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Burren Smokehouse August 2010 In This Issue Special Offer of the Month What's New? Info-Feature Recipe Next Holidays Quick Links Organic Salmon  Salmon of Knowledge  Gift Hampers Our Awards  Testimonials Join to receive our Newsletter As you can see from our special offer below, we are still celebrating our Great Taste Awards gold** medals! The Irish Times recommended the Organic Salmon with Honey, Whiskey & Fennel so we want to give you a special offer of that quality as well as the other  Great Taste Awards gold medal winner, the Organic Salmon with Honey, Lemon and Dill. Our Info-Feature is slightly different this time, as it has nothing to do with our business as such (though we are part of the SilverCircle businesses offering discounts to senior citizens living in Ireland). But even if you don't live in Ireland, it might still be of interest to you as there might be similar offers in your own country that you could avail of. And attention if you are aged over 55 and live in Ireland: there is a competition at the end of the Info-Feature where you could win a year's SilverCircle membership! Our 15% offer in August - as recommended by Domini Kemp of the Irish Times Magazine! This month, we want to give you 15% off our ... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) What's New? Irish Times Magazine recommends our Organic Salmon! Domini Kemp, writing regularly for the Taste section In the Irish Times Magazine, recommended our Organic Cold Smoked Salmon with Honey, Whiskey & Fennel in the 24 July issue: "Domini recommends The Burren Smokehouse has won plenty of awards for its great smoked fish. Its cold smoked organic salmon with whiskey, honey and fennel is to die for."   Now, if that's not a recommendation, what is? Patricia Gouldbury & Patricia Lynch Marketing boost Two Bord Bia Fellowship Students from the Michael Smurfitt Business School were visiting us at the Burren Smokehouse for four days before they will travel to the USA and Germany respectively in September to assist us in increasing exports in these markets. Patricia Gouldsbury will be going to New York, and Patricia Lynch will be located in Düsseldorf to talk to potential customers of ours. Our Smoked Salmon now in the Milk Market! From now on you can buy our smoked salmon also in Mary and Peter Ward's Country Choice store in the Milk Market in Limerick city. Lookwest.ie is a website promoting the West of Ireland as a fabulous location to live and work. In their August newsletter, they highlight Clare as a destination for those thinking of relocating. In that newsletter, they run - and this might be of interest to you - a photo competition where one lucky person can win a Lisdoonvarna Selection sponsored by the Burren Smokehouse and LookWest.ie. Get trigger-happy!   Info-Feature -   SilverCircle.ie Age has its benefits - Burren Smokehouse join new discount scheme for people aged 55 and over SilverCircle.ie is a new community-based discount scheme that offers members exclusive offers on everything from holidays to transport and pharmacies to restaurants. Currently, over 500 high quality businesses - among them the Burren Smokehouse - offer discounts to SilverCircle members and this number is growing every day. Partners include some of Ireland's most trusted and recognised brands including Meteor, M&S, Argos, Debenhams, Stena Line, Joe Walsh Tours and Avis, to mention just a few. SilverCircle is also Ireland's first online lifestyle magazine for people aged 55 and over. Every week, they publish relevant, current and topical information on health, finances, home, leisure, relationships and new technologies. All the articles are free to read and the games like Sudoku and crosswords are free to play. In order to avail of the discounts, you must confirm to the relevant business that you are a SilverCircle member. To allow for this, you will be issued personalised membership cards at an annual cost of €18.50. Considering the savings members make over the course of the year, it is no wonder that the SilverCircle community has grown so quickly over the past couple of months. Competition Time! To celebrate our cooperation with SilverCircle.ie, you can win one of five one-year memberships to the value of €18.50 if you answer this question correctly (please email your answer using this link): Who can become a SilverCircle member? a) People aged 30 and under b) People aged 30 to 55 c) People aged 55 or over This competition is limited to residents of Ireland, but we are sure that there are similar schemes in your country, too, for either yourself, family members or friends who would fit into that age group. Recipe of the Month Smoked Salmon Pizza - serves 1 pizza, 4 servings - We owe this recipe to Helen Thompson from the USA, who was kind enough to share it with us! Send us your recipes! Ingredients: Easy Pizza Dough: 1 cup of warm water 3.5 cups of all purpose flour 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 teaspoons of honey 1 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of yeast - alternatively, you can cheat and buy a pre-baked pizza crust - Toppings: 2 cups of ricotta cheese 4 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped zest of 1 lemon salt and freshly ground pepper 0.5 lb Burren Smoked Salmon slices, cut into strips 2 large handfuls of rocket/rouquette, cut into strips Method: 1. Put warm water (circa 45°C / 110°F) into a bowl. Add salt and honey and mix with a spoon. Add yeast, mix and let it sit for about 10 minutes. 2. Gradually add flour and olive oil and start mixing. When the mixture gets too heavy to mix, start kneading the dough with your hands. Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. If the dough cracks it is too dry. Add water bit by bit until if forms a nice coherent ball. If your dough feels more like batter, it is too wet and you need to add flour bit by bit. If you need to add water or flour, do it by small amounts. 3. Coat the dough with olive oil, place it in a large bowl and cover it with kitchen wrap/cling film. Let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature, then push it down again so it deflates. Let it sit for about another hour. If you want to use it the next day, put it in a refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. 4. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, put a bit of flour on top and make it into the shape of a pie by stretching it out from the center outwards. Use a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4" thick. Punch some holes in the dough with a fork to let the air escape while the pizza is in the oven. Transfer the rolled-out dough on a lightly greased baking sheet. 5. Combine the ricotta cheese, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread the mix on the dough,and place the pizza in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 6. Remove the pizza from the oven. Top with rocket and smoked salmon strips.   Bon appetit! Click here to order Burren Smoked Salmon. Next Holidays on the Horizon   30 August 2010:       Bank Holiday (England, Wales, N.I.) 6 September 2010:  Labor Day (USA)  August Competition: Who wants to win...   ... a 500g pack of our Organic Hot Smoked Salmon with Honey, Lemon and Pepper (250g) and Organic Hot Smoked Salmon with Honey, Lemon and Dill (250g)? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: (Sorry, this section is reserved to the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Send your answer by email to us before 16 September 2010 and we will pick a lucky winner! The winner of last month's competition is J. Tomer, United States - congratulations!

