Sweet potato pizzas
After the cauliflower pizza base kerfuffle – they took ages to cook, and of course they weren't really pizza, were they? – comes the sweet potato pizza. Craig Grattan, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, has invented a base that has 140g of sweet potato mixed into the yeasted dough.
"I made it one weekend for me and my girlfriend and it was the tastiest pizza I had ever cooked," says Grattan, who took his invention through the SuperValu Food Academy programme and has now launched The Sweet Potato Pizza Company.
They went on sale this week in freezer aisles in branches in north Dublin city and county, including Rathborne, Skerries, Sutton, Donabate, Finglas and Tyrrelstown. There are three varieties available – chorizo, feta and spinach; Parma ham, mushroom and rocket; and sundried tomato, red onion and spinach.
Grattan has also taken a pizza oven on the road and sells ready-to-eat as well as frozen pies at food markets. You'll find him at the Honest2Goodness farmers' market in Glasnevin in Dublin every second Saturday and at the Drogheda Cottage Market on the first Saturday of every month.
Feasts with friends
Street Feast, the community initiative that encourages neighbours, friends and strangers to come together to share food and drink in the great outdoors, celebrates its 10th anniversary on Sunday, May 5th.
More than 120,000 people took part in the 1,344 feasts that took place around the country last year, and the organisers are aiming for 1,500 this time. "Street Feast is about building community and tackling isolation," says co-founder Sam Bishop. "We have had feasts organised in front gardens, on streets and in greens, in car parks, laneways, parks and community centres."
The initiative is now part of the Department of Rural and Community Development's National Community Weekend, and there are grants available from County Councils to stage events. There are also Street Feast party packs, including bunting, invitations, posters and guides, available from streetfeast.ie.
A drink for cider vinegar fans
Many of us have no problem integrating the goodness of apple cider vinegar into our diets. As well as being thought to have positive effects on cholesterol and blood-sugar levels, it makes brilliant dressings, can sharpen up a sauce of stew, and of course it’s just the ticket sprinkled on a plate of fish and chips.
But if none of the above appeal, you can now get your daily dose in a sparkling fruit juice drink. Each 330ml bottle of Lost Coast (€2.79) made in the UK and now available in Ireland at SuperValu, contains 5 per cent apple cider vinegar, and fewer than 50 calories.
The cider house rules
An early klaxon for this lovely event at Longueville House in Mallow, Co Cork, on Sunday, May 19th: an orchard blossom walk and cider house tour, followed by lunch made with ingredients from the kitchen garden.
By then, the apple trees in the estate's orchards will be in full bloom, and a leisurely walk taking in their beauty will be followed by a cider house and distillery tour and talk with Longueville owner William O'Callaghan and his master brandy distiller Dan Duggan.
A three-course buffet lunch, with ciders and cider cocktails, is included, and the tickets are €85 per person. Places can be reserved by telephoning 022-47156.
