Showing posts with label Ballyhoura Mushrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ballyhoura Mushrooms. Show all posts

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Electric Breakfast For Taste Cork. Producers, Restaurateurs Pull Together

Electric Breakfast For Taste Cork
Producers, Restaurateurs Pull Together


The local plate!

Taste Cork, set up with supports from the Local Enterprise Offices in Cork, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, and other state agencies, held a Breakfast Seminar at Electric in the South Mall yesterday morning.

The goal of Taste Cork is to help the county nurture its enviable status as an iconic food brand and that was underlined with the produce on the breakfast plate: Jack McCarthy’s bacon, O’Flynn’s Breakfast sausage, Rosscarbery Black pudding, Ballyhoura mushroom, East Ferry Fried eggs and Ballymaloe Relish. Electric’s own brown bread went down well while other highlights were Wilkie's Organic Hot Chocolate and Bean Brownies Banana Bread.

Taste Cork, fronted by Rebecca O’Keeffe, is determined to get Cork produce the exposure it deserves, to help the local producers as much as possible. And one practical way is the opening, in a few days, of the Cork Incubator Kitchen in the Carrigaline Industrial Estate (on the Crosshaven Road).

A breakfast highlight (above) and
another, Wilkie's hot chocolate, below.

Brendan Russell has taken on the management reins here and told the full house of producers and restaurateurs in Electric that the facility will have two kitchens. One is the Bakery Kitchen, fully equipped, with a state of the art triple deck oven the highlight. The other is called the Catering Kitchen. This will be for preparation work in volume and equipment here includes a quick vacuum packer and a sealing machine.

The website will soon be up and running and that will make it easy to register. Brendan, who has spent 16 years as a chef, has a good understanding as to why businesses succeed (and fail) and education will also feature under the following headings:
1 - Theory of Practicality;
2 - Business Understanding;
3- Catering Skills;
4 - Work Relations.

The event was opened by Sean O’Sullivan and he was delighted that funding had been provided for the full-time position in Taste Cork. Both he and Rebecca are looking forward to getting everyone “to start looking locally”. And so say all of us. You can see my motto on the site here: Buy local, fresh and fair. The more we pull together, the further we will go.


Kevin Aherne is one man who has been doing exactly this for the past five years and his innovative 12 Mile Menu was recognised by his peers on Tuesday evening in Killarney when his Sage Restaurant in Midleton won Restaurant of the Year in Cork.

Kevin spoke later at the seminar and we’ll have a post on that tomorrow. Mary Daly (Food Safety Company) also spoke in Electric and she too stressed the importance of local: “Provenance is hugely important. Taste Cork can play a big role.” More too from Mary tomorrow. Part Two is now up and running and you can see what Kevin and Mary said here.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Cafe Paradiso. Back to the Garden.


Cafe Paradiso. Back to the Garden

Eden may have been lost with a single bite of forbidden fruit but the garden can always be regained, at least in the Cork region, with a visit to Cafe Paradiso. No fruit, no vegetable forbidden here! Every meal in the city centre restaurant reinforces what one of my friends, who travels widely in the hospitality industry, told me a few years back: "It is not alone the best vegetarian restaurant in Ireland, it is probably the best restaurant in Ireland".

And what is perhaps not generally known, except to the regulars of course, is that Paradiso has a superb wine list. The lower end and the slow-moving higher end have been chopped from the list and what remains is packed with quality, great choices, between approximately thirty and forty five euro a bottle.

We were part of a seven person group the other night so the wines were shared, along with many a good laugh. Good advice on the wine list is also available and so we started with the Höpler Grüner Veltliner 2014, 12.5% Burgenland, Austria and finished with the Friedrich Becker Spatburgunder Pinot Noir 2011, 13.5%, Pfalz, Germany.
Aubergine parcels....
Others we could have had included the Susana Balbo ’Crios’ Malbec 2013, 14%, Mendoza, Argentina and the Alvaro Palacios La Montesa Rioja 2012 in the reds while among the whites that caught my eye were Wittmann Riesling Trocken 2012, 12% Rheinhessen, Germany and the Dos Victorias ‘Jose Pariente’ Verdejo 2013, 13%, Rueda. But it is easy to get a good one here as the list is really superb. If you’re not sure, just ask your server! By the way, all the wines are available by the glass, by 250ml and 500ml carafe and by the bottle.

Back to the food then and I'm not going to bore you with all the details. We picked the three course option here and you have lots of choice for forty euro. Two courses will set you back thirty three euro.

I had been toying with going for the truffled sunchoke soup with hazelnut gougere and buttered shiitake from a list of six starters (all tempting) but settled instead on the Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella with roasted carrots, pickled fennel, chermoula, preserved lemon and pistachio dukka. Amazing flavours and textures on this plate and the roast carrots came in for compliments all around the table.
Choc dessert...

