Summer Feast: Celebrating the Lighter Side of Eating

Kitchen Garden Ideas & recipes to kick start the season

Hi there!

After the cold winter months, all of a sudden life is busy and bustling again. Next week we are moving into our first home. Sofie, the boys and I could not be more excited. Of course it’s our 5th house move in the past 3 years which only emphasises the importance of this particular one as we set down roots here in Ireland.

We are relishing the wave of sunshine and the start of early summer here in Ireland and with it comes plenty of new inspiration for the season ahead. The arrival of June signifies the beginning of lighter, fresher fare, a culinary awakening that perfectly aligns with the vibrant energy of this season. It's time to shed the hearty stews and braises of winter and celebrate the abundance of produce that graces our tables.

In today’s newsletter I’m discussing the flavors that define the start of June and the glorious cooking possibilities that lie ahead. Now is the time to embrace the simplicity and vibrancy of summer produce. Our kitchen garden which I planted a couple of months ago is thriving with peppery mustard greens, peas, kale and beautiful candy cane striped beetroot.

In June, much of my home cooking aims to celebrate the allure of simplicity. It's about letting the ingredients speak for themselves, with minimal intervention. Think bright, crisp salads that require just a gentle toss of lemon and olive oil. Grilled vegetables kissed by smoke and char, their natural sweetness enhanced by the flames and tossed in a sharp garlicy vinaigrette. Of course this is also my favourite time of year to get the BBQ fired up for meals enjoyed outdoors.

It's a time for unfussy, yet utterly delicious, dishes that allow us to fully immerse ourselves in the present moment. It's about embracing the knowledge that this fleeting season is meant to be savored.

Happy cooking,

Donal x

---

"Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment." - Elizabeth David

---

Cultivating Your Kitchen Garden: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Herbs and Vegetables

Tips to Help You Flourish as a Kitchen Gardener

We recently had help getting our little kitchen garden underway from the guys at QuickCrop.ie and in a short amount of weeks our four vegetables beds have taken off. At the moment there’s kale, beetroot, rainbow chard and radish ready to harvest and the peas and strawberries look like they are about to be next. Here’s a few tips if like me you want to get a little kitchen garden underway this summer.

Getting Started: Essential Tips for Success

1. Location is Key: Choose a sunny spot in your garden or balcony that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Ensure your chosen area has good drainage to prevent waterlogged soil. We have a little sun trap in our new spot but the soil isn’t great so the vegetable boxes need plenty of watering.

2. Start Small: Begin with a few herbs and vegetables that are known for their adaptability and resilience. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and encourage further experimentation. Choose easy wins and things you actually want to eat!

Easy-to-Grow Herbs for the Irish Climate:

• Mint: Plant in a container to contain its vigorous growth. You should see mint thrive in the summer months- ideal for flavouring water, herbal teas and for use in a yoghurt dip for grilled meats.

• Chives: Thrive in a range of soil conditions and add a subtle onion flavor to dishes. I particularly love using the flowers to sprinkle over salads and barbecued meat as a final flourish.

• Thyme: Prefers well-drained soil and adds aromatic depth to various recipes.

• Parsley: Hardy and versatile, it can be used as a garnish or a flavor enhancer.

Easy-to-Grow Vegetables for the Irish Climate:

• Lettuce: Quick to grow and ideal for small spaces. Harvest leaves when young for tender salads. You can sprinkle the seeds directly into the soil to grow and cut the leaves as you need them.

• Radishes: Fast-growing and perfect for adding a crisp, peppery bite to salads.

• Kale: Cold-tolerant and packed with nutrients, making it an excellent addition to Italian ribolita soup or massaged with salt and oil for use in salads.

• Garden Peas: Plant in well-drained soil with a net for the plant to climb. This is one of my favourite things to grow in the summer and the pods rarely make it into the kitchen as I eat them as quickly as they are picked.

Tips for Success:

• Water Consistently: Provide regular, deep watering to keep the soil evenly moist, especially during dry spells. My worst habit is forgetting to water and I’m trying my best to do almost every morning after I’ve made the boys breakfast.

• Mulch: Apply a layer of organic mulch around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. We are dealing with a lot of weeds in our garden and I’m hoping this might help our plants thrive.

• Regular Harvesting: Harvest herbs and vegetables regularly to encourage new growth and prevent them from becoming woody or bitter. It’s quite hard to keep up with harvesting but it’s a good habit to take one or two things back with you to the kitchen after watering each day.

• Pest Control: Monitor your garden for pests and use organic methods like hand-picking or natural deterrents to keep them at bay. I have two dedicated insect pickers who thankfully take their job very seriously.

Kitchen gardening is a journey of learning and experimentation and I can tell you I am no expert but I love the process of watching everything unfold. Embrace the process, relish in the satisfaction of growing your own food, and let the flavors of your harvest inspire your culinary creations.

You're well on your way to cultivating a thriving kitchen garden that will provide you with fresh, flavorful ingredients all summer long. Happy growing!

---

Italian Summer Dreams

Italy, a land that I fell in love with while filming a TV series called Grandma’s Boy almost 10 years ago, still holds my heart and instantly reminds me of summer. The music of Domenico Modugno, Gigiola Cinquetti, and the evocative soundtrack of "La Dolce Vita" transports me to sun-kissed days and balmy evenings. From North to South, it’s the towns of Puglia I have explored the most. When I am channeling my inner Nonna in the kitchen this Spotify playlist becomes the soundtrack to much of my cooking, setting the mood for a summer of bruschetta, vongole and caprese salad. Give it a whirl!

---

A Recipe for June: Strawberry and Elderflower Cake

Although elderflower has a short season, elderflower cordial is a perfect pantry ingredient that bottles summer and allows you to savour the flavour long after the last flower has fallen. Strawberries are a quintessential summer ingredient and this strawberry and elderflower cake is a wonderful dessert to savour the last of the summer.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

225g butter

225g caster sugar

4 large free range eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

225g self raising flour

About 3 tbsp of milk to loosen batter

6 tbsp elderflower cordial

1 jar of good quality strawberry jam

250ml double cream

To Finish:

Dusting of icing sugar

A good handful of fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 the grease and line two 21cm springform tins.

2. In a standalone mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs one by one before adding the vanilla extract.

3. Using a spatula, fold in the flour until you have a smooth mixture. Use a little bit of the milk if you need to loosen the mixture. You want the mixture to be a bit loose.

4. Divide the mixture into the two springform tins, flatten the top with a spatula if needed. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until it's nice and golden.

5. When the bases are cooked, take them out and let cool for a few minutes before you take it out of the tin to cool completely. Pierce the top of each sponge with a stick and pour over half the elderflower cordial on each sponge and let it sit and soak.

6. While the bases are cooling prepare the filling by whipping the double cream and elderflower cordial together.

7. To assemble the cake, spread some strawberry jam on one of the bases before topping with cream, then add the second base and sprinkle with icing sugar and top with some strawberries.