encycloFEEDIA.com

Caramelised Garlic and Goat's Cheese Tart

I recently posted a recipe for a fantastic quiche using fresh garlic. This was delicious but unfortunately the season for fresh garlic is pretty short. So, I was on the lookout for a similar recipe that I could make all year round. While perusing the Irish Times a few weeks ago, I came across this tart/quiche in Domini Kemp's column. She presents a recipe adapted from one by Yotam Ottolenghi, which I, in turn, have adapted slightly to suit the flan dishes I had available. The results were great and I look forward to being able to enjoy this tart throughout the year. Ottolenghi's recipe uses less balsamic, which I would do next time too, as it keeps the garlic more golden than dark.

More ...

Pimientos de Padron

Pimientos de Padron are a delicious speciality from Galicia. These thumb-sized chillies are completely without the usual fire. To prepare just fry, with the stalks still attached, in hot olive oil until blistered, use kitchen towel to remove excess oil and sprinkle liberally with flakes of sea salt. They may not make the world's most attractive dish but they are absolutely scrumptious. If you find these in your local greengrocer's, I urge you to give them a try. You won't be disappointed.

Chilled Broccoli Stalk Soup With Concassé

A while ago, I posted a recipe for a delicious soup based on broccoli stalks. With the beautiful run of weather we've been having in Ireland over the last month or so, I decided to do a chilled version. I just love chilled soups but we get too few chances to savour them during our normal summers. The soup turned out to be quite delicious and I'm hoping the weather stays nice so we can enjoy it again.

More ...

New Season Garlic

Early summer gives us a chance to experience one of the kitchen's stalwarts in its fresh form. Fresh or wet garlic can be found readily and allows dishes to made with lots of garlic taste, which at the same time don't overpower everything else. There are many things you can do, but here are a couple that I tried this year. The first is a fantastic quiche and the second is a great marinade for a steak.

More ...

Beef Tagine with Prunes

Tagines are one of Morocco's most famous dishes, and this is maybe the most famous tagine of them all. We tend to think of them in those lovely pots with the conical lids. If you believe the blurb, that's supposed to help the condensation drip back from the sides and not straight back into the pot. However, I've read that the Moroccans cook tagines in more normal pots and transfer to the elaborate pots for serving.

Lovely rich flavours and texture combine to give a memorable meal, particularly suited to the colder months. In Ireland, that means we can eat it all year around! It's a real cinch to make: the very basic preparation is followed by a couple of hours simmering gently on the stove top or in a low oven.

More ...