

Timoleague, Co Cork

karen@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie 

I obviously didn’t consider the basil when I was trying to reduce our vegetable growing this year, as we have a dozen healthy plants all growing like the clappers, enough for a small restaurant not a downsized family! 

The thing about basil, or any other herb, is that if you don’t pick them, they will flower and go to seed, so each week I go around the plants picking the tops off to prevent this from happening. This also encourages a bushier plant rather than a tall leggy one, so it is a good thing to do in more than one way.

Basil is a delicious summer herb, which can be used in many dishes, but it won’t keep its vibrant flavour for long if you can’t use it, which is where basil pesto comes in. If you are lucky enough to have a large picking of basil this is a very easy thing to make.

Our last picking coincided with some early courgettes and I made a very simple dish of pasta with courgettes, tuna, capers and olives all dressed with basil pesto. It takes five minutes to make the pesto and the sauce is ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta so it’s a very handy recipe.

There are a few considerations to bear in mind when making simple dishes like this. The best pasta shape to use is something like gnocchiette or conchiglie (little shells) or orecchiette (little ears) because they each have a sort of scoopable cavity to catch the sauce. The recipe won’t fail if you use a different shape but the sauce may slip off rather than gather. 

The courgettes should be small rather than big as they carry more flavour and the best tuna is the Spanish Bonito del Norte, also known as white tuna. The brands like Ortiz available in delis and supermarkets or Palacio de Oriente which the olive guys sell in the market are readily available. You do pay a premium price but this tuna is fished sustainably and preserved in olive oil.

If you don’t have access to plenty of fresh basil just buy some but do check the ingredients as often they leave a lot to be desired. Fresh pesto is always available at the olive stall in the market.

If you want to make the recipe vegetarian just leave out the tuna, it’ll still be delicious  just a little less protein.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 25g pine nuts

• 60g basil (2 big handfuls)

• 25g Parmesan cheese

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• 100ml olive oil

• a squeeze of lemon juice

• salt

Method:

Roughly chop the garlic.

Place the pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, basil, parmesan and salt into a  jug and using a hand held blender blitz to a smooth sauce, or use a nutribullet if you have one.

Check the seasoning and the pesto is ready. If it’s too thick, add a little more olive oil. Use what you need then put the remainder into a small jar and pour a little olive oil over the top. This will stop the pesto from oxidising. Store in the fridge and use within the week.

Pasta with Courgettes, Tuna and Basil Pesto

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients:

• 250g pasta

• 2-3 small courgettes

• 2-3tbs olive oil

• tbs capers, rinsed

• 1tbs stoned black olives, cut in half

• 1 can best tuna you can find

• salt and black pepper

• 2-3tbs basil pesto

• grated parmesan to serve

Method:

Put a large pot of water to boil then add a generous amount of salt.

Add the pasta, give it a stir then set the timer. Read the pasta package for cooking times.

Rinse the capers and cut the olives in half.

Cut the courgettes into quarters lengthwise, then dice into 2cm cubes.

Heat a small pan, add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan and the courgettes. Cook on a high heat until sizzling, then reduce a little. Cook for  three minutes, then season with salt and cracked black pepper. Tip the courgettes into a bowl, then return the pan to the heat, turn the heat to low, then add the contents of the can of tuna ( if you have regular tuna drain the liquid then use a little olive oil instead of the juices from the can) Add the capers and olives then gently mix together. Don’t completely smash the tuna, it’s good to have some lumpy bits. Add the courgettes back to the mix.

Put the basil pesto into a small bowl.

As soon as the timer goes off for the pasta, take two to three spoonfuls of the pasta water and mix it with the pesto; this will make the pesto into a pourable sauce. Drain the pasta into a colander over the bowl you are going to use to serve the pasta – this will heat the bowl. Tip the pasta into the warm bowl, pour the basil pesto over the top then scatter the courgette/tuna mix on top.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Here’s hoping for a sunny July (with a little rain at night the garden would be in paradise!)

Karen

Lettercollum, Timoleague

karen@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

This month’s recipe is based loosely on pisto, a Spanish dish that is related in a Mediterranean way to the ratatouille of France and Caponata of Italy. It’s an everyday dish using summer vegetables cooked slowly, without fuss and often served with a fried egg on top. The runny yolk of the egg adds another layer of flavour and the whole lot is mopped up with crusty bread. Deliciously simple.  It can also be served alongside meat and fish as a saucy vegetable, as a cold salad addition or on toast with ripped up mozzarella balanced on top. 

It’s a dish I often make when we are travelling, as it is a one pot wonder. The last version I made contained sweet potato, not traditional, although one of the first incarnations of this dish made by the Moors was with pumpkin so it’s not too far off the original track.

The ingredients are fairly flexible but would always contain onions, peppers, tomato and garlic and then maybe courgettes, aubergine and pumpkin. The ingredient list sounds the same as ratatouille but the vegetables are cut into smaller pieces and then gently braised in olive oil so it tastes quite different. 

