White winter vegetable soup: potato, celeriac, cauliflower and roasted garlic

Ah yes, it’s that time of year where we resolve to swap the excesses of Christmas eating for regimes that are altogether more virtuous. Quite how many of us manage to stick to those resolutions for any length of time is another matter entirely (and far be it from me to judge – I have left a trail of failed resolutions in my wake over the years).

Still, I can do my little bit and, this year, it starts with this white winter vegetable soup.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” said David Puttnam.

We were talking about his having taken up residence in West Cork some 22 years ago. Then he glanced down the table towards his wife and smiled, “well, it’s the second best thing, the best was marrying Patsy…”

Either way, it was quite a statement from a man whose career has included film production credits for, among others, the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, and it said a lot about how locals and blow-ins alike regard this particularly captivating corner of the world.

View from Glebe Gardens, Baltimore, West Cork

I met David and Patsy in Skibbereen as part of a weekend visit to West Cork for a preview of West Cork Food, a new food tourism initiative of which the Puttnams are patrons. The aim is to provide visitors with an opportunity to meet and visit with artisan producers, and to watch them at work. It’s a proposition that’s bound to appeal to anyone with an interest in artisanal food and the production thereof, particularly given the stellar array of producers who live in, and operate from, this area.

A land of peninsulas and pasture, West Cork is where the revival of Irish farmhouse cheesemaking began in the late 70′s, and the region now boasts what is probably the highest concentration of artisan food producers in Ireland. It’s here that you’ll find, among many others, Durrus and Milleens cheese, Skeaghanore Duck, cheese and charcuterie from Gubbeen, butter, yoghurt and more from Glenilen Farm and smoked wild fish from Sally Barnes’ Woodcock Smokery.

Sally Barnes

It is the aforementioned Sally Barnes who is one of the driving forces behind the West Cork Food initiative, along with Stephen Sage of the West Cork Guide. Prior to my visit, I knew Sally only by reputation as one of the finest smokers of fish anywhere. Over the weekend, we visited her smokery, filleted own our fish, and watched the brining and smoking process. We also listened as Sally talked.

At Sally Barnes' Woodcock Smokery near Castletownshend

Like many West Corkonians, she’s a blow-in, originally from Scotland, but ended up here more than 30 years ago when she married a fisherman. Her fish smoking skills are self-taught – wanting to preserve the fish that her husband had caught and lacking a freezer, she started experimenting, first with a tea-chest and pan, and later with a kiln acquired in settlement of a debt. She later studied food production systems and oceanography through the Open University.

As is the case with many of the producers in the area, she’s both knowledgeable and passionate about her subject and you can’t help but become enthused yourself. Enabling visitors to have access to people like Sally is what West Cork Food is all about. Be warned, though – if you do visit West Cork, you might not want to leave. Staying, in fact, might be the best thing you’ve ever done.

One whiting, ready for filleting

Sally talks filleting and fish

Brining the fish: Sally's formula is simple, she adds salt to water until the fish float;
these whiting fillets were brined for about 15 minutes, others will be brined for shorter or longer periods;
salmon, on the other hand, she dry salts;

Into the kiln for 6 hours of cold-smoking, using beech smoke

Et voilà, a beautifully smoked fillet of whiting

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Potatoes And Lentils With Smoked White Fish

“Nothing goes with fish better than potatoes,” so commented Prue Leith while scrutinising a submission for the fish course of The Great British Menu. I don’t recall the dish in question, but the comment sprang to mind as I thought about what to do with my two beautiful fillets of beech-smoked whiting from Sally Barnes.

Truth be told, Sally’s beech-smoked whiting is such a fine piece of fish that, really, very little, if anything needs to be added in order to enjoy it. Her own suggestions were to either poach it in milk with potatoes and onions or simply acidulate it for about an hour before eating, perhaps along with some spring onions. I took the latter idea, allowed strips of the fish to marinate in lemon juice, while I made a kind of thick, earthy potato and lentil stew to be eaten alongside. It’s hearty, satisfying fare.

