Dear Edwina,
Gone fishing and nothing to show for...
The reasons if you are a fisherman for not catching anything are numerous. Too much sun, not enough sun; too much wind, not enough wind or blowing from the wrong direction; too hot, too cold; to mention just a few. As it happens, when fishing with mates a couple of weeks ago on Lough Corrib for the Mayfly season , conditions were perfect but not a pull ,not a swirl came to grace my line, zilch, nada. |
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Hands-On Course Information
One pot meals are a timesaver, there's nothing quite like the mouth-watering aromas given off by a simmering pot of food. The term "keep it simple" truly applies to this type of cookery..Read more
Easy Bread Making
Thur 24 June from 19:00 - 21:00
Easy Bread Making rekindles the lost traditional spiced loaves and soda bread our grannies loved to bake. This class is full of family favourites including some very traditional bread like 'Irish Soda Bread', plus ' Goats cheese and Olive Bread' and 'Fig and walnut Bread'. Put a bit of love and aroma back into your kitchen using our easy, fast and rewarding formulas.. Read more
Monday 28 June from 19:00 - 21:00
When thinking about tea parties, do you find yourself dreaming of scenes in Alice in Wonderland and having thoughts of Jane Austen's elegant characters? If so, you're right to think fantasy and indulgence.. Read more |
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Christine's Letter
After flogging the water close to eight hours a day for three consecutive days I felt that perhaps I should take up knitting instead.
To rub salt in the wound, when the boats come ashore for the picnic lunch everybody has a little tale on how they caught or lost a fish, how many they've seen etc... Not being able to participate in this happy banter makes you feel like a kid who tries to look mildly amused but not really interested when hearing about how good a party was, having not been invited.
If you wonder why I put myself through this degree of rejection by the Corrib brown trout year after year, I have to say that the first two years yielded plenty of fish and clearly the memory is long lasting -that was ten years ago- A gentle stroll on Inchagoill Island and the highly evocative remains of a 5C monastery; the spotting of the delicate unfolding wings of the mayfly when they hatch; the unique ability of the boatmen to light up a fire in pouring rain to make and share a cup of tea, restores the belief that humans can cope with anything; the feeling of oneness with nature that you get from being somewhere that was just the same thousands and thousands of years ago, all this keeps me coming back... and sod the trout.
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Fruit and Vegetables
We'll take a look this month at vegetables in season that you might
be less familiar with and give tips on how to prepare and cook them.
White Turnips |
This is a good time to look for baby white turnips, they are fresh and tender and have a sweet and slightly peppery taste; to prepare them wash and trim, leave them whole if small, larger ones should be peeled, they can be raw grated in salads; if cooking them braising is the best method; cube the turnips and sauté in a little butter, when slightly coloured add some chicken stock, season and cook gently for about 30 minutes, when the stock has evaporated they will have a lovely glaze.
Globe Artichokes | Globe artichokes are truly delicious and this is how you prepare them: trim the stems and place the artichoke in a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 30-45 minutes depending on size, they are ready when you can pull an inner leaf and the stem is tender. Stand the artichokes stem side up in a sieve to drain and cool. Serve just warm. To eat, pull of a leaf, starting at the base, dip into melted butter or vinaigrette, scrape the tender portion with your teeth and discard the tougher portion. Repeat until all the leaves are finished (discard the smaller one). When you reach the hearts cut away the choke and eat with a knife and fork.
 To say that strawberries are in season is hardly breaking news, but here is a way to really bring out the flavour: gently heat some balsamic vinegar or orange liqueur, add an equal amount of sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow to cool and pour a little (less is more) over the strawberries mix and leave to macerate for half an hour.
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Fish and shellfish 
This month, Dublin bay prawns, Queen scallops, lobsters , haddock and plaice are outside their spawning season and all are acceptable on the sustainability scale. |
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This Months Recipe
Lamb is in its prime and here is a good recipe for a family dinner:
Oven Baked Lamb Chops, Onion & Rosemary Sauce. Serves 4
1 small onion peeled and sliced
1 large onion finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary leaves very finely chopped
25g butter
25g plain flour
350ml vegetable stock
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Place the chops in a shallow roasting tin and tuck the onion slices around them. Season with salt and pepper and place on the high shelf of the oven to bake for about 45 minutes turning them a couple of times.
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Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and gently sweat the chopped onion for 5 minutes and then add the chopped rosemary. Continue to cook very gently for another 15 minutes without letting the onion colouring too much.
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Next, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until smooth and gradually add the stock using a whisk. Season the sauce and let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, liquidise half of the sauce and then combine it with the rest along with the cream. Check for seasoning.
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Place the chops on a warmed serving dish, baste with a little sauce and serve the rest of the sauce in a warmed jug along with the chops.
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Christine St Lawrence
The Kitchen In The Castle
+353(01)839 6182 | |
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Christine on lough Corrib. |
€25 DEMONSTRATIONS
Wed 23 June 19:00-21:00
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Enter monthly
competition to win cookery class
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Julian's Brown Trout |
Inchagoill Monastery |
Inchagoill Island. |
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