Mark Diacono is an award-winning food writer and grower, who has published seven books, including A Year At Otter Farm which won the Andre Simon Food Book of the Year 2014 award. Formerly head of the gardening team at Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s River Cottage, today he runs his own small-holding, Otter Farm, in East Devon, and shares his adventures at www.otterfarm.co.uk
In September, however, Mark will be one of the key speakers at the GIY Grow Fest in Waterford on 11-13 September. We caught up with him to find out just what he has in store.
What plans have you for GIY’s GROW Fest?
“I’m nice and busy at this year’s GIY Fest, with a cocktail contest, a talk and yet more cocktail-making cunningly disguised as a cooking demo.
“The Wild Cocktail Club pits me against Hans Weiland on Friday night at 7pm. There’ll be delicious tasters, and I know Hans is a fine cocktail-maker, so I’ll be bringing a few really special recipes. Come if you can, everyone gets a taste and a vote. I don’t want to let Hans know exactly what I’m making, but there will be a mojito of sorts and perhaps a fresh seasonal punch among them.
“Saturday and Sunday are full of fantastic talks, interviews, panels, demos and skills events, and I’ll be running to as many of them as I can. A ticket to all the talks in the GROW tent is the ridiculous bargain of €47.50. I’ll be there on Saturday afternoon with author Lia Leendertz, talking about amazing small veg patches we discovered while working on her book last year – everything from microgreens at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir, to edible wheelbarrows, one-metre beds and inner city veranda gardens here and overseas.
“On Sunday, as well as running a skill session on pruning fruit, I’ll be in the Grow HQ kitchen at Blackfriars, taking some of the loveliest herbs I know and using them to transform even less-than-marvellous fruit into loveliness, with a couple of bonus cocktails coming out of the process too.”
Speaking of cocktails, now that autumn is here, what hedgerow tipples can we try at home?
“A sloe royale is pretty hard to beat – one part sloe gin (recipes online) to three parts sparkling wine.
“If you have blackberries in a nearby hedgerows, ¼ fill a jar with sugar, fill to ¾ full with loosely packed blackberries, then slowly pour in as much whisky as will fit. Shake a little, then invert the jar daily for a few weeks to dissolve the sugar. Strain off the fruit (great with ice cream) and bottle. Leave it as long as you can – it improves with age – but at least ’til Christmas. It’s a fine fireside treat on its own, or makes a superb Kir with one part blackberry whisky to five parts white wine.”
Starting a kitchen garden can be very daunting. What are your foolproof tips for beginners?
“Everyone feels this way, I did too. The secret is to start with a small success and build up from there, rather than take on too much and try to scale back from a large failure.
“Half a dozen pots of perennial herbs (those that live beyond a year) by the back door can change every meal you eat – a hugely powerful and pleasurable thing to do. Start with them – perhaps rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena, orange thyme, chives and bay – and build up from there as time and inclination allows.”
What factors should you bear in mind when planning a kitchen garden?
“Everyone will have their own answers and wish list, but the key is to ask yourself the right questions. My golden rules are:
Grow your favourite flavours.Grow plenty of unbuyables – those the shops rarely stock.Choose some repeat-harvests, eg peas, courgettes, green beans, etc, that keep the rewards coming.Get a few quick returns, eg radishes, pea shoots, etc, that are ready in a few short weeks. Every year, grow two things you’ve never tasted before, never heard of even. It keeps your mind open to new ideas and flavours, and keeps the larder of flavours wide open.”Have you any foodie adventures planned for Waterford?
