Carrigafoyle castle

While out in the Shannon estuary area, visited this castle at Carrig island near Ballylongford. Built in the 15th century by a local clan, to be used as a stronghold for controlling the shipping lanes to and from Limerick. 

It is bigger than normal Norman square tower, 4 floors high. The spiral staircase  survived and can walk up to see the rooms at each floor and a grand view from the top, of the Shannon estuary. 

Beautiful stone work everywhere, on the map, there are actually a few of this type of monuments along the estuary, all for the same reason, collect money from passing by ships. 

Pulling razor clam

Went out on a low tide day to Littor bay near Ballylongford to try our hands on pulling razor clam. A beautiful day, blue sky, warm sun and a fantastic pristine huge golden sand bay, a pleasure to be there. Did not spot any holes nor many broken razor clam shells, probably not a good location anymore. 
Anyway, got one big razor clam, clean well, changed brine a couple times and quick blanched, tender and tasty. 

Braised lamb rump

Cooking a thick piece of rump with bone on takes a bit of time, and to prevent drying out, better to braise, meaning with some liquid in the tray. 
Here I used tomatoes fresh form the vine, seasoned with salt and pepper, around the well seasoned rump (salt, pepper and spice mixture).
Bake at 200˚C until pink in the middle, around 40 minutes. 

Baked radicchio

I have been using radicchio in salads, but as weather turns cold, it is better to have it hot. The normal way is to sear slices of the veg in a pan, but to simplify this, I baked in the oven instead. 
Cut radicchio into wedges, lay on one layer in a baking tray, season with salt and spices, drizzle olive oil on top, add pumpkin seeds for extra texture. Cover the top loosely with another sheet of baking paper, bake at 180˚C for around 30 minutes, delicious.

Glenstal Wood hike

In our search for good organic egg, with bright yellow/orange yolk and thick white, we went to Walsh organic egg farm 45 minutes away. Managed by the farmer’s wife, with 50 hens that roam freely on pasture, the egg is up to our standard. 
By buying direct, we pay the same as in the shop, the owner earns more and that makes the work worthwhile. 
To use our time well, found a good hiking trail nearby at Glenstal Wood, a walk in the mountain with a panoramic view of that area. 

Hot creamy tofu cucumber pear soup

Weather turns cool and wet, it is time to enjoy hot soup. Instead of cold cucumber soup I make a hot one, using silken tofu to make it creamy. Adding pear gives a pleasant sweetness to it. 

2026年9月10日 韓風在愛爾蘭

約了在社區建設討論大會上認識的負責人，一位很能幹有三名青春期兒女的女士到來吃飯談天，聽到不少年輕人的取向。

她數年前意外死過翻生後茹素，在家工作，可以日日煮食，直至近期兒女覺得她的煮食取向太落後，追不上健康要求，開始各自煮食。

他們的認知是要多吃蛋白質，樂於餐餐吃鷄肉、免治肉，既平又方便，又買蛋白粉沖水飲用增加份量。

極沉迷韓劇、音樂和美容產品，女兒如是，連兒子也追求韓國男星的雪白肌膚，主動做美白護膚、晚上用膠貼拉唇位令線條向上……她一面說一面翻白眼。兒女們已不肯聽她的一套，她的安慰是他們不好甜食和酒精飲品，知道不是好東西。

另一位愛爾蘭朋友，女兒成功申請到首爾讀書，學韓文，十分投入。

是知道現在韓國文化已成功登上世界舞台，只是不知道原來已經這麼厲害，連在地球另一端的愛爾蘭鄉下地方，也這樣的受影響。現在的年輕人很有主見，父母無可如何。

Cider vinegar

I use a lot of cider vinegar, for salad dressing, cooking and this year in making Shrub (cider vinegar and honey). Instead of buying, I will convert last year’s excess cider (from home grown apple and wild black berry) to vinegar. 
It is pretty easy, buy a vinegar mother, let it float in the jar of cider, as it is an aerobic conversion, cover the jar with a muslin cloth. Keep in a cool dark place and  wait for 3 months.

Baked beetroot and pear

It is great to know that gold beetroot has the same level of nitrate as red ones, that will be converted to nitric oxide after digestion, which help blood vessels to dilate. 

This is the harvest from second sowing of beetroot, first one in March, second in May and third one in August, to ensure a continuous supply. 
 

Cut beetroot into slices, drizzle a little olive oil and bake at 180˚C until soft, around 30 minutes. Since pear is maturing now, I also added some sliced pear in the baking. Before serving, place a few dollops of pesto sauce on top. 

