Transylvania - the last hidden medieval corner of Europe

Transylvania conjures up images of a mythical land of Dracula and vampire legends. Several people I spoke to thought it only existed in fairy tale. The reality is the largest province of Romania tucked in between the Carpathian and Apuseni mountains with a rich and complex history.

Vlad the Impaler's castle in Sighisoara 

From medieval times until the mid-19^th century much of central Europe was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty. In the 12th century Saxon merchants, farmers, artisans from Northern Germany were encouraged to settle along the foothills of the Carpathian mountains. 

Each strip of land is owned by a different farmer.

This area known as Transylvania, ‘the land beyond the forest’, created a formidable natural barrier to protect the cities from invasion by the Turks and Tartars. 

The Saxons built a network of fortified villages. These villages were designed in the shape of a cross each around church, which was fortified with three stout walls and thick gables for protection, and generally built in an easily defensible position. The belfry tower doubled as a look-out to warn of impending invasions of which there were many. The villagers survived by moving their animals, food and forage inside the triple thick walls of the church.

Over a thousand years later Romanians have endured two World Wars and the brutal regime of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu who took their lands, forests, barns and virtually destroyed their traditional agricultural system. But despite their turbulent history, the landscape has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

 It is the last medieval area in Europe. Its forests are home to over 50% of Europe’s wild animals: brown bears, lynx, wolves, wild boar, deer, foxes and an abundant variety of furred and feathered game. 

The countryside is alive with birdsong; storks make their nests and feed their young on top of telegraph poles in the villages. 

There are corncrakes and cuckoos galore. The lakes are still well-stocked with carp and perch. The rich meadows and grasslands support over 3,500 species of flora and fauna, many unique to the area.

They are breathtakingly beautiful with a biodiversity we can only dream of in this part of the world. Recent research at the University of Cluj in Romania found 600 different plants in 1 square metre of ground. On our recent visit they were also full of wild strawberries with an intensity of flavour that brought me back to my childhood holidays in Tipperary.

Self-sufficiency takes on a whole new meaning in Transylvania. Virtually everyone still has their own vegetable and herb garden, vines, fruit orchard, chickens, ducks, geese, pigs and a cow for milk. 

Shepherds tend flocks of sheep and goats and make several fresh cheeses in their simple shepherd's huts where they live for several months at a time. 

The procession of animals returning to be milked before sunset in Viscari, the town that Prince Charles made famous.

Horse-drawn carts with the characteristic angular Saxon cart are still a regular feature not only in the villages but on main roads trundling alongside Dacias and BMWs. 

Driving through the small Saxon villages one rarely sees a shop, most people are still virtually self-sufficient but things are changing. The tiny shop will now be selling Fanta, Coke, crisps, alongside Saxon sliced bread, local sausages, cured meat and cheese all of which would have been made at home up to very recently. 

A little shop in the village of Meschendorf

In my next post I will be sharing more about the hidden cuisine of Transylvania.

Honey & Co.

We’ve christened Itamar and Sarit from Honey & Co., the Honeys, because they are just that.

We had them here at Ballymaloe Cookery School a couple of  weekends ago (after their extremely popular session at this year's Litfest).

It’s a bountiful time in the farm and in the gardens. Itamar and Sarit were so excited by the quality of the beautiful fresh produce. We had lots of fresh peas, courgettes and their flowers, broad beans and the first tiny cucumbers. A joy to eat and cook with.

They taught two classes and charmed the audience with their easy manner and utterly delicious food. They cooked many of the favourite Middle Eastern dishes from Honey & Co., their tiny restaurant in Warren Street in Fitzrovia. It seats just 24 people and snugly at that but serves about 150 who come for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8.00am-10.30pm.

Sarit Packer has been cooking and baking since she was five, trained at Butlers Wharf and at the Orrery under Chris Galvin, where she learned, amongst other things, to make pâte de fruits, which up to then was her sole ambition in life. In her spare time she sleeps. Itamar Srulovich born and raised in Jerusalem. Cooking since the  age of five and leaving a great mess  in the kitchen ever since, he trained on the job in various places in Tel-Aviv. He prefers eating to cooking, and sleeping to both, he is very happily married to Sarit.

Sarit tells us that “what we’re about is homemade flavours” and it just struck me that so many of the restaurants that people love nowadays in particular in London and New York are about homemade flavours. Theirs of course are Middle Eastern and there are some dishes that they simply can’t take off the menu including falafel and their cherry pistachio cake. The Observer Food magazine awarded Honey & Co. "Best Newcomer of the Year" in 2013.

They have just celebrated their third anniversary so Pam baked them a gorgeous three tier cake embellished with roses, raspberries and spun sugar.