Burren Smokehouse June Newsflash 2010 In This Issue What's New? Quick Links Organic Salmon  Salmon of Knowledge  Gift Hampers Our Awards  Testimonials Join to receive our Newsletter Just a brief newsflash to let you know that we will be at some public events this month where we would love to meet you! More below. What's Happening? Bloom in the Park - this week(end) Like the years before, the Burren Smokehouse will be having a stall at the Bloom in the Park garden show in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Among others, there will be a series of talks about lost and forgotten skills. This Sunday at 11.30am, Birgitta will give a talk about smoking techniques old and new, and other interesting facts to do with smoking fish. This great event will take place from this Thursday, 3 to 7 June. Not only will there be 25 show gardens, but also an area for kids with really interesting things to learn and a artisan food market. Rua Café, Castlebar - 18/06/10 Birgitta will be doing tastings at the Rua Café in Castlebar, Co. Mayo on 18 June 2010. Be sure to drop in! Nolan's of Clontarf - 19/06/10 She will also be at Nolan's of Clontarf the following day, 19 June 2010, for tastings. That is the day when Nolan's organises a big family day at their supermarket. Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby - end of June This event at the Curragh racecourse, Co. Kildare, is the high point of the Irish racing calendar. The world's best horses are competing against each other, and so do the most stylish people in Ireland, off the racetrack of course! There always is a great buzz at this highlight of the year which will take place on the weekend of the 26 and 27 June. The Burren Smokehouse will be at the hospitality tent under the umbrella of Good Food Ireland to feed the discerning crowds. We are very much looking forward to seeing you there and/or at Bloom! Let us know, when we'll meet, if you receive this newsletter or if you are a customer. We love to meet our customers face to face! Yvonne Wheeler, Northern Secretary of State Owen Patterson and Birgitta Tattersalls International Horse Trials Last weekend, Birgitta was on the road again for the Tattersalls horse trials, and together with other Good Food Ireland members like Rathmullans House and Country Choice, she fed and promoted the visitors at the Fairyhouse Racecourse. Sheridans Food Festival Sheridans Cheesemongers organised a packed food festival on their premises in Virginia, Co. Meath. It was a great success, you couldn't swing a cat between all the different stallholders. The Burren Smokehouse was present as well, and Birgitta gave a talk about smoked salmon and other interesting details. Burren Slow Food Festival 2010 The weekend before last was dedicated to the Burren Slow Food Festival with its cookery demos and farmers market on both days. It was a great success with a good buzz in spite - or because - of the fabulous weather we had. See some pictures of Darina Allen and the farmers market on our Facebook page.

Burren Smokehouse May 2010 In This Issue Special Offer of the Month What's New? Info-Feature Recipe Next Holidays Quick Links Organic Salmon  Salmon of Knowledge  Gift Hampers Our Awards  Testimonials Join to receive our Newsletter In this newsletter, we dive into the history of polar expeditions with the world famous Irish born explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. There is a connection between the story in our info feature and our May offer - enjoy discovering it! On 20th June 2010, Father's Day will be celebrated in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the USA and Canada. Our May Offer ties very well in with a thoughtful present for your father - delivered right to his doorstep with a personal message from you! We hope that this newsletter gets to you in time for the Burren Slow Food Festival which will take place this weekend in Lisdoonvarna. For more details see below - there is a link to a detailed schedule of events. We would love to see you there! Our May Offer! This month, we want to give you 10% off all our ... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here) in honour of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton - and if you do not know the connection, read up on this adventurer in our info feature below. Mention "May Offer" in your order to qualify for the discount. What's New?  We are kosher! Well, our smoked salmon, mackerel and trout are. In April, we received the kosher certification - so spread the word among your friends if you know that they are looking for kosher products! Burren Slow Food Festival almost here! Put it in your diary if you happen to be in the Clare, Limerick or Galway area - this year's festival will happen this weekend, from 21 to 23 May. You will find more information regarding the schedule on our Events page. The weekend's events revolve around cookery demos, special guests talking about subjects that concern us all, and a farmers' market, a barbecue and kids' stuff. Darina Allen will give a cookery demo and sign her book "Forgotten Skills" afterwards. Info-Feature - Scotch on the Rocks Shackleton (2nd from left) Over a century ago, in 1909, explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton who was born in 1874 in County Kildare, Ireland, had to leave behind some cases of alcohol at Hut Point in the Antarctic. They had failed to reached the South Pole as they had to turn back in a race against starvation. They just about made it back to the ship. But their achievement was that they were the first humans (we know of) to get this far south. Two years later, Roald Amundsen reached the southernmost point of the earth. Now here is the connection to our May offer: in 2006, five crates of Scotch whisky and two of brandy were recovered from under the floor boards by a team restoring an Antarctic hut used more than 100 years ago by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew. Only this year, current distillery owner, drinks group Whyte & Mackay, launched the bid to recover the Scotch whisky for samples to test and decide whether to relaunch the defunct spirit made by distiller McKinlay and Co. Richard Paterson, master blender at Whyte and Mackay, described the find as "a gift from the heavens for whisky lovers." "If the contents can be confirmed, safely extracted and analysed, the original blend may be able to be replicated. Given the original recipe no longer exists, this may open a door into history," he said in a statement. On 5 January 1922, Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack on his last expedition to the South Pole, on board his ship QUEST in South Georgia. Just before he died, his doctor who was with him on the ship told him to lead a more regular life and to give up alcohol... Recipe of the Month Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad  - serves 4 -   Ingredients: 6 eggs 1 stalk celery, chopped 1/2 red onion, chopped 2.5 oz / 70 g diced Organic smoked salmon    1/2 cup / 120 ml mayonnaise 2 tblsp / 6 g chopped fresh dill salt and pepper to taste Method: 1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop. 2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, celery, onion, smoked salmon and mayonnaise. Season with dill, salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to combine. Bon appetit! Click here to order our Organic Smoked Salmon Next Holidays on the Horizon 31 May 2010:  Bank holiday (UK)  and Memorial Day (USA) 7 June 2010: Bank holiday (IRL) 20 June 2010: Father's Day (USA/CAN) May Competition: Who wants to win...   ... a pack of 500g of our Burren Organic Smoked Salmon? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: (Sorry but this is a competition reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Send your answer by email to us before 11 June 2010 and we will pick a lucky winner! The winner of last month's competition is M. Joye from Switzerland - congratulations!

