A new routine

After the alarums and excusions of day one, today began the pattern that will dominate our lives for the next twelve weeks. Report to kitchen having signed in, prepare the recipes which we were given yesterday, eat them for lunch, back into the Demo kitchen for tomorrows workload, tasting at the end and back to the cottage to sort out the workplan.

And in between - a range of duties within the school, for example on Thursday I am on early veg collection and then acting as host to visitors at lunch time. Others in the cottage have already signed up to go to Ballymaloe House kitchens tomorrow for observation and also to go to the Farmers Market on Saturday. But that is for the future and this blog deals with the recently occurred.

Slicing dicing and chopping were the first skills which we acquired, amazingly with only a few flesh wounds amongst us and no major traumas so far. Onions, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms all fell  victim to the flashing blades of the 3rd Kitchen brigade. The dismembered victims passing to a higher cause and regenerating as lunch along the way.

The first loaves of Soda Bread made their appearances, just a hint of the total bakery experience yet to come whilst , with the aid of a stock syrup summer fruits became a compote.

So by lunchtime we had produced bread

Carrot and Cumin Soup

Penne Pasta with Mushroom a la creme



and the afore mentioned compote



Then back to the demo room to run through pastry and a range of quiches and flans along with new soups another compote, salads of several varieties, dressings etc.  You can get a flavour here:

By the time the demo had ended, we had tasted and discussed with our cooking partners which dishes we would each do tomorrow it was 5:30 and nearly 10 hours after we left the cottage we could go home, to block out tomorrows part of the culinary mystery tour.

Is it worth it? On yes, if I can produce half of the flavour that is inherent in every dish I can die happy and go to food heaven,