Somehow in the midst of it all they wrote their first cookbook - Honey & Co.: Food From the Middle East which was published by Salt Yard Book Co in 2014 to huge acclaim. Both Sunday Times and Fortnum and Mason awarded Honey & Co. Cookbook of the Year 2015 and just last month they won the UK Food Writers Guild, First Cookbook Award.

Their second cookbook launched just last week - Honey & Co.: The Baking Book.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

It's become a bit of a tradition at the Ballymaloe Cookery School for the students to do a fundraiser during the term to support the East Cork Slow Food Education Project and the Darina Allen India Fund. We've had all kinds of events including a sponsored foraging walk over the cliffs at Ballycotton, and a pub quiz in the Blackbird. In recent times, a Pop Up dinner in the Garden Cafe at the Cookery School has been the most popular choice.

The students on this summer's 12 week course also chose to do a Pop Up dinner. Their theme was A Midsummer Night's Feast and they soon drew up exciting and elaborate plans, dividing the work between them.

For the past few weeks they have been researching, planning and testing with youthful enthusiasm and terrific gusto. They read Shakespeare's classic play, A Midsummer Night's Dream several times over - and Prateek from Mumbai read passages from the play at intervals during the meal in his charmingly dramatic way.

They planned the menu - incorporating as many fresh local foods as they could and seasonal produce from the farm, gardens and greenhouse. The succulent lamb for the main course came from Frank Murphy. They even picked the organic rose petals from the water garden and dried them for the spectacular dessert.

On Saturday and all of Sunday they worked with military precision. The teams were cooking all day having loads of fun. The bread makers, John P, Carolin & Laura started at 5.30 am on Sunday and made four lovely breads.

Which were served with Jersey butter freshly made in our dairy by Sinead.

The design team of Jack, Diana, Clemmy, Alice, Olivia, Molly, Denise, Ashley, Lesley and Grainne chose to transform the dining room in to a midsummer forest scene and went off foraging round the gardens to find all sorts of summer foliage and blossoms.

They hung beech leaves and wild clematis from the rafters and Diana did a paper installation that looked like fluttering birds over the doorway. 

Three long tables were laid with starched white linen table cloths. They had banana leaves down the centre as a runner topped with mossy logs wound round with the creamy white fragrant blossoms of philadelphus - mock orange - which scented the air so beautifully. 

Sarah Simpson & Lisa McClure planned cocktails - a Strawberry and Mint Cocktail and a Passion Fruit and Mango Non-Alcoholic Cocktail. They made a beautiful ice bowl full of roses to hold the ice. 

A little drinks station was set up in the conservatory to welcome the guests who started to arrive just after 6pm. Candles and twinkling night lights were lit and Shawnie played the piano and serenaded the glamorous guests as they arrived. Anna from Sweden, where midsummer night is a traditional celebration, had shown some other students how to make little herb and flower wreaths for the waitress's hair.

The delicious canapes created by Alison, Susie, Grainne, Ashley and Aru set the scene: Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese and Cucumber; Indian Spiced Potato Cakes with Mint and Yoghurt Raita and Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Tamari Dipping Sauce  got an overwhelmingly positive response...

There were gasps of admiration as the guests saw the transformation of the Cafe. Once everyone was seated we welcomed the guests and told them about the East Cork Slow Food project, and then Prateek read the first beautiful passage from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Then the meal began. 

The beautiful summer starter created by Aoife and Florence incorporated beetroot in three ways: Chilled Beetroot Soup, Beetroot Carpaccio and Beetroot Jelly and Sour Cream.

The main course was the culmination of much thought and experimentation by David, Justin, Paul Mahon & Vicky. Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Carrot Puree, Mashed Potato and an Apple and Mint Gel. It was much enjoyed, I've rarely seen so many plates with not a morsel left behind...

The dessert course was created by Poppy & Carly: Feta and Honey Cheesecake, Raspberry Spuma, Chocolate Soil and Meringue Shards... it drew appreciative gasps of admiration from every table.

All the students had been invited to enter a competition for the best midsummer night dream confection - it had to have some kind of flower connection - meringue lollipops, chocolate bark, rose petal cake and cupcakes there was scarcely a rose left in the garden after the event!

Pam and I had the challenge of trying to judge, we just couldn't do it - so we gave a prize to each of the seven entrants.

The whole event was masterminded by Eva Melican who did a terrific job with great tenacity and admirable good humour. Also part of the ace team and supporting cast were Pam, Rod and Tom.

Many thanks to two of our senior tutors, Pam and Tracy, who supported the students for this event. Pam was Maitre d' and Tracy oversaw the kitchen - but they were both anxious to emphasise that the students had lead the planning and cooking themselves.

Some of these students had done a little cooking before they came to the school, a few having worked in professional kitchens. But many had scarcely made toast before they joined us 10 weeks ago - so we were bursting with pride at what they had achieved, a view shared by the guests. They created a truly magical and memorable evening, a huge thank you to all involved.