You’ll need:

• approx. 200g good quality smoked white fish (I used Sally Barnes’ smoked whiting)
• juice of one lemon
• 2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 medium-sized onion, approx. 150g, sliced into fine half rings
• 300g tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 400g potato, peeled and cut into approx. 1cm cubes
• 200g puy lentils, rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 tsp salt
• approx. 750ml water or vegetable stock
• 200g kale, thick stalks removed and leaves finely chopped (or use swiss chard or spinach)
• freshly ground black pepper
• freshly chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

You’ll also need:

• A large, heavy-based saucepan

The Steps:

• Slice the smoked fish into very fine, narrow strips, spread onto a plate or board, scatter with the spring onions, squeeze generously with lemon juice and set aside.
• Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add vegetable oil to coat the pan. Add the sliced onions and stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until starting to soften.
• Add the tomatoes and garlic, fry for another 5-8 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened.
• Add the crushed fennel seeds and the paprika, stir briefly, then add the cubed potatoes, puy lentils, bay leaf, salt and water or stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped kale and simmer for about 30 minutes more or until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Add black pepper to taste and additional salt if it needs it.
• Remove from the heat and stir in about half of the smoked fish and spring onions. To serve, ladle into bowls and scatter with the remaining smoked fish and some chopped parsley if using.

The Variations:

• You could perhaps replace the smoked fish with some smoked bacon or leave both out and enjoy as a satisfying vegetarian main course on its own.

The Results:

• Serves 4-6 for lunch or dinner

“I’ve never had a good mushroom soup,” said Kev.

Bejaysus but it was quite the statement with which to launch into a lunchtime conversation at work.

It turns out that most of the people around the table had rather definite opinions on mushroom soup. While I would not, myself, have gone as far as to say that I had never had a good mushroom soup, I’ve certainly had my fair share of bad ones. Brian volunteered that he had once had a good mushroom soup from a packet, Dave that he once had a good mushroom soup experience, but it was somewhere exotic like Thailand. From the point of view of those seeking mushroom soup nirvana, it all sounded pretty grim, frankly. Except for the bit about being in Thailand. It also had the distinct whiff of a challenge, one that would more than likely find me whipping mushrooms and spuds into some kind of soupy frenzy.

Cue the return of Gorta’s Soup For Life campaign – where, for one week starting this coming Friday, April 8th, a range of restaurateurs in Dublin and Cork will be donating €1 per bowl of soup sold to fund Gorta’s work in Africa. The making of some decent mushroom soup seemed an appropriate way to follow on from my last year’s soupy contribution to their campaign.

Healing properties:
even more reasons to make mushroom soup

Not only that, but my newly acquired Everything Guide to Food Remedies informed me that mushrooms are a good source of anti-cancer compounds. The book is written by Lori Rice, a trained nutritionist whom I’ve gotten to know through her blog Fake Food Free. She has a practical and pragmatic approach to eating and wellness, and the book steps through the foods that can help to address and alleviate specific ailments, along with clear and accessible recipes. I was thrilled to receive a copy from Lori, it’s a worthy addition to my bookshelf.

What ails me right now, though? The fact that I am still lacking some quality mushroom soup. Fortunately, I have a remedy at hand.

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Mushroom, Celeriac and Potato Soup

So, the secret a good mushroom soup?

Well, you’d do well to start by using some tasty mushrooms. There are many wonderful varieties of wild mushroom that would do wonders to any soup but, unless you’re given to foraging, these can be expensive and difficult to come by. My solution to making more of an everyday mushroom soup was two-fold (1) use dried shiitake mushrooms, which I find reasonably priced if sourced from an Asian shop (2) use regular white mushrooms or their slightly more flavourful brown cousins (chestnut mushrooms), but concentrate their flavour by frying them in butter until well browned and add them to the soup at the end of cooking.

I will also say that this soup isn’t all about the mushrooms, as there’s plenty of body from the potatoes and celeriac, which is, I think, how I prefer it.

For the soup:

• 75g dried shiitake mushrooms
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 smallish onion, about 125g, finely chopped
• salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 0.25 tsp dried thyme
• approx. 300g potato, peeled and chopped into approx 0.5cm dice
• approx. 300g celeriac, skin sliced off and chopped into approx 0.5cm dice
• 150ml dry white wine (one you’d drink yourself)
• 200g chestnut or white button mushrooms, wiped clean and finely sliced
• butter for frying
• 2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

To garnish (optional):

• fresh sage leaves, fried in butter until browned and crispy
• chopped flat leaf parsley
• grated parmesan

You’ll also need:

• A blender or food processor for blending the soup – an immersion blender is handiest.

