If you dig a hole to China…..

“Food is the petro we put in the tank…”  -Darina Allen, head chef at Ballymaloe Cookery School

This stop on the Ireland tour was so meaningful to me–I love to cook, and I love food.  It was a true blessing to be able to hear Darina speak about her views on food today and how what we put into our bodies really does make a difference in our lifestyles.  She began the day’s talk with telling us that she believes every chef should have to spend a year on a farm before being allowed in the kitchen.  This philosophy of her’s stems from the fact that she feels we, human beings with our busy lifestyles, are becoming disconnected from the earth.  So….it is of no suprise that when aspiring chefs from all over the world show up at her school, they are given a seed, a plant marker, and a mound of earth.  Their first task is to grow the plant from seed and learn to appreciate the process by which we all get the food we eat.

Then, the students are given their first recipe:  How to make compost!  She says at this point, the culinary students are wondering if they’ve enrolled in the right program. :)  Needless to say, the students get to work learning about compost and feeding the earth–the natural way. 

But let me back up a minute. Everything that is used in the kitchens, is grown on the school grounds.  The fruit garden is unique in that the apple and pear trees are grown on arches.  This technique not only saves space, but the arches also support the weight of the ripening fruit.  Peach trees are pruned to grow up the walls of the buildings, for similiar reasons.  The vegetable garden is on a four-year crop rotation cycle.  This process cuts down on diseases and replenishes the nutrients to the soil.  The herb garden was a sight to behold, not to mention the pleasure I gained from just walking around and smelling all the fresh herbs.  Beehives produce local honey, and as you might have already figured out, even all the animals and dairy products are raised right on the cookery school grounds. 

Remember the compost recipe?  Well, everything the student deems a scrap, is reused, in some form.  For example, you  know all the vegetable “ends” we cut off and throw away?  That would not happen at this school!! The first place they go are into a stock pot to make vegetable stock.  Then they are strained and given to the pigs and chickens for feed, which eventually turns into manure, and is used to fertilize the crops.  What a novel idea!

Students can enroll in courses–the serious culinary students take 12 week courses, in which they stay in cottages on the grounds.  The general public can take day courses or 2-3 day courses, depending on what is being offered and what interests you.  We were able to walk through the demo kitchen, and the smells from the 2-day course, Cooking with Spices, were absolutely mouth-watering.  This is an experience I will never forget!! 

Ballymaloe Picture Gallery

This was probably one of my most favorite parts of the whole trip.  This interperative centre retraces the steps of 2.5 million children and adults who emigrated from Ireland via Cobh on Coffin Ships, early steamers, and eventually, great ocean liners.

While traveling through this multimedia permanent exhibition in a restored Victorian Cobh Railway Station, you can explore the conditons on board the early emigrant vessels and experience life on board a convict ship leaving for Australia in 1801.  Did you know that the ill-fated Titanic’s last port of call was at Cobh, or that Cobh has a special connection with the WWI ship the Lusitania, where 1,198 people lost their lives off of Cork Harbour?

A statue of Annie Moore stands outside of the Cobh heritage center.  She was the first emigrant to be processed into the gates at Ellis Island in New York.  A similiar statue stands in New York, and is a symbol to the many Irish who embarked on the same journey.

Queenstown Story Picture Gallery

Blarney Castle has a rich and interesing history.  During the 10th century, this castle was orginally built as a timber hunting lodge, but later was replaced as a stone castle in 1210.  The current day structure was built by the King of Munster in 1446, Dermot McCarthy.  This stone castle remained in the McCarthy family until the arrival of Oliver Cromwell and his cannon guns in 1646.

The world famous Blarney Stone can be reached by spiraling higher and higher up into the castle.  Once at the top, take a minute to enjoy the breathtaking views and lush green landscape of the Irish countryside.  If you are brave enough to hang backwards and kiss the stone, it is said that you will receive the power of eloquence.

The term Blarney was actually introduced by Elizabeth 1 of England and is defined as ‘pleasant talk, intending to deceive without offending’. The queen wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own land under her.  Cormac McCarthey was handling all the requests made to her with subtle diplomacy, thus trying to promise his loyalty to the Queen without giving in.  Elizabeth I proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her “a lot of Blarney”, thus giving rise the legend of the stone.

Blarney Castle Picture Gallery