“I’ve been in love with Waterford since first coming here a few years ago. The produce is fantastic, the surrounding countryside beautiful, but nothing betters the welcome – it’s such a friendly, warm city, full of liveliness and a sense of fun. I’ve explored the food festival, a few restaurants and a few more hostelries in previous years, but next year I’ll make sure I can add a week before or after for a longer explore.” CL
For tickets and details, see giyinterna tional.org/grow_fest
Mark Diacono is an award-winning food writer and grower, who has published seven books, including A Year At Otter Farm which won the Andre Simon Food Book of the Year 2014 award. Formerly head of the gardening team at Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s River Cottage, today he runs his own small-holding, Otter Farm, in East Devon, and shares his adventures at www.otterfarm.co.uk
In September, however, Mark will be one of the key speakers at the GIY Grow Fest in Waterford on 11-13 September. We caught up with him to find out just what he has in store.
What plans have you for GIY’s GROW Fest?
“I’m nice and busy at this year’s GIY Fest, with a cocktail contest, a talk and yet more cocktail-making cunningly disguised as a cooking demo.
“The Wild Cocktail Club pits me against Hans Weiland on Friday night at 7pm. There’ll be delicious tasters, and I know Hans is a fine cocktail-maker, so I’ll be bringing a few really special recipes. Come if you can, everyone gets a taste and a vote. I don’t want to let Hans know exactly what I’m making, but there will be a mojito of sorts and perhaps a fresh seasonal punch among them.
“Saturday and Sunday are full of fantastic talks, interviews, panels, demos and skills events, and I’ll be running to as many of them as I can. A ticket to all the talks in the GROW tent is the ridiculous bargain of €47.50. I’ll be there on Saturday afternoon with author Lia Leendertz, talking about amazing small veg patches we discovered while working on her book last year – everything from microgreens at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir, to edible wheelbarrows, one-metre beds and inner city veranda gardens here and overseas.
“On Sunday, as well as running a skill session on pruning fruit, I’ll be in the Grow HQ kitchen at Blackfriars, taking some of the loveliest herbs I know and using them to transform even less-than-marvellous fruit into loveliness, with a couple of bonus cocktails coming out of the process too.”
Speaking of cocktails, now that autumn is here, what hedgerow tipples can we try at home?
“A sloe royale is pretty hard to beat – one part sloe gin (recipes online) to three parts sparkling wine.
“If you have blackberries in a nearby hedgerows, ¼ fill a jar with sugar, fill to ¾ full with loosely packed blackberries, then slowly pour in as much whisky as will fit. Shake a little, then invert the jar daily for a few weeks to dissolve the sugar. Strain off the fruit (great with ice cream) and bottle. Leave it as long as you can – it improves with age – but at least ’til Christmas. It’s a fine fireside treat on its own, or makes a superb Kir with one part blackberry whisky to five parts white wine.”
Starting a kitchen garden can be very daunting. What are your foolproof tips for beginners?
“Everyone feels this way, I did too. The secret is to start with a small success and build up from there, rather than take on too much and try to scale back from a large failure.
“Half a dozen pots of perennial herbs (those that live beyond a year) by the back door can change every meal you eat – a hugely powerful and pleasurable thing to do. Start with them – perhaps rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena, orange thyme, chives and bay – and build up from there as time and inclination allows.”
What factors should you bear in mind when planning a kitchen garden?
“Everyone will have their own answers and wish list, but the key is to ask yourself the right questions. My golden rules are:
Grow your favourite flavours.Grow plenty of unbuyables – those the shops rarely stock.Choose some repeat-harvests, eg peas, courgettes, green beans, etc, that keep the rewards coming.Get a few quick returns, eg radishes, pea shoots, etc, that are ready in a few short weeks. Every year, grow two things you’ve never tasted before, never heard of even. It keeps your mind open to new ideas and flavours, and keeps the larder of flavours wide open.”Have you any foodie adventures planned for Waterford?
“I’ve been in love with Waterford since first coming here a few years ago. The produce is fantastic, the surrounding countryside beautiful, but nothing betters the welcome – it’s such a friendly, warm city, full of liveliness and a sense of fun. I’ve explored the food festival, a few restaurants and a few more hostelries in previous years, but next year I’ll make sure I can add a week before or after for a longer explore.” CL
For tickets and details, see giyinterna tional.org/grow_fest
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