Darina Allen: Recipes for locally-sourced food to mark National Farmers' Market Week 2024
Vegetable Mediterranean Stew
National Farmers’ Market Week runs from the 4th-10th August 2024 so in this column, I joyously celebrate the Farmers’ Markets and the heroic producers who harvest their home grown produce, hail rain or shine, then pack up and set off at the crack of dawn on market day.
They set up their stalls to sell to their local community, tourists and holiday makers who long to get a glimpse of what’s in season in the area, a taste of that place.
It’s 28 years now since Myrtle Allen and I first packed up the rusty old Renault van and headed off for the Coal Quay on Cornmarket Street in Cork to set up what was to be the first Farmers’ Market in Ireland.
Caroline Robinson who still sells her beautiful homegrown chemical-free, seasonal vegetables set up beside us, as did Frank Hederman from Belvelly Smokehouse near Cobh, now trading in the English Market throughout the week as well as Mahon Point Farmers’ Market on Thursday and Midleton on Saturday.
Declan Ryan was also there with his sourdough bread which at that stage was baked in his converted garage. Readers of Weekend will know that Declan and his wife Patsy have recently retired and passed on his hugely successful business to Bretzel Bakery who will continue to use his recipes and uphold the artisan baking tradition.
Clodagh McKenna also started her very successful career on a stall in the Coal Quay and went on to write several best-selling cookbooks and present many successful TV series before marrying Harry Herbert of Highclere in the UK where she continues to grow and teach classes.
Jill Bell sold her delicious homemade cakes. She too went on to establish the much loved Well and Good Health Food Shop in Midleton and on and on…
Klaus and Hannah Balz sold beautiful bunches of fresh flowers from their garden. Over 27 years later, Klaus continues to sell plants and flowers on the Coal Quay each Saturday, how wonderful is that.
All were members of the important Cork Free Choice Consumer Group established by Myrtle Allen and Caroline Robinson in 1989.
I’d first come across the Farmers’ Market concept in San Francisco in 1995 when a friend introduced me to the newly established Farmers’ Market, in a parking lot on the other side of town from the Ferry Plaza building where it’s now held.
At that stage, in this country, setting up a market stall on the side of the street was not cool. Here in Ireland the supermarkets, already well established, were going over to the central distribution system and some were penalising their local shops if they bought more than 2% of their produce locally.
Consequently, small local potato and vegetable growers particularly were unable to sell their products to local shops and local people were no longer able to source their food locally.
Myrtle Allen and I became intensely concerned about the situation. Seeing this new age Farmers’ Market in San Francisco with stalls piled high with beautiful fresh produce, fresh flowers, home baked pastries and cakes, farmstead cheese, organic plump organic chickens was a eureka moment.
Suddenly a lightbulb went on - I realised that if we could re-establish the market system in Ireland, local people could buy local food from local farmers and food producers who would be delighted to get paid a fair price directly so they could continue to work on the land that they love.
Midleton Farmers’ Market in 2000 was probably the next to be established, Mahon Point and Douglas not long afterwards.
Now I read that there are 160 plus Farmers’ Markets scattered around the country.
How fortunate are people who have a good Farmers’ Market close by. Sadly, they are not all as bustling and vibrant as Skibbereen for example. Sometimes folk tell me that the farmers’ markets are too expensive, usually people who never actually shop in them.
In Midleton recently, I bought a bag of beautiful dessert apples from The Little Irish Apple company, seven perfect apples for €2, how about that for value?
Many farmers tell me that they would no longer be on the land if it wasn’t for the Farmers’ Market movement. Remember farmers are fortunate if they get paid a third of the price on the supermarket shelf and are super lucky if they’re paid within a month.
The people who feed us are now ‘price takers’ not ‘price makers’.
We need to wake up…so if you can, go along and support your local Farmers’ Market and bring home a basket full of beautiful fresh produce to nourish yourself and your family. Why not pay the farmer to keep you well, rather than spend your money on pills and supplements — our food can be our medicine!
