To say that I am thrilled about making the front cover of this week's Irish Country Living would certainly be an under-statement. For those outside of Ireland this is the paper within the Irish Farmer's Journal}. Growing up on a farm in rural Ireland the Irish Farmer's Journal was always an essential part of the weekly reading and an ever important referencing tool.  As I grew older the weekly Irish Country Living became a great topic for conversions as my Mother and Father would always find something of interest to share with me, be it about food, education or real-life stories of other country folk. Not a week passed but their Irish Country Living {ICL} was put to one side and saved for me to read.

Over the past few years I have had a few mentions in the Journal. In 2010 I won a recipe competition and got the opportunity to cook with Neven Maguire at The Ploughing Championships. The following year I was a runner-up in their monthly calender photography competition. Any of these mentions were met with huge pride from my father. Then just a few weeks before Christmas last year I was contacted by Aisling Hussey, a journalist with the journal, who was on the search of Christmas memories, which would feature in the Irish Country Living's Christmas edition. Obviously through the blog and my own columns I have featured in a range of magazines and papers for the past few years, but the news that I was interviewed for ICL was met with great excitement by my father. Sadly it was not published until a fortnight after my Dad passing away but I was so happy that he knew all about it. With all these factors to mind you may understand how significant this week's feature is to me. When someone important has passed away that feeling that you want them be happy or proud by your actions or achievements still remains. As I popped into my local shop last Thursday morning and was met by my face on the front cover of the Irish Country Living I truly felt proud. I'm heart-broken that my parents aren't here to see it, but I know in my heart that many copies of the journal would have been bought this week and distributed by them with happiness and pride.

I'm so honoured to be featured in Irish Country Living and even more delirious about being on the front cover. I have to thank the team at ICL, especially Carol Dunne for taking such splendid photos and the very lovely Maria Moynihan for interviewing me and then writing such a beautiful heart-felt feature.
I'm off now to enjoy another sunny Saturday out and about with the children. Have a great weekend!

To have a read of this feature it's now on the Irish Farmers Journal site. Click here to read. 

     

Sometimes the inspiration behind my recipes can come from the most unusual places. Many times when I am writing a recipe I’m recalling a childhood memory or possibly a dish I have tasted while holidaying abroad. The inspiration for this very beautiful cake creation, pictured above and below, came to me while weeding my herb garden last week, which tends to be a place I go to for tranquillity during the hustle and bustle of my busy days. The summer after we built our home my father planted us the most impressive vegetable, fruit and herb garden. He spent most summer afternoons caring for the vegetables and fruit and always provided me with an abundance of delicious organic produce. Each year the vegetables would need to be re-sown however now six years later the fruit bushes and my lovely herb garden is still growing strong. It is said that some herbs, and especially rosemary, should be planted in memory of a loved one. My garden will forever more be full of happy memories and so very special to me, as it was my dear late father who first turned that soil. For the first time this year, I have bought the seeds and together with Diarmuid and the children we are keeping “Grandad’s Garden” alive.

Even after the hard, cold winters many of the perennial herbs burst into bloom each spring. One such herb is my lemon thyme; similar to the thyme we have come accustomed to in many a savoury dish. The beauty of the lemon thyme is its versatility; both savoury and sweet dishes can benefit from this sweetly scented herb. While weeding between my lemon thyme I noticed one of my little ducks, almost hidden beneath a clump of raspberry canes. She was staring in my direction yet motionless. I thought perhaps she was sick so I bent down to take a closer look, upon which I was met with a gentle yet determined hiss. It turned out that under her were half a dozen eggs and she was very closely guarding them. My hens are often clocking yet this is a rarity for my little ducks.

 As I returned to my weeding the lemon scent that filled the air led my thoughts to cake, well to be fair my thoughts are never too far from cake. My ducks provide me with beautiful fresh eggs which make the most magnificent sponges. Then I thought how wonderful it would be to pair this delicious lemon thyme with one of my sponges. I wasn’t going to disturb my feathered friend for my collection of duck eggs, so hen eggs it would be for this baking plan. Weeding ceased and armed with a large bunch of lemon thyme I was kitchen-bound, hands washed and my cake creation was put into action. This cake recipe is based on my Duck Egg Sponge recipe from my book Apron Strings; however, this one has some additional garden inspiration. I guarantee you that this cake is scrumptious and perfect for enjoying on a sunny summer's day.