Camilla Plum

SADLY WE HAVE HAD TO CANCEL THIS EVENT. WE HOPE TO RESCHEDULE IT IN THE AUTUMN.

Our next East Cork Slow Food event takes place next week! Camilla Plum from Fuglebjerggaard Organic Farm, Denmark will give a short demonstration on the theme, Danish Family Cooking.

She was a speaker at our inaugral Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine. We are delighted to be welcoming her back.

Camilla is one of the most beautiful cooks I know. I love her food and it's always a joy for me to cook with her and to be invited to join her table. Whenever she comes to stay with me, she dons an apron, twists a scarf around her head, and disappears off into the garden. She returns with her apron full of fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs and foraged goodies ready to cook a yummy supper. So she's my dream house-guest.

In the last number of years Copenhagen has become centre of the gastronomic world. The Nordic food revolution it spawned has inspired people all over the world. But the food that restaurants like Noma serve - although sublime - is quite different to the wholesome and delicious seasonal Danish home cooking that people are less familiar with.

A little more about Camilla

She published her first cookbook of healthy organic food in 1983. She worked as an organic cook whilst also writing about food for Politiken until 1987. In 1991 she founded the organic food company Den Rene Vare (‘The Real Thing’). The company’s work included the conversion of public institutions to organic food, door-to-door deliveries of organic food, cookbooks for organic kindergartens and organic catering.

In 1992 Camilla opened Denmark’s first organic restaurant, Cap Horn, and was recognised by the Danish Gastronomic Academy for her ‘Achievements in Organic Gastronomy’.

Over the course of her career she has published 17 books and worked on numerous TV series featuring such topics as gardening, slow food and baking.

Date & Time: Wednesday July 8th at 7pm
Venue: Ballymaloe Cookery School
Cost: Slow Food Members €8.00 | Non Slow Food Members €10.00
Bookings: +353 (0)21 464 6785 | email: slowfoodeastcork@gmail.com 

Proceeds go to the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project.  We would love to see you - tell your family and friends.....

Long Table Dinner

The Long Table Dinner in the Glasshouse is the best gig of the year here at Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Since our first dinner in 2012, it's become an annual event, drawing food-lovers, artisan producers and chefs from all around the world. Held in the midst of the runner beans and heirloom tomato vines, 
in our extensive greenhouses, my brother, chef Rory O'Connell and his ace team, dream up an inspired menu for over 100 guests.

Each July one of the glasshouse bays is transformed with white table linen, sparkling wine glasses and pretty flowers. Guests are treated to a feast from the farm and gardens and local area, as they listen to music by 'The Gardeners' and connect with friends and fellow food lovers.

Colm McCan, Head Sommelier at Ballymaloe House, carefully selects a range of organic, biodynamic and natural wines to compliment Rory's menu and the al-fresco setting of the glasshouses. Colm's choices are always from the highest quality producers and never disappoint.

 One of the chief purposes of this annual event is to give recognition and exposure to not only our own gardeners, but also the many Irish artisan food producers, suppliers and chefs who are striving to provide us with the finest quality organic food products. 

Ballymaloe Cookery School has long-established relationships with many of these producers in the Cork area and beyond, and we are delighted to welcome them to the Long Table Dinner each year.



This year's dinner is on Tuesday 28th July 2015. Tickets €120.00. A minimum of 5% of ticket value from the Long Table Dinner in the Glasshouse benefits the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project.

For more information and to book see here.

Celebrating 15 Years of Midleton Farmers Market

The Midleton Farmers Market, established on the June Bank Holiday weekend in 2000, has just celebrated its fifteen year anniversary. The market quickly grew and since then it has become the yardstick by which other Farmers Markets are measured. At a recent count, there were approximately 160 Farmers Markets in operation around Ireland, enabling local people to buy fresh local food in season from those who produce it, going some way towards realising my dream of a Farmers Market in every town in Ireland.

By the late 1990's the new Farmers Market movement was gaining momentum in the US. San Francisco was leading the way with a weekly market operating from a small parking lot in the city. The beautiful fresh produce of the area was available for the first time direct from the producer to the consumer. In essence this was the 'democratisation food'. 

The Ballymaloe Cookery School stall

In Ireland at that time supermarkets had changed to a central distribution system, making it very difficult for small food producers to sell their food in local stores. John Potter Cogan, who initially approached me after the vegetable processing plant Frigoscandia closed in the late 90's , was a vitally important part of the initial impetus here in Midleton. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce who with the Midleton Town Council had the vision to see that a Farmers Market (which by the way was quite a revolutionary initiative at that time and even considered by many to be a retrogressive step) would be a positive initiative for the town. It is now well proven that a successful Farmers Market in a town not only attracts food tourists (of which there are an ever-growing number) but also brings extra business and positive publicity which benefits everyone in the community.

