Hidden down in North Kildare, a lovely drive along the N81, lies the chocolate box village of Ballymore Eustace. Behind an
unassuming entrance is the beautiful room of the Ballymore Inn. This is a
real central hub of North Kildare. The restauarant has a lovely feel and is
extremely fortunate to have a great front and back of house team. Open
for lunch and dinner seven days, this a spot that you must visit. Soup
of the day is made using the best ingredients and is always served with
fresh bread and a wonderful pesto cumin dipping oil. Starters are a
choice of generous fresh salads and pates with mouthwatering homemade
relishes. Main courses are traditional fare with a modern twist.Lamb and
Steak is a must have, all served with a choice of the Ballymore fries
or some seriously good champ. Catch of the day, is simply cooked, often
with a butter sauce. Recently they added a shop area inside the dining room, selling their wonderful pesto, homemade Ballymore Jams, packaged in delightful jar along with a very well chosen selection of wines.
When lunch is over, take a drive from Ballymore, heading towards to Brannockstown, and onto Kilcullen, taking in the stunning countryside. Autumn really shows off its natural beauty.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Eat like a Autumnal King for €100 per week
Autumn is here and its gorgeous, and the extra warmth with our Indian summer, makes it even more heavenly. The leaves on beech trees are on the constant move towards gold, some horsechestnuts are almost there. The Autumnal landscape is starting to look stunning here inIreland.
All these wonderful seasonal changes call for warming soothing food and hot cups of tea,along with
weekends foraging for mushrooms, and hedgerow goodies.
Below are suggestions with a 7 day menu for busy families, using as much seasonal produce as possible.
Think about planting a fruit tree this autumn, if you can, to provide an edible landscape for future generations to come.
As always the weekly budget is €100 for a family of four, shopping in Aldi, Lidl and a local butcher,
cooking with seasonal produce, which helps to keep the bill down.
Treat for the week!
Nothing beats great homemade icecream. This time of year calls for hazelnut, " Nocciola" in Italy, which you can buy in almost every Gelateria.
It is a firm family favourite.
Hazelnut Icecream
Hazelnut paste:
Toast 200g of hazelnuts for 3-4 minutes in a hot oven (200C).
Remove shells and allow to cool. Blend with a handblender and 3 egg whites.
Milk base
350ml Milk
350 ml single cream
150g caster sugar
Place the milk and cream in a pan, heat over a low flame and when the milk starts to steam,
add the sugar mixture in a steady stream, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and
allow to cool to room temperature.
Blend the hazelnut paste into the white base and put in a container,put in the freezer and stir after two hours and again after a further two hours.
Saturday
Lunch
Potato and herb soup with french baguette
Dinner - homemade pizza - Children love the whole process of making dough to putting their own toppings on. This is a great way to get them interested in learning about cooking.
Mozarella and salami pizzas, aubergine, tomato and ricotta
To do 3pm - make pizza dough with Italian 00 flour
To do - make hazelnut icecream
Sunday
Lunch Picnic in the wood - (see picnic in the wood post)
Dinner - Soup, baguette, ham,cheese and pickle
To do - make pork dish for monday
make carrot and orange soup for lunch
Monday
Packed lunch - chopped carrots and humous, ham sandwiches, raisins, apples
Working from home - Carrot and orange soup with french baguette
Dinner - Pork cooked in apples and cider -Normandy style. Yoghurt with fruit
To do - make cashew pesto for tuesday dinner
Tuesday
Packed lunch - tahini in breadrolls, plum and raisins, oatbiscuits
working from home - carrot and orange soup with toast and tahini
Dinner - Courgettes with Cashew pesto and spahgetti. Yoghurt with fruit
To do - make potato and thyme soup
Wednesday
Lunch - potato and thyme soup
Dinner - Roast chicken stuffed with lemon, bay, sage, oregano and garlic, with roasted beetroot,carrots and potatoes. Yoghurt with fruit
To do
Make pastry for quiche on Thursday
cook off courgettes and keep in fridge
soak beans over night for casserole on Friday
Thursday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandiwiches, banana, cheese and oatbiscuits
working from home - potato and thyme soup
Dinner - Courgette and mint quiche with salad. Yoghurt with fruit
To do -
make sausage and bean casserole
make chard and potato soup
make red cabbage - slow cook for 2 hours at 140degrees.