The Steps:

• Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms to remove any dust, then soak in approx. 750ml cold water for several hours or overnight in the fridge, until softened. Alternatively, soak in warm water for 45 minutes to an hour. When softened, remove the stalks from the mushrooms and chop the mushroom caps finely. Reserve the soaking liquid.
• Place a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add enough oil to coat the pan. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Stir and fry for 4-5 minutes, until they have turned translucent.
• Add the chopped garlic and the thyme and stir and fry for another minute or so.
• Stir in the chopped potato and celeriac, and add the white wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the wine simmer for a few minutes to reduce a little.
• Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid and about 1 tsp salt. Top up with a little water, if needed, to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for around 25 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
• While the soup is simmering, fry the chestnut mushrooms. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. You don’t want to crowd the mushrooms too much, so you’ll need to fry them in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. When hot, add about 0.5 tblsp butter to the pan. When that has melted add a layer of mushrooms. Fry for around 8-10 minutes, without stirring, until well browned on the pan-side. Stir and flip the mushrooms over to fry on the other side for a few more minutes, then remove to some kitchen paper and repeat for the next batch(es).
• When the vegetables in the soup have softened, remove from the heat and blend. The soup will be quite thick, so thin with additional boiling water as desired. Add the lemon juice, black pepper and additional salt to your taste.
• Roughly chop the fried chestnut mushrooms and stir into the soup.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with some crumbled fried sage leaves or chopped flat leaf parsley and a little bit of grated parmesan if you like. Enjoy along with the rest of that bottle of wine you had to open. You know you want to.

The Variations:

• If you want a soup that’s more overtly mushroomy, then you could add more shiitake mushrooms here or perhaps some dried and soaked porcini. You could also add a little dried sage along with the dried thyme.

The Results:

• Makes around 4 hearty servings of soup

I do not like throwing food in the bin, I do not like it one little bit.

It feels like a defeat (boo!) when my perishables expire before I can put them to good use and, conversely, a victory (yay!) when I have successfully cooked and/or eaten my way through the latest contents of the fridge.

A recent survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tells me that I am by no means the only person who feels this way. 97% of people, when asked, said that they were bothered by food waste. Thing is though, almost half of those people confessed to doing little or nothing to prevent it. So, really, they can’t be that bothered by it, can they?

Perhaps the EPA’s Stop Food Waste campaign, which aims to heighten awareness among consumers and provide commonsense tips on how to avoid food waste, will prod more people into taking action.

At the launch of the campaign this week, some familiar foodie faces were on hand to lend both their support and their use-it-don’t-lose-it recipes.

Rachel Allen, with a little help from TV3's Aidan Cooney

As she whipped up a dumpling-topped pork casserole with consummate ease, Rachel Allen named soups, frittatas and casseroles as her top three use-up-what’s-in-the-fridgeables.

Kevin Thornton works his culinary magic

Michelin-starred Kevin Thornton talked about our skewed sense of value when it comes to food. We might baulk at paying top prices for, say, a prime whole fish, but if, as Kevin ably demonstrated, you can make a succession of dishes from all of its usable parts, that fish starts to seem not so expensive anymore.

Donal Skehan keeps things simple

While it is more than aspirational to expect the average consumer to start producing Thornton-style magic at home, Donal Skehan’s recipes are well within the reach of the masses. Give that young man a chicken and he’ll give you several days worth of easily made dinners, with a herby roast chicken providing the basis for subsequent pasta and noodle-based dishes, as well as chicken stock. It’s not a bad place to start if you want to become cannier about using all that is available to you, foodwise.

When all is said and done, though, I can’t help but wonder how much impact the Stop Food Waste campaign will really have. It is all very well to provide waste-aware tips and recipes, but the elephant in the room is the still-common perception that food is, and should be, a cheaply available commodity. It is something that comes to us conveniently packaged and is, ultimately, disposable. As we grow ever more distant from the source of our food, its real value to us becomes diminished. So perhaps we pay less attention than we should to getting the most out of the food we have. If we had a real connection to the people producing our food or if, indeed, we were producing it ourselves, we would be far less inclined to waste a single scrap.

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Quick Asian Noodle Soup

This is adapted from one of the recipes demonstrated by Donal Skehan at the Stop Food Waste launch and is based, he told us, on the idea of instant noodle pots as made by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – a homemade (and significantly healthier) alternative to the pot noodle.

The execution couldn’t be simpler: soften some rice noodles with boiling water or stock, stir in your flavourings, vegetables and other ingredients et voilà. Of course it’s a good idea to chop or otherwise prepare and assemble all of the ingredients before you pour the water or stock over your noodles so that you can add them quickly without things getting too cold.