Burren Slow Food Festival
Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare
Friday 21 May to Sunday 23 May 2010

DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME HERE:

Home - About Us - Visitor Centre - Products - How to Buy - Shipping - Awards - Online Forms - Contact Us - Links January 2010 NEWSLETTER Email: info@burrensmokehouse.ie In This Issue: Special Valentine Offer What's New? Info Feature: Valentine's Trivia Recipe of the Month Next Holidays January Competition: Who wants to win... Service links   Gift Vouchers   The Burren Smokehouse are delighted to announce that you can now purchase a Burren Smokehouse gift voucher online! Just place your order and we will send the gift voucher out to you or direct to the lucky recipient! read more     Share With Friends!   Why not forward your friends a copy of this email. Maybe someone you know would just love one of our recipes!     We are Proud Members of:     A happy New Year 2010... ... to you, our valued customers and business friends! We want to thank you for your continued custom in 2009, and we are looking forward to increasing our business in 2010 even more. We had a very successful Christmas campaign with a resounding positive feedback from our customers on the high quality of our products and the standard of service we provide. The feedback lets us forget the pre-Christmas stress and is incentive to strive for even higher levels of accomplishment. So we will keep on providing you with birthday or special occasion gifts for your loved ones, and of course also with Valentine's presents for which we have a special offer on below. Special Valentine Offer     This month's offer is about sending something nice to your loved one: 10% off the retail price of ... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) What's New?     Seafood Exporter Award for Burren Smokehouse! After receiving awards after awards for the quality of our products, the Burren Smokehouse has been awarded for the service offered to our customers. The Seafood Exporter Award 2009, sponsored by Bord Biá, recognises companies in the seafood sector that have made significant progress in securing and building export markets for Irish seafood. The winner was Burren Smokehouse for its success in exporting 60% of its smoked organic and premium salmon, trout and mackerel to the USA, Europe and Japan. Birgitta received the award from Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Ireland's prime minister (photo). This award is a great milestone for us as it means that our efforts to reach customers in other countries - through innovation, customer-orientation and fully translated trilingual website and newsletter - are acknowledged. BioFach 2010 in Nuremberg We will be present at the communal Irish organic food producer stand (hall 4, stand 430) at the world's biggest Organic Fair BioFach in Nuremberg, Germany, from 17 to 20 February. If you are at the fair, call in to us - we would love to meet you and give you a tasting of our products! "Marketplace" Bord Bía organises a one day event in Dublin on 9 February where Irish food producers will exhibit their fares and meet 300 international buyers. Burren Smokehouse will of course be there and meet all those potential customers from abroad. Info Feature: Valentine's Trivia     This time, our info feature is about something light and amusing: the funny side of Valentine's Day... February 15th was the date of the Roman festival of Lupercalia where young men held a lottery to decide which girl would be theirs. During Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St. Valentine's Day to have a dream of their future husband.  In the middle Ages, people believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex they met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become their spouse.  In the middle of the 17th century even married people took a Valentine - not always their legal other half!  In Wales, love spoons of wood were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes formed the favorite theme of decorations on the spoons, which together symbolized- "You unlock my heart!"  England's King Henry VIII declared February 14th a holiday in 1537 for the first time.  In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February 14. After the Romans left England, Pope Gelsius abolished the pagan ritual and established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D. Love in tough times A few days before Valentine's Day, a man walks into a post office and sees a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them. His curiosity gets the better of him; he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says, "I'm sending out 1,000 Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'" "But why?" asks the man. "I'm a divorce lawyer," the man replies. Recipe of the Month     Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon Ingredients: 225g floury potatoes 75ml full cream milk 75g whipping cream 2 eggs + the white of another 1.5 heaped tsp self-raising flour (or normal flour + a pinch of baking powder) salt, pepper 4 dessertspoons crème fraîche 8 slices of Smoked Salmon of Knowledge Method: 1. Peel, quarter and boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked, and mash them finely. 2. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk two egg yolks and the white of one egg into the potato mixture along with the flour (and baking powder if used). Then mix in the hot cream and milk, and season with salt and pepper. It should at this stage be a thick batter. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. 3. Before cooking the potato cakes, whisk remaining two egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Heat frying pan and lightly oil once hot. Turn down the heat to medium. Spoon in potato mixture making small heaps for individual cakes. Once the side facing down is fairly firm, turn it and flatten the potato cake gently with a spatula. Cook until done.  4. Arrange in the middle of the plate, gently spread a dollop of crème fraîche over it and top with smoked salmon. Bon appetit! Click her to order our Burren Smokehouse Smoked Salmon of Knowledge Next Holidays     14 February 2010: Valentine's Day - see our offer above 17 March 2010: St. Patrick's Day 2 to 5 April 2010: Easter USA: 7 February 2010: Super Bowl 14 February 2010: Valentine's Day 15 February 2010: President's Day 18 January 2010: Martin Luther King Day 2 to 5 April 2010: Easter January Competition: Who wants to win...     ... a pack of 500g of our Hot smoked Organic spiced Salmon? (Sorry, this section is reserved to the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.)

