Bantry House, Ireland Part II

Before leaving Cork we paid a visit to County Waterford and Lismore Castle, still the Irish home of the Cavendish family. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s main residence is Chatsworth in England but they have owned Lismore for generations. But perhaps a more famous resident was Adele, sister of Fred Astaire. She was married to Charles Cavendish and lived there from 1932-1944. The castle was begun in 1185 by Prince John, later King John of England of Magna Carta fame. In the 16^th century it was home to Sir Walter Raleigh. And Edmund Spencer is said to have written part of the Faerie Queen Faerie  in the yew avenue in the garden.

After our visit to the foodie destination of Ireland (Ballymaloe) we headed west in County Cork to drive the Ring of Kerry, said to be one of the great scenic drives in Ireland---“if the weather is good.” We spent the night at Bantry House overlooking Bantry Bay. We were greeted by the owner and made welcome in their beautifully furnished rooms in the East Wing with our view over the formal garden. The very pregnant Mrs. Sophie Shelswell-White who greeted us is the great, great-granddaughter of the 3^rd Earl of Bantry. The 18^th century house was enlarged and embellished in the 19^th century but has suffered much over the years. The earldom was lost when there were no longer any male heirs. But the house remains with much to admire in the care of the 10^th generation of the family. Like many owners of stately homes, the family has opened the house to visitors to tour as well as to stay in their bed & breakfast. We decided to have lunch in the tea room on arrival and enjoyed a hearty spiced carrot soup. We found these hot vegetable soups to be on all the lunch menus and much to be enjoyed in the cool Irish summer.

We got up the next morning to the most beautiful Irish breakfast in the dining room. The scramble eggs were presented in a timbale. And, of course, wonderful scones. But our drive around the ring of Kerry was not to be. It was raining and we could hardly see across the lawn to the Bay. We elected instead to head toward Shannon where we had to catch our plane the next morning. We did stop at Muckross House which had been home to Jane Herbert, wife of the 3^rd Earl of Bantry. Here I found a great shop for Irish woolen items. We also had soup in the café for lunch.

All of our meals as mentioned started with a soup. We usually had a choice of a carrot soup or a green soup. I especially liked a carrot and lentil soup and came home and recreated it. I found a recipe for a greens soup in Cooking from the Garden by Rosalind Creasy. Try these and you will find them tasty and healthy and perhaps give you a hint of fall.

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

2 tsp. cumin seeds

Pinch chili flakes

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups washed and coarsely chopped carrots (organic would be best)

¾ cup spit red lentils (I used green since I did not have the red)

3 cups hot vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)

½ cup milk

Plain yogurt and naan bread to serve

Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chili flakes for 1 minute, or until they start to jump around in the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have swollen and softened.

Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt (and a little cilantro or parsley) and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan bread. Or perhaps that Irish bread you made last week?

One of the soups seeming always to be on the lunch menu was a green soup.

Greens Soup

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil

Freshly ground fresh pepper to taste

1 diced potato

1 ½ cup chicken broth

1 quart chopped greens (such as spinach, sorrel, lettuce, and chard)

½ to 1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan sauté onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil. Stir in fresh pepper. Add the diced potato and chicken broth and simmer until the potato is tender. Stir in the chopped greens and cook until wilted. Puree or blend adding ½ to 1 cup milk. Season with salt, pepper, or nutmeg.