Cherries and Stove-top Crumble

I was fortunate enough to get to spend time lately here in Dublin with my Uncle John, a sprightly 97yrs and my cousins Mary and Patrick and his wife Maureen on a visit to the Eucharistic Congress, Uncle John had attended the one in 1932  when he was just 18 so it was a big occasion for him to do the double, he wouldn't have the same legs on him as then but his wits are probably sharper and his sense of completion and dedication to his faith were an Inspiration to those that met him.

 Though it was when Uncle John said it was a pity that 'Wee' Eileen couldn't get down for the event I realised through his term of endearment, I had never thought of our Eileen as 'Wee'  in light she's always been big sister that had no option but to multi-task round the house in between her studies, doing the laundry in a twin tub, cooking our dinner, reading a book, keeping an ear on the radio, an eye on the telly and adjudicating some teenage squabble between the rest of us on a typical Saturday during her teenage years,was also was the main shopper in the house and most new food experiences then came from her basket, like the time she bought some cherries in Ballina market and shared them out like treasure, one each with much begging for a second on a holiday way back in the days when we were young and lucky getting to go on a holiday each year, always staying a caravan somewhere, Donegal got a good going over, the East coast was marauded and the West was settled with the obligatory trip to Knock.

 With All in mind, I joined the Pilgrim Walk between 7 churches starting at St Anne's Cathedral, a good idea and a fantastic insight into the life of the city and reflection of it in the churches, the Camino spirit meeting a good few people along the way including a Nun who knew a Nun from home that I wouldn't have known but with my Uncle John nearby the links were made with much excitement, feeling good my passport stamped, the path home from the Pro-Cathedral took me across Capel street,with the fruit sellers and their prams as always loaded with a seasonal fruit, I got lucky! Cherries, Soul Food!

Street Food, Cherries with Almond Crumble and Mascarpone

This crumble recipe is intended for all of those who are busy or in a caravan or who just have a pot and stove to cook on but would like the comfort factor of eating a crumble in the midst of it all.






Cherries with Almond crumble and Mascarpone cream

Recipe for four persons

300gm Cherries, stoned and halved, if you have a cherry stoner well and good, if not cut the cherries in half and remove the stone.

For The Crumble

25gms butter

25gms sugar

14gms, flour,

60gms ground almonds.

 Method

Put the butter and sugar into a small pot, melt over a gentle heat then turn up the heat until the mix bubbles, add the flour, stir with a wooden spoon until it bubbles again add the almonds and stir for a minute or two then remove from the heat and stir vigorously until the mix cools a little and resembles a coarse crumble or sand like texture.

Mascarpone cream

A Simple plate presentation. Eyed up

100gms Mascarpone

100gms double cream

Method

Place both in a bowl and whip until stiff.

Garnish with some mint, I like Lemon verbena with this and a drizzle of Poppy and Rose petal syrup on it [ Take a handful of edible rose petals and a dozen or  so poppy petals, crush them and soak overnight in 100ml of water  next day  boil together with 50gms sugar, strain and leave to

cool]

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