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Rachel Gaffney's Letter from Texas

The famous foodie who’s flying the tricolour for us in Texas shares the first instalment of a recent Culinary Adventure in Ireland

It was their first visit to Ireland. Everyone had heard about the green fields, rugged coastlines and friendly people. The months leading up to their departure prompted my group to read as much as they could about Ireland. They scoured guide books, googled Ireland, Irish customs, Irish weather and Irish food. They had expectations, great expectations when it came to everything aforementioned except for the food.

One lady explained that bacon and cabbage was the first result that appeared on the web site ‘Food.com’ as a result of googling Irish food, followed by Wikipedia’s synopsis that Irish stew, coddle and boxty were representative of Irish dishes.

Nowadays, Irish people know better. They are almost as informed as the food blogger, the Foodie, the chefs and the people who are circulating in the thriving food sector in Ireland. The fact still remains however, that people have pre-conceived ideas about Irish food. They expect bland, stodgy, boiled and grey food. After all, one only has to take a look at the first two web sites I mentioned above to understand how and why people still have these pre-conceived ideas.

They travelled from Dallas, Texas, Shreveport Louisiana, Toms River, New Jersey and Williamsburg, Virginia. We all met in Dublin on a Monday morning and along with Dermot, our driver, made our way to Ballyvaughan, Co Clare.

Linnanes Lobster Bar We stopped to eat at Linnane’s Lobster Bar, New Quay on our way to Gregans Castle. The seafood platter was a treat for the senses. We squeezed our fresh lemons over the Kinvara organic smoked salmon, crab claws, clams, mussels and prawns.

Some feasted on John Dory. I started with a warm St Tola goats cheese salad and this was the beginning of a beautiful 8 day love affair between the cheese and me. I think I must have enjoyed it every way possible, short of bathing in it during my stay!

The following day, we were blessed with blue skies and warm temperatures, which was a huge bonus for walking the Burren, accompanied by Dr Brendan Dunford from the ‘Burren Life Programme’ “a pioneering agri-environmental programme which aims to conserve and support the heritage, environment and communities of the Burren”.

We foraged for wild sorrel and garlic, discovered a ‘Fulacht Fiadh’, an ancient cooking site dating back to the bronze age in Ireland, and learned about the sustainable farming project in the Burren region. After several hours ambling over rock walls, identifying rare flowers and photographing church ruins we made our way back to Gregans Castle for dinner.

Dinner is somewhat of a banal word. It was indeed meal time, but dinner is something you have when the kids come home from school. It’s the quick steak you grill outside, served with a salad and baked potato (You can tell where we cook here in Texas!) It relieves you of hunger. Gregans Castle on the other hand does not serve dinner. For me, I was fortunate enough to attend an edible art exhibit.

I do not have a terribly sweet tooth. I could take or leave desserts. I have yet to experience such a dessert as the one I enjoyed on the evening of Tuesday, April 22nd 2015. I am afraid of doing this dessert an injustice by not describing it accurately, but I will give it my best shot. Ribbons of shaved fennel and rhubarb surrounded shards of paper thin meringue, speckled with fennel seeds and lay upon a bed of silky smooth lemon curd. I yearn for this dessert.

Gregans Castle Dessert Afterwards, guests gathered in the cosy bar animately sharing their delightful experiences that evening. The food had come to life for them. Funny thing how food can taste like food! All thrilled at how their taste buds had been awakened from a long long sleep.

This was just the beginning of our culinary adventure. We had places to see, people to meet, seaweed to forage, gardens to visit and a cooking class to participate in with Neven Maguire. More on this next month.

Upon returning from Ireland, I received an email from Anne Sutton from Shreveport, Louisiana. She had been to Ireland with me. This says it all. This is when you know you introduced people to the Real Ireland, the Ireland I know well.

“Ever since I returned, my dreams have been of Ireland. A place I have only seen in pictures before now comes to life in my mind as I sleep.

I close my eyes and see stone walls, green pastures, blue skies, and fields of yellow rapeseed. Fishing boats bobbing in the water - appear like miniature toys against the hillside.

Gray rocks covered in seaweed as its delicate tendrils gently dance with the waves. Fairy forts in the midst of a ring of tall crooked trees.

Beyond there is The Burren - full of miles of craggy stone shaped by thousands of years of life.

Exquisite food visually complements unparalleled taste.

Fresh, delicate, perfectly seasoned, and made from wholesome ingredients, creating a gustatory explosion in my mouth - umami on steroids.

Crumbling castles, Celtic crosses, Christian churches as we travel across the country where my ancestors once lived.

I close my eyes once again, beckoning my dreams to take me back.”

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