Sunday December 10th @ Nenagh, run in conjunction with Steeples this will be a farm, wood and wetland walk followed by indoor lunch and workshop. Book with folks @ Steeples or through Mary 087 7418536 cost €50 includes lunch and tastings.
2018 dates, here are some dates for 2018, more will be added.
SATURDAYS @ ECOFARM GORT.
March 10th
May 12th
September 22nd
October 13th
SUNDAYS @ CLAREEN
March 11th
May 13th
September 23rd
October 14th
Mary offers workshops to schools, primary, post primary, College and private groups, just call to discus your own specially tailored event. See below for some scheduled dates.
Workshops can be themed around such topics as fun with wild flowers and plants. Biodiversity, Natural health boosters, wine-making. Fungi… So if you are looking for an unusual gift or a fun educational/cooking experience contact Mar
PLEASE NOTE: workshops subject to minimum of 6 people, max 15.
To arrange a workshop for your family or group, home or away, please contact Mary.
This frozen desert is so easy to make. Of course you can adapt and use all the sugar, whipped cream you like. I made it this way for a very special lady’s birthday along with an Elderflower version and rich Chocolate pots (all gluten, dairy and sugar free)
Method,
Put the berries water, juice and zest into a pan and warm till berries soften and the juice runs. Stir in xylitol or Agave syrup and taste. remember you will be adding yogurt so you can make it just a little too sweet. Remove from heat sieve to remove seeds and skins. Allow to cool. Add yogurt and mix well to blend, taste and add a dash of rum if liked, adjust sweetness.
Put the mixture into an ice-cream maker and churn till thick, about 15 mins,put into suitable containers and freeze.
I made a very quick and easy Dairy free Elderflower Ice-cream for our forage @ weekend, here is the recipe
I used “Sojade” organic soya yogurt but you can also try mashed ripe avocado.
It’s best to use an ice cream maker if you have one. It is important to add lime and lemon juice at start to keep good colour and don’t overheat water, if you don’t have time to infuse overnight just leave flowers soaking for an hour at least.
Ingredients;
800mls water,
700grms un-refined sugar (or try Xylitol)
Zest and juice of 2 organic limes and 1 lemon (0r 3 lemons),
40 fresh Elderflower heads,
200g cornflour (or Kuzu)
2, 400g tubs of Organic soya yogurt.
Teaspoon of sea salt.
Put zest, juice, and water into a pan and heat to hot but not boiling. Add flowerheads turn off heat, cover and infuse overnight if possible otherwise for at least an hour.
Strain, you should have a good strong Elderflower scented liquid.
Return liquid to rinsed pan and add sugar, heat stirring to dissolve sugar.
Mix cornflour to a thick paste with a little water, pour into pan stirring all the time, bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes stirring all the time.Turn off heat and taste, remember you will be adding yogurt and that frozen will taste less sweet. However I like to reduce the sweetness by adding a teaspoon of sea-salt at this stage.Cool the liquid, you can speed up the cooling process by putting pan into a bowl of cold water and ice cubes.
In blender blend the yogurt and COLD Elderflower or use a stick blender and large bowl, when well blended, taste adjust flavour to your liking with more sweet, salt or lemon/lime.
Churn in ice-cream maker for about 20 minutes and scoop into container. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker place in freezer and freeze for hour, remove and mix to break up any ice crystals, return to freezer and repeat twice or till frozen.
Delectable with any desert, Try Fraughan syrup for a final florish.
The old fashioned roses are so fragrant just now and I’ve been working on ways to capture their fragrance so it can be enjoyed in depths of winter, very happy with this recipe for Rose Petal Jelly. In this recipe the petals are never boiled and retain their essential glory. Rose petals are also used as a remedy for many things.
Viral infection,
Hormone balance,
Dry skin,
Feeling unloved,
Grief,
Loneliness.
I can’t think of a better food to soothe a battered heart.
Rose Petal Jelly.
5 large handfuls of fragrant rose petals,
juice of 3 lemons,
1.2 litres filtered water (1,200mls)
2 teaspoons rosewater (optional)
1kg jam sugar.
Have small jars clean and warm ready before you start to make. Put all ingredients except the petals into a stainless steel saucepan, bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil for 5 mins or so, test for setting point.