This is the most bountiful time of the year for fresh produce, try these recipes for ratatouille, roast onions and almond tart with strawberries.
Let’s give thanks for the bounty of nature and don’t forget a hug for the farmer, they’ve had a rotten year with unprecedented weather challenges and more often than not, below cost prices for their produce…another reason to support farmers’ markets.
Roast onions with rosemary
And Vinegar Delicious These Are Grilled Balsamic Skewers A With Steak Rosemary Of Onion With Or Spinkle Halloumi
Servings
8Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
10 minsTotal Time
20 minsCourse
Sideingredients
4 Onions Medium
Oil Olive Virgin Tbsp Extra 4
Vinegar 2 Tbsp Balsamic
Rosemary, 2 Chopped Tbsp
Salt
Black Pepper
Skewers
method
Onions Cut Thick 3 Thread 2cm Skewers Slices The Rounds Thick Or 2 About Onto – Flat Into
Dip Onion Both Brush Black Rings, Chopped Or Freshly A Sides The Salt Oil, Vinegar Season Bowl Pepper Rosemary Mix And And Of In The With Ground
A Little Until Charred Nicely More Serve Top A On And And Cook To Through Dressing Cooked Over Grill The Medium Turn Occasionally Drizzle
Mediterranean Vegetable Stew
Easy Verge's With Results Aubergines Them And Following It’s Stand Over Separately Have Better Adding Pot, End Unless The Method By In Far By Example I The The So Classic Been Super To The Overcook Roger Courgettes At Cooking You This And
Servings
10Time Preparation
1 hours 30 minsTime Cooking
35 minsTotal Time
2 hours 5 minsCourse
Mainingredients
450g Sized Aubergines Medium
Courgettes, 15cm Not More 450g Long Than
Olive Oil
Into Peppers, 5cm Into 2 2 Squares Cut And Red Quarters Cut
Into Into And Squares Green Cut 2 1 Cut Quarters Pepper, 5cm
350g 2 Sliced Large Onions,
Large Of Garlic, 2 Cloves Crushed
Tomatoes Or Very 400g Tin Of 450g 1 Tomatoes Ripe X
Pepper Salt Ground And Freshly
½ Seeds, Tsp Coriander Crushed
Marjoram Basil Or Chopped Tbsp Fresh 1 Annual
method
Dry For Courgettes A Kitchen 1cm Over And Paper A Sprinkle A Until Wire In Lightly Oil Slice Courgettes Salt Tray And Side, Olive Drain Drain, An More Cook Each The Into Little Golden Layer Grill Heat Brown Rounds, A To Leave Put Then Adding And Single Necessary If A Aubergines An Aubergines With Wash Hour Oven A Colander Rack Little With On On In And Olive And Unpeeled Pan, Oil The Toss Into
Or Cover Covering Soften Wide Add Add About And The As Basil 8 Crushed And And Crushed Are The Heat Sliced A Add On With Until A Sugar Just Slice And Onions Casserole, The The Olive Taste The To Sweat And Then Add Cover And Peel Of The Add For Minutes Begin Pan 10 Salt, Minutes Gentle Vegetables Seasoning Tomatoes, In 5 Aubergines Heat Peppers, Simmer 12 And 2 Marjoram The 6 Without Gently, Simmer The Meanwhile, Minutes About Peppers To They Courgettes Tablespoons Oil Coriander Season Pepper Garlic, For Stir With The And Correct Cooked,
Be Or Served Cold Note: Nicoise Hot Ratatouille Can
Almond Tart with Strawberries
Rose Tart Guest They Moist Gorgeous The Chefs When Of Years Gray River Some This Ago Here The And Were Ruth Rodgers Café Demonstrated Late
Servings
12Time Preparation
40 minsTime Cooking
1 hours 25 minsTotal Time
2 hours 5 minsCourse
Starteringredients
The Pastry for
Flour 225g
Sugar 25g Caster
Salt A Pinch Of
Unsalted 110g Butter
Egg 1
The Filling for
285g Soft Butter Unsalted
Caster 225g Sugar
Almonds Whole 285g
Eggs 3
Or Rum 1 Amaretto Dsp
Tbsp 1 (optional) Flour Of
