In Praise of East Cork. Food. People. Place. Worth a Visit!

In Praise of East Cork.

Food. People. Place. Worth a Visit!

Peaceful evening in Youghal

Friendly people, great food, attractions on land and sea, both natural and man-made, make East Cork a gem of a place to visit. From the fantastic 13th century St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal to high class Fota House Gardens and Arboretum, with Barryscourt Castle in between, all three free to enter, there is a treasure chest of places to visit in the area.

The Cafe at Stephen Pearce Pottery

Let me take you on a trip to see part of it. We’ll also enjoy some delicious meals as East Cork is a foodie’s paradise with top notch venues including Sage and Kevin Ahern’s 12 Mile Menu,  Barnabrow (ideal for weddings and a leisurely Sunday lunch), Midleton’s pioneering Farmers Market and the food mecca of Ballymaloe.

Barnabrow

Coming from the city on the main Cork-Waterford road, take the Cobh exit ramp and head for breakfast or lunch, right to Bramley Lodge, or left to The Bakestone Cafe at Ballyseedy.  Now, set up for the day, go over the nearby bridge to Fota Island and its many attractions.

If you have kids, go the Wildlife Park; if not, walk through the renowned Fota Arboretum and maybe add a tour of the Georgian House. If you like it around here, you may also try the high class  Fota Island Hotel and Golf Resort.

Bramley Lodge

Moving on, go over the Belvelly Bridge and you’ll soon come to Frank Hederman’s famous smokehouse. You are now on Great Island where the cathedral town of Cobh is situated. Much to do here including the Sirius Art Gallery, walking tours (including the Titanic Trail and Spike Island), harbourside bars and restaurants and of course the Cobh Heritage Centre which tells of forced deportations and also the tales of the ill fated liners, The Titanic and the Lusitania.

Fota House and gardens

Cruise liners call here regularly during the season, with a carnival atmosphere in the town on the days they are in port. And here boats take you across to newly renovated Spike and also on harbour tours. Maybe you’d just like to walk around the town; I did so recently, taking in the Holy Ground, the Titanic Garden and the Sonia O’Sullivan statue, and you may check it out here. Perhaps you'd prefer just to sit on the decking at The Titanic Bar & Grill and watch the boats go by.

Sonia

Time now to head out of the islands and head east to Midleton and a tour of the Jameson Experience. If you give the right answers here, you’ll end up with a certificate of proficiency in whiskey! No shortage of cafes and restaurants here, including the family friendly Granary now celebrating twenty years in business.

Cobh traffic jam!

There will be detours, of course. One that I like is off the Whitegate road, out of Midleton. Look out for the signs for East Ferry and enjoy a walk by the estuary and maybe reward yourself with a well cooked meal at Murph’s, a restaurant with a lovely view.

Sage

Next stop is Ballymaloe, the home of modern Irish food. You could spend a day here. Maybe an overnight stay to sample the world renowned cooking. Call to the cafe for a mid afternoon or mid morning  coffee. Be sure to take a look at the impressive Cookery School gardens, not forgetting the Shell House. And don’t forget Golden Bean coffee roaster Marc Kingston is also based here.

The Cafe at the Stephen Pearse pottery in Shanagarry also serves Golden Bean and is now gaining quite a reputation. And, of course, there is the pottery itself!

Sculpture exhibition on lawn at Ballymaloe House

In the nearby seaside village of Ballycotton, take a stroll down to the pier and see the fishermen come and go, maybe take a boat trip to the lighthouse on the nearby island. If you feel you need to stretch the legs, then there is a spectacular walk  along the cliff tops. After all that exercise, treat yourself to a gorgeous meal at Pier 26.

Cobh's Titanic Bar & Grill. Al Fresco

If you need to overnight, then the Garryvoe Hotel and its top notch Samphire Restaurant, with great views over the bay, is close at hand.

Ballycotton cliff walk

Youghal is the final town, on the Blackwater and just shy of the border with Waterford. On the way, you could stretch the legs in Killeagh’s Glenbower Woods one of many attractive walks in the East Cork area. In Youghal, take a boat trip on the Blackwater.

After all the activity, you deserve to rest up for the night. Enjoy a meal in the Old Imperial Hotel on Youghal's main street, maybe just a drink in its old Coachhouse bar, maybe both! Aherne’s, of course, is famous for its seafood and they too have rooms.

Samphire at Garryvoe Hotel

And do try and get your hands on the local craft beers, including Ireland's first organic Red Ale, made by the dedicated team in the town’s Munster Brewery; they also do tours.

And before leaving the area, don’t forget to visit Ballynatray House, a Blackwater gem.

Enjoy East Cork, the food, the place and its people!

