Bringing home the organic message

Darina Allen judges the Organic Food Awards in the UK and wonders why Ireland has no similar awards

I've just been over to the UK to help judge the prestigious Soil Association Organic Food Awards 2006. Over the past two days, chefs, foodwriters, cookbook authors, restaurateurs and culinary experts converged on Bristol to chomp their way through 29 categories of organic food.

There are a number of special awards for Producer of the Year, Best Local Food Initiative, Box Scheme of the Year. You can't imagine how gorgeous the "boxes" were, bursting with freshly picked organic vegetables, fruit, herbs, edible flowers, free-range eggs, often with seasonal recipes to help the cook to tackle unfamiliar items like globe artichokes or kohl rabi.

Delicious magazine sponsors the Best Local Food Initiative, reflecting the importance of local food for local people. This award is made to businesses, co-operatives and other ventures who show innovation and commitment in making good food, locally available. Farmers markets, healthy local and organic food for hospitals and schools, community food projects and support for innovative education initiatives all help bring the local organic message home to people every day. Chefs, restaurateurs and writers love to participate in the award because they get the inner track on where to source the very best produce. How wonderful would it be to have similar awards in Ireland?

The results are in and the awards will be presented by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at the Soil Association Organic Food Festival in Bristol from 2-3 September 2006 – an amazing extravaganza of organic food, markets, cookery classes and tastings.

Blackcurrant Fool with Jane's biscuits

Serves 6

Fool: 350g (12oz) fresh blackcurrants, frozen blackcurrants may be used; Stock syrup (see below); Whipped cream

Cover the blackcurrants with stock syrup. Bring to the boil and cook until the fruit bursts, about 4-5 minutes. Liquidise and sieve or puree the fruit and syrup and measure. When the puree has cooled, add up to equal quantity of softly whipped cream, according to taste.

Stock syrup: 1 lb (450 g) sugar; 1 pint (600 ml) water

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes then allow to cool. Store in the fridge until needed.

Jane's Biscuits: 6 ozs (170g) white flour; 4 ozs (110g) butter; 2 ozs (55g) castor sugar

Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the butter as for shortcrust pastry. Gather the mixture together and knead lightly. Roll out to 1/4 inch (7mm) thick. Cut into rounds with a 21/2 inch (6cm) cutter or into heart shapes. Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 until pale brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.