It takes a little time to cook but after chopping the vegetables the only work is to stir the pan. 

Eat it hot, room temperature or the next day. It will sit comfortably in the fridge for two to three days.

Pisto

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion

• 1 carrot

• 2 stems celery

• 1 small fennel

• 100mls olive oil

• 1 red pepper

• 1 green pepper

• half bulb garlic

• 1 stem rosemary

• 1 sweet potato

• 1 courgette

• 3 ripe tomatoes 

• Salt and black pepper

Method

Begin with prepping the first four ingredients: Peel and chop the onion, peel and dice the carrot, cut the fennel into half or quarters and finely slice, split the celery stem lengthwise then dice small.

Heat a large pan – this can be a skillet or shallow saucepan, add enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan, then the chopped vegetables. Cook on a high heat until everything is sizzling then turn the heat to medium low, you should still hear some activity but not too much. Season with a little salt, add the rosemary and keep giving the odd stir while you prepare the other veg.

Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and stem then cut into 2cm strips, then into a 2cm dice. Peel the sweet potato and cut into a dice, roughly 2cm.

Wash the courgette, cut into quarters lengthwise the chop into  2cm dice. Dice the tomatoes small.

When the onions and so on have softened – this will take approx. 10 minutes – stir in the peppers. Increase the heat to get everything sizzling again then lower to medium. Cook for 10 minutes then stir in the sweet potato. Stir to combine the sweet potato with all the melted down veg then add the courgette and diced tomato. Cook gently, the tomato will break down and become sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.

Cover the pot with a lid then simmer for 10 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t stick. Check the seasoning and then it’s ready to serve.

We have our garden planted up and now we’re patiently waiting for everything to grow. This week’s rainy weather will help it all along and then I hope the sunshine will be back.

Enjoy June!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

023 8846251

Spring has well and truly arrived. Four seasons in one day make a regular appearance and the garden is thriving. Everything in the garden is very green and there are plenty of things sprouting at both ends of the vegetable growing spectrum. The new seeds are slowly uncurling, whilst last year’s spinach and kale are shooting for the sky, their job done. It’s a busy time. 

We have a new asparagus bed in the tunnel. It’s the second year that we have watched the cycle of these little green beauties popping up. We can’t pick them yet, as it takes three years to establish a bed, so we have to watch them continue to grow into enormous ferns. The ferns die back in the winter, then it all starts again. 

These labour intensive vegetables – they hate weeds – are a symbol of spring. In Greek mythology they are associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and fertility; so sure that they were potent, the spears were consumed when young and tender, and then the remainder dried for the winter season. 

Love potions aside, they have a lot of good things going for them. Full of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and soluble fibre, this vegetable contains more glutathione than any other vegetable, which makes it a powerful liver cleanser, so ideal for an internal spring clean. The list of attributes is extensive – it’s proven to improve cognitive functioning, mood and mental energy, so it looks like the Greeks were onto something.

The season for local asparagus is short and we’re always excited to eat the first few bunches but then, like every other vegetable that appears in abundance, it’s a case of ‘what’s next?’. As delicious as asparagus is, we can’t just consume it under a duvet of hollandaise each time. I like to pair the asparagus with legumes, sometimes lentils, sometimes beans, but always with some kind of salsa to dress everything.

This month’s recipe is a simple combination of  lemony butterbeans with roasted asparagus, dressed with a rocket pesto. We have plenty of rocket growing at the moment and it makes a delicious pesto but if you can’t source rocket, basil pesto will make a good substitute. 

I have discovered big jars of butterbeans, which are of excellent quality, the liquid the beans are stored in is perfect to add to the sauce, but if you can’t find a jar – or want to invest in a jar, as they are expensive – use a couple of cans. If you use canned beans, rinse them, then add a little vegetable stock.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemony Butterbeans and Rocket

Ingredients:

• 1 large jar butterbeans or
2 cans

• The juice from the jar or 150mls vegetable stock

• 1 large bunch asparagus

• 100mls olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1-2 lemons

• 100mls crème fraiche

• A handful fresh rocket

• 50g pine nuts

• 30g parmesan cheese

Method:

Pre heat the oven 220c.

Peel and chop three cloves of garlic. Heat a pan, add a little olive oil and the garlic, then cook gently for a minute to flavour the oil. Add the butterbeans. If you are using a jar just tip the lot in, but if you are using cans rinse the beans, then add together with a little vegetable stock. Heat the beans gently then grate a little lemon zest over, stir in the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and black pepper. Add the crème fraiche, then simmer until the sauce has reduced. Taste and add a little more lemon juice if you think it needs brightening up. Put aside until everything else is ready.

Wash the asparagus spears, then trim the woody end. You could snap them but I usually lightly run a sharp knife over the stem, working from the stalk up, and the knife cuts like butter as soon as you pass the woody bit. Line a baking tray that’s big enough to accommodate the asparagus in one layer with parchment paper. Dry the spears, then put them in the tray and drizzle over olive oil. Sprinkle over a little salt and cracked pepper, then roll them about so they are all lightly dressed. Put the asparagus into the oven and set the timer for seven minutes, toss, then cook for a further five minutes.