Friday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandwiches, raisins, apple, oatbiscuits
Working from home - chard and potato soup
Dinner - Sausage and bean casserole with mashed potatoes, green beans and red cabbage. Yoghurt with fruit.
Enjoy!
All these wonderful seasonal changes call for warming soothing food and hot cups of tea,along with
weekends foraging for mushrooms, and hedgerow goodies.
Below are suggestions with a 7 day menu for busy families, using as much seasonal produce as possible.
Think about planting a fruit tree this autumn, if you can, to provide an edible landscape for future generations to come.
As always the weekly budget is €100 for a family of four, shopping in Aldi, Lidl and a local butcher,
cooking with seasonal produce, which helps to keep the bill down.
Treat for the week!
Nothing beats great homemade icecream. This time of year calls for hazelnut, " Nocciola" in Italy, which you can buy in almost every Gelateria.
It is a firm family favourite.
Hazelnut Icecream
Hazelnut paste:
Toast 200g of hazelnuts for 3-4 minutes in a hot oven (200C).
Remove shells and allow to cool. Blend with a handblender and 3 egg whites.
Milk base
350ml Milk
350 ml single cream
150g caster sugar
Place the milk and cream in a pan, heat over a low flame and when the milk starts to steam,
add the sugar mixture in a steady stream, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and
allow to cool to room temperature.
Blend the hazelnut paste into the white base and put in a container,put in the freezer and stir after two hours and again after a further two hours.
Saturday
Lunch
Potato and herb soup with french baguette
Dinner - homemade pizza - Children love the whole process of making dough to putting their own toppings on. This is a great way to get them interested in learning about cooking.
Mozarella and salami pizzas, aubergine, tomato and ricotta
To do 3pm - make pizza dough with Italian 00 flour
To do - make hazelnut icecream
Sunday
Lunch Picnic in the wood - (see picnic in the wood post)
Dinner - Soup, baguette, ham,cheese and pickle
To do - make pork dish for monday
make carrot and orange soup for lunch
Monday
Packed lunch - chopped carrots and humous, ham sandwiches, raisins, apples
Working from home - Carrot and orange soup with french baguette
Dinner - Pork cooked in apples and cider -Normandy style. Yoghurt with fruit
To do - make cashew pesto for tuesday dinner
Tuesday
Packed lunch - tahini in breadrolls, plum and raisins, oatbiscuits
working from home - carrot and orange soup with toast and tahini
Dinner - Courgettes with Cashew pesto and spahgetti. Yoghurt with fruit
To do - make potato and thyme soup
Wednesday
Lunch - potato and thyme soup
Dinner - Roast chicken stuffed with lemon, bay, sage, oregano and garlic, with roasted beetroot,carrots and potatoes. Yoghurt with fruit
To do
Make pastry for quiche on Thursday
cook off courgettes and keep in fridge
soak beans over night for casserole on Friday
Thursday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandiwiches, banana, cheese and oatbiscuits
working from home - potato and thyme soup
Dinner - Courgette and mint quiche with salad. Yoghurt with fruit
To do -
make sausage and bean casserole
make chard and potato soup
make red cabbage - slow cook for 2 hours at 140degrees.
Friday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandwiches, raisins, apple, oatbiscuits
Working from home - chard and potato soup
Dinner - Sausage and bean casserole with mashed potatoes, green beans and red cabbage. Yoghurt with fruit.
Enjoy!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Norman Cooking
Normandy, a stunning region of northwest France, not to dissimilar at all to Ireland, with its rolling green countryside, filled with apple orchards, lush fields where grazing cattle, horses and sheep pass their day; is the breadbasket of France. The region is very well known for its artisanal cider production, calvados, butter and its world famous creamy cheeses, such as Cambenbert, Pont L'Eveque and Livarot.
