Articles

Thinking back on it, it’s amazing how farming has changed in the last half century or so - for anyone growing up more than 50 or 60 years ago, organic farming was the norm; it didn’t need a label, it was just traditional farming. Then, after World War Two all that changed with the drive to increase yields dramatically and – crucially - to produce cheap food. Now we’re coming full cycle and seeing the damage that intensive production can bring with it, so good traditionally produced food (mainly, but not necessarily, ‘organic’) is regaining its well-deserved status.
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"People abroad no longer think Ireland possesses a naturally unspoiled environment, because the truth is out there."
“Authentic: not imaginary, false fake or imitation: genuine, OED." Ah. So that's what it means, says himself, closing the dictionary. One might be forgiven for believing that it means just the opposite; we are told that the diktat currently regimenting bed and breakfast establishments will provide visitors with an "authentic" experience of Irish life. The 40 page document, mentioned on these pages before, which insists even for its basic level of approval, that the premises conform to a rigid set of rules will have the effect of littering the country with identical, unauthentic clones.
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Although we are now a widely urbanised society, a high proportion of Irish people have country connections - yet there were worrying signs, during the boom years, of growing disconnection with our rural roots. But all that is changing as concern about the economy, and issues like food security and provenance, are all stimulating a fresh appreciation of seasonal, local produce - and inspiring thousands to grow their own food, often on allotments. Energetic, passionate and multi-talented people like Peter and Jenny Young, fourth generation custodians of a170-acre organic farm between Athy and Kilcullen, are making a valuable contribution to this changing scene with their open farm policy (tours arranged), farm shop and communications skills.
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Having full time experience running her lovely Co Wicklow farm B&B, Ballyknocken House, and the cookery school she has set up there, the delightful Catherine Fulvio is a practical cook as well as an inspiring one, so this is definitely won’t be one of those books that languishes on the bookshelf and rarely gets used.
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Just outside Cong, in the Ashford Castle Estate, Lisloughrey Lodge is a contemporary hotel with a lovely Georgian house at its heart and, with views down Lough Corrib, it enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in Ireland. Situated in two rooms on the first floor of the old house, Salt Restaurant is perfectly placed to make the most of the view - just as Head Chef Wade Murphy’s menus make the most of the superb foods that are available to him, including many from the immediate area.
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With the nation’s foodie mindset already well tuned in to sustainable living – thousands of us started allotments this year, and no allotment is complete without its bijou chicken run – the next stage is to re-learn all the practical skills that our grandparents took for granted.
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Now widely recognised as a ‘superfood’, blueberries are virtually fat and cholesterol free, low in calories, high in vitamins A and C high in dietary fibre, high in calcium, require little sweetening - and have more antioxidants than most other fruits and vegetables...
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Brave (not the word he would use), talented and inspirational, Nick Price is a larger than life character in the Northern Ireland food world, and has played a key role in many of the good things that have developed there in recent years. Although it wasn’t their first venture in the world of hospitality, Nick and his wife Kathy (a constant presence in this book, as in life) are best known for their Hill Street restaurant in Belfast, Nick’s Warehouse, which they created out of dereliction in the 1980s in what has now become the trendy ‘Cathedral Quarter’.
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Nectarines are a smooth-skinned variety of peach, the fruit of a hardy deciduous tree. Peaches are native to China, but they are widely grown in other areas, including Europe; even in Britain and Ireland they can be grown under glass or in polytunnels – or as fan-trained trees on warm south or south-west facing walls. Nectarines are slightly less hardy than peaches and need sheltered sites for successful cultivation out of doors.
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When his much loved Newbridge hotel, The Red House, was destroyed by fire a few years ago Brian Fallon (of Fallon & Byrne in Dublin) brought the whole team to this well known premises in the attractive village of Kilcullen. Following major renovations throughout, the building emerged with a beguiling interior - a stylish blend of old and new that will be familiar to anyone who remembers The Red House - and a very relaxing atmosphere.
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