WELL OILED


Mediterranean countries brought us delicious olive oils, introuduced by famous food writers like Elizabeth David – who  showed us all how exciting the ingredients of the Med were,  at a time when barely any of us had ever even seen pictures of the things she wrote about! Oh how exotic it all sounded as every word jumped off the pages of David’s many books  –  luscious colourful peppers, plump and flavoursome aubergines  and courgettes, ripe juicy tomatoes,  fragrant fresh herbs and heady aromatic garlic, all doused in rich green olive oil,   full of the flavours of sunshine. This way of eating could never be a reality for us ordinary folk, or so we thought,  back in those days.  We could only dream. But  it’s a different story today. All those ingredients are now in every day dishes we have come to take for granted. The use of culinary oils in cooking is no longer the priviledge of the few, but a daily occurence in most households. Apart from the flavour difference a good oil makes, it has great health benefits too. Coconut oil has been gettiing the lion’s share of the press as  the planet’s ultimate health oil – used for everything from ‘oil pulling’ (a  fifteen minute mouth sloosh each morning before you eat or drink anything,  which makes teeth whiter and gums healthier by picking up all the bacteria which collect in the mouth overnight. It works and we can vouch for it!) to moisturizer for body, face, hair and scalp, to helping nails grow and many other things. But  In Ireland, we have our very own oil which not only tastes great, but has many benefits for health too.  Irish rapeseed oil has become the oil to rival olive oil for taste and diversity of uses. The Irish rapeseed oils made by our artisans Donegal Rapeseed Oil and Harnett’s Oils,   come from their own home grown seed, and are cold pressed extra virgin oils, just like the best olive oils. They have rich colour and deep flavours. Superb oils for cooking at high temperatures and for dressings. Irish rapeseed oil has huge nutritional benefits too, containing Omega 3,6 and 9,  and naturally occuring antioxidants, which are all vital for heart health and keeping the brain sharp. Cold pressed virgin Irish rapeseed oil has a  good balance of mono and polyunsaturted fats. Couple all that with geat taste and we think that’s something to crow about!