It is a truly wonderful place to visit for a holiday and the Autumn is stunning with its leaf change and many
harvest festivals that take place around the region. Just like Ireland, there is a large population of horses, "point to pointing" races take place all over the region at this time of the year, and give a really good taste
of local life.
The seasonal recipe below will send enticing aromas through your home and keep all the family and guests very happy and coming back for seconds!
Pork with apples, cider, and shallots
4 pork chops
8 shallots (peeled, chopped and diced)
3 bramley apples (cored, and diced)
350ml dry cider
350 ml chicken stock
100ml cream
Sear pork chops off in very hot pan, cook on each side until well browned.
Put aside on a plate.
Gently cook the shallots in the pan, after a few minutes add the diced apples, cook for a futher few
minute.
Place the pork chops in the casserole pot with the shallots and apples.
Pour in the cider and bring to the boil, and burn off the alcochol.
After 5 - 8 minutes, add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Finish with cream and serve.
If you can make the casserole a day ahead and keep in the fridge overnight and just heat through when eating.
It is a truly wonderful place to visit for a holiday and the Autumn is stunning with its leaf change and many
harvest festivals that take place around the region. Just like Ireland, there is a large population of horses, "point to pointing" races take place all over the region at this time of the year, and give a really good taste
of local life.
The seasonal recipe below will send enticing aromas through your home and keep all the family and guests very happy and coming back for seconds!
Pork with apples, cider, and shallots
4 pork chops
8 shallots (peeled, chopped and diced)
3 bramley apples (cored, and diced)
350ml dry cider
350 ml chicken stock
100ml cream
Sear pork chops off in very hot pan, cook on each side until well browned.
Put aside on a plate.
Gently cook the shallots in the pan, after a few minutes add the diced apples, cook for a futher few
minute.
Place the pork chops in the casserole pot with the shallots and apples.
Pour in the cider and bring to the boil, and burn off the alcochol.
After 5 - 8 minutes, add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Finish with cream and serve.
If you can make the casserole a day ahead and keep in the fridge overnight and just heat through when eating.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Porridge and Plum Compote
Now that the cooler weather has quickly come upon us all. Breakfast certainly calls for
warming porridge with compotes. Porridge is one of the healthiest ways to start your day as it
has a very low Glycaemic Index, which means it is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing for
the long gradual release of energy and keeping you full for much longer. It is also believed to boost serotoin
and keep away the blues in the dark winter months.
We try to add a seasonal fruit compote to our porridge in the mornings. Below is our latest favourite
with Victoria Plums now in season.
Porridge Oats with Plum Compote
Soak porridge oats overnight in water ( put on before going to bed)
In the morning cook relatively slowly on a medium heat, stirring well.
When cooked, keep the lid on before serving.
Plum Compote
6 ripe plums
1/2 lemon (juice squeezed)
2 tablespoons of demerara sugar
Half plums and pick out stones.
Place in a pan and add the juice of half a lemon.
Add sugar and let bubble for 4-5 minutes.
Spoon over porridge and keep the leftover in a container in the fridge.
warming porridge with compotes. Porridge is one of the healthiest ways to start your day as it
has a very low Glycaemic Index, which means it is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing for
the long gradual release of energy and keeping you full for much longer. It is also believed to boost serotoin
and keep away the blues in the dark winter months.
We try to add a seasonal fruit compote to our porridge in the mornings. Below is our latest favourite
with Victoria Plums now in season.
Porridge Oats with Plum Compote
Soak porridge oats overnight in water ( put on before going to bed)
In the morning cook relatively slowly on a medium heat, stirring well.
When cooked, keep the lid on before serving.
Plum Compote
6 ripe plums
1/2 lemon (juice squeezed)
2 tablespoons of demerara sugar
Half plums and pick out stones.