To make the rocket pesto, gently toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until they begin to take some colour, then remove from the pan – otherwise they’ll keep cooking. Put them aside. 

Peel and chop a fatty clove of garlic, then put it into a blender together with the rocket, juice of half a lemon, 75mls olive oil, grated parmesan and half of the pine nuts. Buzz together to make smooth sauce then season with some salt.

To assemble the dish put the beans on a serving platter or plates, pop the asparagus spears on top and drizzle over some pesto. Scatter over the remaining pine nuts and it’s ready to go. Enjoy!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie

Sunshine and rain just about guarantees everything’s going to be green. The garden is lush with kale, spinach and rocket, admittedly the best is in the tunnel but it’s all zooming ahead. The outside crops are taking off again after sitting there patiently all winter. We’ll get quite some picking from both inside and outside crops until they decide to bolt and go to seed by which time this year’s seedlings should be ready to step in. As I always tell everyone at this time of the year these crops are well worth growing as from one sowing you’ll get about a nine month supply of fresh greens and they are all pick and come again crops. Even if you don’t have a vegetable patch, a small row of kale or spinach will sit prettily amongst the flowers and for a small family half a dozen plants will yield a steady supply. Just in case you are thinking of doing this we grow perpetual spinach and soft leaved kales like Raggedy Jack, Red Russian or asparagus varieties. I’m not so fond of curly kale, as although it’s robust it’s also coarse and takes longer cooking.

Without the shop to supply we have a massive amount of kale and spinach that we share with our friends and the chickens. The chickens are probably even more delighted than our friends to receive this beautiful green nutrition and the bonus is the super rich yellow yolks in the eggs that they lay.

We have a colourful crew of hens, it’s like the United Nations of poultry in the run. Brown, white, black, black and white with speckles….we have all sorts and they lay a variety of eggs in different colours and sizes.

I’ve been having fun making ‘Humpty Dumpy’ eggs with my granddaughter. Humpty Dumpty eggs, which I learnt to make at primary school, are egg shells that are repurposed as growing containers with toilet roll bodies. The egg is filled with seeds that grow and become ‘hair’ that can be snipped and eaten. They are very simple to make.

Carefully lop the top off of a large egg (any egg will do but small ones might slip down inside the toilet roll). Fill the cavity with moist compost then scatter a few seeds on top. When I was a child we used cress seeds but really anything will grow if the conditions are right – ie kept moist. I used rocket seeds this time, as I had plenty but cress, lettuce, spring onions or rocket will all do the job, each giving a different hairstyle and taking slightly different times to germinate. Rocket and cress are the fastest.

These are great fun to make and introduce children to the wonder of growing vegetables. Before filling the egg shell paint a face on it and also paint a body on the  toilet roll. The shells are fragile so care is needed filling with compost. Once assembled just sit the Humpty on a windowsill, water it carefully – don’t drown it, and watch the hair grow.

Even if you are not a vegetable grower there’s plenty to forage outside this time of the year. You should be able to find wild garlic, dandelions, sorrel and nettles if you keep your eyes open.

Nettles grow in abundance once they get going. One minute I’m scanning for the small plants and the next they are three feet high and a nuisance. I’ve used them in this month’s recipe for a spinach and nettle frittata. You could use just one or the other but it makes a good combo.

Young nettles are tasty and tender. The part of the plant that needs to be picked is the tip – a bit like picking tea. If you are careful they won’t sting you but if you’re in a hurry or in doubt wear a pair of gloves. Either way use a pair of scissors to snip the tips from the plants.

Nettle and Spinach Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1 onion

• 25mls olive oil

• 5 eggs

• Large handful of young
nettle tips

• 100g – 150g spinach leaves

• 150g buffalo ricotta

• salt and pepper

Method:

Peel and chop the onion. Heat a small non-stick pan and add enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom and then add the chopped onion. Turn the heat to medium and gently cook the onion until it softens. Stir in the nettles, keep the heat on medium and cook gently until the nettles wilt and soften. Wash, drain and shred the spinach then stir in with nettles. Cook until the spinach wilts down. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with a little salt and pepper, whisk them to mix then stir in the wilted nettles and spinach. Break the ricotta into clumps and gently stir in, don’t over mix, you need a little lumpiness.

Put the pan back on the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot pour in the nettle and egg mix, then turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook gently for three to four minutes. The frittata should be setting. Put the grill on hot and pop the frittata under to finish. Don’t leave it to go too golden, just a little. It’s better a little soft than overdone, as it’ll continue cooking off the heat. Leave to rest for few minutes before serving.

Happy Easter!

Karen

Lettercollum Kitchen Project,

Timoleague

info@lettercollum.ie

www.lettercollum.ie