Message on a bottle: When chef Anne-Marie Hennessy decided to close the Olde School House Restaurant in Coolrain, Co Laois last July, after 10 years at the helm, she had a plan.
Within weeks she turned the restaurant kitchen into a production facility, from which she now develops and produces a range of relishes, dressings, chutneys, marinades and dips that are drawing crowds to the three farmers' markets she attends. The Olde School House Food Company's products are based on recipes that Hennessy used in the restaurant, and in an over-crowded field they stand out for their originality. The three-seed basil pesto, made with toasted pumpkin, linseed and sunflower seeds instead of pine kernels, is a winner for those with nut allergies, and the three-in-one marinade/dressing/dip range is a versatile idea using good flavour combinations such as lemon, mustard and Parmesan, and toasted sesame and honey. A mint and red berry variety is coming soon. Hennessy attends the Naas, Athy and Portlaoise markets, and her products are also on sale in Brown's of Pepper's Lane, Portlaoise; Morton's of Ranelagh; The Olive Tree, Thurles; Wild Harvest, Tullamore, and Country Choice in Nenagh. She will also dispatch telephone orders by post. Prices range from €3.50 to €5.50, with discounts given at the markets. The Olde School House Food Company, The Glebe, Coolrain, Co Laois, 087-6692324. Marie-Claire Digby
Healthy cooking for the family: Wholesome Cooking for Children and Teenagers is a course being held at The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim on Saturday, April 22nd. Gaby Wieland will be cooking recipes that are "fresh, whole and as unprocessed as possible". Breakfast, healthy lunchboxes, wholesome snacks and drinks, as well as tasty meals for lunch and dinner will be covered. The course costs €85, includes lunch, and can be booked on 071-9854338, www.theorganiccentre.ie. Hugo Arnold