A Year of Flavour: A time to draw inward to the warmth of our home

Purple Cauliflower: Picture: Kate Ryan
OUR food year draws to a close as winter arrives. November begins with Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival that celebrates harvest and welcomes in darker days. Long ago, when Celtic traditions held significance, Samhain marked the beginning – not the end – of a year. Just as all life begins in darkness - babies held in the protective darkness of the womb - so it was believed the year began when light was at its most scarce.


- For Pork Cheeks and Gravy Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add 2 tsp olive oil, celery, onion, garlic, carrot, dried herbs. Sauté for 5 – 10 minutes until everything has softened and begins to caramelise. Spoon into the slow cooker.
- Season pig cheeks with fennel-salt (or sea salt) and ground black pepper. Place into slow cooker.
- Pour over cider and stock, place on the lid, set to low, allow to cook for 12 hours.
- When cooked, remove cheeks from slow cooker. Place all cooking liquid and vegetables into a blender and blitz until completely smooth. Pour into a saucepan, add a final splash of cider, check for seasoning, adjust, heat through before serving.
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Place butter into a bowl and add ground spices. Mix to combine – easiest using your fingers. Pat carrots dry, then paste spiced butter generously over each carrot.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or foil onto a baking tray, lay the buttered carrots on, fold parchment to create a parcel so carrots will steam as they cook. Place in oven and cook until all the way tender.
- When cooked, chop carrots into smaller pieces and place into a blender with the buttery cooking juices and blitz. Add crème fraiche a little at a time, continue to blitz until smooth.
- Check for seasoning, add black pepper and more salt if needed. Spoon into a bowl and present with chicory leaves.

- Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place each beetroot onto a small piece of foil, drizzle a little rapeseed oil and sea salt, and wrap. Place onto a baking sheet, cook for 1.5 – 2 hours – maybe more, depending on size of beetroots.
- When cooked, peel off skin with a spoon, top, tail, slice, and cube into 1cm pieces. Set aside.
- Heat a frying or sauté pan over a medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add onion, black garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and cook until onion is translucent.
- Increase heat to medium, add rice and stir to coat. Add vermouth, allow to cook off. Begin adding stock a little at a time waiting until liquid has been fully absorbed by the rice before adding more. Stir constantly.
- When half the stock has been added, add cooked beetroot. Continue to add stock and cook rice until tender.
- Spoon risotto onto warmed plates. Crumble over Velvet Cloud’s Rockfield Sheep’s Cheese and add some freshly chopped dill.
- Into the slow cooker, add butter, onions, shallots, and garlic. Sprinkle over dried thyme, add cider and stock, cover and place on high for 2 hours, then low for 6 hours.
- Taste for seasoning. I find an extra pinch of salt lifts the flavour of the broth. Add a couple grinds of black pepper. Place lid back on, cook on low for a further 2 hours.
- Make the crouton by toasting bread on one side under a grill until golden. Turn bread, top with cheese, place back under grill until melted and golden.
- Serve up your Irish Onion Soup into a warmed bowl. Top with Templegall Crouton.