Stall numbers grew and Midleton Market quickly became oversubscribed with many farmers and food producers clamouring to be part of a business model that was clearly an excellent prototype.

Several of the original 12 stallholders who started the market are still trading. Ted Murphy, a stalwart from the very first day was there, as was Frank Hederman artisan fish smoker from Belvelly near Cobh (pictured above). Willie Scannell whose floury Ballycotton potatoes are much loved by his ever-growing band of loyal customers. Fiona Burke’s stall with a beautiful selection of Irish farmhouse cheese and Jane Murphy’s Ardsallagh goat’s cheese are still part of the market. So too are David and Siobhan Barry’s seasonal vegetables with a much larger selection than on the first day. Toby Simmonds of The Olive Stall was also there at the outset and his stall still trades beside the market.

It has been an outlet not only for the many artisan producers of the area but also for the high profile food producers who have had stalls at Midleton Farmers Market including: Clodagh McKenna, Arun Kapil of Green Saffron, Declan Ryan of Arbutus Bread and Frank Hederman of Belvelly Smokehouse. The market has also been featured in many TV shows including the Ear to the Ground, Nationwide, Rick Stein's Ireland and Clodagh's Food Trails which has seen by viewers across the States and Australia as well as the UK and mainland Europe, helping to position Ireland, and indeed Cork, as a major food destination.

The Market Today

There are now 27 stalls (soon to be 33) at the Midleton Farmers Market. The choice of produce is tantalizing: artisan breads; vegetables, herbs and fruit in season; organic produce; local honey and oysters; fresh fish; wild mushrooms and foraged food; home baking, cordials and pickles; gluten free treats: smoked fish and homemade pate; shellfish; heritage pork products; local ducks, chickens and eggs; farmhouse cheese; pies; freshly made salads, chocolate and long queues for freshly made coffee. Market goers can enjoy a pizza straight from Simon Mould’s wood burning oven, a BLT or pulled pork sandwich from Woodside Farm and much much more.

The Farmers Market provides a livelihood for many and an opportunity to buy local food from small production systems. At a time when a growing number of people realise that our food should and can be our medicine, the Market offers an alternative shopping experience for families who wish to engage directly with those who produce the food they buy to nourish their families. 

Olive and Arun Kapil, the Green Saffron Team

On Tuesday June 6th 2000 the heading of an article by Joe Duggan in The Irish Examiner was: "Market Heralds a New Era in Direct Selling of Natural Produce.

I’m proud to have been a little part of that initiative. Congratulations to everyone at Midleton Farmers Market.

Midleton Farmers Market, East Cork, Ireland is open every Saturday from 9.30am-1pm.

http://www.midletonfarmersmarket.com/

Post LitFest High

We’re all still on a high from the Litfest. Apart from all the antics and stimulating talks, forums and panel discussions in the Grain Store and Big Shed, there was also a packed schedule at the Ballymaloe Cookery School with three and sometimes four events running simultaneously. We are overjoyed and beyond honored  to find ourselves on the Conde Nast Traveller list for The Best Festivals Around the World !

 Having invited many more of my food heroes to Ballymaloe, I had exactly had the same frustrations this year as before... I simply couldn’t get to many of the concurrent events but did get fantastic feedback. 

I want to take a moment to share some of my personal highlights. 

Allegra McEvedy has a cult following for her wholesome and gutsy food and her irreverent style further endears her to her fans. She gave a cookery demonstration of some of her best loved dishes.  The response to her delicious food was overwhelmingly delightful.

Arun Kapil told the fascinating story of Green Saffron and his book Fresh Spice in a packed Blue Dining room. A little while later multi award winning, Kevin Thornton spoke to a rapt audience about his travels in Ethiopia – the photographs in his book all styled and taken by Kevin himself showed another hugely creative side of this enormously talented chef.

Still staying with our Irish stars, Hugo Arnold and Leylie Hayes of Avoca gave a riveting three hour cookery demonstration of some of the iconic dishes that has made Avoca such a huge success. 

Later Jack Monroe, who shot to fame a number of years ago when she started a blog ‘A Girl called Jack’ on feeding herself and her son on £10 sterling a week. This was an interactive cookery demonstration where people could bring a child along free of charge.  Jack’s writing style is chatty and entertaining. Her food brilliantly creative and delicious, illustrates how well you can eat on a miniscule budget when one have the cooking skills to transform a few inexpensive ingredients into a yummy meal.

That's just a little taster of what was on this year. We hope you had a ball! 

With massive thanks to all our sponsors for their support...Kerrygold, Neff, Sodexo, Failte Ireland, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, Ballymaloe Country relish, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and Cully and Sully.