You’ll need:

• 1 tblsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1.5 tsp honey
• 4 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 0.5 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated root ginger
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 50g fine rice noodles
• 350ml boiling water or use chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 3 tblsp chopped fresh coriander
• finely sliced fresh red chilli to taste (optional)
• approx. 75g Chinese cabbage (i.e. napa cabbage), finely shredded

You’ll also need:

• A pyrex or other heatproof bowl for putting the soup together.

The Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, lime juice, tomato purée, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger and grated garlic.
• Place the noodles in your heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water or stock.
• When the noodles are soft (probably around 2 minutes or so) stir in the soy sauce mixture along with the spring onions, chopped coriander and sliced chilli (if using), reserving some spring onions and coriander for garnish. Finally stir in the shredded Chinese cabbage. Serve scattered with the reserved spring onion and coriander.

The Variations:

• There are many things that you could stir into this as the mood takes you: shredded cooked chicken or pork; cooked prawns; or a plain 1-egg omelette, cut into ribbons. Lightly steamed slices of broccoli and/or mange tout would also work well, as would crushed toasted peanuts.

The Results:

• One substantial portion of noodle soup or two smaller ones.

“That’ll keep you regular,” chuckled the delivery man.

He had just handed me a hamper filled to the brim with oaty products from Flahavan’s, and, as I surveyed the contents, I had to agree that this little lot would probably keep me in good working order for some time to come.

Oats and then some

The occasion that had warranted such a generous oaten influx was Flahavan’s annual Porridge Week, which heralds the onset of those falling temperatures that induce us to both stay under the covers and contemplate porridge when we arise.

And while my winter breakfast needs were now clearly taken care of, I knew that, for variety’s sake, I would have to use some of my oaty spoils for non porridge purposes. With that in mind, I perused the little recipe booklet written by Mary Flahavan that had come with the delivery.

A little bit of oaty inspiraton

And there it was, amongst the flapjacks, crumbles, bakes and pies, nothing less than oatmeal in a soup. Now, while it may not be tremendously fashionable to put oatmeal in a soup these days, it was quite the thing in ancient Ireland. In his book, The Country Cooking of Ireland, Colman Andrews provides a recipe for Brotchán Foltchep (or “the king’s soup”), a leek and oatmeal affair that was apparently a favourite of St. Columkille back in the 6th century. I thought that the least I could do was take that old soup idea and give it a 21st century spin. I reached for some coconut milk and a new soup was born.

Not your average 6th century fare: oatmeal, leek and coconut soup, with broccoli and almonds

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Oatmeal, Leek and Coconut Soup

In Scotland, where they are also fond of their oats, this would be called a ‘brose’, which is a term for anything thickened with oatmeal. The addition of coconut milk, however, sends this soup on a journey far to the east of both Scotland and Ireland. Having previously used coconut milk in porridge, however, I knew how nicely it could work with oats. The pinhead oatmeal, in particular, both thickens and gives a nice bite. It’s Asian flavour meets Irish texture.

You’ll need:

• 3 tblsp pinhead oatmeal (i.e. steel-cut oats)
• 25g almonds
• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium-sized leek, white and light green parts finely sliced (about 75g sliced leek)
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tblsp finely chopped root ginger
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 tblsp lime juice
• 0.5 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• approx. 100g broccoli florets, sliced
• 1-2 tblsp freshly chopped coriander

You’ll also need:

• A couple of baking trays for toasting the oats and the almonds.

The Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 180C
• Spread the oats and the almonds on two separate baking trays and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until both the oats and the flesh of the almonds have browned lightly. Set aside to cool and crush or finely chop the almonds.
• Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and, when hot, add the leeks. Stir and fry for about 3-4 minutes, until the leeks start to soften.
• Add the garlic and ginger and stir and fry for another minute or so.
• Add the toasted oatmeal, stir briefly, then add the coconut milk, lime juice, salt, a few twists of black pepper and about 250ml water. Bring to the boil then cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the oats have softened.
• Add the sliced broccoli and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes more or until the broccoli is cooked to your liking (I prefer it to retain a little bit of bite). Add more lime juice, salt and/or black pepper to your taste and if the soup is thicker than you’d like, thin with additional hot water.
• Serve sprinkled generously with crushed toasted almonds and chopped coriander.

The Variations:

• I think you could certainly use french beans in this soup either in place or, or in addition to, the broccoli (and added at the same time).

The Results:

• Makes 2 hearty servings of soup

Me: G’wan, make me something to eat.
You: Er, such as?

Me: Anything you like. Give it your best shot.
You: Anything?