CL meanwhile was delighted with her choice: roast beetroot, braised scorzonera and Knockalara sheep’s cheese with watercress, orange pickle and ras-el-hanout crumb. Colour, flavour, texture all combined, the dish showing that beetroot goes as well with sheep’s as goat’s. Great stuff indeed.

There were also six choices of mains but, amazingly, the majority of our group went for the roast aubergine parcels of cavolo nero and coolea cheese with miso gravy, beluga lentils,

pumpkin gnocchi and a green pepper and caramelised walnut salsa. Aubergine is one of my favourite vegetables in any restaurant but this was vegetable heaven, every little bit, the gravy, the lentils. Even CL polished off the gnocchi, usually left on the side! “These were good ones”, I was told.

And you must try the sides as they are superb as well. They do include sprouts but not like you've known them. Here they are served with tomato, chilli and ginger and well worth the fiver as are the Paradiso chips with truffled aioli.

Time then, and desire too, for dessert. Lots of temptation but I made up my mind early on the Orange and Date Bread and Butter Pudding and its Rum Custard. Oh la la! And other desserts enjoyed at the table included a Dark chocolate mousse with gingered pear and salted caramel popcorn and also Vanilla pod ice cream with brutti ma buoni, espresso and a shot of frangelico. A sweet end to a terrific meal and service was flawless throughout. Very Highly Recommended.


More desserts, including popular Orange and Date pudding
The menu here is based largely on local and seasonal produce.  Gortnanain Farm is the primary source of veg (and honey). All cheeses (which include Coolea and Macroom) are Irish except for Feta and Halloumi. Mushrooms are Ballyhoura or foraged. More details on the restaurant, founded 23 years ago, here.

Cafe Paradiso
16 Lancaster Quay
Cork
(021) 427 7939
Opening Hours: Dinner Monday – Saturday, 5.30 – 10.00pm



Thursday, August 20, 2015

New Stalls at Midleton Farmers Market. Getting Better all the time

New Stalls at Midleton Farmers Market
Getting Better all the time
Gorgeous Chanterelles from Ballyhoura Mushrooms at last Saturday's Market

Midleton Farmers Market, the original farmers market, was founded fifteen ago by Darina Allen and local farmers and has gone from strength to strength. Hard to get a stall there now but there were some newcomers last Saturday when I visited.

Space is limited but vacancies occur from time to time, particularly when a successful producer (Cobh’s Just Food, for example) outgrows the stall.

So now you may buy BBQ Jerk Chicken from Le Kiosk, vegetarian from Buddha Bites, coffee from Doppio, also doughnuts and ice cream from another stall. Check out the list of stallholders here, even if it is a little out of date!
Loving Salads, just one corner of their huge selection
Originals such as Woodside Farm, Frank Hedderman, and Ballymaloe are still very active here, side by side with more recent arrivals such as Jason Carroll’s Loving Salads and the Lobster Man. The Lobster Man has live lobsters and crabs, and sometimes brings a giant example. Do watch out for him. And watch out too for Jason who is due to open a cafe in Academy Street.

By the way, Hederman and Arbutus Breads are in the running for the Irish Times Best Market Stall. Best of luck folks.
Like all farmers markets, the atmosphere here is relaxed. Do your shopping, have a chat with stall-holders such as Barry Tyner (he sells fantastic patés) and Deirdre (she'll tell you all about the Arbutus range). Jane from Ardsallagh Goat Cheese always has something interesting to chat about, especially in the food line. Indeed, what you find is all the producers have time to talk to their customers and are very enthusiastic about the market in general and keen to spread the word.

Then take a break, have a cup of coffee and listen to the music. It is a terrific way to spend a Saturday morning and you’ll have excellent produce in your bags and enough of it to keep you going over the weekend.

Other local markets on Saturday include Douglas, Coal Quay, Skibbereen, Bandon and Crosshaven. See countrywide list, compiled by Bord Bia, here .
Newcomers (above and below)


Midleton celebrated its 15th anniversary last May and here’s what stall holder Ballymaloe Cookery School wrote then:  It has been an outlet not only for the many artisan producers of the area, but also for high profile food producers that have had stalls at Midleton Farmers Market, including Clodagh McKenna, Darina Allen, Arun Kapil of Green Saffron Masaalchi and Frank Hederman of Belvelly Smokehouse. The market has also been featured in many TV shows, including the Ear to the Ground, Nationwide (Irish TV series), Rick Stein's Ireland and @Clodagh's Food Trails which has seen by viewers across the States and Australia as well as the UK and mainland Europe, helping position Ireland, and indeed Cork, as a major food destination.


Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Best Chef in Cork. Best Sweet Wine in the World. Greene’s Supper Club Delivers.

Best Chef in Cork.
Best Sweet Wine in the World.
Greene’s Supper Club Delivers.



It ain't heavy! It’s very clear, fresh, with a lovely acidity. For six years in a row, this was voted the best sweet wine in the world

Hugh Murray of Classic Drinks was finishing off a very enjoyable and informative edition of Greene's Supper Club at the McCurtain Street restaurant. The object of the April night was to help people decide on an appropriate wine choice for their meals. Manager Arthur Little could not have a chosen a better speaker to lead us through the evening.

And the sweet ending that Hugh had lined up for us was Seifried Estate Sweet Agnes Riesling. Produced by a couple, of Austrian and Irish origin, this Riesling is an ice wine. Launched ten years ago, it is late harvested and the grapes are frozen, then crushed, leaving the sugar. “Irish people are afraid of sweet wines,” Hugh remarked. But this could change all of that as it is not at all sticky. “Take a sip, allow it three seconds on the palate. Then let it slide!”. Superb.

Dessert, by the way, was superb as well, both of them. We had choice of two and the wine matched each. I enjoyed the Coconut Espuma with Peanut Ice Cream and Ivorian Chocolate Ganache Truffle. The other was also gorgeous: Rhubarb Meringue, Malted Milk Crumble, Vanilla Sorbet and Rhubarb Ginger Sorbet.

Arthur Little introduced the evening and promised more interesting food and drink events in the months ahead. “We are delighted that our chef Bryan McCarthy was named best chef in Cork at the recent Restaurant of Ireland awards in Munster and we wish him all the best in the national finals. Tell your friends that they can find him here.” Bryan, and his team, were in tip top form again and we had a terrific meal.

Ummera Smoked Salmon

Arthur then introduced Hugh who said he hoped “to open some doors during the meal to help people choose their wines. But wine is above all a personal choice. By all means trust your own opinion but, before making up your mind, listen!”

We had enjoyed Classic’s Colle del Principe Prosecco at the reception with the Goats Cheese Canapes and the Lychee, Lime and Green Tea Espuma. Then we were on to a choice of two starters and two wines to go with them.

I, along with quite a few more, picked the Trio of Organic Ummera Smoked Salmon, Cured Salmon Rillettes, with Blood Orange, Fennel, Seaweed, Squid Ink Ailol and Wasabi Mayo. Abadia San Campo Albarino was the match. “Good Albarino doesn't come cheap,” said Hugh. “Buy it young and drink it fresh.”

The other wine was South African, the Leopard's Leap Classic Chenin Blanc. “This is made with passion, is stylish, with a backbone of acidity and excellent value”. And a great match with the Celeriac, Ballyhoura Mushrooms and Artichoke.

Hake
The main event, with three different dishes, might have stretched a lesser man but no bother to Hugh and he got the thumbs up for all three pairings. Those who picked the Wild Mushroom Risotto were lucky enough to get the “incredible, outstanding” Opi Sadler Malbec from Argentina. “This combines power and tenderness.”

My wine, the Hunky Dory Sauvignon Blanc, is made by a husband and wife team in Marlborough. “Not typical of New Zealand,” according to Hugh. “There is a touch of the Loire in it and it punches above its weight”. I love the Loire and the wine was superb with the Seared Hake Fillet and Crispy Prawn Wontons.

Some of the group choose the Glazed Pork Belly Pecan and Apricot Crumb and the wine for this was the Parducci Small Lot Blend Pinot Noir. This variety is difficult to grow and here when they say small lot, they can point to the field. “It is produced in an environmentally friendly way and again made with passion.”   I got to taste some of this later on and, juicy and rich, it is a beauty, perhaps my favourite of the evening.

Well maybe! Can’t forget the clean taste of that ice wine!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Seaweed Bread Debuts in Midleton Farmers Market. Irresistible Salads also.

Seaweed Bread Debuts in Midleton Farmers Market

Irresistible Salads also.
New to Arbutus: Seaweed loaf (left) and San Fran sourdough
Arbutus Bread, pioneers in the real bread field, are on the move again. Called in to Midleton Farmers Market last Saturday morning and a delighted Dee was on hand to show me their new Seaweed Bread and I was delighted to taste this beauty.

Dee and Declan are rightly proud of this loaf but very keen too to acknowledge the contributions of Galway’s James Cunningham, who produced the seaweed ingredient, and also the help given by John and Sally McKenna.

Brilliant really, isn't it, how people in the real food area (also in the craft brewing sector) cooperate with one another, in the style of the old time meitheal. More and better products are the result and we (the customers) are all winners.  James Cunningham summed it up over the weekend:  “I love that someone can take my produce and give it a life in their produce. Pretty cool.”

