Articles

Grow-It-Yourself guru Michael Kelly reminds us that, as well as doing the final harvesting and tidying up, we can start planting new crops this month. And it’s time to fall back in love again with old winter reliables such as chard and spinach. They will shortly become our very best friends.
more...

The Village Bakery: Our Irish Chef in France, Martin Dwyer, tells the story of their local bakery and its ups and downs. And there’s a lesson we could learn from in Ireland too - a favourable rates deal might encourage many a small business to bring the heart back to our rural towns and villages
more...

A new book from Ireland’s best-loved chef, Neven Maguire, is always welcome - and, once again, he’s right on the money with Neven Maguire’s Midweek Meals (Gill, hardback. €22.99).
more...

There’s never been a better time to make the case for organic food production and its potential in Ireland is massive. With Green issues including climate change at the top of the political agenda, plus concerns about the possible fall-out if there’s a no-deal Brexit and WTO rules are introduced, there’s a unique opportunity to do the right thing by the environment and build on Ireland’s reputation as a quality food producer at the same time. And perhaps we could even bite the bullet and go for the ultimate prize: Ireland as an organic food island…?
more...

Darina shares some of her favourite tips and recipes to make the most of an abundant harvest of homegrown produce - and reminds us to focus on the quality of the food we are feeding ourselves and our families at this critical time
more...

The benefits of growing your own food are endless. Not only can it improve your health and save you money, but it is also a fantastic way to reduce your food waste...
more...

The famous foodie who’s flying the tricolour for us in Texas reflects on some of things that struck her on a recent trip to Ireland - including the absence of the American accent - as she sets to work on summer 2021
more...

Thanks to this year’s travel restrictions, 2020 will go down as the year of the great Irish staycation. And that’s proving to be a silver lining of this challenging time as - just as we did in the recession, when foreign holidays were put on hold for different reasons - many of us have found ourselves exploring some of the quieter areas of Ireland, spending more time close to nature and enjoying the opportunity to forage for the plentiful free food that is to be found everywhere at this time of year...
more...

Time for a jam session! Celebrating this year’s bumper fruit crops, Darina shares her 10 golden rules for successful jam-making - even if you’re a complete novice
more...

An Irish Vigneronne in France: This month our Irish Chef in France, Martin Dwyer, tells the story of local wine producer Neasa Corish Miquel, who is from Foxrock, and her husband Laurent, whose family have had vineyards in the Languedoc since 1791
more...