WildKitchen on Nationwide…..

Got a phone call from Niall Martin from Nationwide a few weeks ago, to say he was going to be in Clare, visiting a few places and highlighting the fact that Loophead had been awarded best place to holiday in Ireland, by readers of the Irish Times, and could I take him on a Wild Food Walk?

Well say’s I ”I suppose I can squeeze you in”…jokingly, trying to contain my excitement.

I had a weeks notice, what to wear, where to bring him and I was asked to cook two desserts using wild food……… to accompany the Bar-b-Que, at Purecamping Eco.campsite the following day. No bother……..

 

The day for filming dawned, and clad with tweed trousers and a sensible jacket and an air of relative calm, I set off to discuss plans for the day over  coffee in the cosy Oh Lá Lá Café, in Ennistymon.

It wasn’t long before I felt at ease, such was the professionalism of Niall and his camera man, and before we knew it we were off down the Falls, chatting like old friends.

We scrambled over the rocks like kids at Cregg Beach, the remnants of the West Clare Railway, behind us. Water mint, Orache and Sea beet ours for the taking. Then we made our way to the country lanes near my home, beloved now for more than twenty years. The hedgerows, bending with hips, haws and berries.

I was so happy to walk these roads and share the beauty of Autumn, on what the team called a perfect day for filming. Niall knows a thing or two about wild food, and gave a lovely recipe for Sloe Gin…sadly we had none to taste, it’s working it’s magic under the stairs…..Grateful for the opportunity, a day to remember, thanks guys.

You can catch it here…

 

http://www.rte.ie/news/player/nationwide/2013/1011/

 

As guiding Seaweed walks is what I do also, we spent an hour or so filming at the shore after lunch at Barrtra Seafood Restaurant. A lively discussion on fracking ensued and a chat on seaweed, it’s uses and more tasting of some wild food dishes I put together, but that will have to wait for Spring, to be aired, I’m promised.

 

 

The two puddings I managed to put together for the programme.