Burren Smokehouse February 2010 In This Issue Special Offer of the Month What's New? Info-Feature Recipe Next Holidays Quick Links Organic Salmon  Salmon of Knowledge  Gift Hampers Our Awards  Testimonials Join to receive our Newsletter Spring in Ireland... Okay, admitted, it is not really obvious, but since the 1st February, it is officially spring in Ireland. We have had a very severe winter this time, with snow, ice and very low temperatures. It is safe to assume that you experienced a similar kind of winter, so we are probably all looking forward to warmer weather and sunshine! A good start might be St. Patrick's Day, made even better by the Special Offer - see below. Whatever the weather - Happy St. Patrick's Day!   St. Patrick's Day Offer! This month, we want to give you 10% off our special... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here) Order date by 10 March 2010 (8 March for USA/CAN) Delivery by the 16 March at the latest (12 March for USA/CAN)   What's New?   Biofach 2010 and Marketplace We are just after coming back from Biofach, a successful tradeshow in Germany, and the biggest organic fair in the world. And the week before, we met a lot of potential customers at "Marketplace" in Croke Park, the famous stadium in Dublin, for speed-dating style meetings. It was organised by Bord Bia, the Irish food marketing organisation. Birgitta and Peter in San Francisco In January, the owners of the Burren Smokehouse went on an inspirational trip to the West coast of the US to sample everything from supermarkets to farmers markets. They had a chance to go to the Fancy Food Show with 20 other food producers from Ireland. This trip was organised by Bord Bia, and is considered a great opportunity to network and to make the most of American consultancies regarding business in the States. Burren Slow Food Festival - a date for your diary! It is still a bit of time left, but we want to give you the date of this year's annual Burren Slow Food Festival which will take place on the weekend of 21 to 23 May 2010 in Lisdoonvarna. As in the years before, there will be food talks, cookery demonstrations, farmers' market and more. More details to follow later!   Info-Feature - Our commitment to sustainability "Friend of the Sea"   We are very proud to work with exclusively Irish salmon suppliers who are all committed to sustainability and care for the environment.  Our biggest supplier of our Salmon of Knowledge has been audited for the "Friend of the Sea" certificate. This name might not mean much to you, but you might have heard about the dolphin-friendly tuna that you can buy in tins with the logo of a dolphin on it.  The Dolphin-Safe seal of approval is by far the best known environmental certification label. It testifies that the tuna has been caught without killing dolphins as a by-catch (dolphins would drown in the nets before they would get a chance to come to the surface and breathe again). Friend of the Sea was founded by Dr Paolo Bray, also European Director of the Earth Island Institute's Dolphin-Safe Project, the precursor of all seafood and fisheries certification scheme, which managed to save millions of dolphins from getting targeted, bycaught and killed by the industrial tuna industry. The criteria for certification are: - the fishfarms are not impacting critical habitats - procedures are in place to limit escapes of fish to a negligible level; - there is NO use of Genetically Modified Organisms and growth     hormones; - there is NO use of antifouling paints; - there is waste, water, feed and energy management in place; The impact of these measures are very positive for the salmon itself, its taste, quality and its health benefits, but also for the environment. And at the Burren Smokehouse, we are convinced you can taste it in the smoked salmon!   Recipe of the Month Risotto with Smoked Salmon  - serves 4, takes ca. 45 min -   Ingredients: 50 to 60 g butter 1/2 onion, chopped 350g Arborio rice 1 glass brandy or vodka (optional) 1L vegetable stock salt and pepper to taste 200g Organic Smoked salmon    Method: 1. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the chopped onion and the rice until well crispy. Add the vodka or brandy and let evaporate. 2. In the meantime prepare a light stock using vegetable stock cubes and/or carrots, tomatoes, celery and one potato. 3. To make the risotto: add the hot stock to the rice, ladle by ladle, having the patience to wait for the liquid to be absorbed while you keep stirring vigorously. When it is nearly done - taste it until you get the right texture! - adjust the seasoning. Switch off the heat. 4. Chop the salmon in thin stripes and add it to the rice. Leave the risotto to rest for a few minutes off the heat before serving.    It is important that you add the salmon at the very last, and leave the risotto to sit for a few minutes off the heat, otherwise you risk losing all the flavour from the fish. -  Bon appetit! Click here to order our Organic Smoked Salmon.   Next Holidays on the Horizon      17 March 2010: St. Patrick's Day      2 to 5 April 2010: Easter   February Competition: Who wants to win...  ... a pack of 500g of our Salmon of Knowledge? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: (Sorry but this competition is reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here) Send your answer by email to us before 12 March 2010 and we will pick a lucky winner! The winner of our January competition is Andrew Davis from the UK. Congratulations!   About Burren Smokehouse We want to thank you for reading our newsletter, it means a lot to us. We want to invite you to let us know if there are any subjects you want us to cover in this newsletter, or if there are any changes to it you would like to see. Let us know!  Burren Smokehouse, Kincora Road, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, Ireland