Place in a pan and add the juice of half a lemon.
Add sugar and let bubble for 4-5 minutes.
Spoon over porridge and keep the leftover in a container in the fridge.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Hedgerow Jams and Chutneys
One of the most enjoyable pastimes on a September Sunday afternoon is making jams and chutneys with your booty from a successful foraging expedition. Of late there is a delectable crispness in the mornings
and late afternoon, its time to put on those extra layers.
Early September is the time to walk the country lanes enjoying the slight cooling of the sun and spectacular blue skies, whilst disecting hedgerows for blackberries, elderberries and rosehip, as well as inhaling the aromas of "hedge scent"!
We have been watching the Eldberries closely for the last few days and I reckon this weekend will be the time to start picking.
Combine all these fruits when you get home and make a fantastic hedgerow jam.
Hedgerow Jam
2 kg in total of blackberries, elderberries and rosehips.
Place in a pan and cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain off the liquid and add equal weight of sugar.
Boil until it reaches setting point.
You will get roughly 6 jars of exquisite jam loaded with vitamin c, which will have cost you no more than
the price of the sugar!
Spiced Blackberry Chutney
1.35kg blackberries
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
450g onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon cooking salt
15g dry mustard powder
25g ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
600mil white wine vinegar
450g soft brown sugar
wash blackberries
Put all the ingredients except for the sugar in a large pan.
Bring to the boil and cook gently for 1 hour until soft.
Push chutney through a nylon sieve and return to the pan.
Stir in the sugar, then heat gently until it has completely dissolved.
Bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes, until thick.
Pour into warm, sterlized jars and cover.
Leave to marinate for two to three months.
Elderberry Chutney
900g elderberries
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
450g onions, peeled and chopped
450g seedless raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnanmon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
225g granualted sugar
300ml distilled malt vinegar
Carefull strip the eldeberries from their stalks, and wash well.
Cook slowly for 10 - 15 minutes until soft.
Push the berries through a sieve into a bowl.
Pour the elderberry pulp into a large pan with all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil very slowly, stirring
frequently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer uncovered for 11/2 - 2 hours, until thick, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
Pour into warm sterized jars and seal. Store for at least one month before using.
and late afternoon, its time to put on those extra layers.
Early September is the time to walk the country lanes enjoying the slight cooling of the sun and spectacular blue skies, whilst disecting hedgerows for blackberries, elderberries and rosehip, as well as inhaling the aromas of "hedge scent"!
We have been watching the Eldberries closely for the last few days and I reckon this weekend will be the time to start picking.
Combine all these fruits when you get home and make a fantastic hedgerow jam.
Hedgerow Jam
2 kg in total of blackberries, elderberries and rosehips.
Place in a pan and cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain off the liquid and add equal weight of sugar.
Boil until it reaches setting point.
You will get roughly 6 jars of exquisite jam loaded with vitamin c, which will have cost you no more than
the price of the sugar!
Spiced Blackberry Chutney
1.35kg blackberries
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
450g onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon cooking salt
15g dry mustard powder
25g ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
600mil white wine vinegar
450g soft brown sugar
wash blackberries
Put all the ingredients except for the sugar in a large pan.
Bring to the boil and cook gently for 1 hour until soft.
Push chutney through a nylon sieve and return to the pan.
Stir in the sugar, then heat gently until it has completely dissolved.
Bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes, until thick.
Pour into warm, sterlized jars and cover.
Leave to marinate for two to three months.
Elderberry Chutney
900g elderberries
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
450g onions, peeled and chopped
450g seedless raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnanmon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
225g granualted sugar
300ml distilled malt vinegar
Carefull strip the eldeberries from their stalks, and wash well.
Cook slowly for 10 - 15 minutes until soft.
Push the berries through a sieve into a bowl.
Pour the elderberry pulp into a large pan with all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil very slowly, stirring
frequently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer uncovered for 11/2 - 2 hours, until thick, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
Pour into warm sterized jars and seal. Store for at least one month before using.
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