This is Cavan 2015

Aine's Chocolates 

The Taste of Cavan 2015 is over for another year after a mammoth event which saw the Cavan Equestrian Centre probably more packed to the rafters than it ever has been before. The main arena more used to horses and riders competing, had a myriad of food and beverage stands set up in rows and between the rows the crowds milled - tasting, talking, buying and marvelling at the crowds which grew bigger every hour.

Outside the cars queued to get in and an army of volunteers directed them quickly and efficiently to parking.

4pm on the last day

Last year's attendance numbered over 35,000. I think the first day this year came close to surpassing that.

Most of the exhibitors came from Cavan and the surrounding counties. A whole aisle given over to new micro breweries with tables and chairs at the end where you could sit and sample their wares and watch the world go by.

Local Virginia micro brew

Brehon from Carrickmacross

Cockagee from Meath 

Piedmontese beef burger and a Celtic Warrier beer 

The tables and chairs were a stroke of genius as you could buy from the stalls selling food and wash it down with a craft beer or a cider. Others just took the weight off their feet with a coffee or an ice cream.

Really good organic coffee

At various stages during the day there were cookery demonstrations from well-known local and not so local chefs. These took place in a large area with seating at the back of the venue. Sound and lighting were superb and even standing at the back you could see and hear clearly. Shane Smith from Fallon and Byrne made some stunning looking cakes. Gearoid Lynch gave a coeliac friendly demo and Anjula Devi who came from London made some fabulous Indian food. And of course no Cavan food festival would be complete without the man himself, Neven Maguire.

Rachel Allen from Ballymaloe

Neven Maguire

Sampling the food from Anjula Devi's demo

Gearoid Lynch from The Olde Post Inn 

Glorious cakes from Shane Smith's demo

A walk around the food stands where most were giving taste samples and selling their wares. What struck me was so many doing the same thing. Any amount of the ubiquitous cup cake (when will we tire of these?) Some looked great, some were just horrendous. In fact I stood beside one stand which had the worst excess of sugar, artificial flavouring and colouring and listened to all the comments. The vast majority were positive........

Red velvet cakes pretty and simple

There were jams, chutneys and sauces. There were puddings, relishes, handmade chocolates, meats, ice cream, mushrooms, poultry, honey, fudge and marshmallow. I particularly liked Moran's jam packaging. So many great products were badly let down by bad packaging and just as clothes make the man, they certainly help to make a sale.

Wildwood Vinegars have the packaging lark sewn up. I would buy them just for the bottles alone. It helps that they make the most amazing vinegars from wild berries and flowers grown around them in Co. Mayo. We bought some and left them with him for safe keeping. When we returned the stand had been cleaned out. The proof is in the pudding.

Wildwood Vinegars

Lovely packaging from Delish Melish

And I think this final photo sums up what were a brilliant couple of days.

The official photographer and some curious small girls

I have to hand it to Cavan. A great festival of food organised by people who are passionate about what they do and work tirelessly to achieve it. Onwards and upwards.

Courgette and Goat's Cheese Frittata

Served with ratatouille 

I saw a recipe that caught my eye by Rachel Allen in the Sindo mag (Sunday Independent to the uninitated) a couple of Sundays ago. It was for the above. Now I find it really difficult to follow a recipe but I did almost follow this one. I had less courgette than that specified and it said to use 8 eggs but I used 6 because 4 were duck eggs which are quite big.

Anyway I thought it was a nice recipe but it could do with some improvement so I changed it slightly adding less courgette and a lot more goat's cheese. I have made it a few times lately and even brought it with me as a contribution to a lunch where it was very well received.

It's very quick and easy and you can basically use any summer vegetable not just courgette. I added leek and it was delicious.

Recipe
1 large green or yellow courgette grated down to seeds (discard the core)
1 leek finely sliced
1 clove of garlic
Some fresh oregano or flat leaved parsley chopped
6 eggs
a splash of milk or cream
salt and pepper
100g goat's cheese

Fry the courgette and the leek and garlic in some olive oil and butter until softened. Add the oregano. Pour the beaten eggs and cream over. Dot some goat's cheese through the mix and then slice some on top. Cook for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a pre-heated grill until just firm. Keep an eye on it.

Serve with a green salad and some seasonal veg.

With yellow courgette and leek 

Lamb and Redcurrant

Sometimes I think of unusual food combinations and never know if I have subliminally absorbed them or if they are a genuine Eureka moment. Usually it happens when I am trying to think of something different to do. I had bought diced new season's lamb as it was good value.  I was in redcurrant mode as had been picking mine and also had made redcurrant liqueur. I remember a couple of years ago Googling redcurrant recipe ideas and thinking there was a real dearth. Oh there were lots of baking ideas but nothing to really showcase how versatile these little berries are.

So if you can make a redcurrant chutney to serve with lamb and other type sauces why not cook them together? 

Lamb and Redcurrant 

600g diced lamb

2 onions finely diced

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 red and 1 small yellow chilli finely sliced with seeds

1 good sized piece of ginger finely chopped

4 good big teaspoons of cumin seed

good pinch of salt

1 star anise

250 ml chicken or beef stock

packet of spinach

two good handfuls of redcurrants

1 small red pointy pepper

Tomato puree

Brown the lamb pieces. Remove and save.  Add the cumin seeds to the pan. When they have toasted for a minute or so, deglaze pan with some water, add to the meat. Fry the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger until softened and golden. Add the salt. Put the onion mix and the meat into a casserole. Add the star anise, the chicken stock, a squeeze of tomato puree. 

Simmer for an hour or so and add the chopped pepper and redcurrants. Continue to simmer until the lamb is tender. Finally add some sliced spinach and just wilt.

Garnish with redcurrant.


Sometimes my ideas just work. This is one of those times.

And if you fancy a boozy idea why not try this? Redcurrant liqueur.