Sheridans Food Fair

I'm not long in the door from a trip to Carnaross on the Meath/Cavan border with Mum and Dad.  Sheridans Cheesemongers held a food fair today at their new supply depot and store just by the old Virginia road train station.  They did a fine job!  There was a real buzzy atmosphere with many of Ireland's best food producers selling their wares, and it gave me the opportunity to catch up with some of them.

David Tiernan from Glebe Brethan Farm is as always welcoming and does the north-east proud with consistency of flavour and texture from his gruyere style cows milk cheese.  Fingal and his mum Giana Ferguson from Gubbeen Farm never seem to forget a face and their generosity of advice and interest in food is heartening.  Fingal's fresh chorizo sausage is a very useful ingredient and is a staple in my fridge to fry up and flavour pastas, sauces and casseroles. (Claire loves to push the point that many of my favourite producers are from West Cork.  Not 'Cork'..... West Cork!)  


There were so many wonderful stands to visit but Mum and I were very happy to find Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese as we had both gone mad for their goats cheese pesto when we tasted it at the Crafts Fair in the RDS at Christmas.  It is not easy to come by and I have nearly finished my jar already....on Mum's brown bread of course.  I hadn't seen this goat log by Knockdrinna before. It's worth a try and I think I can make good use of it either crumbled on a salad or grilled onto a little toasted ciabatta bread. 

McDonnells of Belmullet for a Pint

We gathered last weekend for a few late pints in McDonnells in Belmullet.  They provided an oddly good digestive for the insanely large barbeque we laid on for ourselves earlier in the evening.  McDonnells is great little pub, which manages to balance the very traditional style and its regulars with the passing trade of young-wans en route to the club up the road.  We fit somewhere between the two, I like to think!

Anything to distract from the cleaning!

In an effort to distract from the pain of cleaning the house the week before last, I decided to attempt a pavlova for Claire and a couple of her workmates, who were coming over for dinner the following day.  It is not like I have ever made one, and I didn't exactly do a lot of research into the process... I kind of assumed that since I have eaten many of my aunt Mary's pavlovas I would naturally know what to do.  Turns out I was not far off.... although I have since had my methods refined by Tom's Will, and plan further consultation with Mary.

My very basic recipe: beat three egg whites until very firm and peaky with about 150 grams of icing sugar and bake it at 100 degree centigrade for 45 minutes on some greaseproof parchment.  Cornmeal and dash of white wine vinegar I am now told are useful additions to keep the pavlova soft and guey rather than crisp and meringuey.

There are a couple of notes.  Firstly sorry Jenny and Mark that I did not bring you any down but I wasn't sure how much the guys would demolish.  It turns out...most of it!

Secondly, I lathered mine in cream.  That is probably why it tasted so good.