Marcel Boulestin knew what he was talking about

'In those days methods of cooking were very primitive, that is to say they were perfect, giving results which I did not sufficiently appreciate, and which today we try to imitate by modern processes' Marcel Boulestin 1878 - 1943.

This weekend I spent my time cooking in Lismore Castle for a small group of people. The menu consisted of what Merlin the gardener picked from his fantastic vegetable plot, the herbs came neatly tied with string, squash of all shapes and sizes, herbs, artichokes, potatoes, celeriac, chard, romanesco, I was in heaven, a Chefs dream was the recurring thought going through my mind.
I cooked each and every ingredient with utter respect, took time to taste everything and presented it simply,  letting the produce speak for themselves. I went to McGraths butchers and purchased some of his fantastic beef, the fish came from Billy Burke in Waterford. This was food, this is why I became a Chef.