Dyed Green

This past April, we were delighted to be the first tour group to experience Tomás Sharry and Máirtín Seoighe’s new project, Aran Currach Experience, on Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. We spent the day on the island learning how to plant potato ridges, building stone walls (now part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list), and learning how currachs are made—before heading out on a lake to take the traditional boat for a spin. Not only did we have an incredible day being hosted by Tomás and Máirtín, we left wishing we could stay longer. Imagine living in a place where everyone knows everyone else (only about 300 people live on the island year-round), and helping your neighbors was second nature!
On this edition of Dyed Green, we speak with Tomás and Máirtín about what it was like to grow up on an island; being raised with Irish as their first language; the history of the currach and their craftsmanship; and why they decided to start a tourist experience. We also discuss the incredible ham salad at Teach an Tae, Aran sweaters, and the impact their new business has had in their community.
Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com


Get full access to Sunwise at katemccabe.substack.com/subscribe

The Boyne Valley is such a unique and special place, perhaps most well known for its historical (Newgrange and the Hill of Tara live there) and mythological significance (the River Boyne runs through it, for starters). It also happens to be the place where farming in Ireland began, and so it should come as no surprise that this would be the place that birthed the Centre of Food Culture. The Centre is a social enterprise which believes that by preserving and celebrating Irish food culture, past, present and future, we will enhance people’s relationship with food, connect them to the source of their food and the people who produce it.
On this week’s show, we speak with board member Olivia Duff and development manager Ella Ryan about how the Centre came to be, and how food is a sociological mouthpiece for everything else that is happening in the world. We talk about the depth of richness that’s present in the Boyne Valley—from the quality of the soil to the storytelling rooted in mythology and Pagan tradition—and how that rich history can be leveraged to help connect people to the source of their food.
We also discuss the idea of looking to the past to inform our vision for the future; the Irish Producer’s Network; and the Centre’s incredible annual Samhain Festival, which takes place every year in November.
Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com


Get full access to Sunwise at katemccabe.substack.com/subscribe

We’re wading into new territory this week on Dyed Green, featuring a conversation with writer, editor, public speaker, and world traveler Laurie Woolever. Laurie’s debut memoir, Care & Feeding, which came out last year, covers her life in food and hospitality, her struggles with addiction, and her writing life. The book also delves into her relationships with two of the most prominent chef personalities of the past few decades: Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, both of whom she collaborated with on writing projects.
It’s true—Laurie has not been to Ireland since she was 23! However, this only makes us more excited to be able to feature her as the host of our first memoir writing retreat in West Cork this September.
On this week’s show, we speak with Laurie about how the food journalism landscape has changed over the last twenty years; toxic restaurant culture; finding yourself on the page through the craft of memoir; and the lessons she’s learned—and passes on—from the mentorship of Anthony Bourdain. We also discuss what our upcoming retreat will be like, so snag one of the few remaining seats while you can! We can’t wait to show her how much Ireland has changed, and to create new stories with you this autumn.
Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com


Get full access to Sunwise at katemccabe.substack.com/subscribe

As foodies, we’re all so enamored by the stories behind what’s on our plate—from where each ingredient was sourced (Who grew this? Who picked this?) to where it fits in the narrative of the place where we are eating. But what about the parts of the animals and vegetables that get left behind? Reducing food waste is not a novel concept, and it feels quite trendy right now. But how practical is it, and how much is it really being done?
Our guest on today’s show is Conor Spacey, a chef, author, and activist whose work revolves around how to reduce the noise created by our industrial food system so chefs and consumers have the practical knowledge they need to make informed food choices. Spacey is the culinary director of Food Space, a catering business that helps companies create healthy and sustainable food programs for their employees, and the author of a Blasta Books cookbook called Wasted, whose recipes focus on the most wasted food products in the common kitchen.
On this week’s show, we speak with Conor about policy solutions to problems in the food system; developing relationships with the people who grow your food; and our experiences being vegan and vegetarian. We also talk about how to meet people where they are at when discussing critical issues like the scourge of food waste at restaurants and at home; why we should all eat more plant-based foods; and—Kate’s favorite—the horrors of salmon farming.  
Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at bogandthunder.com.


Get full access to Sunwise at katemccabe.substack.com/subscribe

adrienne and Autumn are joined by Kate McCabe (Founder and Executive Director of Bog & Thunder), Max Sussman (Culinary Director of Bog & Thunder) and Dwight Dunston (facilitator, hip-hop artist, educator, and activist) to chronicle and celebrate their majestic time on a private island in the wilds of West Cork for a writing workshop unlike any other.
Writing the Next World is a space to ideate, experiment with genre, and find a writing voice that creates more possibilities for our collective future, all while exploring the beautiful Connemara countryside and eating outstanding food.
The event is rooted in the lineages of visionary and speculative fiction and Black Feminist Praxis.
The next one is coming up JULY 5TH - JULY 10TH. APPLY HERE!
---
Listen to WRITING THE NEXT WORLD: the album by duns
---
Max's Egg Salad Recipe!
6 eggs
40 gm celery, diced
20 gm pickles, diced
60 gm mayo
30 gm red onion, diced
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
2 scallions, sliced
Pinch MSG
plenty of salt and pepper
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add eggs and start a 10 minute timer, keep eggs at a low boil the entire time.  
2. After 10 minute timer goes off, place eggs in ice bath until cool.
3. Chop eggs or break up with gloved hands. 
4. Mix with remaining ingredients, adjust seasoning to taste.
---
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TRANSCRIPT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Get full access to Sunwise at katemccabe.substack.com/subscribe