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

Sargassum muticum / Wireweed is appearing more frequently on Irish shores.

This brown seaweed came from Japan, it is believed, in commercial oyster spat It's edible - quite tasty - but is on the list of invasive alien species.

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.

Sunset Beach Foraging Walk at Kilfarassey Monday May 20th. 7 pm.

Booking essential with Bealtaine Festival.

Day 2 at Clonea Strand. Big crowd for the 2nd seaweed forage of the West Waterford Festival of Food. Marie will be holding a cookery demonstration at The Tannery Cookery School this afternoon.

Seaweed Cookery Workshop with demo and tasting on Saturday Aprl 13th at 2.30pm. Come to Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club, Davitts Quay, Dungarvan

Marie will be at Ardkeen Quality Food Store on Saturday March 23rd 11am – 1.30 pm – to talk to customers about her book – The Sea Garden.

Come along for a chat about seaweed cookery and foraging and taste some

recipes from the book!

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.