I am back home after a very busy Bloom festival – and it was just fantastic. I have been working at Bloom since day one, back in 2007.This year was particularly special as it was the first year to host my very own dining experience called ‘Taste of Bloom, curated by Neven’.
I’m not going to lie, it was very busy – and we seated 600 people every day over the five days.
It’s hard to know going into these things which dishes will be the most popular but the slow cooked beef with potato purée, smoked bacon and red wine jus was a big hit, which I’m sure our readers will be happy to hear.
For dessert, it was our Pat Clarke’s strawberry and lemon trifle with cremé Chantilly which flew out the door. It was our take on that strawberry and cream classic and everyone embraced that summer feeling.
One of the nicest things about the whole experience was meeting the diners. Many were readers of Irish Country Living, and some were winners of our recent competition.
It was also great to host some close friends, but the icing on the cake was hosting my own staff who were on a day off from the restaurant. It was lovely to see them relax and enjoy the food, rather than being in the kitchen.
I may be busy during my time at Bloom, but I always find a chance to wander around the show gardens. You have to appreciate the absolute artistry and skill which goes into designing the beautiful gardens.
Bloom is a great place to see what our many talented, hard-working food producers are doing. I am always so impressed to see what new things are on offer each year and I always walk away feeling inspired; often with some new ideas to take home. All of our local producers have a unique story to tell so it is always nice to take some time out of my day to speak with them and try out their products.
I’m looking forward to next years festival already.
Quick and delicious
This week I have two delicious, quick and easy recipes for you. The watermelon and feta salad is a real taste of summer, and it works equally well with Galia or Honeydew melon, if watermelon isn’t in season. I find that children seem to prefer the watermelon, though, and this is a favourite salad of Lucia’s, in particular.
It is so simple and fresh and just needs a crack of black pepper to finish it off. It might seem like an odd combination, but you need to trust me and trust that it just works.
We have so many great cheeses made here in Ireland, but when it comes to feta I am really enjoying the Simply Better Barrel-Aged Feta – it’s very good with a really intense flavour and creamy, but firm, texture. The combination of the salty cheese with the fresh, sweet watermelon is wonderfully refreshing.
I think this is a salad you will want to come back to time and time again over the summer months.
These Cajun chicken melts are another very popular dish in our household. The staff in the restaurant like them too, so we often make them for staff supper. We take some time to eat our own dinner while we are getting ready for our evening service.
The key with any good chicken dish is to buy the best Quality Assured chicken you can find. The water in this recipe is key to keep the chicken breast nice and moist. The combination of Cajun spice with sweet chilli sauce is different, but works really well and pairs especially well with the cheddar cheese.
This is a great quick dinner for the whole family – especially for those evenings when you’re rushing to get the kids to the GAA pitch or to activities.
Watermelon and feta salad with
toasted pumpkin seedsServes 4: Ingredients
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1kg watermelon
120g feta cheese
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
Chicken, optional
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Toast the pumpkin seeds in small baking dish for 5–6 minutes, until lightly coloured.
3 Deseed the watermelon and cut the flesh into medium-sized chunks. Discard the rind.
4 Chop the feta into small cubes and place in a bowl with the watermelon and the pumpkin seeds. Add the lime rind and juice with the olive oil and toss gently to combine.
5 Pile a mound of the watermelon and feta salad onto plates. You can serve this salad either chilled or at room temperature. You can add chicken if you like to this dish or tofu if you prefer to keep it light.
Cajun chicken melts. \ Abaigh Tyrrell
Serves 4: Ingredients
4 chicken fillets
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 heaped tsp Cajun spice
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp mayonnaise
4 small ciabatta rolls
150g extra-mature cheddar cheese, grated
2 tsp ready-made pesto
200g mixed green salad leaves.
For the balsamic dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Place the chicken in a baking dish and drizzle it all over with the oil. Then, scatter over the Cajun spice and season generously with salt and pepper.
3 Pour about 4 tablespoons of water into the dish around the chicken to ensure it stays lovely and moist. Roast in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, until just cooked through and tender.
4 Leave the chicken to cool at room temperature, then cut into slices.
5 Mix half of the sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl with the mayonnaise and season to taste. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6 Spread each roll with the chilli mayonnaise and arrange the chicken slices on top in an overlapping layer.
7 Cover the chicken with the cheddar cheese and drizzle the rest of the chilli sauce on top in zigzag lines. Then, finish with the pesto in a similar fashion.
8 Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
9 Meanwhile, to make the balsamic dressing, add the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard to a tall container with 2 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth, then season to taste.
10 Put the salad into a bowl and use enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves.
11 To serve, cut each Cajun chicken melt in half again on the diagonal and arrange on plates with some of the dressed salad.
