Mackerel

Fisherman finally come back with a few mackerel, fishing from the cliff edge. The season has started but the fish is not oily yet. 

Kilkee Cliff and coast

 

西歐酷熱近四十度天氣，愛爾蘭也發熱浪警告…. 廿三至三十度！我們是難得太陽肯露臉，即刻收拾東西駕露營車到海岸遊玩。

昨天行了Kilkee Cliffs Walk, 沒有Cliff of Moher 那麼出名，勝在遊人少，沿路沒有欄杆，山崖細些，地理變化多，行那一個小時已經大飽眼福，滿足。

就那麼一個大晴天，今早行Bridges of Ross又霧又雲，清涼舒服。

2026年6月20日 貓頭鷹住客

在農舍屋頂安裝貓頭鷹箱，三年，終於聽到有barn owl 入住，成家育兒，即刻在陽台邊安裝攝錄機，見到父母晚上不停運送食物。

當年聽一個barn owl （倉鴞）講座，主持人帶著跟他多年的倉鴞見聽眾，鼓勵多建barn owl box ，除農田鼠患，減少下藥防鼠。我們照圖做箱，安裝在農舍頂牆內，等足三年才見成效。

由十一時天色昏暗開始捕獵，一晚捉了十七隻田鼠，到早上四時三十分終於要休息了，養兒育女不容易。

期待，小倉鴞幾時夠大，可以站出來，在陽台等父母餵食。然後，學飛，慢慢一隻一隻地飛走，不再回來，自立。

Koji marinated beef

Bought some rib eyes from an organic farm and was disappointed that the steak is very tough, guess not aged enough. One of the way to tenderise is to marinate with Koji salt, also used black pepper and soy sauce, for a day. Indeed after bbq, the meat is less tough than last time, will test this method again. 

Sweet potato slips

This year I aim at having more dark green leaves to eat through out the seasons. Summer is particularly difficult, and sweet potato leaves is a rare one that grow well in the heat. 

To start it growing, I tried the method of half buried shop bought sweet potatoes in the green house, cover with lid if not yet warm enough, keep moist. Indeed after 2 weeks, slips are sprouting, so easy. When they are bigger I will planted them in the green house to grow on. I will have many plants for harvesting leaves, not aiming at having tubers or not. 

Cocktail oyster Alanna

Just tasted this new class of cocktail oyster, Alanna by Carlingford, Ireland. Plump but only 2/3 the size of normal ones, same good texture and sweetness as their Premium oyster but smaller in the mouth. 

What a nice evening of having oyster followed by bbq lobster, champagne, just because it has been a fine day, quite rare this June. 

Summer veg harvest

After a heatwave, I have the first harvest of pea, sweet and taste of summer. 

Beetroot red and gold are more tasty with more heat, just cut up to eat is enough, like mild sweet  juicy fruits. 

Koji

To fulfill this year’s plan to eat more fermented food, other than having water kefir grain to make fermented drinks, I ordered dried Koji to used in fermenting veg and meat. 

I hydrated Koji with water, seasoned with 25 % its weight in salt, keep at room temperature for a few days to properly swell up then keep in the fridge. 

This salted koji  (shio Koji) is used to pickle raw veg and meat, to soften, ferment and impart a salty umami flavour. First trial on julienned beetroot, and beetroot leaves, both worked well after a few hours. Effect is similar to miso, but for the same money you get more koji to use. 

 

Seafood meal and cardamon bun

While touring the south east coast, found an artisan bakery at Dungarvan, Dun bakery, the cardamon bun is fluffy light and flavourful, better than those I tried in Copenhagen, especially warmed up, wonderful.

Asked at the tourist office for restaurant recommendations, he pointed us to White Horses at Ardmore, in a nearby seaside town. No Michelin recommendation, but the seafood served is fresh and properly cooked, well presented and tasty, so hard to find in Ireland!

2026年6月10日 愛爾蘭學校饍食

約了遠鄰一家五口到來吃飯，那三名十二至十五歲的小朋友，很有教養、活潑可愛且樣貌俊美，異常難得。

於我小人兒有教養的首要條件是好吃，三個都是煮什麼吃什麼，自然喜歡的吃多些，不太喜歡的（主要是某些蔬菜）起碼願意取些試吃。

其次是應對流利，三年前初認識時已如此，容易談話，問學校、課餘活動等，可以交流好一會。母親不准在餐桌上看手機，見到即用眼神令他們自動收起，足見教導有方。

三個都好運動，大哥玩欖球，大孖妺妹以前玩體操現在是曲棍球，細孖弟弟鐘情哥爾夫球。母親好忙的要四圍送他們去練習和比賽。父母都鼓勵運動，覺得可以學習團體合作精神和面對輸贏等，不是虎媽那類要瓣瓣都好，只要求學業成績保持中上水平。

近兩年因為父親腦癌，要時常往醫院治療和照顧，三名子女分別送到有名的寄宿學校讀中學，週末回家，減輕母親接送工作。

吃飯時問他們學校伙食如何，他們平淡地講出早午晚三餐的食物，沒有惡言，我聽到意外得無言了好一會兒。

早餐是冷食，沒有用廚人，有微波焗爐溫熱牛奶，cereal和麵包蛋糕。中午有菜有肉有澱粉質食物，依傳統那是主餐，晚上只吃小點，供應冷食如沙律、芝士、火腿三文治。

那樣的年紀，最需要營養，並不吸引的饍食，小朋友定會吃垃圾零食，這樣讀六年吃足六年，我心中覺得好可憐。

那母親無可奈何，說週未回家，會煮好多肉食，讓他們吃過心滿意足。

我們知道三名小朋友能吃，所以今回晚餐，做了自從廿年前在亞根廷吃過的烤全羊，一直都想試試烤半隻羊，今回知道有食力，可以玩玩，一如所料，七人合力，只吃剩前腿，滿意。

Waterford Greenway

 

難得天氣預告會天晴見太陽，即刻收拾東西駕campervan 出遊，目標是到東南部最有名的Waterford Greenway 踩單車，是以舊火車軌改建而成，不用在馬路旁踩，形容是愛爾蘭最美麗的路徑。

全程四十公里，我們踩了一半，果然名不虛傳，沿途有兩壁長滿蕨的翠綠走廊、有墨黑隧道、有古老大石高架橋、水車屋、起伏山巒和細沙大海灘。

當真一整天沒有下雨，中午更陽光普照，開心了一天，翌日又下雨了，就打道回府。