Summer Sponge filled with Lemon Curd and topped with Mango, Blueberry & Lemon Thyme

Ingredients

5 fresh free-range hen/duck eggs, approx. 350g, in shells

175g Caster sugar

175g Plain Flour, sieved

250mls cream, whipped

25g icing sugar, sieved

1tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp Lemon Curd

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced

150g blueberries

5/6 sprigs of lemon thyme

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas mark 6. Butter and flour two 8” sandwich tins then carefully line the base with two circles of parchment paper.

2. Whisk the eggs and sugar together for about 7-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.

3. Carefully fold in the sieved flour.

4. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

5. Turn the cakes out carefully onto a wire rack and leave to completely cool.

6. In a bowl combine the whipped cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

7. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with a layer of lemon curd. Then top with half of the sweet vanilla cream and an even layer of the sliced mango and a few blueberries.

8. Place the second cake on top. Top with the remaining sweet vanilla cream, sliced mangos, and blueberries. Strip the leaves, and if there are any, the flowers too from the lemon thyme and generously sprinkle over the fruit. Leave a few sprigs intact, to decorate. Serve straight-away otherwise the cake with comfortably sit in the fridge for a few hours. 

Since the release of Apron Strings I've been rather busy, with demonstrations, book signings, interviews and lots of writing. I'm really amazed and very grateful for the good wishes and wonderful reviews which I have been receiving. We are keeping a list of the interviews and reviews on the Apron Strings website, with a link to any review that is available on the web; do have a little read. 

I have quite a bit of book related business to keep me occupied during the summer months, so instead of a week long break we are planning more of a "staycation". The children are so excited about this and have spent the past week jotting down where they would most like to visit. One of those such lists is pictured below and believe me it is getting longer every day. With our base as Westmeath, there are many day trip options available to us. I'd love a few more recommendation, especially from a parent's perspective, as to where really does provide a fun-filled family day out. Where have you been that you would whole heartily recommend? I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

Today I would like to share with you a recipe for a quick and tasty curry, that serves well in any season. It was featured as part of my column for Easy Parenting's March/April edition.

Thai Red Prawn Curry

Every now and then I really crave a nice curry. One that is tasty, not too spicy but bursting with flavour. Preferably I like to skip the step of me having to make this delicious curry and be simply handed it, however this normally isn't the case. All I can do, when such a craving arises, is to whip up a curry which isn't too cumbersome to make but still possess a good depth of flavour. This Thai red prawn curry would be my quick fix to any curry craving, but of course if it's to be made in minutes some cheating has to occur. For any authentic Thai curry the Thai curry paste would normally be home-made and consist of many distinctively flavoursome ingredients. To bring this curry from the stove to the table just a little bit quicker I'm using a shop-bought red Thai curry paste. There are many good quality ones available to buy but feel free to make your own paste and use it in this recipe, if you prefer. I'm a huge fan of prawns and I will always have a bag stashed in the freezer, which makes for a rather convenient dinner option any day. However not everyone in the family is so keen on prawns. For the younger children I often substitute the prawns with diced chicken or else fish, such as hake, but I always allow a little extra time to ensure that they are fully cooked through before serving. When served with a portion of fluffy rice, a few poppadoms and a spoonful of mango chutney this curry sure can hit the spot. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

Salt & freshly ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2tbsp red Thai curry paste

1 tin tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tin coconut milk

400g raw frozen prawns

175g baby sweetcorn

Handful of fresh coriander leaves 

To Serve

boiled rice

poppadoms

mango chutney

Method

1.    In a large saucepan heat the oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and sauté gently for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir through, cooking for a minute.

2.    Stir in the curry paste, followed by the tomatoes, tomato purée and the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat and let the sauce thicken for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

3.    Add the raw prawns and sweetcorn. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through. 

4.    Stir through the fresh coriander and serve straight away with rice and poppadoms and some mango chutney. 

It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Moate. I'm just in the door from the children's sports day and I remembered that I hadn't picked the winners of this week's giveaway. Jack quickly printed all the entries, Tiarnán picked the winners, and I'm happy to announce that Dermie O'Sullivan, Helen O' Shea and Siobhan have each won a copy of Apron Strings. Please drop me a line on NessasFamilyKitchen at gmail.com with your addresses. Thank you to all who took the time to leave a comment. 

