Paula McIntyre

1 week ago | farminglife.com | Paula McIntyre

We’re in the middle of the annual barbecue week but the fact is treating your food with a kiss of smoke should be an all year round thing. A few years ago I took the decision to ditch the easier option of gas and fully embrace charcoal. It is a bit higher maintenance to get started but once it does the results are so much more authentic. Over the years I’ve been lucky to experience barbecuing in its natural home – the USA.

2 weeks ago | farminglife.com | Paula McIntyre

Nothing says summer like the arrival of creamy, lacey elderflowers that dot the countryside. The flowers have a citrusy, grassy scent and taste of honey and ripe pear. Elderflowers have many culinary uses the best known being a cordial. For many years I’ve made elderflower champagne. In the past I fermented it in a glass demi-john and then transferred to wire topped bottles. It was quite the flaff and to be honest there were a few disasters along the way.

3 weeks ago | farminglife.com | Paula McIntyre

One of the things I love about being on holiday is having a long, leisurely lunch out in the restaurant. There’s something deliciously decadent about being lazy, being fed and having a cheeky glass of wine to boot. Back home we tend to entertain people in the evening but I think we should bring back lunch. It doesn’t need to be a lavish affair - it’s more about the entertainment than the food. Quiche used be a very popular lunch item but it seems to have fallen out of favour.

4 weeks ago | farminglife.com | Paula McIntyre

Wild garlic season is coming to an end now and it’s worth sussing it out and enjoying it while it’s here. Picture: David OverendThe warm weather and occasional soft rain has caused a massive growth of vegetation. The countryside is a larder at the moment free for the picking. Nettles seem to have burst out of nowhere and have taken over many spaces. As someone who is lacklustre, to say the least, about gardening the sight of these deep, dark verdant leaves just means one thing to me – free food.

1 month ago | farminglife.com | Paula McIntyre

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowCinco de Mayo, the fifth of May, is a public holiday in Mexico where they honour the military victory in 1862 over Napoleon’s invading French forces. With the increased popularity in Mexican food this day of celebration now has a wider global audience. Mexican food is probably one of the most adulterated – most exposure to it is from big food corporations or fast food outlets.