Me: Yeah. Have you got a favourite killer dish?
You: Maybe, well, yeah, I guess I do.

Me: Well make me that then.
You: (looking skeptical) Umm, ok…

Me: Oh and take a picture.
You: A picture?

Me: Yeah, of you with the food.
You: Ah, g’way outta that.

Me: And put the words Cully & Sully somewhere in the picture.
You: Huh? (thinking this had better be good)

Me: …it could be worth €12,000.
You: Jaysus, where’s me camera?!! (and off you run…)

Yes, it’s quite the proposition.

Submit a photograph of yourself with your best kitchen offering and you might just win a fully paid up place on the renowned (and, let’s face it, not remotely cheap) three month cookery course at Ballymaloe.

Hard to believe, but that’s what Cully & Sully – those makers of fine soups and other meals – have up for grabs with their ChefFactor competition.

You don’t even have to be a good cook, though being enthusiastic about your food and your dish would obviously be a good starting position (I mean, you want to go to Ballymaloe, don’t you?). Anybody in Ireland can enter and the public gets to vote for two of the finalists, while Cully & Sully will pick a third.

You will, if you get to be one of those three finalists, have to present your dish for judging by Darina and Rachel Allen, though frankly, that seems only fair.

So… off with you now – make your way over here and get your name into that pot of chefs-to-be.

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Roasted Aubergine Soup

When I think Cully & Sully, I think soup.

Of course, they make things other than soup, but on those occasions where I haven’t been organised enough to bring lunch to work, I’ll often look for Cully & Sully tomato and basil soup to fill my lunchtime belly.

If, on the other hand, I have been organised, then I might just have some of my own roasted aubergine soup instead.

The recipe is adapted slightly from one in the fabulous Green’s Cookbook. I’ve swapped basil for fennel and made it even more substantial with puy lentils. There’s an added bite from some cayenne pepper too. Might be one for Cully & Sully to add to their range…

You’ll need:

• 2 medium aubergines (about 800g)
• olive oil for coating vegetables and frying
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium red peppers (about 350g), halved and seeded
• 1 large red onion (about 200g), halved but not peeled
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 250g)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 100g puy lentils (optional), rinsed and drained
• 1l vegetable stock or water
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tblsp lemon juice or to taste
• natural yoghurt to serve (optional)
• basil leaves to serve (optional)
• bread toasted with a little olive oil and parmesan to serve (optional)

You’ll also need:

• One or more baking trays for roasting the vegetables and a blender (hand held or otherwise) or food processor to blend the soup.

The Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C
• Wipe the aubergines, halve them, brush all over with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and place in the oven on a baking tray.
• Brush both sides of the halved peppers, the cut sides of the onion and the tomatoes (left whole) with olive oil and place in the oven on a baking tray after the aubergine has baked for about 20 minutes.
• Bake for about another 20 minutes or until the aubergine is soft and starting to collapse and the skins of the other vegetables are loose and wrinkled.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then peel the onion, remove as much of the pepper’s skin as you can and chop all of the vegetables into large chunks.
• Place a large, heavy saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add about 2 tblsp olive oil, garlic, thyme and fennel and cook gently for a few minutes.
• Add the puy lentils (if using), stir briefly, then add the roasted vegetables, stock or water, cayenne and about 1.5tsp salt (or less if your stock is salted). Stir to mix, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be tender.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly, then purée briefly using a blender or food processor. Return to the pot and add lemon juice to taste and additional salt and black pepper if you think it needs it. The soup will be quite thick, so thin with just-boiled water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
• Serve garnished with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some torn basil leaves. Some parmesan toasts would go nicely too.

The Variations:

• I quite fancy the idea of adding some mushrooms (shiitake, say) for some extra depth of flavour.

The Results:

• Soup for 4-6

“We need to tighten our belts.”

Just how often have we heard that one lately?

The fact is, however, that when it comes to our national diet, belt loosening is the order of the day. As a nation, it seems we’re getting a little chubby around the middle, with 60% of us overweight or obese according to this report. And Michael O’Shea, CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) reckons that obesity levels in Ireland are rising at the rate of around 1% per year. Yikes.

Given that about one third of premature heart disease relates to poor diet and that about 10,000 Irish people die each year from heart disease and stroke, the IHF, whose mission it is to reduce cases of preventable heart disease, have a vested interest in what we eat. In fact, whatever it is we’re eating, they’d like us to eat less of it.

