Sea Kale "Crambe Maritima" Root

Sea Kale is the perfect food plant, every part is edible. It is believed to have been a staple of our Irish ancestors, as they foraged for food along the sea shore.
Having experimented with eating various parts of the plant, the root remained untested. So today, when thinning out the plants and accidentally digging up a large section of tap root, it was time to try it out in the kitchen.

Sea Kale "Crambe Maritima" Root

Knowing that our recipe books were not going to be of assistance, it was to Ray Mears and Gordon Hillman's Wild Food that we turned. They confirmed that that the roots of Crambe Maritima were indeed edible, both when eaten raw and cooked.
Despite Ray Mears' preference for raw seakale root, it was found not to be particularly appetising - faintly remeniscent of raw turnip and quite fibrous, when compared to the more pleasing raw scorzonera root, dug at the same time, for comparison purposes. Next step, was to roast the two roots alongside carrots, onion, celeriac and pumpkin.
The sea kale root was improved by cooking - tasting quite starchy, but unable to compete with the scorzonera and other roots. There is no doubt that it definitely requires some very special culinary expertise, way beyond our capabilities.
Moral of the story: foraged foods may be nutritious and good for you, but there is often a very good reason why they are not more commonly eaten.
If anyone has had a better experience, it would be good to hear about it.

Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com

A Feast of Kilkenny Produce

Where can I eat a meal like this in Kilkenny? The photograph may not be the best, but the flavour was superb. The roast pork was from a Kilkenny free range, Tamworth pig crossed with a wild boar - succulent, full of flavour, without being too strong, with the perfect crisp crackling.

Kilkenny Produce at its best

The classic Sharpe's Express new potatoes, the mint, the spinach and the broad beans were freshly dug and/or picked, less than an hour before consumption. The gravy was made from the rich pork juices. Such simple fresh ingredients need no elaborate sauces, in fact they make salt and pepper almost redundant.

The tender young broad beans, cooked briefly in their jackets (no need for peeling), have a immediate and delicious flavour that no picture can convey. The spinach briefly wilted, had no requirement for any seasoning and there is simply no alternative to a freshly dug new potato, steamed with some sprigs of mint. The experience is intense.

These ingredients are all easily reared and grown in Kilkenny. So, why is it so difficult to find a restaurant in County Kilkenny serving simple high quality, seasonal and local ingredients, that are squeeky fresh, at a reasonable price?

If you know of one, please email me at: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com