The Organic Cookery School That Changed My Life

I had read so much about Ballymaloe Cookery School through the years. As so many of you know, I’ve always loved to cook and I’ve always loved to write. Through my time at NYU food studies and my own personal research, I felt inspired to incorporate sustainable food practices into my life. That being said, they were never my whole life. At Ballymaloe, the health of the environment and the health of humans are at the forefront of the farm. I remember my near twelve hour journey from New York City to Shanagarry, Ireland like it was yesterday. I was driven to my cottage called The Barn and shown my space, where I quickly called my mom in tears about how tiny my bedroom was. Within less than an hour, I was smiling ear to ear. We were greeted with a dinner of organic greens dressed in a simple vinaigrette, homemade pizzas with chicken, aubergine (eggplant, as we know in America), baby kale, and mushrooms. I quickly fell in love with the water kefir which became my most obsessed over drink at the school; a lighter version of kombucha. Eating homegrown food surrounded by the people that grew it felt wholesome, and it gave me a new appreciation for the food I was eating. That night, my cottage mates and I sat around our living room with the fireplace on, a warm cup of tea in our hands, and we just talked. I knew it was the start of a life changing journey. 

I loved my time in the kitchen and looked forward to it every day. I would always show up earlier than I had to in order to get my station prepped for the morning. My moments in the weigh up room, the room in between the kitchens with all of the ingredients, were some of the best moments. Watching the students and teachers move around each other was like a dance; everyone had a place and knew where each ingredient went. We passed each other swiftly and seamlessly, reaching for the double cream here and the extra virgin olive oil there. My favorite spot was the tray of herbs which overflowed with coriander leaves, basil, mint, and marjoram all the time. Our cooking went on from nine in the morning to half past noon, and sitting down for the lunch that we helped to prepare felt so rewarding. There was always brown soda bread, fresh butter, and plenty of kefir served on the centerpiece of the table. Our demonstrations had so much spirit to them. Usually led by Rory O’Connell and occasionally by Rachel Allen, we learned a laundry list of recipes for the next day's cooking. It was a special time to debrief after the busy morning and get excited about new combinations of foods. My favorite day of the week was Thursday. We didn’t do any cooking and instead spent the day immersing ourselves into new topics such as fermentation, foraging, and biodynamic wine production. We were lucky enough to have a consistent 10:30 a.m. tea break which was absolute bliss to me. Picture endless amounts of farm fresh sourdough, salted butter, hot coffee, english breakfast tea, and more. It was a pause in the morning that felt ceremonial. 

I took an overwhelming amount of knowledge away from my five weeks at cooking school, but my most valuable lesson was learning the value of ethically sourced, organic food. While it’s a privilege to have access to homegrown food, it can also be surprisingly attainable. On the first real day on the farm, Darina Allen gave us a garden tour and a walk around the grounds. She said, “some people’s idea of luxury is a designer bag, mine is being able to grow my own food.” I’ve always known that homegrown, heartfelt food was important, but I never truly embraced it. My experience of living on an organic farm for five weeks has turned my inspiration into action. The magic of Ballymaloe has given me the gift of awareness, and offered me a new lens to see the food world through a farmer's eyes. Start somewhere. Go to the farmers market, talk to the farmers, read online about seasonal produce, grow an herb, or buy organic dairy. I’m eternally grateful that I was able to learn about organic, sustainable food systems in such a hands-on way, in a place that's whole mission revolves around genuinely sharing the joy of food.