The Menu: Ireland's libraries turn over a new leaf with GIY programme
Launching GIY's new Library Leaf programme
GIY and Libraries Ireland have come together in a novel food and literacy education programme, beginning in Waterford but with the ambition to see the initiative evolve across Ireland, creating food-growing communities wherever there is a library to be found.Â
Growing your own food is of course a positive climate action and also fosters food empathy and promotes sustainability, so along with the free seeds and information packs, the library will provide the know-how including online videos in this attempt to find a whole new audience for the superlative efforts of GIY.Â
- The pilot programme across 25 libraries in the southeast kicks off this week.
- libraryleaf.ie
When it comes to brandishing the bucket and spade near the foreshore, West Cork is the gift that keeps on giving, not least when The Menu is anywhere in the vicinity of Dunmore House, the hinterland of which is literally garlanded with beaches.Â
It is one of his most favourite Irish seaside hotels, where he once sported and played as a youth and these days very much enjoys visiting, not least for the splendid view across the bay to Inchydoney which is only ever improved if the viewer is also diving into a delicious pizza from the hotel’s Boatshed Pizza, sited on one of the most divinely located terraces in the land.
And for those sorry souls unable to access the coast at will, then a little bit of alternative summer solace comes courtesy of the Metropole Hotel where head chef Mark Cronin and pastry chef Alicja have created a summery afternoon tea featuring a host of local berries, including West Cork strawberries pavlova and chantilly cream, raspberry and plum clafoutis, white chocolate blondie with blueberry gel, and cucumber, mint and crème fraîche on granary bread, as well as a summery welcome cocktail of Móinéir Irish blackberry wine with gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
The Menu thoroughly approves although he does wonder why such an offering on Leeside was not marketed as ‘The Berries’! Pre-booking essential. Available seven days a week from 12.30pm to 4pm.
The Menu is especially taken with the latest offering, oat and maple crunch peanut butter, from the Ward sisters, Evie and Eliza, and their Nenagh-based Nutshed, who produce a range of fine nut butters.
Naturally, peanut is the defining flavour the bolshie legume, once roasted, being quite potent in that regard. But where the Ward sisters up the ante is by adding toasted oats and sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds, for extra textural oomph.Â
They then leaven this salt melange with complex caramel of maple and date syrups, lending itself to all manner of culinary collisions.Â
Although The Menu has been more than happy since first opening his jar to simply pair a spoonful with a chunk of finest single origin dark chocolate for a most delicious savoury-sweet treat.
The most recent and apocalyptic flooding of Midleton wreaked especial havoc on the East Cork market town’s hospitality sector with perhaps the greatest casualty of all being Farmgate Midleton, the premises being too greatly compromised by severe flood damage to continue trading.
Well, it appears Midleton’s loss is to be Lismore’s gain with the opening of an equally gorgeous venue in the delightful West Waterford town.Â
Actually, while there were never pre-flood plans to close the very successful Midleton venue, its destruction accelerated the plans of Farmgate founder Morag O’Brien and her daughter Sally to open another venue, in the Lismore premises which they first acquired back in 2018.
The makeover of the new premises is quite gorgeous and regular diners at the old Midleton venue will find a comforting familiarity about the new Lismore menu, designed as ever to produce immensely tasty dishes from sublimely sourced local, seasonal fare.
- Open: Thursday, dinner, 5pm, last orders 8.30pm; Friday/Saturday, lunch and dinner, from 12pm; Sunday, 1pm-6pm (last orders).
- Instagram: @farmgatelismore
