Lunch at The Greenhouse Dublin

Words or pictures are not able to describe the talent of Chef Mickael Viljanen, his food needs to be experienced first-hand to truly understand his exiting way of cooking. For a glimpse of my experience please refer to the Food section.

Wild Mushroom Focaccia

Putting all those plenty full Girolles to good use, Wild Mushroom Focaccia with Porcini dust, Thyme, Treacle, Pumpkin Seeds and a drizzle of Donegal Rapeseed oil..............find out more at...http://wildandtastyrecipes.blogspot.ie/

Weather playing havoc with this year’s mushroom season!

The firs Yellow Leg Chanterelle are up already which is quite early for this mushroom, usually found in abundance during autumn and winter. 

Check out the Wild Food section for more details on the current mushroom season.

The colours of Roundstone in Connemara, Co. Galway explored in my Nature section

The season of wild edible mushrooms continues.

Saffron Milk Cap (lactarius deliciosus)

For detailed information please refer to the Wild Food section

Aniar Galway!

Exceptional food prepared by an exceptional chef.

For more information please visit my Food section.

Chapter One!!!!!!

A recent two week stage at Chapter One in Dublin, made me realise how many excellent food ingredients Ireland has to offer, as the menu features prominently the best produce from around the country. The time went by way too fast, but the experience was so much more than I had wished and hoped for.
The following pictures will try to give a glimpse of the outstanding food produced at the restaurant. The skill and determination of the kitchen brigade under the constant guidance of Ross Lewis, delivers way beyond what the photographs are able to tell.



Carpaccio of Tom Durcan’s spiced beef with creamed shallots and horseradish,
West Cork Gouda and shaved baby vegetables



Crab salad with pickled Atlantic seaweed, cucumber and dill



Tomato jelly with salted cherries, tomato cream, coriander and fried onion bread



Cured Clare island organic salmon with smoked pear and mustard puree,
compressed apple and a mandarin vinaigrette



Slow braised lamb shoulder, gratinated stuffed carrot with gremolata,

creamed savoy cabbage, fried sweetbreads



Monkfish cooked in aromatic oil with Japanese spice, brown crab,

roasted white asparagus and pickled white radish



Stuffed loin of rabbit wrapped in pancetta with broad beans á la francaise, rabbit liver parfait

Rarebreed pork plate with parsley creamed barley and roast carrots,
Jack McCarthy’s black pudding and smoked aioli, pickled thistle sauce

Summer berry and vanilla jelly with fresh berries, elderflower granite and maple syrup cream

Warm chocolate mousse with lemon marshmallow and praline, chocolate mint cream and spiced bread biscuit with vanilla ice cream

Toonsbridge buffalo ricotta cheesecake with crushed oat biscuits, lemon curd and strawberries,

Copsey dairy yoghurt and vanilla foam 

Chilled black cherry soup with a hazelnut and orange genoise sponge,

Earl Grey ice cream and dehydrated milk

Lunch at the Green House in Dublin!

An experience not to be missed.

For more details refer to the Food section.

Chanterelle in Irish forests right now.

Wild Strawberries

 

Wild Strawberries can be found in abundance along forest roads in June . Even though small in size, the flavour will  reward the person patient enough to pick them.

A Day in the Burren, Co.Clare

Please refer to the Nature section for more......................

The Best of the West

Calm water near Inishbofin

Low tide on Lettergesh Beach in Connemara

Seagull in search for food

A reflection in Connemara

Summer is finally here.

A Bumblebee enjoys the nectar of a Chive Flower

Summer Salad with Herbs and Edible Flowers

Chanterelles are up. 

Elderflowers everywhere.

With the warm weather over the last couple of days, elder blossoms are in abundance everywhere.

The flowers can be picked throughout June and July. They make a wonderful syrup. When mixed with ice cold sparkling water the syrup turns into delicious and refreshing lemonade. For advice on how to make the Elderflower syrup please refer to the recipe section.

To finish off your lemonade you could use some wild mint.

I found some of this very fragrant mint growing along the roadside on Inishbofin. 

The mint also grows plentiful around Lough Corrib and even on the many little islands throughout the lough. This type of mint is quite unusual as it can be found growing actually out of the water, with the lower part of the plant submerged. 

Wild garlic season advancing fast.

Anybody who likes wild garlic should hurry now as the season draws to a close.
For my favourite wild garlic recipes please check out the recipe section.

The flowers look very nice as a garnish, and if you can find some which have not opened yet, you could pickle them very similar to capers.

Late spring in Connemara.

A little walk through Connemara on a day in late spring not far away from the old railway line, which used to run from Galway to Clifden.

Slow Food Galway - Seashore Forage and Clam Bake

Just last weekend the members of Slow Food Galway had a great day foraging the edible seashore and producing a clambake in a very traditional way.

This is the first post on this blog.

Everybody will be wondering what is it all about. As the name suggests it is about nature and food.