Bake some warmth into Autumn

I recently discovered the world’s best cookie. I know that is a bold claim but I believe it! It was one of those rainy early autumn days, when it is not quite cold enough to have the heat on, but, if you were honest with yourself, you would much rather snuggle back up in bed than start on your to do list. I was working away at my computer, planning some changes to the new autumn menu, when I suddenly knew that there was only one things in the world that would make me feel warm and cosy at that exact minute: a batch of velvety chocolate cookies straight from the oven.
We have an amazing Dark Chocolate and Walnut Cake on the menu at the restaurant and I wanted something similarly scrumptious and decadent, but that I could whip up in 10 minutes. A quick search on the internet revealed (what I believe to be) the best cookie recipe ever! The result of this slightly cakey concoction was a cookie that can best be described as heaven. Kind of a cross between an ice cream sandwich-base and the best quality restaurant chocolate cake, Bon Appétit’s Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie is a revelation – even for a dessert aficionado such as myself.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons steel-cut oats
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Note – I used regular oats, as that is what I had on hand. They made the texture of the cookie slightly softer, which I loved, but it is completely up to personal choice.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter large rimmed baking sheet. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Mix in oats with spatula until evenly distributed (dough will be very firm). Add chocolate chips and knead gently to blend.
Using moistened palms, shape 1 generous tablespoon dough into ball. Place on prepared sheet; flatten to 2-inch round. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing rounds about 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until centre is slightly firm and top is cracked, about 14 minutes. Cool on sheet.

And they really are delicious. The world is a warmer place with a cup of tea and warm chewy cookie in hand. So, if you can’t make it to my ‘house’ for the chef’s best Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake, why not try out this cookie version? After all – life is just too short to go a day without dessert.

If you have a cookie recipe that changed your life, send it in and I will try it out for a future blog.

Preserve Yourself!

Whether you're a seasoned preserve-maker or a first-timer, early autumn is a great time to buy up those fruits and veg and make a start at stocking your cupboard.
 There are literally thousands of recipes available for jams, canned vegetables and sweet and savory preserves, so it is a case of deciding what you love and then finding a recipe to match. I wanted to share some of my basic tips on preserving that I have gathered over the years and from various sources – but this is just the tip of the iceberg, so if you are going to get serous about preserving head online or to the bookstore. Grow It Yourself Ireland (www.giyireland.com) or Chili and Chocolate (www.chilliandchocolate.com) are good place to start.

Prepare fruits/veg first: 
For all recipes, prepare the fruits or vegetables before measuring. Wash, remove stems, tops, tails or pits, depending on the fruit or vegetable. 
If you are working with frozen fruits and veg (which you can certainly do) just measure the frozen fruit and thaw before proceeding, including all juices unless otherwise directed.


For some good grounding in the basics check out Cook Eat Share (www.cookeatshare.com)
But here are the directions I follow to get you started:

Fill boiling water canner two-thirds full of hot water. About 30 minutes before filling jars, start to heat.
• Use only new lids and canning jars that are free of nicks and cracks. Just before filling jars, heat lids in small saucepan of hot but not boiling (180°F/82°C) water until sealing compound is softened.
• Wash, rinse and air-dry jars. Ten minutes before filling, place jars, metal funnel and 1/2-cup (125 mL) metal measure in canner rack; heat to hot but not boiling (180°F/82°C).
• Fill hot jars using funnel and measure and leaving recommended headspace. If necessary, wipe rims with damp paper towel.
• Centre lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
• Return jars to canner. Add boiling water to cover by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Cover and return to boil; boil for specified time.
• Turn off heat. Let water stop boiling before removing jars. (Removing jars too early may cause leakage due to change in pressure.) Lift up rack with jars. With canning tongs, transfer jars to flat rack to cool and set, about 24 hours.
• Check that lids curve downward. Refrigerate any that do not and use within three weeks.
• Label and store jars in cool, dry, dark place for up to one year.
Now get started!

