We were excited to see what our friends at Forage and Find would create for our Dee’s plant based Christmas Party which we hosted in the beautiful Copper Mine Museum in Allihies, West Cork. The Elderflower and Sugar Kelp aperitifs came clinking out of the fridge and fizzing into champagne flutes. This tipple was in hot demand with some guests managing to snaffle a whole bottle to take home! You know who you are and we will find you!
We were definitely on track for a liquid dinner when the wild cocktails made an appearance. Elderberry mojitos with mint went down a treat and were served in really cute vintage jars. Thanks Colm who regaled a story of how the Irish saying “Going for a Jar” came about!
Nibbles on the table were Balsamic & Dillisk toasted almonds, pumpkins seeds and olives along with gorgeous sour dough bread from the fabulous Diva Bakery this was served with a sea purslane pesto. Next up was a vibrant green soup made from three cornered wild leek. The colour was amazing and it tasted even better.
The hit of the night was definitely the Smokey Tempeh Caeser Salad served with a cashew mayo and Sautéed Sea Purslane Leaves. One of our guests had never eaten a vegetarian meal before but all of us couldn’t believe the gorgeous briny flavour the Sautéed Sea Purslane gave the dish, replacing the traditional anchovy ingredient. The tempeh had a deep smokey flavour and was a hit with all the diners. Karin’s blackberry wine went down a treat with this dish!
Up next was a Butternut Squash, Date & Channelled Wrack Tagine. This was fully flavoured with warming spices and the seaweed added an umami boost.
We were feeling full at this stage but miraculously had room for dessert! Cue a trio of sin-free plant based treats! No added sugar, gluten, dairy or eggs! The Citrus tart with Rosehip glaze was so tangy and smooth; we couldn’t believe it wasn’t an egg based lemon curd. The secret recipe contains gram flour but that’s all we know! The Green Tea and Nori ice-cream was the perfect palate cleanser for the dreamy dark chocolate brownie.
It was a wonderful evening with inspired dishes created with wild herbs, flowers and seaweed. Here’s the menu! Maybe we have inspired you to forage some ingredients for your next meal! Happy Christmas – Dee x
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