Nearly found our way
Blood orange salad
The frost came this week with a vigorous beauty, the golden sun and icy wind helping to peel off the layers of dormant winter and give a freshness and brightness to the bitterly cold landscape. The days since New Year have been busy in a beautiful rushy way, similar to the feeling of gathering up coats, scarves and hats in a flurry and fluster when the snow starts. So please forgive me for my lack of routine in writing; I haven’t found the New Year rhythm and haven’t settled into a pace I’m happy with yet but we’re getting there.
I hugely enjoyed reading various ‘In and Out’ lists for the coming year and thought I’d share my own thoughts this week. I loved Beth’s here and John and Sally McKenna’s here for more focused Irish food industry content. It’ll always have a big dollop of subjectivity but here are mine.
IN
Can I have a number one most important in this? If so it’s got to be this one…
Pencilling in looking after yourself; Over the past few years doing things for myself has been crucial part of my happiness, health and positivity. This could be going for a walk, re-reading your favourite book, a long bath, watching a film, it could also be regular appointments with a therapist/reflexologist/kinesiologist*, it could be a holiday, a solo dinner, whatever makes YOU feel good and what you can manage realistically (time, money, commitments, work etc). Pencilling it in is the vital part-to force you to make the plan so there‘s an element of committing to it but also the chance to change it if needs be, being kind to yourself but not beating yourself up if it can’t happen.
Friends for dinner midweek- a JOY to share food with friends at anytime but midweek is such a treat. Kids playing together, adults getting proper chats! Candlelight and red wine too.
Coffee or Hot Choc in a flask; a winter walk essential in my mind, not only for the hug of warmth but the excuse to stop and sit and enjoy your landscape, breathe it in.
Home appreciation; taking time to seek out the cool places near you, we’ve been lucky to find so many beautiful walks nearby, each suited to specific weather and wind direction. I use the Ordnance survey map to locate old laneways, glens or woodland and check for permission if necessary.
Slippers with outside soles, just makes sense
Specific kitchen utensils; in this case potato ricer and julienne peeler
Swimming in the sea year round, chilly but wonderful
Citrus especially blood orange, recipe below or make them syrupy and eat with rice pudding
Seed catalogue & garden plans, summer dreaming
Early spring greens, foraged salad
Feast; Food truck like no other, Melissa serving up the most delicious food, keep an eye for where she pops up next and travel with the sole purpose of eating!
Pastel cakes; Rachel is an artist, treat yourself or someone to a beautiful celebration cake.
OUT, less of these so as not to appear negative!
Diets, nope never ever
Winter sickness, never ending
Bland food offering/ predictable menu/fad food; just a bit boring, we deserve better
Being best obsessed; focus on skill, dedication, integrity and passion instead
The drawer of doom; where everything ends up, a microcosm of life, it’s got everything from screwdrivers to blutak, USB’s to clothes pegs, credit cards to old birthday cards. A mixture of something and everything and where things get lost and dumped.
Admin, no thanks
Politicians, needs no explanation
Now let’s eat…
Blood Orange Salad for 4
4 blood oranges
100g cooked mung beans or any grain/pulse you prefer
one pack of halloumi diced, I used Ballyhubbock (Dairy free? try smoked tofu)
Big handful of Three Cornered leek, a beautiful wild green in abundance right now
small wedge of red cabbage around 50g
40g sunflower seeds
olive oil
Method
First finely shred the cabbage and put in a bowl with 20ml red wine vinegar and 60ml water pinch salt and pinch of sugar, set aside.
Using a paring knife take the peel off the ornages then slices into bitesize chunks, scoop any extra juice into the cabbage.
Toast the sunflower seeds, set aside.
In a food processor blend the three cornered leek with half teaspoon of salt, 30ml olive oil and an ice cube until smooth. Spoon on to plates.
Mix the seeds, oranges, cabbage (drained) and mung beans and check seasoning, then fry your halloumi or tofu and mix through before serving.
Amazing and inspiring “IN” list!
Loved this episode!! Also, thank you, dear Ciara <3 xxx