Ballynatray House, by the Blackwater

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Amuse Bouche

On Friday morning…. the British presence … had decreased.. Only cursory ‘pot shots’ were exchanged. For breakfast, the women ‘fried veal cutlets and gave the men a good feed’. Bob Holland was hopeful of having some meat from the beast he had killed for dinner, but he had to make do with a can of soup and some bread made by Cumann na mBan members.  He was told this was more suitable for a Friday, but Rose McNamara enjoyed ‘a meat dinner, potatoes, etc.’. Colbert and Holland had time to reminisce..before British troops reappeared at Rialto Bridge…

Fish on Friday boy. No meat.

From 16 Lives Con Colbert by John O’Callaghan (2015)

La Calavera in Douglas. Let Pablo Power You Up!

La Calavera in Douglas.

Let Pablo Power You Up!

Marinated meat slow cooks for 12 hours. Nothing artificial here 

La Calavera, the new Mexican restaurant/takeaway in Douglas, is proving very popular, especially with young people and athletics, owner Shuting McLoughlin told me when I called for lunch during the week. “I’ve been working in Asian all my life but Mexican is lighter and healthier and customers come three or four times a week. The athletes, including rugby players, love our Power Bowl with double the meat and brown rice instead of white to increase the protein.”

There is quite a choice here and Shuting’s husband Ray said they intend to add a fish option shortly. At present, you may enjoy a Burrito, or a Naked Burrito (without the Taco), a Fajita, Tacos (3 small Tacos with 3 meats), and that Power Bowl! And the fillings available include Chilli Con Carne, Barbacoa, Carnitas, and Vegetarian. You may see the details of each filling on the photo of the menu board (at end).

Naked Burrito

I had chicken in my Fajita and Shuting explained that the chicken comes daily from Clonakilty. They have so little storage space here that virtually everything comes daily and the suppliers have no problem doing that because there are so many restaurants and food outlets in Douglas. That means more competition as well! 

And it’s not just the chicken. All the meats here are Irish and, on the vegetable side, local produce is used when seasonally available. Read more about their sourcing policy, “better food from better sources” here.

My chicken, marinated in Citrus Adobo (a stock used in Spanish and Latin American cooking to enhance the flavour), was delicious and the peppers and onions that came with it in the Fajita were outstanding as well, a lovely dish, quite substantial too, all for €6.95!

Soft shell corn tacos. You can have
three different meats and they are gluten free 

Halfway through, I did a swop with CL. She had been singing the praises of the Naked Burrito. I soon found why out for myself. Her filling was the Carnitas, free range pork served shredded and she specifically ordered the beans. Quite a different experience to the Fajita but another delicious combination of flavours and textures. And again, just €6.95.

Shuting and Ray had been studying the ethnic restaurants in Dublin where there are so many compared to here. And they thought that Mexican would be a good fit here in Cork and, with experienced chef Pablo at the helm, La Calavera seems to be going down well. The restaurant space is quite small so there will be a big emphasis on the takeaway side.

Fajita. It's big and beautiful!

You have great choices here, just look at all those bowls in the bar. And another important thing, you can ask for your preferred level of spice. Pico de Gallo is mild, Roasted Chili Corn is medium while Salsa Verde is medium to hot.

Back to those health benefits. I usually advise, always will, that you check those out for yourself. But here are a few points. Essential vitamins and minerals can be found in tomatoes, lettuce, and other vegetables that are commonly found in Mexican food. Protein, from the meats (the leaner the better) is important because it improves energy levels and keeps muscles and tissue healthy. Mexican sauces, such as salsa and chile, contain spicy peppers and that may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And those beans can be a good source of fibre. Looks like a good choice and not just for the young!

Choices

And where did they get the name? La Calavera means skull and in this context refers to the sugar (sometimes chocolate) skulls used (often presented to children, sometimes left out for dead relatives) during festivities surrounding the Mexican Day of the Dead also known as the Christian All Souls Day. For more on the practice, see here.

La Calavera

Douglas West, Douglas

Cork

Tel: (021) 489 0011

Website: http://www.lacalavera.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lacalaveracork/

Twitter: @lacalaveracork

Open

Mon-Thu:

12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Fri-Sat:

12:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Sun:

12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Also see the menu at 13043226_275116392820763_9111827439621736939_n.jpg 

Côtes Du Rhone. Two to try!

Côtes Du Rhone

Two to try!

Mont Ventoux dominates the area and it wasn't too pleasant on top when I arrived

A Little History

The roots of  Côtes du Rhone go back to the 17th century though it was not until the middle of the 19th (both banks now planted!) that the plural came to be used. Finally in 1936, the reputation was formally recognised, and the Appellation officially made its debut on 19th November 1937.

