The Sea Gardener featured on Nationwide recently. 

On Friday March 20th, the spring equinox, solar eclipse and a full moon all aligned to create one of the best tides for seaweed foraging. So we headed to the strand and talked about seaweed uses, seaweed cookery and Hilitetv captured it all on film in the beautiful setting of Kilfarassey Strand, near Fenor, Co.Waterford. On this seaweed workshop, we could all see where the phrase Sea Garden originated - looking at the amazing rock pools and what was growing and living in them, and learn from The Sea Gardener how they could make us more healthy and how to connect fully with the source of our food and experience the living earth.

The piece also included a visit to the kitchen in which The Sea Gardener foods  - snack bars and caponata - are made, and a tasting at the local Supervalu store in Tramore

Click on this link to see the piece:

http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10407838/

http://www.rte.ie/.../#pos=389

Come and see us at the Courtyard, Curraghmore at the inaugral Bluebell Festival on Sunday May 3rd.

https://www.facebook.com/CurraghmoreBluebellFestivalinassociationwithSERT?fref=ts

We'll have lots of seaweed goodies, old Waterford favourites like Dilisk and Sleabhcan, and tips on seaweed uses you might be surprised by! Our book The Sea Garden, now in it's 2nd print run, has everything for the forage and seaweed cookery enthusiast.

Want to give an "active" present this Year?

How about a voucher for a forage with the Sea Gardener in 2015?

We will be foraging from March until October on the Waterford Coast and further afield and for €25 you can join us, or present a friend with a gift of a forage, where they will spend a few hours on the shore, learn how to identify seaweed and find out how to use it in cooking, gardening and as a beauty treatment.

Purchase Gift Vouchers

Seaweed Forage

Contact Us for further details

Aine Lalor, RTE broadcaster, came foraging with us recently and this piece, broadcast on the Marion Finucane Show on Sunday August 31st, captures her enthusiasm for it and the beauty of the place we were.

Forage & Beach Walk at Rathmoylan Cove, Co. Waterford on Sunday August 10th at 11 am.

Book via website or phone / email me directly.

We will explore the seaweeds of this lovely little cove near Dunmore East, identify the edible ones and explain how to use them in everyday cooking. Expect to pick some to bring home in time for lunch!

KiIlfarassey Strand provided a beautiful backdrop to yesterday evenings forage. The edible species were easy to find and we sampled some wild dishes afterwards. Thanks to the Calmast team for organising the Bealtaine Festival of Outdoor Science and to everyone who came along.

Lyric FM’s series “History on a Plate” (August 9th) features Marie speaking with Catherine Cleary about seaweed and foraging on Kilfarassey Strand.  Click on this link to hear the programme:

Next event is a Seaweed Foraging walk at Loftus Hall, Hook Head at 5.30pm on Saturday May 4th. Marie will be based at Loftus Hall from 2pm in the afternoon with seaweed tastings etc. Book for the forage directly via Loftus Hall website.

http://www.loftushall.com/booking/

Winter is here and I hope you got to dry and store your foraged seaweeds to use throughout the season, until new growth next spring. If not, you can buy most varieties in your local health shop or quality supermarket.

Carrageen is one worth having in the store cupboard. Known also by the names Carrageen Moss, Irish Moss, it is often sold bleached to a creamy white.

Some of the comments by participants:

“Thanx to both yourself & Kevin for a marvellous, natural experience. We brought a load of seaweed home & found it very easy to identify each type – once we had stretched it out & used your book as a guide. I loved it but kinda knew that it’d be class. The big thrill for me was seeing the kick that my family got out of it.”