161。2026年9月5日 一條龍做納豆

夏天開始用來自奧地利的細小品種黃豆做納豆，同一時間把黃豆種下。看資料知道Nattokinase 納豆激酶對分解血栓的主要成分fibrin纖維蛋白有功效，能幫助維持血管暢通。

早餐食一份，日日食，兩個月多後心臟血管情況有沒有改善不得而知，伴侶右手的 Dupuytren's contracture明顯改善了，現在可以攤直手掌，有可能是減少了手掌筋附近的纖維蛋白。

溫室內的黃豆已經長得高大，和以前種過的大粒品種黃豆不同，這小品種長的枝極幼長，東歪西倒，十分單薄的樣子。早前長出細小粉紫色花朶，現在結為豆莢，有望吃到新鮮支豆/毛豆了。

若果長得理想，明年初會大量種植，收採成熟的豆子，風乾收藏，分批用來做納豆。

 

 

 

Nectarine

I have planted a nectarine tree outdoor 5 years ago, next to the barn wall, It does not enjoy wet cold spring and always have leave curl problem, needless to say not bearing  any fruits. 

This year, it did beared a few small fruits but most fall off except one, which slowly grows. I have wrapped with a net to stop birds and wasps attaching it. Finally it falls off into the net and declare itself to be ready to consume. 

Fragrant, soft and good balance of sweet and sour, more like a yellow peach than nectarine. 

Plum pudding

A light dessert using seasonal produce, plum, for a sweet touch after a big meaty meal. 

The base is a thin layer of frangipane (almond flour, egg, butter, honey). The plum is precooked at 200˚C with a good sprinkle of cardamon powder fro 20 minutes to reduce moisture. Then layer on top of 2/3 cooked frangipane to finish, very tasty. 

Eggplant

Gradually eggplants are producing fruits, one at a time. I cut it up and steam for 8 minutes, just enough to soften and still keeping the beautiful purplish colour. Then mix with a sauce of soy sauce, miso and sesame oil, simple yet tasty. 

Soy bean

I have sowed this small variety of organic soy bean grown in Austria that I bought for making Natto. They are now having beautiful small purple flowers, hope they can manage the cooler weather and produce pods, so that I can look forwards to enjoy edamame. 

Water melon 山椒鳥

This is the first water melon that I notice its appearance on end July, already a 5 inches long fruit. Now its tendril turned brown and dry, together with the length of time it has set as fruit, indicated that it is ready to consume. 

A disappointment that it is not red enough, but the sweetness is there, being crunchy and not sandy like a fully ripe water melon. Still very pleasant to eat with the eyes shut. 

For the remaining water melons, I will let them have at least 8 to 10 weeks of growth together with the tendril turning brown, before I taste them. 

3.5kg sea bass

Fisherman is overjoyed to be able to catch a big sea bass, 82cm long 3.5kg, It is cut up into 5 portions to enjoy. 

Fish head is baked until golden in the oven and then cook with tofu as a soup.

One section was cooked on bbq but proved difficult to cook through without overcooking. 

The third piece, after salt and pepper seasoning for a day, is wrapped in baking paper with oil and slices of onion. Baked at 200˚ for 30 minutes, just cooked through, very juicy and tender meat. 

Tomato harvest

With a poor start of the growing season with cold May weather, killing the first batch of tomato seedlings, the second batch was planted in early June and finally I have some ripen tomatoes to enjoy. 

Red Ailsa Craig and bright orange Vivacious, both growing well bearing many fruits, just need the weather to stay not too cold for them to ripen gradually. 

Vivacious is a variety famous for robust growth and has a high level of beta carotene. It is a fleshy type with little juice, mild taste. 

Ailsa Craig is an heirloom variety famous for its deep red colour, medium size and good balance of sweet and sourness. 

2026年8月29日 拔蟶子

前天是每月的潮水大退日子，新認識的西班牙釣友帶我們來到巨大淺灘收集蟶子。

這位醫生獨自一人到來工作，所有工餘時間都在海邊度過，是尋覓野食高手，釣魚外，用網捕捉蝦和蟹，又愛吃蟶子。在公立醫院內工作，亞洲人多過愛爾蘭人，大家交換免費海產地點，所以他知道很多尋寶地點。

曾在電視節目看到如何把鹽倒進洞內，蟶子便自動投降伸出頭來，抓緊拔起就成。今回自己試做，真的如是，蟶子怕鹹，下夠鹽便會出現，用力拉穩拔出，這部份十分容易。

最難的，是找到它們的洞！是個似普通鎖匙插入的洞，細小長方形，似片深色海藻，在那大灘上行來行去兩個小時，我只找到三只，三個人合共十一隻，時間上完全不化算。西班牙人不好意思，不停解釋估計早一日已經有人到來尋寶，所以才如此難找。

無論如何，非常感謝有那經驗，且好享受那美麗寧靜的環境。回家把蟶子浸鹽水清洗多次，然後放在燒烤爐上，猛火快烤，殼爆開就吃，好鮮嫩。