The Mistral wind - Ventoux is the windy mountain - is both renowned and feared in Provence and was at its worst in 1956. Wind speeds of 100kph and temperature of minus 15 degrees crucified the area. The olive trees perished in their 1000s but the vines proved more resistant. After that, the farmers bet on the winners!

No less than 22 varieties are allowed in the AOC but often just three - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - are used. Others that may figure are Cinsault, Carignan, Bourboulenc, white Grenache., Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier.

Grenache, which offers fruitiness, warmth and body, is resistant to wind and drought, so most red wines of the southern C-d-R are Grenache based. In the AOC, it must be a minimum of 40% Grenache. Both the excellent wines below are well above that minimum.

Santa Duc Les Vieilles Vignes,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2012, 14%, €15.60 Le Caveau

The average age of these old vines is 40 years. Colour is between medium and dark. It is slightly cloudy but, don't worry, this is natural as the wine is unfiltered. Jammy red fruits feature on the aromas. The smooth and full palate shows big ripe fruit flavours, tannins at play here but with little bite, good balance;  longish finalé and Highly Recommended.

The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The mix will vary from year to year. The fruit comes from the Rhone villages of Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Seguret and Rouaix and the wine is technically a Côtes du Rhone Villages in everything but name. Production is organic.

Chateau de Bastet Terram,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2014, 13%, €15.20 Mary Pawle Wines

No herbicides, no pesticides. This is both organic and biologique and the blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. And note that the recommended serving temperature is 14 degrees, quite appropriate as this is a delicious summertime CdR!

Colour is ruby, the liquid attractively bright in the glass. Jammy red fruits on the nose and then lively red fruit flavours on the palate, a nice light spice too, rounded tannins, fresh acidity but well balanced for sure. Very clean and accessible and Very Highly Recommended.

A Happy Lot in Blarney. Hydro Farm Allotments

A Happy Lot in Blarney. 

Hydro Farm Allotments

Hot Seat

Okay, so you have your own plot. But you are not alone. You have “neighbours” to the left and right, to the rear and in front. You chat, they chat. You help. They help. They have different levels of experience, different experiences. They are from Crosshaven, from Ballincollig, from Russia, from Latvia, from Nigeria and from the Blarney area of course.

I am talking about the Hydro Farm Allotments where you may “come and join the buzz”. They held an open day last Sunday and hundreds turned up to see the place, to have a bite and a cuppa and to chat.

Flourishing

Save the water. The buckets (right) are used
in German wine industry

It was all very well organised and I had quite a few chats myself as I worked my way around the various plots, all much the same size. The growing of vegetables, including the regular spuds and cabbage, seems to be the main occupation. But no shortage of fruit and flowers either.

Some plots are like your own back garden with colorfully painted sheds, tables and chairs out and little patio areas. Here, the gardeners get the chance to talk, to exchange ideas and plants. And all seem very happy with the experience as most of them have been there for eight, nine, ten years.

A Lovely Plot

And, if you want to learn from the experts, you get that opportunity as well via organised courses. This past Spring for example, the gardeners learned how to make Strawberry and Herb Wheelie bins, how to keep bees, all about composting and recycling. Earlier this month, you could have learned how to design and maintain a herb garden and there was also an opportunity to go foraging.

Everything you need to go gardening is right here. The water is deep well water and there is one shared tap per 4/5 plots. There is an abundant supply of well-rotted manure and mulch on site, free to all ‘Plotters’ for their plots. There is a Tool Shed available to keep your garden tools. Some plotters opt to have Sheds/Poly Tunnels/Glasshouses on their plots where they keep them.

All neat and tidy

There is even a Tea Room and Potting shed.  This is off the Courtyard where there is a fridge to keep milk, sandwiches etc. while in the garden. This is a fun place where people can have a chat or a sandwich or even pot a few plants on a rainy day. The farm even have Free Range Eggs (when available) from their poultry in the fridge.

Hydro Farm allotments are part of a private farm between Blarney and Tower, Co Cork. A hidden piece of paradise that even people living in the area may not be aware about.

Visitors on Open Day

 The allotments are located on a secluded raised site, bounded by trees which form a shelter belt. Security is not a problem as the allotments are only reachable by private roadway and Zwena McCullough  the allotment owner lives on the farm

There is a large all weather car park adjacent to the Plots and Toilets on site for your comfort. The Allotments are open from 1st February to 31st December each year and open all day every day during this time.

Zwena McCullough

Hydro Farm Allotments, Tower, Blarney, Co. Cork.

Tel: 087 2333183 Email: hydroallotments@gmail.com

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