Meanwhile slice the petals into small pieces.
When setting point has been reached turn off heat and stir in petals.Pot while hot into jars distributing the petals evenly between jars. Seal as quickly as possible. The petals will infuse in the hot liquid, giving their heavenly scent and colour to the jelly.
The jelly freezes very well and is best in small jars so it is used quickly after opening.
I am also making a glycerite from petals and will report on progress over the summer.
John Wilson writes about making your own drinks in today’s Irish Times, he has also tried our Beech Liqueur and says “an intruiging perfumed nose with caramel, fresh nuts and a smoky touch…”Thank you John, look forward to introducing you to the Wild Damson in the very near future.
Meanwhile I have discovered that Choco yogi tea and Beech are very happy companions in a mug. A kind of big cosy bed time hug.
Martin Moran says pour it on your cornflakes!I like it on my morning oats, got to go see how chefs are using it.
Another beautiful day. I’m really getting used to the sunshine. This evening I’m cooking for my daughter Eve and her hubby Eoin. This is a healthy, vegetarian meal that will of course feature some wild finds as well as fresh garden produce.
The star of tonight’s dinner is the wonderful morel mushroom, locally foraged yesterday evening. These are so delicious I will be preparing them very simply. I am also whipping up a wild nettle frittata and we are sampling vegetarian puddings from demadfoodcompany. These will be followed by some wheat and dairy free rhubarb crumble.
Let me know if you try out these recipes. Comments and suggestions always welcome. Instagram users please unload photos using the hashtag #wildfoodmary
Wild Nettle and Potato Frittata
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1L Jug loosely packed with fresh nettle tops, cleaned and roughly chopped
8 Eggs (I’m using a mixture of free-range duck and hen)
4 medium Rooster Potatoes, cooked and sliced
2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1 Medium Red Onion, Chopped
Oil or butter for frying
* You can of course make your own additions like peas, peppers, feta or your favourite cheese.
Method (10 Minutes)
Heat your oil or butter in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic. Sauté gently for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the nettle tops, cover the pan and allow to wilt for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and other vegetables if using. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the potatoes. Allow to cook until beginning to set. Now is the time to add your cheese. transfer your pan to a hot oven or finish under the grill to cook the top until starting to brown.
Morels with Truffle Oil
These delicious mushroom must ALWAYS BE COOKED. I am adding some extra flavour with white truffle oil, a gift from Italy. It can be purchased in Italian and other good food shops. This recipe is so simple that the real challenge is in finding the wild morels.
Ingredients
Morel Mushrooms (however many you can manage to find)
Sprig of fresh Thyme
Butter for frying
White Truffle Oil (A few drops for serving)
Method (12 Minutes)
Begin by roughly chopping the morels. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the morel mushrooms and fry for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and thyme. Remove from the heat and serve with a drizzle of truffle oil.
Wild Food Mary’s Rhubarb Crumble
My son-in-law Eoin has a serious soft spot for Rhubarb so I’m delighted to be serving up this dish from the years first cutting. This recipe is wheat and dairy free. I am also using xylitol instead of sugar. You can also use agave or honey. Cooking the base and crumble topping separately ensures a delightful crunch. They can also be stored separately keep well in airtight containers.
Ingrediets
For the Rhubarb Filling
4 Stalks Fresh Rhubarb
100ml water
1 capfull vanilla extract
xylitol to taste
For the Crumble Topping
60g Coconut Oil
200g ground Almonds
100g fine Oatmeal
Handful of mixed dried fruit (optional)
1tsp mixed spice
zest of 1 orange
xylitol to taste
Method (30 minutes)
Preheat your over to 180 degrees. Begin by preparing the crumble topping. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment. In a bowl mix all of your topping ingredients except the coconut oil. Use a teaspoon to scoop in little lumps of coconut oil. Lightly rub in the coconut oil until you have a crumb consistency. Spread the mixture out on the baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven, give it a good stir and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until it is golden brown.
While the topping is cooking you can prepare the rhubarb filling. Chop the rhubarb. Bring the vanilla, water and xylitol to the boil. Add the Rhubarb, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook your rhubarb. It’s nicest when it keeps a bit of its’ shape.
Spoon rhubarb mix into a glass and cover it with the crumble. Enjoy!
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