Weekend food with Darina Allen
It highlighted the stark reality of the modern Irish diet and what many of our children are eating.
School lunches are an eternal dilemma for busy mothers. What can we put in the lunch box that will both entice and nourish our little dotes?
Often those two aspirations seem poles apart. Children desperately want to fit in and anything that sets them apart can cause anxiety and embarrassment.
The ham or cheese sandwich seems to be a perennial standby, so instead of processed meat, why not cook a piece of bacon at the beginning of the week, slice it thinly — it makes superb ham sandwiches. If your child insists on white bread, then make a little loaf; the same recipe can be adapted for a light brown bread that many children love.
It’s honestly made in minutes and can be sliced thinly to make cute little sandwiches, include a few little cherry tomatoes and batons of carrot or beetroot for them to nibble. In general the quality of sliced pan is appalling with a few rare exceptions. If you must use it seek out a traditional baker in your area, they may still be making traditional bread. If you are fortunate enough to find a good artisan baker, support them, they are treasures.
A little container of tasty salad with grated carrot, apple and some nuts and seeds is easy to eat, delicious and certainly nutritious for dessert, a little pot of natural yoghurt with some honey or stewed fruit would be good — steer away from the sweetened versions.
A little flask of soup will be warm and welcoming in winter months.
Children also love drumsticks or chicken wings — easy to eat and filling.
Beans or chickpeas are another inexpensive source of protein.
Tossed in a tasty dressing — they can become a favourite.
My grandchildren also love a little pot of potato salad with chives and pitta bread stuffed with hummus.
2 lbs (900g) freshly cooked potatoes — diced, allow about 2 1/4 lbs (1.1kg) raw potatoes
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 tablespoons chopped spring onion or chives
4 fl ozs (110ml) French dressing
4 fl oz (110 ml) mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
The potatoes should be boiled in their jackets and peeled, diced and measured while still hot.
Mix immediately with the chopped spring onion and parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Stir in the French dressing, allow to cool and finally add the mayonnaise. Keeps well for about 2 days in the fridge.
Note: This potato salad is also delicious without mayonnaise.
Potato salad may be used as a base for other salads, eg. add cubes of garlic salami, cooked Kabanossi sausages or cooked mussels.
This delicious salad can be made in minutes from ingredients you would probably have easily to hand, but shouldn’t be prepared more than half an hour ahead as the apple will discolour. Serve as a starter or accompanying salad for ham or pork.
8 ozs (225g) grated carrot
10 ozs (285g) grated dessert apple, e.g. Cox’s Orange Pippin if available
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 good teaspoons pure Irish honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
a few leaves of lettuce
sprigs of watercress or parsley
chive flowers if you have them
Dissolve the honey in the wine vinegar. Mix the coarsely grated carrot and apple together and toss in the sweet and sour dressing. Taste and add a bit more honey or vinegar as required, depending on the sweetness of the apples.
Take 6 large side plates, white are best for this.
Arrange a few small lettuce leaves on each plate and divide the salad between the plates.
Garnish with sprigs of watercress or flat parsley and sprinkle with chive flowers if you have some.
Season to taste.
1 x quantity Shortcrust Pastry (see recipe)
1 tablespoon olive oil
175g 6oz) streaky bacon cut into 1cm (1/2in) lardons
100g (4oz) chopped onions
3 eggs and 2 egg yolks
300ml (1/2 pint) double cream
1 scant tablespoon chopped parsley
1 scant tablespoon chopped chives
50g (2oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
50g (2oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
23cm (9 inch) diameter baking tin
Make the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Line the tart tin and ‘bake blind’ for about 25 minutes — the base should be almost fully cooked.
Remove the paper and beans, brush the base with a little beaten egg-white and replace in the oven for 3-4 minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and dry on kitchen paper.
Sweat onions gently in the same oil for 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, add the cream, herbs, cheeses and cool bacon and onions.
Mix well and add seasoning. Pour the filling into the pastry base and heat for 30–40 minutes or the centre has set.
Serve warm with a green salad and relish.
6ozs (175g) white flour, spelt or sieved wholemeal flour
3ozs (75 g) butter
pinch of salt
beaten egg or water (to bind)
Sieve the flour with the salt, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt, the finished pastry may be tough.
When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop. Whisk the egg or egg yolk and add some water.
Take a fork or knife and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid.
Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven.
The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crispier, shorter crust.
Cover the pastry with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes. This will make the pastry easier to roll.
NB 4 ozs (110 g) pastry will line one 6-7 inch (15-18cm) flan tin.
Note: 3ozs (75g) will produce a richer pastry, but beginners would be wiser to use 2ozs (50g) butter to 4oz (110g) flour for ease of handling.
Makes 12 muffins or up to 36 mini muffins
10oz (275g) plain flour
1 level tablespoon baking powder
3oz (75g) caster sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 medium eggs
8floz (225ml) milk
4oz (110g) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6
Place paper muffin cases in muffin tin. Hand whisk together sugar, eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
Sieve flour, salt and baking powder. Fold into beaten mixture. It should look like lumpy batter. Add filling of your choice.
Divide mixture between 12 cases or put just over 1 teaspoon per mini muffin case.
Fill almost to the top. Bake at the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Note: Reduce baking time to 15-20 minutes for mini muffins
You can make it in the round traditional way or like this in a loaf tin which is more convenient for slicing or sandwiches
1 lb (450g) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon breadsoda
sour milk or buttermilk to mix — 15 fl ozs (425 ml) approx
oatmeal, sesame seeds or kibbled wheat (optional)
First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8.
Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not too wet.
When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured worked surface. Scoop it into the oiled tin, sprinkle with oatmeal and sesame or kibbled wheat seeds if you enjoy them. Place in the hot oven immediately turning down the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/regulo 6 for 45 minutes. Remove from the tin and return the bread to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until fully cooked.
If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow.
Make the dough as above but flatten the dough into a round 1 inch (2.5cm) deep approx. Cut into scones. Cook for 20 minutes approx. in a hot oven (see above).
Limerick Slow Food Celebration is on Sunday, August 21 from 12.00pm to 5pm at Curraghchase Farm Kilcornan, Co Limerick.
Learn a few forgotten skills — bee keeping talk and demo, pig and poultry keeping (free range), an informal walk and talk, Shorthorn Cattle Society, talk and roast beef tasting, forest mushroom growing display, bread making demo of simple soda bread, organic vegetable growing from the poly tunnel. Admission €5.
Raw Milk Sales Threatened — Those who feel strongly about the importance of having freedom of choice to buy unpasteurised milk from a clean and healthy herd may want to sign the petition on the Slow Food Ireland website, see www.slowfoodireland.com
Waterford Harvest Festival is on from Saturday September 2 to Sunday September 11.
Three main Slow Food events are Artisan Food Tours to artisan producers — booking essential.
Tutors from the school of Artisan Foods in the UK will give demonstrations on cheese production and other artisan food skills.
Slow Food France will be providing demonstrations and tastings of Catalonian food in the Theatre Royal during the festival.
Visit the All Ireland Slow Food Market with over 150 food stalls along the One Mile Quay on Sunday, September. See www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie
