The telephone rings, and on the other end of the line is your local cleric, explaining that his plan to stage "an eight-hour Passion play based entirely on Ballykissangel! Just think! We'll be the talk of Roscommon!" is unfortunately proceeding rather slower than he would like.
"We need funds," he says, "and I was wondering if I could count on you to cook something for a fundraiser. Nothing too big. I suppose we'll have about 200 on the morning."
And you reply: "Certainly. Count me in."
But you put down the phone and think: "What on earth am I going to do? Aaargh!"
Fundraising for a cause is something which most people have to face some time in their lives, whether acting voluntarily, through involvement with a particular cause, or helping to raise money for equipment for the local school, or through various mad-cap schemes of a local cleric. There are many ways in which money can be earned, but food usually plays a principal part, either through coffee mornings, fundraising dinners, or sales of work.
Believe it or not, this scenario, which for most of us is the ultimate nightmare, doesn't cost some folks a second thought. And the reason is because they have a strategy. They have an agenda. They know how to produce reliable foods, presentable dishes, tasty bakes and concoctions, and they know how to do it in large volume and at minimal cost to themselves.
If you find yourself roped in, there are two basic rules which will help.
One, minimise cost - the whole point of the venture is to make money for the project and not bankrupt yourself. So, for example, don't use a cake recipe that calls for Valhrona chocolate - there are plenty of good cake recipes using simply cocoa powder.
Secondly, if you are hosting a coffee morning, or fundraising dinner, you will need to be well-prepared, so choose recipes and dishes that can be prepared well in advance. A good fruit cake goes an awfully long way, and can be prepared long beforehand. Barm brack is another favourite. Homemade biscuits keep in an airtight container and are a sure winner. For dinners, choose a casserole that just needs to be reheated on the day and can be served with a simple staple on a plate. For sales of work, or bring-and-buys, chutneys and jams are always money-spinners, as is a good loaf of home-made bread.
So, with these rules in mind, we begin with a pair of recipes from the inimitable mother-and son team of Adele and Simon Conor, of Adele's Bakery, in Schull, Co Cork. The turkey chilli is a lovely colourful, tasty dish, that can be made well in advance, and even improves if made the day before.
Turkey is also inexpensive, and easy to work with. Simon Conor recommends serving the chilli with some good bread, but you could also serve a baked potato alongside. The chilli is suitable either for a buffet lunch or an informal supper.
Turkey Chilli
Serves 16-20
half cup olive oil
4lbs minced turkey breast
1 cup diced onions
16 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup seeded and diced green pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chilli pure
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tins kidney beans (with their liquid)
2 tins chopped tomatoes (with their liquid)
4 cups tomato juice
4 cups chicken stock
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups roughly cut fresh coriander lime wedges (for garnishing)
In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute turkey until cooked through and browned. Transfer to a bowl.
In the same pot, saute onions, garlic, celery, carrots and green pepper until soft. Add cayenne, chilli puree, thyme, ground coriander and cumin and cook for two minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the browned turkey and stir to absorb the seasonings.
Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato juice and chicken stock and simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 45 minutes to one hour, giving it a stir once in a while.
Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, add chopped fresh coriander. Spoon into bowls and garnish with lime wedges and fresh coriander and serve with pieces of good bread.
Adele's Lemon Cake
This brilliant cake is somewhat unusual for a sponge cake in that it should be made the day before, and because of the syrup keeps a lot longer than a normal sponge, which would dry out in a matter of hours. The ingredients are pure, but not expensive. This zippy cake is a sure-fire winner, and you will probably find it becomes part of your repertoire, irrespective of fundraising. It's perfect for coffee mornings, lunches or afternoon teas, and you will find it is the first cake to be bought from any cake stall.
Cake:
4 oz margarine
3 eggs
4 oz caster sugar
4 oz flour
1 level dessertspoon baking powder
Rind of one lemon Syrup:
4 oz caster sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water juice of one lemon Glace icing:
8 oz icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
rind of one lemon
Cream the margarine and sugar. Sift flour with baking powder. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add a little flour with the last egg to prevent curdling. Fold in the flour. Put into a prepared greased and lined 8inch tin. Bake at 350F until skewer comes out clean (20-25 minutes).
To make the syrup: put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved.
To make the glace icing: place icing sugar and lemon rind into a bowl. Add enough lemon juice to make a very stiff icing.
When the cake is cooked, remove from the tin carefully and place on a plate.
Cut small holes in the cake with a sharp knife and pour the syrup evenly over the top. Leave overnight.
To ice the cake, spread the icing carefully over the top. The icing will even out by itself. Don't be tempted to spread it too much as the surface of the cake may lift off.
Mrs Field's Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies
These scrummy cookies are recommended by the Rev Paul Whilloughby, our local vicar, who brought the book of recipes back from the chain of cookie stores in the US. American brand chocolate chips are best, he says, as they don't melt during cooking.
Yield three and a half dozen
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed half cup white sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300F.
In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
Drop by rounded tablespoons on to an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake 22-24 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula. Note, as they bake cookies will spread quite a bit, so it is important to space them 2 inches apart.
Fruit Chutney
This is another fundraising staple recommended by Rev Paul Whilloughby. It's the creation of Ian Thomson, one of his parishioners, who brings 20 jars of this to the annual summer church fete, (and Paul buys the lot!) The recipe comes from The Book Of Preserves, Jams, Chutneys, Pickles And Jelly by Mary Norwak (Salamander Books). This is especially suitable if you have a productive garden and want to use up a glut of crops.
Produces 10 lbs chutney
1 lb plums, halved, stoned, chopped
2 lbs tomatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 lbs cooking apples, peeled, cored, chopped
2 lbs ripe pears
4 lbs dark brown sugar
1 lb seedless raisins
2 pints malt vinegar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large pot, mix plums, tomatoes, apples and pears. Stir in the sugar, raisins, vinegar, salt and spices. Boil and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for one and a quarter hours until thick and golden. Stir. Place in sterilised jars and use after one month.