That, at least, is the focus of their Happy Heart Eat Out campaign, which runs for the month of June. Given that many of us are prone to dining out, they are encouraging us to show a little restraint when we do so. They have the help of 500+ restaurants and catering establishments, who will be offering healthier, right-sized options on their menus.

One such participant is Saba, the popular Thai and Vietnamese eatery in Dublin, which was the venue for the launch of the campaign. And the launch, well, that involved lunch…

Lunch at Saba, clockwise from bottom left:
seared yellow fin tuna with wasabi coriander mayonnaise; steamed seabass fillets with Xao Shing wine sauce; hot and sour prawn soup; fruit platter with passion fruit and mango sorbet

Ok, I grant you, that does look like a lot of food but, truth be told, the individual courses were light, and I skipped the rice offered (because, let’s face it, rice is not potatoes) – so I didn’t need to engage in any belt adjustment afterward. Result? One happy Spud. So happy, in fact, that I went straight home and made some hot, sour and heart happy soup for you all to enjoy too.

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Thai Hot And Sour Soup

The IHF recipe booklet mentioned above includes Tom Yum Goong, the hot and sour prawn soup we had at Saba. The recipe here, though similar, is not Saba’s version, but is adapted from a recipe resident sis learned while staying at Eagle House in Chiang Mai in Thailand, a place that will be familiar to many Irish backpackers.

It’s a firm favourite Chez Spud and, though classically made using prawns, we have always just made it using veggies. The formula is simple: heat the water or stock with flavourings for a few minutes to infuse, then add the rest of the vegetables/seafood/meat, the order determined by how long each takes to heat through or cook, followed by some final seasonings.

You can use a vegetable or chicken stock if you like, though we generally just use water as the base – it’s still plenty flavoursome and (not that I worry about these things overly), low in fat and (yes) a good heart healthy option. The only trouble with keeping portions small here is that its more-ish nature will mean that you inevitably want second helpings.

You’ll need:

• 800ml light vegetable stock or water (or use chicken stock if you like)
• 1 stick lemongrass, cut into 2cm pieces
• 50g galangal or root ginger, peeled and cut into 0.5cm slices
• 4 dried kaffir lime leaves
• 2-3 dried red chillies, crushed
• 0.5 tsp shrimp paste (optional)
• 1x400g tin straw mushrooms (about 240g drained weight), or substitute button or oyster mushrooms
• 1x400g tin baby corn (about 240g drained weight), sliced into 1cm widths
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 4 tblsp lime juice
• 1 tblsp soy sauce or more to taste
• 3 tblsp Thai fish sauce (or substitute with additional soy sauce)
• 0.5-1 tsp sugar

To serve:

• fresh coriander
• steamed rice (optional)

The Steps:

• Bring the water or stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the lemongrass, galangal or ginger, kaffir lime leaves and chillies. Return to a simmer and cook for around 3 minutes.
• Add the shrimp paste (if using) and stir to mix, then add the mushrooms and corn and simmer for about another 3 minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the spring onions, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using) and sugar. Stir to mix, taste and check seasoning, adding more of whatever you think it might need.
• You can serve this on its own as a broth or spoon some steamed rice into a bowl and then ladle the soup over it. Garnish generously with sprigs of fresh coriander and remember that the pieces of lemongrass, galangal or ginger and kaffir lime leaves are for flavouring only and not actually for eating.

The Variations:

• Prawns, of course, are a classic inclusion in this soup, though I don’t see why you couldn’t try other seafood or meats here too. Change the vegetables to suit what you have – anything that doesn’t need long to cook or heat through is fair game. You can try bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mange tout and french beans to name but a few.

The Results:

• 3 dinner servings, along with rice, or 4 smaller servings.

I doubt that I will ever become a true locavore.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for the principles of eating (and drinking) locally, when and where possible, but I am ever appreciative of the ease with which we can import that which is neither cultivated nor produced here. Potato-heavy though my diet (naturally) is, I think that I would find it impossible to confine myself solely to the food and drink which emanates from within our Irish borders. Or would I?

For starters, wine would be a no-no. Especially the far away new world kind.

World Cup Wines from South Africa's Nederburg: creamy sauvignon blanc, crisp, dry, rosé (dangerously drinkable, like an adult raspberry cordial) and fruity cabernet sauvignon

Take these limited edition South African World Cup wines from Nederburg that came my way recently. While I won’t be overly concerned with the World Cup itself (the less said about us not being in it, the better), I am nevertheless thankful for the opportunity to indulge in the associated wines.

