Spring has truly sprung in Ireland and there is no place on earth that is as beautiful at this time of year.
Now is the perfect time to enjoy a relaxing and scenic holiday to Ireland surrounded by your loved ones. Ireland Chauffeur Travel can arrange various countryside experiences for you and your family to enjoy on your next vacation to Ireland. Experience what it is like to live in the Irish countryside, renowned as one of the greenest and lushest landscapes in the world.
With the arrival of warmer weather, now is the ideal time to explore the wildflowers of Ireland. Among some of the delightful flowers in bloom you will find bluebells, daffodils, daisies, and wild garlic.
Wild garlic is the perfect ingredient to add freshness and flavor to any dish and we thought it was the perfect time to share some of our favorite wild garlic recipes with you! This beautiful and tasty plant carpets damp woodland. Keep a look out for its eye-catching white star-shaped flowers and broad, long pointed leaves on your next Irish woodland excursion.
Kevin Dundon is one of Ireland’s most famous celebrity chefs. Not only is Kevin a talented chef but he also operates a stunning hotel in the sunny South East of Ireland in County Wexford named the Dunbrody Country House Hotel. With menus designed by Kevin himself, this hotel features on our list of recommendations.
This brilliant and world-renowned chef known as ‘Ireland’s most famous chef’ also has a fabulous wild garlic pesto recipe that we at Ireland Chauffeur Travel are huge fans of!
Perfect as an afternoon snack paired with bread or crackers, the recipe is as follows:
200 ml serving of Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients:
- 50g of fresh Wild Garlic (packed)
- 3 tablespoons of parmesan (grated)
- ½ a lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
- 100-150ml sunflower or olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Place the wild garlic. Parmesan, lemon juice, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse once or twice.
- Slowly add enough oil while blending to create a thick pesto.
- Check the seasoning.
- Transfer into a clean jar and add a drop of extra oil over the top to help the pesto last longer.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 2 months or so.
Rory O’Connell is another accomplished Irish chef and co-founder of Ireland’s famous Ballymaloe Cooking School.
Ballymaloe House is one of the culinary highlights on our foodie tours around Ireland. Whether visiting the walled gardens, enjoying lunch in the café or getting a sought-after reservation for dinner and an overnight stay in the country house, guests are always impressed.
Making a lovely pairing with fresh Irish brown bread Rory has formulated a simple Wild Garlic Soup that is perfect for Spring evenings. This recipe will bring a dash and a splash of Ireland into your kitchen.
Recipe for 6-8 servings of Wild Garlic Soup
Ingredients:
- 45g of any unsalted Irish butter of your choice (Rory recommends Kerrygold butter)
- 150g of peeled and chopped potatoes
- 110g of peeled and chopped onions
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 900ml of chicken or vegetable stock
- 200ml of creamy milk
- 150g of chopped wild garlic leaves
Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, when it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them until well coated.
- Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the fresh wild garlic leaves.
- When the vegetables are almost soft, but not colored, add the stock and bring to the boil and simmer covered until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the wild garlic and simmer with the lid off for 4-5 minutes until the wild garlic is cooked.
- Be sure not to overcook the soup as it will lose it’s beautiful green color. Puree the soup in a liquidizer or food processor.
- Add some creamy milk to achieve a lovely consistency. Taste and season.
- Serve sprinkled with a few wild garlic flowers.
