Over twenty years ago my mother was sent a present from the States of punnets of cranberries. Back then cranberries were pretty alien in Ireland, and you couldn't simply go on-line and google "cranberry recipes". My student placement that year was in a food promotion body, who helped us out. The following recipe has stood the test all these years. If you like tart / bitter try this:
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
(Serves 4)
175g (6oz) cranberries
150ml (1/4 pint) water
100g (4oz) butter
100g (4oz) caster sugar
1 egg beaten
100g (4oz) self-raising flour, sifted
grated rind of 1 orange
1 tablespoon juice
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Oven: 180⁰ C / 350⁰ F
1. Put the cranberries into a pan with the water, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for a few minutes until they pop.
2. Grease and line an 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tin. Melt together 25g (1oz) of the butter and 25g (1 oz) of the caster sugar and put into the sandwich tin. Add the strained cranberries.
3. Cream together the remaining 75g (3oz) butter and 75g (3oz) caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg then lightly fold in the flour, orange rind, and juice. Spread the mixture over the top of the cranberries.
4. Place in a preheated oven for 30 mins. The cake is cooked when it springs back after being gently pressed with a finger. Turn out upside down and leave to cool on a wire tray.
5. Place the redcurrant jelly in a small pan over a gentle heat until melted. Brush over the cranberries to glaze.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Gigs galore
Cork usually doesn't have much in the way of theatre or gigs to draw me out - have to find my kicks elsewhere! So, what happens? Three come along in one week:
Dawn Landes - free gig in the Old Oak, 14th Dec. Hard to believe someone of her calibre can't get the numbers for a paying audience.
Fuck Buttons - Crane Lane, 16th Dec. Thanks to red for this band. Doubt I'll make it, hard to sell them to others.
The XX - The Pavilion, 17th Dec. Caught them at Electric Picnic.
Dawn Landes - free gig in the Old Oak, 14th Dec. Hard to believe someone of her calibre can't get the numbers for a paying audience.
Fuck Buttons - Crane Lane, 16th Dec. Thanks to red for this band. Doubt I'll make it, hard to sell them to others.
The XX - The Pavilion, 17th Dec. Caught them at Electric Picnic.
Monday, November 16, 2009
December activities on Grand Parade
Check out this website for all sorts of events on Grand Parade in Dec.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tomato and potato workshop
As part of his European tour Tom Wagner from Tater Mater Seeds in Washington State held a tomato and potato workshop on 17th and 18th October. The event was hosted by Brown Envelope Seeds in Skibbereen.
It helped being a tomato nerd, I can never hear too much about them, but we also learned much about breeding and growing potatoes. Being used to growing them from seed potatoes, I'd never thought about their seeds. In this climate the potatoes rarely form berries, perhaps I'd not noticed before. Madeline, from Brown Envelope Seeds had germinated seeds sent earlier by Tom, so we all left with a seedling. I'll leave it in the kitchen window sill over the winter to grow and develop its little tuber. Here's a great blog post about growing potatoes from seed.
Those attending work primarily in horticulture or landscaping (Irish Seed Savers, Sonairte Ecology Centre, Woodkerne Nurseries), but there were also a few keen amateurs.
On Saturday Tom's presentation gave us a glimpse of his decades-long work selecting and breeding potatoes and tomatoes. His Green Zebra tomato is his best known variety. He's fascinated by the potato variety called Lumper, the failure of which caused the famine. On the Saturday afternoon the group visted the Abbeystrewery graveyard near Skibbereen, and saw the Famine memorial. As a gesture Tom scattered some Lumper seeds on the plots.
On Sunday we had a demonstration from Tom on how to cross pollinate tomatoes. He made it look easy but, as our volunteer from the group found out, it's a delicate operation wielding the tweezers and the pollinating brush. In the afternoon I came away with three packets of tomato seeds and one of potato. Looking forward to sowing the seed in spring and seeing what emerges.
It helped being a tomato nerd, I can never hear too much about them, but we also learned much about breeding and growing potatoes. Being used to growing them from seed potatoes, I'd never thought about their seeds. In this climate the potatoes rarely form berries, perhaps I'd not noticed before. Madeline, from Brown Envelope Seeds had germinated seeds sent earlier by Tom, so we all left with a seedling. I'll leave it in the kitchen window sill over the winter to grow and develop its little tuber. Here's a great blog post about growing potatoes from seed.
Those attending work primarily in horticulture or landscaping (Irish Seed Savers, Sonairte Ecology Centre, Woodkerne Nurseries), but there were also a few keen amateurs.
On Saturday Tom's presentation gave us a glimpse of his decades-long work selecting and breeding potatoes and tomatoes. His Green Zebra tomato is his best known variety. He's fascinated by the potato variety called Lumper, the failure of which caused the famine. On the Saturday afternoon the group visted the Abbeystrewery graveyard near Skibbereen, and saw the Famine memorial. As a gesture Tom scattered some Lumper seeds on the plots.
On Sunday we had a demonstration from Tom on how to cross pollinate tomatoes. He made it look easy but, as our volunteer from the group found out, it's a delicate operation wielding the tweezers and the pollinating brush. In the afternoon I came away with three packets of tomato seeds and one of potato. Looking forward to sowing the seed in spring and seeing what emerges.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
People
This portrait was painted at lunch time yesterday.
In the west of Ireland is a village where one of the residents is a person of miniature stature. When he was born his parents were told he wouldn't live beyond the age of 10, he's now in his 70s, fit as a fiddle and in the Guinness Book Of Records. Everyone knows him and he knows everyone, "howya". Until recently he lived in a miniature house on the side of a mountain, but moved nearer the village for safety. The only outfit he's ever seen in is a cap and a long coat down to his ankles.
The local GAA club fitted up a small gym in the clubhouse, membership is 100 euro a year, or a tenner a month. A local woman joined and went in to use the treadmill. She hopped on without taking time to check who else was there. After a few minutes when she did look, there was our friend on the exercise bike, "howya", in his cap and long coat, cycling furiously. A few minutes later, having recovered from the shock, she looked again but he'd disappeared, eventually she located him, this time doing weights. Fantastic.
In the west of Ireland is a village where one of the residents is a person of miniature stature. When he was born his parents were told he wouldn't live beyond the age of 10, he's now in his 70s, fit as a fiddle and in the Guinness Book Of Records. Everyone knows him and he knows everyone, "howya". Until recently he lived in a miniature house on the side of a mountain, but moved nearer the village for safety. The only outfit he's ever seen in is a cap and a long coat down to his ankles.
The local GAA club fitted up a small gym in the clubhouse, membership is 100 euro a year, or a tenner a month. A local woman joined and went in to use the treadmill. She hopped on without taking time to check who else was there. After a few minutes when she did look, there was our friend on the exercise bike, "howya", in his cap and long coat, cycling furiously. A few minutes later, having recovered from the shock, she looked again but he'd disappeared, eventually she located him, this time doing weights. Fantastic.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Pigs
Bookclub on Saturday was down in Timoleague, we'd a fab day sitting outside in the sun. For me though the highlight was being shown their new composter, the "Big Pig". It's an insulated composting system that achieves very high temps quickly and composts in a matter of weeks. Another huge positive is, because it's sealed, cooked leftovers can be added too.
I understand it's pricey, circa 700 euro. I'm going to check out the "Little Pig" - I want one!
I understand it's pricey, circa 700 euro. I'm going to check out the "Little Pig" - I want one!
Monday, May 18, 2009
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