Darina Allen: Go retro with my Ballymaloe cheese fondue — plus a tasty Cashel Blue salad

Myrtle Allen devised this Cheese Fondue recipe made from Irish Cheddar cheese. A huge favourite at Ballymaloe.

Lá Fhéile Bríde is one of my favourite days of the year, a quintessentially Irish celebration. It marks the beginning of spring, the season of hope when nature wakes up and begins to leap back into life and seed-sowing begins.

This year, there is even more reason to celebrate, because Ireland has declared a national holiday to honour our beloved female patron saint. At last St Brigid has been elevated to her rightful place and has equal billing alongside Saint Patrick. Saint Brigid‘s Day on February 1 also coincides with the start of the Celtic festival of Imbolc, one of the four major fire festivals of the year.

The others in Irish folklore are Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain. Imbolc which in old Neolithic language translates literally to ‘in the belly’, comes halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox when the days begin to lengthen.

Depending on who or what you read, Saint Brigid is the patron saint of cattle farmers, dairymaids, beekeepers, midwives, babies, blacksmiths, sailors, boatmen, fugitives, poets, poultry farmers, scholars, travellers. For me, Brigid was the original feminist, a trailblazer, a strong woman’s voice in a male dominated world, a feminine role model, a force to be reckoned with. She is still widely venerated and many lovely traditions and rituals endure.

Best known is the tradition of weaving crosses from rushes and reeds. Brigid, we are told, was the founder of the first Irish monastery in Kildare in the fifth century. According to legend, she was called to the bedside of a dying pagan chieftain and while she watched over him, she bent down, picked up some rushes from the floor and began to weave a cross to explain the Christian story whereupon the chieftain was promptly converted to Christianity.

Her ability to intercede with God for special favours for the sick is legendary. There are still 15 holy wells connected to the saint Brigid where the water is believed to have miraculous power to heal. Just as the shamrock is associated with Saint Patrick, the little woven cross is forever associated with Saint Brigid.

Typically, it has four arms with a woven square in the centre but three armed crosses are traditional in some counties according to Saint Brigid‘s cross-maker ‘extraordinaire’, Patricia O’Flaherty whom I met a number of years ago at the first annual Lá Fhéile Bríde celebration at the Irish embassy in London. This inspired event initiated by the then ambassador Adrian O’Neill, celebrated not just Saint Brigid but the achievements of Irish women around the globe.

On the invitation of the ambassador Patricia had travelled from Co Roscommon, clutching a bag of freshly cut rushes to demonstrate how to make the Saint Brigid’s cross. I was intrigued to learn from her that originally all counties had different patterns which sometimes varied from parish to parish. In 1961, the Saint Brigid‘s cross was chosen by the newly launched Teilifís Éireann as its logo and continued until 1995 when it was dropped in favour of ‘a clean striking piece of modern design’. How lovely it would be to still incorporate Saint Brigid‘s cross proudly into the RTÉ logo.

Every year we like to show the Ballymaloe Cookery School students who come from all over the world how to make a Saint Brigid’s cross. We hang a cross over the door of our dairy to bless our small herd of Jersey cows which produce the most delicious rich milk to make butter, cheese, yoghurt and buttermilk. So in this column, to honour the memory of Saint Brigid, I thought it would be appropriate to feature recipes using ingredients from some of the many Irish women food producers.

Ballymaloe cheese fondue

recipe by:Darina Allen

Cheese fondue is so retro but terrific fun.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dry white wine

• 2 small cloves of garlic, crushed

• 2 tsp Ballymaloe Tomato Relish or any tomato chutney

• 2 tsp freshly chopped parsley

• 175g (6oz) grated mature Cheddar cheese

• To Serve

• crusty white bread

Method

1. Put the white wine and the rest of the ingredients into a fondue pot or small saucepan and stir.

2. Just before serving, put over a low heat until the cheese melts and begins to bubble – a couple of minutes.

3. Put the pot over the fondue stove and serve immediately.

4. Provide each guest with fresh bread or a rustic baguette crisped up in a hot oven. They will also need a fondue fork and an ordinary fork.

A salad of Cashel Blue cheese with chargrilled pears and spiced candied nuts

recipe by:Darina Allen

Cashel Blue is the original Irish blue cheese made by Jane and Louis Grubb near Fethard in Co Tipperary but other mild blue cheese like Crozier may also be used.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• A selection of salad leaves. If possible, it should include curly endive and watercress.

