Jeff Bryant made this delicious tart especially for us with fresh redcurrants from his garden in Queenstown.

Easy and gorgeous — these little drop scones can be made in minutes, perfect for children to help with also.

PEOPLE just love to bake. The smell of a freshly baked cake or a tray of biscuits coming out of the oven always brings a smile and a feeling of comfort and warmth.

NOWADAYS more than ever before we need comfort food. So I’m going to devote my first column of the year to simple homely dishes guaranteed to warm and cheer the family when they traipse in tired and hungry from school or after a long day’s work.

EVEN though we may momentarily flirt with the idea of having something new and exotic for Christmas dinner, in the end everyone seems to crave the traditional favourites with all the trimmings, so which will it be, turkey or goose?

WE CAN whinge all we like about the state of the economy. We can rant and rave and blame but, apart from letting off steam and maybe raising our blood pressure, it’s unlikely to get us very far. So let’s count our blessings and try to focus on the positives.

WE’RE determined not to do doom and gloom. So, on the basis that a yummy little treat can cheer up even the grimmest day, we’re having lots of fun these days experimenting and making delicious Christmas presents for all our friends.

FROM New York to London, butchery classes are over subscribed — most recently a two-day butchery course organised by Teagasc at Ashtown also had a waiting list.

IT’S JUST possible that whoopie pies may be the next cupcake — ‘homey’ to look at, totally scrumptious to eat but mercifully less luscious icing than a cupcake.

IRELAND’S future is unquestionably in food production. At long last we are recognising the fact that Ireland is in an enviable position in terms of natural resources – we are an island nation on the edge of Europe with 400 million affluent consumers on our doorstep.