And what about this little lot, eh?

Several continents' worth of salts and spices

Salts and spices from no less that 4 different continents – from delicately pink and flaky Murray River salt crystals to small, dense crystals of black lava salt from Hawaii – all very kindly sent to me by Chef E. I’m quite sure that I could survive (and well) without any of these things, but I love the foreign accent that they bring to our native staples. Like the African potato stew I made yesterday. The vegetables are decidedly local (the chard, from my own garden, especially so) but not one of the spices used originates here. Could I give up the flavours that they bring? Yes. Would I want to? No, not ever.

An Irish tricolour of veggies: swiss chard, potatoes and carrots

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African Potato Stew

After a little blast of sunshine and warmth last week, yesterday was dull and wet and much more appropriate to this kind of wintry fare. Welcome to the Irish summer.

This stew is based on a recipe found in The Potato: Around The World In 200 recipes, which was published in 2008 as an initiative to promote the then United Nations Year of the Potato. The recipes were collected by Florence Lebras.

The original uses potato, sweet potato and cauliflower, whereas I’ve used my tricolour of chard, potatoes and carrots, and have also added allspice berries to the original spice mix.

As for the raisins or sultanas, when it comes to using dried fruit in a stew, I reckon that you either love it or hate it. If you are in the love it camp, then add them in, but if it’s not your thing, then by all means leave them out.

You’ll need:

• 750g potato (3-4 medium sized potatoes)
• 250g carrot (2 large-ish carrots)
• 300g swiss chard (or substitute spinach)
• 1 tblsp coriander seeds
• 4 cloves
• 6 allspice berries
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 300g onion (2 medium onions), finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 3-4 tblsp raisins or sultanas (optional)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tblsp cider vinegar

You’ll need:

• Spice grinder or mortar and pestle for grinding spices.

The Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes and, leaving the skin on, chop into 1cm cubes. Peel and slice the carrots, around 0.5cm thick or less.
• Wash the swiss chard and separate the thick centre veins and stalks from the green leafy parts. Slice the leaves into 0.5cm strips, chop the stalks into approx 0.5cm dice.
• Place a small frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the coriander seeds, cloves and allspice berries and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then grind in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle.
• Place a large heavy saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the oil, followed by the onion and garlic. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion has softened.
• Add the chopped ginger, mustard seeds, poppy seeds and ground spices to the saucepan and stir briefly.
• Add the potatoes, carrots and chard stalks, stir to mix and then add the salt and about 750ml water (enough to barely cover the vegetables). Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add the chard greens and raisins (if using), stir to incorporate, return to a simmer and simmer for about another 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Stir in the cider vinegar, ladle into bowls and serve on its own or with some crusty bread.

The Variations:

• I would certainly consider adding chickpeas to this next time round, and, if so, would use the chickpea cooking liquid in place of the water.

The Results:

• About 4-5 helpings

Hungry?

I hope so, because I’ve made some soup and it’s got your name written all over it.

In fact there’s enough to feed, oh, you and maybe 4 or 5 friends. And several people in Africa too.

Soup for a good cause

The Overseas Development Agency Gorta contacted me about their SoupForLife campaign, as part of which they are asking people here to gather ’round for a bowl or mug of soup on the 14th of May and make a small donation to their work fighting hunger and malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.
If you don’t want to make the soup yourself, a growing number of restaurants are participating by donating €1 for each bowl of soup purchased on that day (with more information available on that over at the SoupForLife blog).

But why soup?

During that most famous of periods in our history, when the entire country went hungry for lack of potatoes during The Great Famine, it was soup kitchens that fed a great number of the starving, simple as that.

Now, if you want to participate in the whole SoupForLife thing, there’s really no need to emulate famine-era soups. For one thing, it would imply a distinct lack of potatoes, which would put me right out of a soup-making job. No, it’s perfectly ok to fire away with the curried potato and cauliflower soup below or, if not that then perhaps some classic potato and leek soup or maybe some potato and lentil soup like so or like so. Alternatively, there’s Galician potato and bean soup or creamy potato, salmon and cream cheese chowder for you to try. If (gasp!) you’d like a soup that’s not quite so potato-heavy, then there are soups hereabouts made from carrot and ginger, pea and mint and tomato and black beans. And failing that, there’s always minestrone or good old Ukrainian borscht. So you really have no excuses. Go on, get your soup on.

I think that my name is on a list somewhere. Some Italian food mafia list.

And make no mistake, they are out to feed me.

