This is the simplest of all sauces to make, and none has a purer, more irresistibly sweet tomato taste. I have known people to skip the pasta and eat the sauce directly out of the pot with a spoon.
2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and roughly chopped, OR 2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table
How to Make It
Step
Put either the prepared fresh tomatoes or the canned in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for 45 minutes, or until the fat floats free from the tomato. Stir from time to time, mashing any large piece of tomato in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and correct for salt. Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Notes
May be frozen when done. Discard the onion before freezing.
Recommended pasta: This is an unsurpassed sauce for Potato Gnocchi, but it is also delicious with spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni.
Risotto. Creamy rice, a splash of wine, a big dollop of butter, and cheese, glorious cheese. What’s not to love about a dish like that? The infernal stirring, that’s what. It’s such a good, restorative, comforting dish, but really, who has the patience? Sure, it can be meditative, standing and stirring with Buddha-like calm as the wine cooks down, and ladle after ladle of broth plumps the rice. But, truly, can you give a handful of rice 30 minutes of unblinking attention while all manner of homework mayhem ignites in the other room? Here’s one way to eliminate the long stand, stir and stare: enlist your oven. Contrary to the stiff-necked (and armed) belief of cranky purists, you can bake a perfectly fine risotto. While it’s not completely stir-less, this method will cut your stove-top workout down to a couple dozen reps. And while the rice, onions and broth happily bake, you’ll have plenty of time and focus to roast asparagus with one hand, and put out homework fires with the other. And honestly, if you slipped a bit to one of those stiff-necked purists I’d bet you good money they’d never know.
Come and explore over 50 stalls of artisan food produce, craft, art and sustainable homewares at the Royal Hillsborough Farmers Market.
Royal Hillsborough Farmers Market returns this Saturday 28 September. With 50 stalls of the finest local and seasonal farm-to-market produce and artisan food from across Lisburn and Castlereagh for you to discover. Guest traders from across Northern Ireland will join them to present a fantastic array of local food, art and artisan crafts.
Food and drink is at the heart of Royal Hillsborough Farmers Market so you can expect to find regeneratively farmed and outdoor reared heritage meats from local farmers. Plus fruit and vegetables, breads, cakes, Irish cheeses, jams, chutneys and pickles, olives, pesto and tapenades, charcuterie, chocolate, coffee, fresh fish, shellfish and smoked salmon.
Stalls will feature foodie favourites to include Kin and Folk, Round House Bakery, Tori’s Bakery, Tom and Ollie, Crawfords Rock Seaweed Company, Royal Hillsborough’s own independent plant nursery, Potter’s Hill Plants will be in attendance.
You’ll also get to browse through stalls from local designers and artists. Plus pick up unique gifts and treats of organic skincare, and sustainable living products.
If you get hungry from browsing the stalls there will be plenty of gourmet street food and speciality coffee from the local food trucks.
For children there will be some fun craft activities, face painting and balloon modelling.
There will be seating on the lawn of the fort to sit, enjoy the market vibes and listen to the live music from local acoustic musicians.
They’d love to see you!
For updates on who is trading at each market, follow the Visit Lisburn Castlereagh social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X and also on their website.
When: Saturday 28 September
Time: 10am-3pm
Place: In the heart of Royal Hillsborough Village, located along The Dark Walk at Hillsborough Fort.
Payments: Most vendors accept card payments but not all.
Parking:
Hillsborough Forest
Ballynahinch St Pay & Display Car Park
For further information on upcoming food and drink events please visit www.visitlisburncastlereagh.com with frequent updates on Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council on Facebook.com/VisitLisburnCastlereagh, Twitter @VisitLisburn and Instagram @visitlisburncastlereagh.
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.
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.
Foodaware 