Recipe: Roast Butternut Squash, Mozzarella & Hazelnut Salad

| erinbunting1982

Is there anything better to eat in the summer than a salad made with ripe, sweet tomatoes, handfuls of fragrant, aniseedy basil and good quality creamy mozzarella? It is perfect alongside hunks of rich olive oil focaccia as an al fresco lunch. As the days shorten and autumn rolls into winter it is impossible to get delicious tomatoes. Our homegrown tomatoes are long gone and the supermarkets have reverted to selling the watery ones that are available out of season.

If you get hold of good quality mozzarella it seems a shame to cook it (except perhaps on top of a wood-fired pizza) so I developed this mozzarella salad for the winter months; it is a celebration of the flavours of autumn – the sweet, nuttiness of roasted squash and creamy, crunchy hazelnuts paired with the soft, lactic acidity the mozzarella. Continue reading →

Recipe: Mushroom, Rosemary & Pearl Barley Broth

| erinbunting1982

I developed this recipe for a lovely couple who are getting married in Autumn 2018 and wanted a simple seasonal start the meal before a magnificent spread of sharing platters to be served as the main course. It reminds me of the beautiful broths we ate in Ukraine earlier in the year; there they are always finished with a dollop of smetana (a rich sour cream), so I’ve added some as a garnish to finish this dish. Sometimes a simple but delicious starter like this is the perfect complement to a dramatic and colourful main course. Continue reading →

Nine tips for starting a supper club…

| erinbunting1982

I think supper clubs are brilliant – for both the guests and the event organisers. The organisers curate a night, showcasing their favourite dishes in unusual venues and the guests get a one-off eating experience where the chef will generally be cooking and serving, as well as chatting about the food. It would be great if there were more supper clubs in Northern Ireland and beyond. Continue reading →

The Story of a Supper Club

| erinbunting1982

At the end of July 2018 we collaborated with curious cook and finder of weird and wonderful wild things to eat, Clare McQuillan (@claremcqq) for a Hedgerow Picnic Supper Club. We invited photographers Simon & Lorna (and their new little one Isla Mae – just a babe in arms) from Taca Works to capture the evening in images. They have created a magical ‘storyboard’ of the event and these are some of the images I want to share here. Continue reading →

Two Years In – The True Cost of Food

| jofacer

This week, on the 26 July 2018, The Edible Flower is two years old. Happy Birthday to Us!

After the amazing response to last year’s “One Year In” blog, we thought we’d follow up a year later with something similar, though no VAT discussions in this one!….

To date, The Edible Flower has cooked 4,293 meals. We’ve bought and prepared £25,434 of ingredients (not including the many kilos of organic vegetables and salad we’ve grown). A big part of what we do is make decisions about what food we buy. Continue reading →