The Menu: all the food news with Joe McNamee
GIY’s superb Big Grow initiative, designed to get children growing their own food, returns for the seventh year aiming to get 43,000 primary school pupils across the land participating in The Innocent Big Grow.
The growing pack contains sufficient soil, growing pots, and seeds (peas, cress, spinach) for a class of 30, along with an expert GIY kit and cooking and eating suggestions for budding young gardeners, come harvest time. GIY has also worked with teachers and education specialists to develop a series of detailed lesson plans for use in the classroom.
The programme has been so successful (with proven mental and physical health benefits) that GIY, in conjunction with Innocent, is introducing it to 25% of primary schools in the UK.
Participating schools who keep an online growing blog could be in line for the Best Big Grow prize of a trip for the entire class to Bloom, Dublin Zoo, and €500 worth of gardening equipment for the school, with runners-up prizes of one €300 and one €200 GIY voucher also up for grabs.
giy.ie
On foot of yet another round of Yuletide excess, The Menu was in the market for a more temperate culinary climate and afternoon tea in the Drawing Room of Maryborough House Hotel certainly seems to fit the bill.
But with his ‘strength’ returning, priming him for the long year of eating, he is increasingly intrigued by the prospect of a wine dinner (Feb 13) in the same establishment starring Bodegas Luis Canas wine from Rioja Alavasa. The evening begins with a Cava reception and is due to be hosted by the wonderful wine writer John Wilson.
maryborough.com
Did someone dare mention the word ‘spring’? It would most certainly be welcome around these parts but should it fail to arrive in all its glory, Longueville House, the impossibly romantic country house retreat in North Cork, is celebrating nonetheless with an offering of an overnight break with dinner (never less than splendid from chef/proprietor, William O’Callaghan’s kitchen), including a bottle of bubbly on arrival and complimentary late checkout. Offer subject to availability (Feb 9-17).
longuevillehouse.ie
Herbalist Sean McCarthy, to celebrate the launch of his new website, is offering free Irish delivery for orders over €20 for his instant green teas, the range from the Cork-based company including: Original (with lemon, organic cardamom, organic hibiscus); energy-boosting Ginseng (Organic Cardamom and Orange); and calming Passionflower, Hibiscus and Mint.
naturespharm.com
It takes time for a budding cheesemaker to settle on a cheese that not only pleasures the palate but whose profile can then be faithfully reproduced with each batch thereafter — or as near as Mother Nature will allow. Very good cheesemakers are able to factor in the changing nature of the primary ingredient, milk, through the course of the year and most of Ireland’s finest farmhouse cheese producers eventually become known for a particular style.
Which is why The Menu was especially impressed to meet Jim O’Brien at last year’s Dingle Food Festival. Though farming for over 40 years on the Limerick farm that has been in his family for eight generations, he began making cheese just five years ago, hoping to provide a possible income for a son who lost his job during the recession. Yet, that day in Dingle, he proudly displayed not one but four different cheeses: Cheddar, gouda, brie, and feta; all fine examples of his craft.
The deliciously runny Bally Brie was only surpassed by the cheddar, sweet and nutty caramel notes with a nip at the tail that can only improve, and a sampling of an aged version of same is very much on The Menu’s to-do list.
obrienscheese.com
BEER OF THE WEEK
Matsons, 1601, O’Briens, Redmonds, McHughs, Whelehans, Independents.
Third Circle was founded in 2015 by Jon Grennan who has a background in biology, and brews using the guiding principles of ‘balance, good taste and curiosity’. Third Circle share their brewing space with Stone Barrel Brewing (eg, Boom IPA) and their collaborative beers are under the name ThirdBarrel Brewing — watch for their recently Franken Stout.
Third Circle Red is from the core range and is bottle conditioned so pours a little cloudy with a lively frothy head. Dusky amber-gold in colour with malt and lightly spicy red fruit aromas, balanced and elegant with a noticeably dry hoppy finish.