(essential Frangipane) Enhance The Of Of Pinch Flavour Salt The A Generous The
Strawberries And Of Mixture Raspberries A Or Strawberries Fresh 450g
to Garnish
Sprigs Mint Of Fresh Little
Base Tart X ‘pop Tin X 3 1 28cm With 5cm Up’
method
Make Pastry The First
As And Like Fingertips Allowed Cubes, Bowl Your With The Mixture And Salt When May Into Large Looks Is Be The Into The Finished As Breadcrumbs, Stop Butter The In In Cut Toss The Then Flour Everything Flour, Melt, Tough Keep Possible; Sugar Cool If Pastry Coarse Fat Sieve To A The Rub
A Rather Bring To Just More The Way A Is Handle Together, A Your Crust To Stir, Handle To If Accurately To Will And Well Pastry Enough With Can Collect The The More It Out As Give Difficult Drier Into Discard Resulting Ball Fork The Fork And Crisper, Although Crust Then Water Liquid Damp Pastry Few Out, You And Need Hands, Pastry Liquid The Be Shape Easier The Evaporates Roll Egg Shrink Whisk Drops Tough This You May Judge Can In Oven And More Using Of A The Shorter Add Of
The The Fridge This Make Much Minutes And Least 15 To The Round, A Less Easier Leave In Will Pastry And Into Elastic Cover Pastry Rest For At To Roll Flatten
The 180°c/gas Mark To Preheat Oven 4
Minutes For 25 Blind 20 Line Flan Ring And Bake The
Meanwhile Almond Make The Filling
Grind In Water, Food Or Boiling Liquidiser Remove Blanch Processor Almonds And The In Skins A The
To Cream Bake And Salt The By 3, The For Then Soft 60 One, Into Beat With The In And Until Eggs Stir Mark 45 Butter One Flour, Amaretto 160°c/gas Pour The If Freshly Almonds, Reduce The Minutes Ground Fluffy, And Temperature Available The Pastry Case, In Sugar
Pletely The Cool To Rack Allow Onto Wire Remove A From Tin
Icing Sprigs Little In The And If Raspberries And And/or Of Sugar If Whole Raspberries Of If Too The With Surface Strawberries Here Mint Sprinkle Fresh Cover Strawberries Quarters Using Tart Between Use Large Half Cut The Tuck Just Are Or Some Using There Serving, Before The
The Field Café Food Truck operated by Sinéad Doran at the Organic Farm and Gardens has reopened for the Summer from Tuesday – Saturday from 10am – 4pm.
Sinead serves brunch and lunch using seasonal produce from the farm, sweet treats and coffee.
Join us on the farm for an action packed hour helping to collect eggs, feed pigs and calves while learning about the soil, wiggly worms and organic farming.
Have a taste of our Jersey milk straight from the dairy and try delicious fruit and veggies along the way… Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for the month of August at 11am.
Join us for an intensive, hands-on day of how and why saving seed is important.
Led by internationally renowned seed saver Madeline McKeever of Brown Envelope Seeds, the course will be delivered across a number of great locations - the Farm Classroom at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, our main glasshouse and the vegetable, fruit and wildflower fields where a wide variety of vegetables, fruit and herbs are grown organically each season. Madeline will lead a discussion in her inimitable style on seed security and sovereignty before demonstrating the practical instructions for saving seed of cereals, herbs and vegetables. You'll also have a guided tour of the farm and gardens where we'll identify the different crops and plants going to seed. The Aim of the course is to enable participants to save seeds of a wide variety of cereals, vegetables and herbs.