Read more
Neven Maguire: clucking good summer food
Neven Maguire: ciao down on pasta perfection
I am back home after a very busy Bloom festival – and it was just fantastic. I have been working at Bloom since day one, back in 2007.This year was particularly special as it was the first year to host my very own dining experience called ‘Taste of Bloom, curated by Neven’.
I’m not going to lie, it was very busy – and we seated 600 people every day over the five days.
It’s hard to know going into these things which dishes will be the most popular but the slow cooked beef with potato purée, smoked bacon and red wine jus was a big hit, which I’m sure our readers will be happy to hear.
For dessert, it was our Pat Clarke’s strawberry and lemon trifle with cremé Chantilly which flew out the door. It was our take on that strawberry and cream classic and everyone embraced that summer feeling.
One of the nicest things about the whole experience was meeting the diners. Many were readers of Irish Country Living, and some were winners of our recent competition.
It was also great to host some close friends, but the icing on the cake was hosting my own staff who were on a day off from the restaurant. It was lovely to see them relax and enjoy the food, rather than being in the kitchen.
I may be busy during my time at Bloom, but I always find a chance to wander around the show gardens. You have to appreciate the absolute artistry and skill which goes into designing the beautiful gardens.
Bloom is a great place to see what our many talented, hard-working food producers are doing. I am always so impressed to see what new things are on offer each year and I always walk away feeling inspired; often with some new ideas to take home. All of our local producers have a unique story to tell so it is always nice to take some time out of my day to speak with them and try out their products.
I’m looking forward to next years festival already.
Quick and delicious
This week I have two delicious, quick and easy recipes for you. The watermelon and feta salad is a real taste of summer, and it works equally well with Galia or Honeydew melon, if watermelon isn’t in season. I find that children seem to prefer the watermelon, though, and this is a favourite salad of Lucia’s, in particular.
It is so simple and fresh and just needs a crack of black pepper to finish it off. It might seem like an odd combination, but you need to trust me and trust that it just works.
We have so many great cheeses made here in Ireland, but when it comes to feta I am really enjoying the Simply Better Barrel-Aged Feta – it’s very good with a really intense flavour and creamy, but firm, texture. The combination of the salty cheese with the fresh, sweet watermelon is wonderfully refreshing.
I think this is a salad you will want to come back to time and time again over the summer months.
These Cajun chicken melts are another very popular dish in our household. The staff in the restaurant like them too, so we often make them for staff supper. We take some time to eat our own dinner while we are getting ready for our evening service.
The key with any good chicken dish is to buy the best Quality Assured chicken you can find. The water in this recipe is key to keep the chicken breast nice and moist. The combination of Cajun spice with sweet chilli sauce is different, but works really well and pairs especially well with the cheddar cheese.
This is a great quick dinner for the whole family – especially for those evenings when you’re rushing to get the kids to the GAA pitch or to activities.
Watermelon and feta salad with
toasted pumpkin seeds
Serves 4: Ingredients
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1kg watermelon
120g feta cheese
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
Chicken, optional
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Toast the pumpkin seeds in small baking dish for 5–6 minutes, until lightly coloured.
3 Deseed the watermelon and cut the flesh into medium-sized chunks. Discard the rind.
4 Chop the feta into small cubes and place in a bowl with the watermelon and the pumpkin seeds. Add the lime rind and juice with the olive oil and toss gently to combine.
5 Pile a mound of the watermelon and feta salad onto plates. You can serve this salad either chilled or at room temperature. You can add chicken if you like to this dish or tofu if you prefer to keep it light.
Cajun chicken melts. \ Abaigh Tyrrell
Serves 4: Ingredients
4 chicken fillets
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 heaped tsp Cajun spice
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp mayonnaise
4 small ciabatta rolls
150g extra-mature cheddar cheese, grated
2 tsp ready-made pesto
200g mixed green salad leaves.
For the balsamic dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Place the chicken in a baking dish and drizzle it all over with the oil. Then, scatter over the Cajun spice and season generously with salt and pepper.
3 Pour about 4 tablespoons of water into the dish around the chicken to ensure it stays lovely and moist. Roast in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, until just cooked through and tender.
4 Leave the chicken to cool at room temperature, then cut into slices.
5 Mix half of the sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl with the mayonnaise and season to taste. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6 Spread each roll with the chilli mayonnaise and arrange the chicken slices on top in an overlapping layer.
7 Cover the chicken with the cheddar cheese and drizzle the rest of the chilli sauce on top in zigzag lines. Then, finish with the pesto in a similar fashion.
8 Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
9 Meanwhile, to make the balsamic dressing, add the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard to a tall container with 2 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth, then season to taste.
10 Put the salad into a bowl and use enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves.
11 To serve, cut each Cajun chicken melt in half again on the diagonal and arrange on plates with some of the dressed salad.
Read more
Neven Maguire: clucking good summer food
Neven Maguire: ciao down on pasta perfection
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