First, Milano’s invite me to come and taste their new Francesco Mazzei range. All of it. Two starters, a pasta dish and three pizzas. In one sitting.

Let me tell you that the word full doesn’t remotely cover it.

Milano's Francesco Mazzei Pizzas:
Calabrese (sweet, chili-hot and sausagey, the crowd favourite), Mia Sofia (a thin-based pizza blanca that is all about the mushrooms) and Rustichella (which, let's face it, people will love for the pancetta)

Then, when I had finished digesting that, they sent their guys around with dough balls and pizza from the new Milano At Home range (eh, don’t mind if I do, grazie mille). Perhaps they’re out to change my spudly ways (after all, with the noble exception of gnocchi, Italians don’t seem to go in much for the whole potatoes thing). Or maybe they wondered if I had opinions to share, which, when it comes to food, I generally do.

Let me start by saying that the dishes by Francesco Mazzei – chef proprietor of L’Anima in London – seemed to me to be about simplicity and quality of ingredients. It was good to see that his choice of lovely Calabrian olive oil and oregano are now being used, not just with his own dishes, but throughout the Milano’s range. The corollary, of course, is that, without good quality ingredients, Francesco’s dishes do not have a whole lot to hide behind.

And that was the one niggle in an otherwise enjoyable meal.

The Insalata Semplice

The Insalata Semplice – a classic tomato and mozzarella salad – was, for me, let down by a lack of flavour in some of the tomatoes used. Now, it’s fair to say that we in Ireland are no strangers to poor quality tomatoes – goodness knows, those sold in supermarkets here don’t often taste of anything – but neither should we be too surprised that tomatoes lack flavour when they are not anywhere near being in season here. In fact, I expect that it is difficult, or at least expensive, to source large quantities of really good quality, flavoursome tomatoes here at this time of year.

The real question is, why bother?

Do we really want to eat fresh tomato salad (a) when the season dictates that tomatoes are unlikely to be anywhere near their best and (b) when it’s still freezing outside ? (yes, winter is proving very hard to shake this year)

The word seasonality has been bandied about much of late, but how many of us still expect to be able to order a fresh tomato salad year-round and would be perturbed if we couldn’t?

And before you ask, I will own up to the fact that I am as guilty as anyone of buying, and expecting to be able to buy, fresh tomatoes year-round. And there is (I am sure) a lot of effort involved in devising seasonally sensitive menus, particularly when you are trying to roll them out across a restaurant chain like Milano’s.

It goes to show, I suppose, that we have a long way to go when it comes to this whole eating seasonally and locally lark. I’ll shut up now before someone reminds me gently to just, er, fuhgeddaboudit…

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Minestrone

Given the continued low temperatures outside, I am inclined much more towards soup than salad these days, and minestrone is Italian for just the kind of hearty soup I fancy in this weather.

Minestrone is also all about what you have to hand, so adjust to suit your own stash of vegetables. This version has got the the olive oil, mushroom and oregano that featured strongly in the Francesco Mazzei Milano’s menu. It’s also tomatoey, but thanks to good quality tinned tomatoes, which are a better choice at this time of year.

As for the pasta, use whatever dried pasta you have to hand, breaking larger pieces up into whatever size pieces you’d like to find in your soup.

You’ll need:

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp butter
• 200g onion (1 large), finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 125g carrot (2 small carrots), finely diced
• 125g celery (2 large sticks), finely diced
• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes, chopped
• 50ml red wine (one you’d consider drinking yourself)
• 600ml water or light vegetable or chicken stock
• 150g dried pasta (break large pasta into smaller pieces)
• 1 tsp fine salt or to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• shavings of parmesan to serve

The Steps:

• Place a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the olive oil and butter.
• When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
• Add the mushrooms and cook for about another 5 minutes or until just starting to release some liquid.
• Now add the carrot and celery and stir and fry for another 7-8 minutes.
• Add the chopped tinned tomatoes, wine, water or stock, oregano, salt and black pepper. Stir to mix, bring to the boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots start to become tender.
• Stir in the dried pasta and simmer until al dente – depending on the pasta, this should take somewhere around 7-10 minutes. The soup should be thick and chunky, though you can thin it with additional boiling water if you like.
• Ladle into bowls and scatter with some shavings of parmesan.

The Variations:

• Have a look in your fridge or vegetable basket and include a bit of whatever looks good – minestrone’s a bit like that. You can also throw in some cannellini or other beans if that takes your fancy.

The Results:

• Makes about 4 decent helpings