Get Your Greens

It is said that Inuit people living in the arctic have over 100 words for snow. The same could be said for the number of words the Irish have for green. Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Living on the Emerald Isle we cannot escape it! And I for one am thankful for all the green surrounding me – especially when it comes in the form of vegetables, in particular, the leafy variety.

The most common vegetable on most dinner menus is of the leafy green variety, so it kind of makes sense to grow your own. That way it possible to have fresh greens on your dining table nearly all year long if you put some thought into your planting.
Leafy vegetables tend to be better suited to cooler weather, therefore, early spring, late summer, and autumn the harvested leaves will be at their tastiest.

Our mild Irish climate makes it possible to grow lettuce throughout the winter, so you can actually plant a new crop of lettuce and spinach in late summer/early autumn and you will have delicious tasting leaves for your winter salads. Just make sure to protect the tender young plants from frost by insulating them with a layer of straw. For a change you could always try growing Kale, Swiss Chard and Endive.

It is your decision whether to buy seeds, or buy the young starter plant from your local nursery. If you are planning to plant when the ground is still warm (like it is right now) then you might as well go the cheaper route, which is buying packets of seed. Make sure you follow the planting directions carefully though to avoid over crowding the plants.
Then – sit back and watch as yet another few shades of green enter your life.
A simple green salad is always a beautiful thing but for a delicious new take on how to cook Endive try these scrumptious tarts!

4 heads endive
brown sugar
orange juice
Butter
Scallop
Puff pastry
Salmon Caviar
chervil

Chop the endive into 1 inch pieces.
Fry the endive in some butter in a frying pan, when it softens a bit add in some sugar to sweeten it up and caramelise.
When it has caramelised place orange juice in the pan and reduce.
Season with salt & pepper and remove from heat and let cool.
Once cool, place the endive in the bottom of oiled muffin tins.
Top with a circle of puff pastry the same size as the muffin hole.
Brush with egg wash and bake in the oven on 200°C until golden.
Sear some scallops in a hot pan with a touch of butter until golden, then flip over for 10 seconds and remove.
Take the endive tarts out of the muffin tray and arrange on the platter, top with a seared scallop then top with salmon caviar and chervil.

Bountiful Basil

I think the smell of fresh basil is one of the best things on earth! Especially when accompanied by a ripe juicy tomato and a crusty, fresh-baked loaf. Owning a restaurant I am fortunate in that we buy fresh basil weekly so I always have access to it for my favourite recipes. But in my home kitchen, I am not so lucky. In theory, you can have fresh basil all year round in your kitchen window, but in case – like me – you cannot seem to keep it alive past a few weeks, there is a great way to preserve it for use all year long.

The best way I’ve found to preserve basil is to put it on ice. For use in soups, sauces and general cooking tastiness you can freeze herbs in ice trays for the winter. Herbs such as Basil (and Parsley too) don’t dry as well as herbs like Sage, Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano – if you want access to these cooking essentials all year long without having to visit your local supermarket you can try freezing them. Try this: Put a large handful of Basil in the food processor or blender and then gently coat with good quality extra virgin olive oil. This will prevent your Basil from drying out when it is frozen. Blend the Basil and oil until the basil is finely chopped and then using a spoon place the basil and oil mixture into an ice tray and put it into the freezer. These herby ice cubes will keep for months in the freezer. So although you may not get the scent of fresh basil – you will at least the freshness of basil every time you cook!

If you can get your hands on a large amount of basil now, you might also want to try making a pesto. One of our vegetarian dishes, Filo Pastry filled with Barley, Black Olives, Red Peppers, Walnuts & Feta Cheese, uses a basil sauce, which is very like a pesto, and is a delicious use for this abundant herb. Here’s the recipe if you fancy giving it a go yourself.

Basil Sauce Recipe:

Onions
Skinned Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Fresh Garlic,
Chilli, Salt, Pepper, Chilli

Sauté some onions then add chopped tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and chilli to your taste. Boil for few minutes then add chopped basil leaves.

Yummy!