County Clare with its picture-postcard villages, serene landscape. and Cliffs of Moher is authentic as it gets. It's the IRELAND that most people long for and I count my Irish blessings that my time working on Sunrise Farm rewarded me with three pure gold months enjoying County Clare to the fullest. The list of places to scout out in County Clare can take a few pages so I'll narrow it down by recommending the following; Bunratty Castle, the town of Ennis, Lahinch, Newmarket-on-Fergus and the Cliffs of Moher.
One of the perks to working on Sunrise Farm in County Clare was getting to know the locals. A few Irish friends I made took me to a Horse Fair in Ballinasoe where I got to mingle with the Irish folks and check out all the amusement rides, listen to live music, and taste Irish treats sold by vendors. I never saw so many horses in one place as I did that day at the Ballinasoe Horse Fair. Beautiful horses in all shapes and sizes.
My heart belongs to Sunrise Farm my home for three months. It's where I baked bread, fed the cats, chopped wood, composted, helped with crop rotation, planted seeds, and took care of the green houses. There were beets, carrots, chard, kale, herbs, and potatoes to pick and so many other tasty plant food. After working hard on the farm it was delightful to create delicious vegetarian meals for staff to enjoy. The wood burning stove in the kitchen provided a toasty warm atmosphere and it served as a good place to dry our clothes. Often we would put some slices of homemade bread on the hot stove surface and dab the bread with pure Irish butter. We certainly had plenty of bread on hand because it was baked every week in the Sunrise Bakery.
The Sunrise Bakery was equipped with all the right features for creating outstanding dishes. We used many fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm in our dishes and everything we used for cooking and baking was organic. Cheesecake, energy balls, chocolate cake, Irish soda bread, pizza, and veggie burgers were just a few of the many things I helped make in the Sunrise Bakery commercial kitchen.
County Clare is just fine in rain or in shine. It's a place to seek some peace, happiness and Irish hospitality. Set your spirit free and take in the open land and good luck of the Irish in County Clare, Ireland.
A Taste of Sunrise Farm (Bakery Recipes)
Energy Balls: 2 cups oats, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Combine all the ingredients together in a big bowl and shape into small balls. Roll the balls in shredded coconut or finely chopped almonds.
These energy balls are synonymous with Sunrise Farm. We sometimes donated money to charity from our sales.
Perfect Pizza: 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon dry yeast, 3-4 cups flour, a pinch of salt.
Combine boiling water with cold water, let dissolve a few minutes than add the sugar, dry yeast, flour, and pinch of salt. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour. Roll the dough out and shape it in a size to make 3 -4 mini sized pizzas. Oil mini pizza pans with about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle a handful of polenta over the oil. Place rolled dough into each pizza pan.
Bake each mini pizza for about five minutes until crust is slightly baked. Put sauce and cheese on top of the pizzas. Optional toppings; sliced tomatoes, peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
Place the pizzas in the oven and bake each pizza completely for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Polenta is the secret ingredient we used in this pizza recipe for the ultimate taste. It makes the crust extra tasty.
Veggie Burgers: Thinly grate beets, chard, carrots, and kale. Place them in a large bowl. Add about 1 cup of hot water to 2 cups of Irish quick oats. Mix and shape into balls. Dip balls into toasted sesame seeds. Press each ball into a flat burger. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.
This recipe should make about 6 - 8 veggie burgers!
Enjoy the veggie burgers with organic ketchup with or without a burger roll.
Please feel free to email me for more terrific recipes all created on the lovely SUNRISE FARM in County Clare by master chef Didi.
At the farmer's market selling items made at Sunrise Farm Bakery
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