Catherine visits a couple in Clonegal, Co Carlow, who grow their own produce to sell at the local farmer's market in Enniscorthy.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 onion
- 3 leeks
- 1 potato large (preferably ‘Golden Wonder’ but any will do)
- 750ml vegetable stock
- 2 handfuls of freshly cut nettle tops
- Pepper to taste
Brown Bread:
- 250g strong white flour
- half a tsp salt
- half a tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bread soda
- 250g Hearts Delight wheaten meal flour
- 2 handful wheat bran
- 1 handful wheat germ
- 1 handful oat bran
- 1 handful pinhead oatmeal
- 450ml buttermilk
Method
Soup:
- Steep the nettles in salted water and then chop the leeks, potato and onions.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and knob of butter in saucepan.
- Add chopped onion, potato & leeks.
- Sweat over low heat covered with grease proof paper for 8 to 10 mins, stirring frequently adding a little water if vegetables become dry.
- When vegetables are well sweated add 750 ml vegetable stock.
- Bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins.
- Add washed nettle tops and cook for a further 5 to 7 mins until nettles are soft.
- Liquidize and serve adding pepper to taste.
Brown Bread:
- Mix white flour, wheaten meal flour, salt, bread soda, baking powder together and sieve well into bowl.
- Add wheat bran, wheat germ, oat bran, pinhead oatmeal and mix well together lifting up to incorporate air to mixture.
- Make a well in the centre and add most of buttermilk, approx 450 ml mixing by hand.
- Work quickly and form into round loaf shape.
- Place on heated baking tray.
- Place a cross on loaf and cook in preheated oven at Gas Mark 7, 220°C (425°F) for 40 mins.
- Turn loaf over and cook for further 5 mins.
- Loaf will be hollow in sound when tapped.