Enjoy the fine weather. I know that my vegetable garden is calling me!

I've had a rather busy couple of weeks. I had a few cookery demonstrations, some book signings, a couple of talks and generally lots of Apron Strings-related business to keep me on my toes. Tomorrow I'm heading to Dublin for Bloom, in the park. The boys and I are looking forward to getting a few gardening tips while nibbling on some goodies from the always impressive food village.

Today I'd like to share with you a recipe from the book, that would make for a decadent yet simple dessert. It's one that both young and old enjoy in my house. If you are planning on partaking in a little entertaining over the bank holiday weekend, or maybe you would just like to treat yourself to something nice. Well then, this dessert is for you.

Ingredients

225g raspberries, fresh or frozen

100g caster sugar

150ml whipped cream

75ml Greek yogurt

4 meringue nests

150g raspberries, chopped, plus a few for decorating

Mint leaves, optional

Method

1. Place the raspberries out flat on a large dish. Evenly sprinkle over the caster sugar. Leave for an hour, or until the sugar has been well absorbed by the raspberries.

2. Place the raspberry and sugar mixture into a liquidiser or blender and purée until smooth. Pass the puréed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.

3. In a bowl, combine the cream with the Greek yogurt and gently fold in the raspberry purée.

4. Crumble the meringues into the raspberry cream and add the chopped raspberries. Gently fold all the ingredients together.

5. Spoon into 4 individual glasses, and either serve straight away or refrigerate for a

couple of hours. Before serving, decorate with some raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Apron Strings is filtering into shops and should be available nationwide within the next few days. Already I've received some really lovely feedback and to my absolute delight Mr. John McKenna gave Apron Strings the most beautiful review imaginable. Have a little read of it here - {http://www.guides.ie/megabites/book-review-apron-stings-john-mckenna}

To celebrate the release of the book my eleven year old son, Jack, has made a very nice new site, to give an idea of what the book is all about. While my husband shot and edited a short promotional video. Check it out here - ApronStrings.ie

Book Giveaway
Since we are in the mood for celebrating, I'd like to offer three readers of the blog the opportunity to win a copy each of Apron Strings. All you have to do, to be in with a chance of winning, is leave a comment in the box below. All names will be put in the hat and the winner will be picked at random on Tuesday the 4th of June 2013.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: you must be a resident of Ireland (north or south); you must be over 18; no cash alternative is possible, the competition will close at 6pm on Tuesday 4th June. All entered names will be put in the hat and the winners will be picked at random and will be contacted via email {please ensure that I'll be able to contact you}. I will post the winners' names in the next blog post.

Best of luck and have a great weekend!

I could barely contain my excitement as the postman handed me a parcel with a “New Island” sticker on the front. Within was my book, which for many months I had greatly anticipated holding in my hands.  I know many of the recipes by heart, I had spent long hours carefully taking and picking photographs to include, and the content is all so familiar to me, yet on unwrapping the brown paper before me was something so new.  A shiver went down my spine as I flicked through the pages, inhaling that distinctive new book smell, seeing for the first time all my recipes, writing and photos together in book form.  It has finally happened; my book, “Apron Strings” is published. The feeling of accomplishment and excitement is unbelievable. On Thursday evening last we celebrated the book’s launch in Dún Na Sí, Moate.  A wonderful evening with family and friends was enjoyed. I’d truly like to thank anyone who called by and helped to make the evening so special. If you do buy the book I hope you enjoy reading and cooking your way through it.

Photo courtesy of John Murphy

Photo courtesy of Fiona Egan

Photo courtesy of Fiona Egan 

My eldest boy, Jack, also recorded a short video of the launch. Have a look!

BOOKLAUNCH from Nessa Robins on Vimeo.

Apron Strings - Recipes from a Family Kitchen is now available to buy in book stores nationwide. If you would like it to be delivered to your doorstep, with free postage & packaging, you can order directly from New Island's website for €22.99.