Cookery Feature - The Foxford Cafe Cookbook

Moseying around Mayo is a treat that we give ourselves as often as possible and we never miss a chance to visit the Foxford Woollen Mills visitor centre on the banks of the Moy, with its fascinating history, lovely mix of old and new, stylish shopping experience – and terrific café.
Dating back to 1892, it is one of only a handful of woollen mills still operating in Ireland and it’s a very special feeling to sit in the café and sense that connection with the past as vibrations from the working looms below come up through your feet...
Blending traditional Irish craft with contemporary creativity and environmental awareness is the essence of Foxford and, while it is always tempting to linger in the shop, many fans make a beeline for the café first – not least because the café closes an hour before the store so it would be easy to get distracted and miss it, which would be hugely disappointing.
A native of nearby Tourmakeady, Head Chef Kathleen Flavin joined Foxford in 2010 and she has since been instrumental in developing the busy café and building its reputation for deliciously simple, seasonal dishes – and also a range of over 30 food products (including the Christmas Pudding given below), that are on sale in the Café Pantry - so a cookbook from this exceptional chef is very welcome indeed.
With its appealing and practical collection of café favourites (lamb koftas, frittata, Foxford’s signature BBQ salmon fishcakes…) great soups and home baking, and all those go-to salads, the book reflects the café’s commendable seasonal focus and support of local producers. All meat served in the café is from Clive’s Butchers in the village, for example, and other famous local suppliers include Clarkes Salmon Smokery in Ballina, Dozio Cheese in Carracastle, O'Hara’s Bakery in Foxford, Van Velzes Chocolatier in Ballinrobe and Achill Sea Salt, as well as their own produce grown on-site.
It all adds up to being the kind of book you will want several of – one for yourself and at least one other for a lucky friend or relative – so go ahead and relish it.

Foxford Café Cookbook by Kathleen Flavin, with photographs by Christopher Heaney, is published in hardback by The O’Brien Press and available from Foxford and good bookshops RRP €24,99.

RECIPES – with Christmas around the corner, why not try some special Foxford Café festive favourites:

Foxford Café Christmas Pudding recipe
Christmas pudding is a slow task and you need to start the preparation for this pudding 1-2 weeks ahead, but it is so worth doing. It also keeps for up to a year when stored correctly. If you are coeliac, use gluten-free breadcrumbs, gluten-free flour and butter, not suet. Also leave out the Guinness and increase the whiskey a little. (This pudding is also on sale in the Café Pantry.)
Makes 2 puddings
INGREDIENTS FOR PART 1
340g sultanas
450g raisins
230g currants
115g mixed peel
115g glacé cherries
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
zest of ¼ orange
zest of ½ lemon
170ml Guinness
80ml Irish whiskey
INGREDIENTS FOR PART 2
butter, for greasing
2 large carrots
1 cooking apple
60g treacle
4 medium free-range eggs
90g plain white flour
170g vegetable suet or grated butter
90g fresh breadcrumbs
170g soft dark brown sugar

