The Burren Slow Food Festival attracted an incredible 1,700 visitors last year and that was despite bad weather, so the organisers have expanded their offering and their space for this year’s festival, which takes place at the Pavilion Theatre in Lisdoonvarna, May 21st-23rd. See slowfoodclare.com for details of the programme and a compelling selection of photographs from last year’s event
Sicilian delight
This delicious savoury tart would make a terrific addition to a summer buffet table, and it’s just one of many really unusual recipes in Spring in Sicily, a wonderful new travelogue with recipes by Manuela Darling-Gansser (£25, Hardie Grant Books). You’ll be tempted to book a seat on the next flight to the island after leafing through this gorgeous book, with stunning photography by Simon Griffiths. But when reality bites, you can still indulge in a bit of escapism by cooking some of the inspiring recipes featured in the book.
Torta rustica alla ricotta
Pastry
500g unbleached plain flour
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 organic egg
125ml medium–dry Marsala
50g freshly grated pecorino
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Filling
500g full-cream ricotta
150g prosciutto, cut into strips
100g freshly grated Parmesan
100g pecorino, grated
2 organic eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the pastry, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the dough is just amalgamated. Roll it into a ball and place it in the refrigerator to rest for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark six. Butter a 23-centimetre ovenproof dish.
Break off just over half of the pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to about five millimetres thick, then lift it into the prepared dish so the pastry comes up the sides.
Mix all the filling ingredients together and season with pepper. The cheeses and prosciutto are fairly salty, so don’t add any salt. Pour the filling into the pastry and smooth the surface.
Roll out the remaining pastry and use it to cover the pie. Press around the rim to seal the edges and prick the pie lid all over with a fork. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to cool down completely before serving. If it is still warm, the ricotta will be too runny to cut into slices.
Tea with your rum
Fruity cocktails made with chilled fruit teas are a genius idea, courtesy of Liptons. The company’s fruit and herbal tea range contains pieces of real fruit, herbs and spices and are widely available, costing €1.55 a box, so they’re cheaper than fruit juices, too. This daiquiri (right) is made by first infusing eight Lipton pink citrus teabags in 200ml of hot water. The chilled tea is then mixed with 100g of sugar, 100ml each of grapefruit and orange juice, 140ml of rum and a dash of lemon juice. Serve over ice with an orange peel garnish. These quantities make four pink citrus daiquiris. Pick up a leaflet containing recipes for other tea-based fruit cocktails at Lipton stockists nationwide. mcdigby@irishtimes.com
