Darina Allen’s Sea Spinach Soup @ballymaloecookeryschool
Sea Spinach Soup
Sea spinach is at its sweetest and most delicious at present…. I absolutely love it and really want you to know about it so if you live near a rocky strand, look out for it – the shiny green leaves are unmistakable. It is, in fact, the ancestor to most cultivated varieties of beet, from beetroot to spinach beet. It can be cooked exactly like garden spinach and used in the same way, for example, try serving it in Middle Eastern style with raisins and pine kernels and a touch of cinnamon. Not surprisingly, because sea spinach is washed by the tides, it is full of iodine, minerals and other trace elements and it has an addictive salty tang. Sea spinach is tougher and slightly stronger in flavour than garden spinach, so it takes a little longer to cook.
The trick with these green soups is not to add the greens until the last minute, otherwise they will overcook and the soup will lose its fresh taste and bright green colour.
50g (2oz/1/2 stick) butter
110g (4oz/1 cup) onion, chopped
150g (5oz/1 cup) potatoes, chopped
600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
425-600ml (3/4-1 pint/2 – 2 1/2 cups) creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)
salt and freshly ground pepper
225-350g (8-12oz/3 cups) sea spinach, destalked and chopped
Freshly ground nutmeg
Garnish
2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) whipped cream (optional
Freshly chopped parsley
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the boiling stock and milk, bring back to the boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the sea spinach and boil with the lid off for about 3-5 minutes, until the sea spinach is tender. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour.
Liquidise and taste and add some freshly grated nutmeg. Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and some chopped parsley
Ballymaloe Cookery
@BallymaloeCS
Darina Allen’s Carrot and Mint Soup
Carrot and Mint Soup
Most people will have carrots, onions and potatoes in their pantry – I’m using the first little shoots of fresh mint to flavour my batch of carrot soup today.
This soup may be served either hot or cold, don’t hesitate to put in a good pinch of sugar, it brings up the flavour.
560g(1 1/4lb/3 cups) carrots, preferably organic, chopped
45g(1 1/2oz/scant 1/2 stick) butter
110g(4oz) onion, chopped
150g(5oz) potatoes, chopped
salt,freshly ground pepper and sugar
sprig of spearmint
1.2litres (2 pints/5 cups) homemade light chicken or vegetable stock
62ml(2 1/2fl oz/generous 1/4 cup) creamy milk, (optional)
3 teaspoons freshly chopped spearmint
Garnish
a little lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche
sprigs of spearmint
Melt the butter and when it foams add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add a sprig of mint, cover with a butter paper (to retain the steam) and a tight fitting lid.Leave to sweat gently on a low heat for about 10 minutes approx.Remove the lid, add the boiling stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour into the liquidiser, add 3 teaspoons of freshly chopped mint and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adda little creamy milk if necessary.
Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème frâiche and a sprig of fresh mint.
Variation
Carrot and Lovage Soup
Substitute lovage for mint in the above recipe.
Carrot,Garlic Chive Flowers and Seeds
Add finely chopped garlic chives instead of mint in the master recipe. Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche,garlic chive flowers and seeds. Society garlic flowers are also great.
Amelda’s Perfect Sausage Rolls recipe. @macneanhouse Co.Cavan
Amelda’s Perfect Sausage Rolls recipe. @macneanhouse Co.Cavan
Darina Allen’s Carrot and Mint Soup
Carrot and Mint Soup
Most people will have carrots, onions and potatoes in their pantry – I’m using the first little shoots of fresh mint to flavour my batch of carrot soup today.
This soup may be served either hot or cold, don’t hesitate to put in a good pinch of sugar, it brings up the flavour.
560g(1 1/4lb/3 cups) carrots, preferably organic, chopped
45g(1 1/2oz/scant 1/2 stick) butter
110g(4oz) onion, chopped
150g(5oz) potatoes, chopped
salt,freshly ground pepper and sugar
sprig of spearmint
1.2litres (2 pints/5 cups) homemade light chicken or vegetable stock
62ml(2 1/2fl oz/generous 1/4 cup) creamy milk, (optional)
3 teaspoons freshly chopped spearmint
Garnish
a little lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche
sprigs of spearmint
Melt the butter and when it foams add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add a sprig of mint, cover with a butter paper (to retain the steam) and a tight fitting lid.Leave to sweat gently on a low heat for about 10 minutes approx.Remove the lid, add the boiling stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour into the liquidiser, add 3 teaspoons of freshly chopped mint and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adda little creamy milk if necessary.
Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème frâiche and a sprig of fresh mint.
Variation
Carrot and Lovage Soup
Substitute lovage for mint in the above recipe.
Carrot,Garlic Chive Flowers and Seeds
Add finely chopped garlic chives instead of mint in the master recipe. Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche,garlic chive flowers and seeds. Society garlic flowers are also great.
Church of Ireland, Killegar, Co.Leitrim @Carrigallen
Description
Detached single-cell Church of Ireland church, built in 1817 by John Godley, with three-bay nave, three-stage tower to the west and single-storey vestry. Pitched tiled roof to nave with stone chimneystack, limestone eaves course and cast-iron rainwater goods. Random coursed stone walls with tooled quoins and rendered pediment to east end. Pointed-arched window openings have tooled limestone surrounds and sills and decorative paired and traceried timber sash windows. Pointed-arched door opening to tower with tooled stone surround, timber battened double door and stone threshold. Door to sacristy has a red brick flat-arch. Castellated three-stage tower with pinnacles and string courses to first and second stage. Graveyard with grave markers dating from early-eighteenth century to present. Site enclosed by rendered wall and cast-iron gates flanked by carved stone piers.
Amelda’s Perfect Sausage Rolls recipe. @macneanhouse
Church of Ireland, Killegar, Co.Leitrim @Carrigallen
Description
Detached single-cell Church of Ireland church, built in 1817 by John Godley, with three-bay nave, three-stage tower to the west and single-storey vestry. Pitched tiled roof to nave with stone chimneystack, limestone eaves course and cast-iron rainwater goods. Random coursed stone walls with tooled quoins and rendered pediment to east end. Pointed-arched window openings have tooled limestone surrounds and sills and decorative paired and traceried timber sash windows. Pointed-arched door opening to tower with tooled stone surround, timber battened double door and stone threshold. Door to sacristy has a red brick flat-arch. Castellated three-stage tower with pinnacles and string courses to first and second stage. Graveyard with grave markers dating from early-eighteenth century to present. Site enclosed by rendered wall and cast-iron gates flanked by carved stone piers.
Rainbow Veggie Wrap for the school lunchbox @DelMonteFresh
@DelMonteFresh
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School is in full swing, and we’ve got the perfect lunch for you to take – Rainbow Veggie Wrap
#DelMonteFreshProduce#
#Fresh#Lunch#SchoolLunch
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