• For the spiced candied nuts:

• 75g (3oz) sugar

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground coriander

• a pinch of freshly ground star anise

• 100g (3 1/2oz) walnut halves

• For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, we use Mani or extra virgin organic olive oil from Greece

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 3-4 ripe pears depending on size (Bartlet or Anjou)

• ripe Cashel Blue Cheese

• For the garnish:

• chervil sprigs

Method

1. Gently wash and carefully dry the lettuce. Put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

3. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and toast them for 4 or 5 minutes just until they smell rich and nutty. Meanwhile, mix the sugar with the spices. Spread over the base of a frying pan in an even layer. Scatter the walnut halves on top.

4. Cook over a medium heat until the sugar melts and starts to colour. Carefully rotate the pan until the walnuts are completely coated with the amber coloured spicy caramel.

5. Turn out onto a silpat mat or silicone paper or an oil baking tray. Allow to cool and harden. (Store in an airtight container until later if necessary).

6. Whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing, pour into a jam jar, cover and store until needed.

7. Heat a grill pan on a high flame. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Toss in a little sunflower oil, grill on both sides and then on the rounded side.

8. To Serve: Cut the cheese into cubes or small wedges. Sprinkle the salad leaves with the dressing and toss gently until the leaves glisten. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

9. Divide the salad between the plates making a little mound in the centre. Slice each chargrilled pear in half lengthwise and tuck 3 pieces in between the leaves. Scatter with a few cubes of Cashel Blue and some spice candied walnuts. Sprinkle with a few sprigs of chervil and serve.

Ardsallagh or St. Tola’s goat cheese and thyme leaf soufflé

recipe by:Darina Allen

Bake this soufflé until golden and puffy in a shallow oval dish instead of the traditional soufflé bowl; it makes a perfect lunch or supper dish.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 75g (3oz) butter

• 40g (1 1/2 oz) flour

• 300ml (10fl oz) cream

• 300ml (10fl oz) milk

• a few slices of carrot

• sprig of thyme, a few parsley stalks and a little scrap of bay leaf

• 1 small onion, quartered

• 5 eggs free range organic, separated

• 110g (4oz) crumbled goat cheese, Ardsallagh or St. Tola’s goat cheese

• 75g (3oz) Gruyére cheese

• 50g (2oz) mature Coolea farmhouse cheese, grated (Parmesan may also be used)

• a good pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg

• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• Garnish

• thyme flowers if available

• 30cm (12 inch) shallow oval dish (not a soufflé dish) or 6 individual wide soup bowls with a rim

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

2. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with melted butter.

3. Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, add a few slices of carrot, a quartered onion, 4 or 5 peppercorns and the fresh herbs. Bring slowly to the boil and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the flavourings, (we rinse them off and throw them into the stockpot if there is one on the go.)

4. Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in the strained cream and milk, bring to the boil and whisk until it thickens. Cool slightly. Add the egg yolks, goat cheese, grated Gruyére and most of the grated Coolea (or Parmesan if using.)

5. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Taste and correct seasoning. Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold them gently into the mixture to make a loose consistency. Put the mixture into the prepared dish, scatter the thyme leaves on top and sprinkle with the remaining Coolea or Parmesan cheese.

6. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the sides and top are nicely puffed up and golden, the centre should still be creamy. Garnish with thyme flowers.

7. Serve immediately on warm plates with a good green salad.

Hot Tips

Special Dish to celebrate St. Brigid’s Day - Anna Haugh at Conrad, Dublin

To celebrate the new holiday in honour of St. Brigid’s Day, chef Anna Haugh at Conrad Dublin has created a special dish on the menu incorporating products only made by women, served on a female-made plate and paired with a female winemaker. The dish will feature on the menu all week celebrating St. Brigid’s Day. Bravo Anna!

• @annahaugh_conrad

Grow Your Own

A brand-new growing season so it’s time to order seeds. Do your best to source organic seeds for maximum flavour and nutrient density.

Get together with a few pals, make a list and allocate 5 or 6 plants each, then share knowledge and produce. Communal growing is fun!

Check out the following seed suppliers on Instagram:

• Brown Envelope Seeds @brownenvelopeseeds
• The Organic Centre @the_organic_centre
• Seed Savers @irishseedsavers.ie
• See GIY Ireland (Grow It Yourself) for tons of brilliant gowning tips @giyireland

Climate Change Initiative - Easy Treesie: A collective group of Volun-TREE individuals, schools and associations committed to be part of a climate change solution — one tree at a time. Now in their third challenging planting season, Easy Treesie is on track to reach their goal: 1 million trees planted by 2023-2024 with Ireland’s 1 million Irish school children and their communities.

• For more information, see www.easytreesie.com