Compiled by MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBY
Dublin city centre mightn't be the first place you'd think of for a Harvest Festival, but growers active in the city's 30 community gardens will be sharing the bounties of their labours at a festival in Wolfe Tone Park, Jervis Street, Dublin 1, on Saturday, September 29th (11am-5pm). There'll be free organic produce in exchange for pledges for involvement with the gardens. See dublincommunitygrowers.ie
Bringing home the bacon to Co Tipperary
Tipperary farming family TJ, Patrick, John Paul and Ned Crowe, won the best meat award and overall best product at the National Organic Awards this week, organised by Bord Bia. The brothers were successful with their dry cure back rashers. The judges singled out Crowe’s Farm for its smart packaging, as well as for the quality of the product which, they said, “held its cooking shape and was full of flavour but not overly salty”. On the family farm in Dundrum, John Paul rears the pigs, TJ processes the meat using a recipe passed on to him by his father, Ned oversees delivery to customers, and Patrick provides support in all areas. The brothers’ products are available at some Dunnes Stores branches, as well as Ardkeen Stores in Waterford, Nolan’s of Clontaft, and Cavistons in Glasthule. Awards were also given to Keogh’s potatoes; Irish Seafood Producers’ Group sea trout; Kilbeggan jumbo oats; Glenisk vanilla kids’ yoghurt; Burren Smokehouse salmon; Bloom Mountain Irish Cream Liqueur and Wilkies Dark Chocolate, a bean-to-bar product from a new company in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Irish blogger's take on David Chang's Bo Ssam
Doesn’t this look good? It’s Irish food blogger David Kiernan’s take on the Korean dish Bo Ssam, slow roasted pork shoulder served with various condiments including hot chilli, and ginger/spring onion sauces. It’s become the signature dish of Manhattan chef David Chang and is included in his Momofuku Cookbook. You’ll pay $200 for the dish in Chang’s restaurants, but Kiernan says €15 spent on a large shoulder of pork will easily serve eight people, which sounds a lot better value.
"The ultimate compliment is when someone you've fed thousands of times turns around and says it's the best thing you've ever cooked for them," Kiernan says of his Bo Ssam partypiece. Kiernan trained as an actor in the early 1990s, and then worked in telecoms and financial services. He now lives in Crumlin, where he grows vegetables and keeps chickens. You'll find lots of excellent recipes and some really accomplished food photography in his blog, kitchen72.com.
India to Cork
Cork’s English market will open between 5pm and 9pm next Friday, September 21st to give customers an insight into the workings of the market by night, as part of the city’s culture night celebrations. Dublin restaurant Jaipur is collaborating with market stalwart, Farmgate Cafe, to offer an Indian street food menu on the night, and there will be jazz and traditional music.
