Once in a Blue Moon.....

Apologies folks for my long absence, what can I say, it's been a busy few months. So as opposed to my intended monthly posts, they are more like once in a blue moon posts!!
Since I've last been in touch, a lot has gone on here at Liss Ard. As well as a busy summer with guests, we had an amazing festival in August. The Liss Ard Festival went down a storm, we saw some amazing gigs, heard some great stories and ate lots of delicious food. The theatre of food was a real treat all weekend, with lots of great demonstrations and yummy tastings! We helped A Taste of West Cork Food Festival celebrate our national treasure, "THE HUMBLE SPUD”, a great evening of seminar, theatre & food!

We also had a great wedding here on the estate in September, thanks John & Joanne. Fantastic tipi in place for the weekend, and we cooked our socks off, with a little help from our friends. Big thanks to Fingal & Clovisse from Gubbeen, and to Una Martin for her amazing  pies!!

And now Autumn is here, and the nights are certainly closing in. So our menu is changing with the weather. Lots of lovely pumpkin and squash around at the moment, as well as delicious, and oh so good for you, kale. Of course the apples are all out, our own trees at Liss Ard were bountiful, and while due to the rain it hasn't been the best year for blackberries, we still managed to pick enough to make a batch of apple & blackberry jam, and various tarts, pies and crumbles!

Sara Devoy (http://www.devoysorganicfarm.com/ )has been providing me with delicious squash of all sorts over the last few weeks, and the perfect recipe for a day like this is soup.  This is adapted from a Ballymaloe recipe. Serves 6.

Organic Gem Squash & Cumin Soup
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g butter
110g onion, chopped
150g potatoes, chopped
550g squash (or pumpkin), chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 litre homemade stock, chicken or vegetable

Heat the oven to 180C. Heat the cumin seed on a dry frying pan, for a minute or so, until it smells spicy. Grind in a pestle and mortar, or a spice grinder. Coat the chopped squash with the olive oil and ground cumin. Season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven until soft, approx  20-30 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, when it foams, add the chopped onion and potato. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a butter wrapper and a lid. Allow to cook gently on a low heat, until the vegetables are slightly soft, but not coloured. Add the hot stock and boil until the vegetables are soft, add the roast squash. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add a little cream, or milk if desired. Garnish with a little ground cumin. Delicious!!