By Fern Allen
All seasons in Ballymaloe House tend to revolve around food. The months between February and May are sometimes called the hungry months, as the winter vegetables are finished, and before the real growth of spring and early summer.
I always remember the delight of my father, who was quite a gourmet, as the new season’s bounty would appear from the garden and subsequently on his plate. In early spring the first of the rhubarb would be one of those. Delicate pink in colour, with that tart taste, sweetened with some sugar - it pairs wonderfully with carrageen moss pudding for a healthy dessert.
The other one that would cause great excitement was the seakale grown under cloches in the garden, generally harvested in late March and April. This delicate vegetable was sometimes called poor man’s asparagus, but in our opinion can stand on its own merits and is every bit as good as asparagus. His favourite way to eat it was simply poached in salted water and served on toast with hollandaise sauce.
During this time, the garden and grounds are coming back to life with spring flowers. Vibrant yellow daffodils are picked to decorate our dining tables, and camellias, with their pink, red, and white flowers and glossy leaves are used in bigger arrangements for the Hall. The magnolia gives an unexpected, if brief, pop of colour at the back of the house and we look forward to the bluebells and primroses, plentiful to see as you explore our woodland walks in the coming weeks.
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Come and experience the springtime beauty of East Cork for yourself with a Spring hotel break at Ballymaloe House. Retreat to the countryside, switch off and immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature, with wholesome food prepared for you using farm-to-table principles and an elegant country house setting.
