It’s the start of September and, while we are still clinging to the hope of some sunshine, there’s more than adequate compensation in knowing that some stunning seasonal food is becoming available round about now. While the weather has been pretty hopeless for berry picking, it is still possible to source some, such as blackberries. Fantastic in fresh fruit salad, they work equally well in more robust dishes, such as crumbles, strudels or even in savoury dishes, like venison with sloe gin and blackberries.
There’s also a great selection of squashes coming to fruition now, popular both in vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Or try fresh mackerel, sardines or, for a special occasion, monkfish, all at their best.
Source your meat and fresh from reputable suppliers where you know that quality and excellence are key.
For colder days, there are the more earthy flavours of mushrooms, walnuts, kohlrabi and potatoes, the basis of delicious pasta dishes, gnocchi or casseroles.
With thousands of varieties of apples being cultivated, there’s surely at least one you’ll like. Where possible, try to source Irish apples or heritage varieties, which were bred for flavour and tend to have a much more substantial texture too. You could try something quick and delicious like cinnamon and apple French toast, or of course there’s the classic combination of apple and pork.
To taste how good this combination can be, make sure you mark September 27 in your diary as Caroline and Joe Rigney’s rare-breed Pig Farm in Curraghchase will be the venue for a pig-on-spit day. The rare-breed pig will be cooked over beechwood shavings and stuffed with apples. You’ll also have the chance to learn about pig husbandry, beekeeping, soda bread baking, apple jelly making along with a host of other demos and displays. A five euro cover charge will allow you savour a day that is sure not to be missed.
Slow Food will be announcing details soon of their next foraging day, after a very successful outing last year. There will also be a cookery demonstration courtesy of Donnagh Gregson of Bunratty Cookery School in Autumn, showing us how to cook nourishing family meals, which are tasty, cheap and nutritious.
FFT will keep you posted on all the latest Slow food news.
