Margaret M. Johnson

You might say that in Ireland all roads lead to tea. From breakfast and lunch breaks to weddings and wakes, cupan tea is always a welcome guest. Irish tea is far more than just a hot drink to go with a scone and jam: it’s an important custom that serves as a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and pleasure.

Some say the Irish people have a relationship with tea that “transcends the ordinary” — hyperbole, perhaps, but given that the average person in Ireland drinks four to six cups of tea a day, perhaps not!

I discovered this as soon as I enjoyed my first “official” cup at my cousin Kit’s cottage in County Kerry during my first visit there 35 years ago, and soon after at The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, where I was introduced to afternoon tea, the elegant three-course affair where tea is the main attraction and delicacies like dainty sandwiches, flaky scones, and luscious pastries act in supporting roles.

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I haven’t posted in a month and my Irish guilt is gnawing at me! So it’s back to business this week as “that time of year” is fast approaching.

I’ve already started plumping my fruit for the several varieties of fruitcake that I make, but not for this one because the fruit is boiled! I’ve had the recipe for many years and love it now as much as ever.

The original recipe called for Bushmills, but you can substitute another brand. You’ll find this and other holiday recipes in my Favorite Flavors of Ireland cookbook, now BUY ONE GET ONE, and in my soon-to-be-released Teatime in Ireland. Visit www.irishcook.com for more details.

 Bushmills Boiled Fruitcake

Makes 1 large or 4 to 5 small loaves

This fruitcake is an interesting one because the dried and candied fruits are cooked with butter, brown sugar, and crushed pineapple before being mixed with the dry ingredient. The technique produces a very moist cake.

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While pumpkins are not native to Ireland, they’re in great demand during the autumn, especially around Halloween (also known as Samhain, one of the four ancient Celtic festivals).

In the U.S. we use pumpkins in many sweet and savory dishes, but most cooks find it more efficient to purchase canned pumpkin rather than to cut and scrape the flesh from a fresh one.

If you love pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie, you’ll adore this rich pudding made with challah bread! Top it with freshly whipped cream enhanced with mascarpone cheese. You’ll find recipes like this in my cookbook Favorite Flavors of Ireland (now BOGO/buy one get one free); order signed copies at www.irishcook.com.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
Serves 6 to 8

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Driving around Ireland definitely makes you hungry—and sometimes forgetful—so after a day of touring around West Cork I arrived at The Fish Kitchen, a small-ish restaurant in Bantry situated, appropriately, above a fish market, without a reservation.

Call it the luck of the Irish, but proprietor Diarmaid Murphy managed to squeeze me and my friend in because of a cancellation.

Great luck, indeed, to grab a table in a place where they focus on three elements of serving fish: freshness, simplicity, and quality. Murphy says, “We do our best not to interfere with the fish, serving it simply skin side-up with a variety of simple butters or sauces on top or on the side … geographically we’re in an ideal location to keep the distance between the sea and the plate as short as possible,” an ethos not lost on the diners.

Here’s one of the standouts on the menu.

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Move over hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks; make room for a whiskey-enhanced grilled lamb and delicious grilled tomatoes to go with it. With tomatoes coming into season in a big way, I think you’ll enjoy these new recipes to add to your grilling agenda for August and beyond. You’ll find these and similar recipes in my Favorite Flavors of Ireland cookbook…now BOGO, buy one get one free! To order signed copies, visit www.irishcook.com

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Strawberry season has just arrived where I live in the northeast.

The season is over almost as quickly as it arrives, so I grab as many as possible and eat, bake, or freeze them as fast as I can.

As the Fourth of July approaches, they’re especially colorful in red, white and blue scones, treats you can actually eat from morning to night—lathered with a little butter or clotted cream for breakfast or brunch or with a dollop of whipped cream for dessert.

You’ll find similar scone recipes in Favorite Flavors of Ireland; order signed copies at www.irishcook.com

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