Home - About Us - Visitor Centre - Products - How to Buy - Shipping - Awards - Online Forms - Contact Us - Links September 2009 NEWSLETTER Email: info@burrensmokehouse.ie In This Issue: What's new? Info Feature - Life Cycle of the Salmon Special Offer "September" Recipe of the Month Next Holidays Competition: Who wants to win...   Gift Vouchers   The Burren Smokehouse are delighted to announce that you can now purchase a Burren Smokehouse gift voucher online! Just place your order and we will send the gift voucher out to you or direct to the lucky recipient! read more     Share With Friends!   Why not forward your friends a copy of this email. Maybe someone you know would just love one of our recipes!     We are Proud Members of:     Beautiful September It is hard to believe that it is almost autumn again. But we are embracing this lovely time of the year when we can go for long walks and then spend the evenings inside in front of the fire... This is the start of the very busy time of the year for us - the SHOP exhibition in Dublin will be on next week, and we are preparing the Christmas catalogue. What's new?     Just in - Producer of the Year Award! Birgitta just came back from the K Club in Straffan (home to the 2006 Ryder Cup),  where Good Food Ireland held an event on 22 September. The Burren Smokehouse was given the "Producer of the Year" award during a fantastic event in one of Ireland's most prestigious resorts. SHOP 2009 in Dublin Next week, from 28 to 30 September, we will be having a stall in the retail show SHOP 2009 in the RDS Simmonscourt. The shop-owners among you, we hope to see you there. And the customers of shops among our readers, why don't you send your local shop-owners down there to talk to us, if they don't sell our salmon yet? Superquinn tastings Birgitta will be traveling around the country to have tastings in various Superquinn stores. See our Facebook page for dates and locations. She would be delighted to meet you there! And in local news... A range of new wonderful walks have been opened up for nature enthusiasts in the Burren area. You can find more information about the mostly looped walks on the Shannon Development website.  -  The Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club is organising a walking festival weekend from 25 to 27 September - this might become a regular occurrence so you look out for more! Muhammad Ali visited Ennis at the beginning of September and created quite a stir in the Banner County! He was invested as "Free Man of Ennis" in a civic reception. There was music and dance all afternoon and evening while he was in town. Muhammad Ali's great grandfather was born on Turnpike Road in Ennis, and he commemorated that with the unveiling of a plaque at the home of his ancestor. Info Feature - Life Cycle of the Salmon     Salmon are one of the few fish species which can live in salt and freshwater. They spend their juvenile lives in rivers, then migrate to the sea and return later to the place they were born. - The migration to the spawning habitat may commence up to a year before spawning takes place in autumn or winter. The salmon ceases to feed to direct all their energy to reproduction. The fertilized eggs are covered with gravel to a depth of several centimetres by the female. The parents then leave the eggs in the nest or "redd", and there is no further parental care. The eggs will hatch after about 180 days at normal water temperatures in March or April. The just-hatched fish are called alevins, and still have a yolk sac attached to their bodies containing the remains of food supplied from the egg. When most of the their yolk sac has been consumed, the alevins become active and begin their journey up through the gravel. Three to six weeks after hatching they are called fry. The small fish must rise to the surface of the water to take a gulp of air with which they fill their swim bladder. This critical period exposes the young to dangerous predators for the first time. Fry quickly develop into parr with vertical stripes and spots for camouflage. They feed on aquatic insects and grow for one to three years in their natal stream. Once the parr have grown to 10–24 cm in body length, they undergo a physiological pre-adaptation to life in seawater while still in freshwater, by smolting (internal changes in the salt-regulating mechanisms of the body, and in the appearance and behaviour of the fish). The smolts change from swimming against the current to moving with it. This adaptation prepares the smolt for its journey to the oceans. In spring, large numbers of smolts leave Irish rivers to migrate north along the slope current into the Norwegian Sea and the greater expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean. As they grow fewer predators are able to feed on them. Their rate of growth is therefore critical to survival. Some Irish salmon will reach maturity after one year at sea and return to their river in summertime weighing from 1 to 4kg. If it takes two or more years to mature, the salmon will return considerably earlier in the year and larger at 3 to 15kg - becoming a highly prized fish but also a very rare one. Salmon exhibit a remarkable "homing instinct", by which a very high proportion are able to locate their river of origin using the earth's magnetic field, the chemical smell of their river and pheromones (chemical substances released by other salmon in the river). Having spawned, the salmon are referred to as "kelts". Weakened by not having eaten any food since their arrival in freshwater and losing energy in a bid to reproduce successfully they are susceptible to disease and predators. Mortality after spawning can be significant, especially for males but some do survive and commence their epic jouney again. In exceptional cases, some Irish salmon are known to have spawned up to three times! You can read more about the life cycle of the salmon and the problems this species is facing on our website. Special Offer "September"     This month, we want to give you 10% off all our Organic Cold Smoked Salmon with Honey, Whiskey & Fennel packs. This variety of smoked salmon is unique in the world, and our creation has won three awards right away a year ago during the SHOP 2008 retail show in Dublin. 10% off the retail price of ... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.)   Recipe of the Month     Pizza with Smoked Salmon and Caramelised Onions - serves 4 - Pizza Dough: 1 1/2 cups or 350ml warm water (ca. 110°F or 45°C) 1 1/2 tablespoons or 25g sugar 3 teaspoons or 15ml active dry yeast (about 1 1/2 envelopes) 4 1/2 cups or 560g all purpose flour 4 1/2 tablespoons or 70ml olive oil + some for greasing 2 1/4 teaspoons or 10g salt 1. Brush large bowl with oil. Mix warm water and sugar in processor. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to dissolve. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes. Add flour, 4 1/2 tablespoons oil, and salt. Process 1 minute. 2. Transfer dough to floured surface; knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 3. Sprinkle flour over rimmed baking sheet. Divide dough into 6 equal portions; roll each into ball. Space dough balls evenly on baking sheet. Place a damp tea towel over dough. Refrigerate 1 hour before rolling and baking. This recipe provides plenty of dough, so feel free to use less at the baking stage. Toppings: 300gr of Burren Smokehouse Salmon of Knowledge, thinly sliced 4 brown onions, sliced 1/2 cup or 120ml of sour cream 2 tbs of capers Fresh dill 4 tbs or 60ml of olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon Sea salt 1. Pre-heat the oven to 300°F or 150°C. 2. Slice the onions thinly and evenly. Heat oil over a medium-high heat in a large, heavy-based fry-pan. Add the onions and saute until a deep golden brown. This process will take about 25 minutes. Start frying the onions on a medium heat and then gradually lower the heat. Stir the onions occasionally and make sure they don't burn. 3. Roll out the dough and then brush will a little olive oil on both sides. Place dough on a baking tray and then bake for 10-15 minutes. Bubbles may rise in the dough but just pop them once the dough is cooked. 4. Remove the pizza from the oven and then top with caramelized onions, and smoked salmon. Sprinkle on capers, dill and top with sour cream. 5. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt. - Click here to order the Burren Smokehouse Salmon of Knowledge used in the recipe - Next Holidays     Ireland: October 26, 2009: Bank Holiday USA: October 12, 2009: Columbus Day (2nd Monday in Oct)           November 11, 2009: Veterans' Day Competition: Who wants to win...     ... a pack of 500g Hot smoked Salmon, spiced? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: (Sorry, this section is reserved to the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Last month's winner is J. Paehle from Germany - congratulations!

Home - About Us - Visitor Centre - Products - How to Buy - Shipping - Awards - Online Forms - Contact Us - Links August 2009 NEWSLETTER Email: info@burrensmokehouse.ie In This Issue: What's New? What's New? - II Info Feature - Something about MAckeRYl August Offer - Healthy Smoked Mackerel Recipe of the Month Next Holidays on the Horizon Competition - Who wants to win...   Gift Vouchers   The Burren Smokehouse are delighted to announce that you can now purchase a Burren Smokehouse gift voucher online! Just place your order and we will send the gift voucher out to you or direct to the lucky recipient! read more     Share With Friends!   Why not forward your friends a copy of this email. Maybe someone you know would just love one of our recipes!     We are Proud Members of:     Dedicated to Mackerel This newsletter is fully dedicated to the delicious and healthy mackerel - we have a special offer on for it, this month's recipe contains mackerel, and it is also part of the competition prize. And gain some insight in the particularities of this fish species in our info feature. On the Atlantic shore of North Clare, you can see the fishermen and -women dipping bait into the water to catch them - this is the month (and newsletter!) of the Mackerel! What's New?     Eco-Tourism involvement Birgitta and Peter Curtin were recently attending a graduation ceremony in Gregan's Castle Hotel in Ballyvaughan (Co. Clare) for the businesses who successfully completed the Certificate in Ecotourism. All of the people involved are now participating in the pilot ecotourism accreditation project with Greenbox. Read more in Facebook Notes. Slow Food Festival Waterford Birgitta will travel to Waterford on 12 & 13 September to be part of the market at the Slow Food Festival. This market will take place on Sunday from 11am to 4pm and will be officially launched by Clodagh McKenna, followed by music. There will be around 100 stalls with wonderful locally produced goods. You can directly talk to the people who produced what they sell, and even taste their foods. Drop by if you are in the area!   European network of canteens to involve school in project Slow Food is very active these days. They just launched a long-term project of which Birgitta will be part of: the European network of canteens whose aim it is to involve schools and other canteens in offering locally produced and healthy food to their patrons. Main aims: Good, Clean and Fair Food. You can read more in our Notes on Facebook. What's New? - II     "Fresh from the Sea" - the video now on our website! Now you can watch the episode of "Fresh from the Sea" (with presenter Clodagh McKenna) with the Burren Smokehouse in it on our website - click here to watch. About 14 minutes into the video Birgitta will be interviewed by Clodagh in the family-owned pub the Roadside Tavern. Our master smoker can be watched doing his work, assisted by Birgitta. Available also for viewers outside Ireland. Our fans are getting younger! We received a lovely feedback from a mother whose son of about 9 years of age came through Shannon Airport a few weeks ago on a school trip to France. He had tasted some of the cold smoked on the day and was raving to his mother about it. A few weeks later while travelling out on a family holiday, his mother offered him a present from the Duty Free shop - and he chose our Burren Smokehouse salmon!   New Quality Scheme launched Birgitta attended the launch of the BIM (Irish Sea Fisheries Board) scheme QSP - the Quality Assured Eco-Friendly Seafood from Ireland Programme which stands for Quality, Sustainability and Provenance! Read more in our Facebook Notes. Info Feature - Something about MAckeRYl     Mackerel is one of the most health beneficial kinds of fish you can eat - it contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids of which we can never consume enough. Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish. They occur in all tropical and temperate seas. The Atlantic Mackerel is by far the most common of the ten species of the family that are caught in British waters. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), enter bays and can be caught near bridges and piers. In contrast to salmon and trout, mackerel is a species that cannot be farmed, so all mackerel you buy was caught in the wild. They can reach the mature age of 20 years. Usually mackerel swim in large schools of several thousands. It is not known if the schools hold together all the time, but fishermen tend to think so. The members of a school are usually of the same size. In summer, they tend to move towards the shores and the surface of the water, while they would move into deep water in winter. Mackerel school by themselves, as a rule, but sometimes they are found mingled with herring, alewives or shad. See here for more health benefits of fish products. August Offer - Healthy Smoked Mackerel     This month, we want to give you 10% off our... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Recipe of the Month     Smoked Mackerel Soufflé Although the soufflé was originally a French speciality it made an impact on English cooking in the mid-19th century when cheese soufflé became a spectacular and popular party piece.  -  Serves 4  - Ingredients 200ml (7 fl oz) fresh milk a few onion and carrot slices 1 bay leaf 6 black peppercorns 30g (2 tbsp) plain flour 25g (1 oz) butter salt and pepper 75g (3 oz) smoked mackerel, skinned, boned and finely flaked 4 eggs, separated 1 extra egg white Method 1. Grease a 1.3 litre (2 1/4 pint) soufflé dish. 2. Put the milk in a medium saucepan with the onion and carrot slices, bay leaf and peppercorns. Slowly bring to the boil, remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the milk. 3. Put the flour, butter and reserved milk in a medium saucepan. Heat, whisking continuously, until the sauce thickens, boils and is smooth. Simmer for 1 - 2 minutes. Season to taste. Leave to cool slightly. 4. Beat the yolks into the cooled sauce, 1 at a time. Sprinkle the fish over the sauce. (At this stage the mixture can be left to stand for several hours if necessary.) 5. Stir in the fish until evenly blended. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. 6. Mix one large spoonful of egg white into the sauce to lighten its texture. Gently pour the sauce over the remaining egg whites and cut and fold the ingredients together. Do not overmix; fold lightly, using a metal spoon or plastic spatula, until the egg whites are just incorporated. 7. Pour the soufflé mixture gently into the prepared dish. The mixture should come about three-quarters up the side of the dish. Smooth the surface of the souffle. 8. Place the souffle on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for about 30 minutes. It should be golden brown on the top, well risen and just firm to the touch with a hint of softness in the centre. - Click here to order our Smoked Mackerel (unspiced) - Next Holidays on the Horizon     Ireland: October 26, 2009 United Kingdom:  August 31, 2009 USA:  September 7, 2009: Labor Day (1st Monday in Sept)            October 12, 2009: Columbus Day (2nd Monday in Oct) Competition - Who wants to win...     ... a pack of two Mackerel fillets (unspiced) & 300g of our Salmon of Knowledge? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: ...  (Sorry, this section is reserved to the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Last month's winner is D. Ball from the UK - congratulations!

Home - About Us - Visitor Centre - Products - How to Buy - Shipping - Awards - Online Forms - Contact Us - Links July 2009 NEWSLETTER Email: info@burrensmokehouse.ie In This Issue: What's New? What's New? - II Info Feature - Treasure from the Sea - II Our July Offer Recipe of the Month Next holidays on the horizon July Competition: Who wants to win...   Gift Vouchers   The Burren Smokehouse are delighted to announce that you can now purchase a Burren Smokehouse gift voucher online! Just place your order and we will send the gift voucher out to you or direct to the lucky recipient! read more     Share With Friends!   Why not forward your friends a copy of this email. Maybe someone you know would just love one of our recipes!     We are Proud Members of:     A summer for fish? We are not quite sure about the weather here on the west coast this summer as it keeps changing. So far it has been good for fish - in every sense! In this newsletter, we learn more about seaweed, cook a very simple recipe from Clodagh McKenna's new book, can avail of an offer of organic smoked salmon and have the chance to win an Aran Fisherman's Platter. We hope you are able to enjoy the summer! What's New?     Birgitta promoting the Burren Smokehouse on TV On 5th July, 2009, RTE1, the Irish national TV station, aired an episode of "Nationwide" about tourism in Clare. "Nationwide" covers subjects and events of national interest twice a week. The occasion for this programme was the launch of new marketing campaigns by Clare Tourism Forum in Ennis at the beginning of the season. At the launch, Birgitta offered fingerfood made from Burren Smokehouse smoked salmon and smoked trout to guests of the launch as a way to promote our products. She also talked about all the fantastic food producers we have in Clare - winemakers (yes!), cheesemakers, chocolatiers, and many others. Just a reminder - the Burren Smokehouse will be featured on "Fresh from the Sea" with Clodagh McKenna on 28th July 2009 at 7pm on RTE1. What's New? - II     During the last stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, Birgitta was with Tourism Ireland and the Good Food Ireland team (Peter Ward/Country Choice, Maurice & Susan Keller/Arlington Lodge, and Andrew Cook/QC's Restaurant) in city centre Stockholm serving Burren Smoked Salmon to the Swedish travel trade and media in the well-known restaurant Operakällaren across from the Royal Castle. She met with the Irish Ambassador to Sweden Barrie Robinson. She also dined with the Swedish King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia in the City Hall for the prizegiving of the Volvo Ocean Race the winner of which was the Ericsson 4 team. This hall is best known for the Nobel Prize awards ceremonies. Facebook As you might already know, the Burren Smokehouse has a presence on Facebook.com now. We want to invite you to become a fan of our page so that you will be the first ones to know about novelties, events etc. You can leave comments there, and upload photos and videos. If you are not registered with Facebook yet, you can do it easily and for free, and it will help you stay in contact with family and friends. Info Feature - Treasure from the Sea - II     photo: Quality Sea Veg harvesting seaweed in Donegal. Last month, we talked mostly about Algaran and how they work. Today, it is Quality Sea Veg's turn. Quality Sea Veg concentrates on processing seaweed as a very healthy food supplement. Parts of the seaweed is washed, dried and packed as it is. Some is milled and blended with sea salt to make the perfect spice. They have their own harvesting rights to areas on the shore and on some islands in County Donegal. Gathering seaweed is an old tradition in Donegal as well as in other parts of Ireland. Manus McGonagle from Quality Sea Veg told us how he used to go out with his father and others in his summer holidays to gather carragheen and dulse and... Read more here on our website Here are some more interesting facts about seaweed: In 1959, there was an outbreak of the food & mouth disease in Europe, and it affected many animals which died as a consequence. Only those that had been fed on a diet that in parts contained seaweed survived unscathed. The reason for that is that seaweed contains some complicated forms of sugar the cell structure of which is very similar to those of viruses. So the virus “thinks” that the infected body is already saturated with its own destructive cells, and will not reproduce any longer. Something similar happens when an extract in oil of a red seaweed called Dumontia is applied on cold sores. It stops the virus from growing, and after a while the virus just dies because it cannot reproduce any more. Seaweed has been around for about 3 billion years now. It is something in-between, not an animal and not a plant. Some seaweed kinds reproduce sexually through male and female reproductive cells by producing eggs and sperms. Others reproduce asexually by splitting from the main plant in a process called fragmentation or division. These are clones of the mother plant. Our July Offer     This month's offer is about the Organic Cold smoked Salmon that we use in Clodagh McKenna's recipe below: 10% off the retail price of ... (Sorry but this is an offer reserved for the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Recipe of the Month     Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs and Crème Fraîche - serves 2 - So delicious to eat on a lazy Sunday morning with a pot of coffee, the Sunday papers and good company. With thanks to Clodagh McKenna - a recipe from her new book "Fresh from the Sea". Ingredients: 4 organic or free-range eggs 100ml crème fraîche 4 sprigs chives, finely chopped 100gr Burren Smokehouse Organic cold Smoked Salmon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper toasted brioche or fresh baguette to serve Method: 1. Place a saucepan of salted water on to boil. 2. When the water has come to the boil, stir the water with a spoon. While the water ist still swirling, break in your eggs as close to the water as possible (the swirling water and breaking the eggs close to the water both help to form the perfect poached egg). 3. Reduce the heat and allow the eggs to poach for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate. 4. Wrap each egg in a slice of smoked salmon, place a dollop of crème fraîche on top and sprinkle with the finely chopped chives. 5. Season with salt and papper and serve with toasted brioche or freshly baked baguette. TIP: You can also use scrambled eggs for this recipe instead of poached eggs. Just make sure you add a little knob of butter to the scrambled eggs before you take them off the heat. Buy Burren Smokehouse Organic cold Smoked Salmon now! Next holidays on the horizon     Ireland: August 3, 2009: Bank Holiday United Kingdom: August 31, 2009: Bank Holiday USA: September 7, 2009: Labor Day (1st monday in Sept) July Competition: Who wants to win...     ... a 450g Aran Fisherman's Platter to the value of €14.95? Just answer this question to be entered into the draw: (Sorry, this section is reserved to the recipients of our newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, please click here.) Last month's winner is James Bronson from the USA - congratulations!

Home - About Us - Visitor Centre - Products - How to Buy - Shipping - Awards - Online Forms - Contact Us - Links July 2009 NEWSLETTER Email: info@burrensmokehouse.ie In This Issue: Join us on Facebook! We will be on TV - again!   Gift Vouchers   The Burren Smokehouse are delighted to announce that you can now purchase a Burren Smokehouse gift voucher online! Just place your order and we will send the gift voucher out to you or direct to the lucky recipient! read more     Share With Friends!   Why not forward your friends a copy of this email. Maybe someone you know would just love one of our recipes!     We are Proud Members of:     Newsflash We know, we know - we had just sent you a long newsletter, and now another one?  It's just to announce two pieces of news that can't wait any longer... Join us on Facebook!     If you are a member of the social network site Facebook you can join us by becoming a fan. Sending out newsletters is good and useful, but it does not allow interactive communication. With Facebook, we have found a brilliant platform to have a two-way communication. So we would very much like you to leave your suggestions, comments, recipes, photos and videos on our page. We will be putting up more information and news on the page as we go along - and we have a lot to shout about, as you know. If you are not a member of Facebook yet, you can sign up for free and join us then. Should you have problems finding the Burren Smokehouse in spite of the Search function, just send us a short email and we will help you. We are looking forward to meeting you on Facebook! We will be on TV - again!     As well as being on the programme "Fresh from the Sea" on 28 July 2009, the Burren Smokehouse will be featured on Irish television (RTE1) this Sunday 5 July 2009 at 6.30pm. At the end of last year and early this year the "Nationwide" crew came to County Clare to film a piece on the tourism in County Clare. This shapes up to be an interesting programme, as interviewees include the following: Birgitta Curtin - Burren Smokehouse, Michael McNamara - Senior Hurling Manager, Shane Gilmore - Sculptor, Paul Madden - Managing Director of the Temple Gate Hotel, and Katherine Webster - Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre. "Nationwide", RTE1, this Sunday 5 July 2009 at 6.30pm