Method - Part 1 (Start 1-2 weeks ahead of cooking)
To prepare the fruit: place all the ingredients for Part 1 in a large bowl, and stir with a rubber spatula, making sure all the fruit is coated in the spices and alcohol. Cover with cling film or a lid, and leave at room temperature to soak for 1–2 weeks.
Method – Part 2
1. Grease 2 plastic or glass 2lb/900g pudding bowls.
2. Peel, grate and weigh your carrot and apple – you must end up with 100g carrot and 170g apple.
3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients from Parts 1 and 2 together thoroughly.
4. Divide the mix between the pudding bowls. Cover with a double thickness of parchment paper, and tie under the rim of the bowl with cotton twine, making a handle for ease of lifting.
5. Steam over simmering water in a steamer pan or covered saucepan with a saucer in the bottom for 6 hours. The water should come halfway up the bowl; check that it doesn’t stop simmering and top up every hour or so, so it doesn’t boil dry.
6. Remove the puddings and allow them to cool completely.
7. Re-cover with fresh parchment paper, and then wrap in tin foil and store in a cool, dry place.
8. To serve the pudding, steam for 1½–2 hours until hot throughout. Turn out onto a plate, and decorate with holly and some dehydrated orange slices (a recipe is given in the book). Kathleen serves it with lots of custard and whipped cream.
9. If you don’t want to eat the whole pudding, slice off as much as you want, put it in a bowl and heat as above (re-cover and store the unheated portion). A microwave can be used to reheat portions, but beware you don’t overheat it and ruin your hard work!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cheesecake recipe 
This cake is quite the festive showstopper, but it’s great all year round with different toppings. The cake itself can be prepared well in advance and even frozen. Pile fresh berries or peaches on top with some chocolate shavings, or spread some lemon or passion fruit curd over the top. It is light and sweet, so the topping should be tart. Biscuit bases can also be varied – I prefer to use digestives or gingernuts because of their naturally grainy texture and slight saltiness.
Serves 10-12
FOR THE BASE
170g butter
350g digestive biscuits
FOR THE CAKE
400g cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
drop of vanilla extract (optional)
160g caster sugar
15g leaf gelatine
500ml cream
70g white chocolate
FOR THE CRANBERRY SAUCE
250g fresh cranberries
50g sugar
¼ orange, zest and juice, plus extra zest to serve
1 star anise
¼ lemon, zest only
FOR THE BASE
1. Line the base and sides of a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment paper. I don’t grease cheesecake tins, as it leaves a residue on the cake, so dampen the underside of the parchment with water to keep it in place.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave or a saucepan over a low heat.
3. Pop your digestive biscuits into a plastic bag and, using a rolling pin, crush them until they are well crumbled.
4. Mix the butter and biscuit crumbs together well, ensuring all the biscuit is coated in the butter, then press into the base of the tin until well compacted. Pop in the fridge while you make the cake mix.
FOR THE CAKE
1. Place the cream cheese, vanilla (if using) and sugar in a bowl and mix using a spatula.
2. Soak the gelatine leaves in ice-cold water for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the cream to soft peaks using a hand-held or stand mixer.
4. Check the gelatine is soft and jelly-like. Squeeze the water out well. Place in a saucepan over a low heat, and add 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream. Warm the mix until the gelatine has dissolved to a liquid.
5. Chop the white chocolate into pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and melt on a low setting, stirring frequently. Or to use the water-bath method instead, place the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of warm water on a low heat – the water should not touch the bowl. Stir frequently using a dry, clean spatula. Use a dry tea towel to lift off the bowl once the chocolate has melted, being careful of the escaping steam.
6. Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream-cheese mix.
7. Whisk the melted gelatine quickly into your chocolate. Add a third of the cream-cheese mix to this and whisk quickly so the chocolate does not set once it hits the cold cream. Finally, using a spatula, fold in the rest of the cream cheese mix.
8. Pour onto the biscuit base and allow to set overnight in the fridge.
FOR THE CRANBERRY SAUCE
1. You can also make the sauce the night before. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to the boil slowly. Simmer until the berries are soft and begin to break down.
2. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
TO SERVE
1. Remove the cake from the tin, pull off the parchment and place it on your selected plate or stand. Spoon the cooled cranberry sauce over it, grate some orange zest on top and serve.

Pork and Apple Sausage Rolls recipe 
Kathleen uses pork and apple sausage meat here, supplied by Clive's Butcher Shop in Foxford . If you can’t find it in your usual shopping spot, ask your butcher for some advice. Most good butchers will have their own version or something similar. These sausage rolls are a firm favourite among staff and customers and the mini version is ideal for handing around at parties.
MAKES 6 FULL SIZE OR 12 MINI
1 sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry, 35cm x 23cm
400g pork and apple sausage meat
2 eggs
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
1. Cut the puff pastry in half across lengthways. Place half of the sausage meat in a line, about 4cm in, across the longest side of each piece.
2. Whisk your eggs in a small bowl. Brush the ends of the pastry with the egg wash.
3. Tightly roll up each piece, ending up with the open side on the bottom. Cut each log in 3 or 6, depending on your size preference.
4. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes to really chill them.
5. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.
6. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the puff pastry is crispy and golden. If you turn them over carefully, the pastry should be cooked on the base too – if not, return them to the oven for a few minutes.
7. Serve with the Foxford beetroot orange chutney.