Might be some tweaking to be done yet - the final loaf may be a little higher on profile but it is good. As Dee says this is “We will be doing it in a  Boule sourdough to start. A work in progress, first loaf today, so lots more trials to do.”
Salads galore
Dee says the salt content has been reduced to allow the seaweed flavour shine through. But don't worry, you won't be tasting seawater here or anything like it. Just an excellent well made bread. In any event, and I'm quoting the McKenna’s here, seaweed doesn't absorb a lot of salt - just sea minerals and vitamins.

Why seaweed bread? And what exactly is the “magic” ingredient? Dee explains: “Noribake, which we are using, is a natural organic Irish product which we have in abundance. The benefits are:
Natural immune stimulant & gut flora modulator;
Lowers GI index of baked goods;
Allows salt and sugar levels to be reduced in line with EU trends;  
Anti-staling effects of formula extends shelf life of baked goods;
Alginate content gives consumer the experience of being   ‘fuller for longer’.”

And Arbutus haven't stopped at that. They have also introduced a new sourdough, moving away from the French style that has served them, and us, so well, to a new more folded San Francisco version. So there you are. “Two healthy loaves for you,’ says Dee.

Jason Carrell’s Ginger Room Salads is a new attraction at this pioneering East Cork market and I had lots of recommendations to call to his stall. And he has an inviting display, a huge range of salads, all in colourful matching bowls (brought back from his travels in Fiji, I’m told).

Organic veg from Ballymaloe
Just had a quick chat as we made our purchases (Jason was very busy and sells out every day). But do note that his huge range of “tasty healthy funky style salads” are also available at Wilton (Tuesday) and Kinsale (Wednesday) as well as Midleton (Saturday).

Got to call to some of the long-standing stalls as well including pioneers Ballymaloe who had a fine display of, among other things, organic vegetables; Hederman's close by had no shortage of their quality smoked fish, got a lovely piece of pork from Noreen of Woodside, fish from O’Driscoll’s, a selection of mushrooms from Lucy of Ballyhoura Mushrooms and a bag of big juicy red apples from another stall. All the while the music played, the coffee flowed as did conversations and laughter. Will only get better on the Saturdays ahead!



Thursday, November 20, 2014

Taste of the Week. Ballyhoura Mushrooms Cep Oil

Taste of the Week
Ballyhoura Mushrooms Cep Oil

Ballyhoura Mushrooms are by now fairly well known around the country. But did you know that Mark and Lucy also make some lovely Mushroom Speciality Foods, including a range of soups, marinated mushrooms, pate, pesto, porcini dust, oils, shiitake bacon and mushroom ketchup. Their Cep Oil is basically Extra Virgin Olive Oil infused with wild Irish Cep mushrooms and it is our Taste of the Week. Use it to provide a flavour uplift in pasta dishes, soups, dips or marinades. Wonderful with poached or fried eggs.  Get some at Mahon Point Farmers Market today or at other Midleton or the Coal Quay on Saturday.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Euro-toques Day Out. From Wood to Waterfall

Euro-toques Day Out
From Wood to Waterfall
Under the waterfall at Greene's: Pam, Kate, Christine.
From foggy morning to sunny afternoon, the Munster contingent of Euro-toques enjoyed their day out last Monday. That foggy morning was spent foraging mushrooms in a North Cork wood while the afternoon saw the chefs and guests tuck into a gorgeous late lunch in Greene’s by the Waterfall. Greene's head chef Bryan McCarthy put the day’s package together with a huge input from Mark and Lucy of Ballyhoura Mushrooms and sponsorship by Wines Direct and La Rousse Foods.
In the wood
It was quite an education in the woods and we all agreed you’d need more than one outing with an expert before trusting yourself in the mushroom field. Lots to take in as Mark and Lucy shared their in-depth knowledge.

“Chanterelles can't be cultivated, they are symbiotic. They grow from May to the first frost, have a sweet seafoody flavour and an apricot aroma when fresh. They have a solid stem. The false chanterelle has a hollow one. There are also autumn chanterelles, including a black one one called the Horn of Plenty, found in areas of pine, with a lovely woody flavour, our favourite!”.
In the wood (2): Caroline takes the higher ground;
Fionnula relaxes with her bag of food.
Bottom: "This one stinks!" (right)
and Gautham searching in the fog.
Note the polypores on the tree
on the left.
“Ceps are found near mature beech trees, When they are young they are snow white with a natural umami flavour, great texture and very versatile as regards use.” But maybe not as versatile as the Birch polypore which, when dried out, can be used to sharpen your kitchen knives!

Much more to be found out as the bus load of mostly amateurs spread out among the trees, watching out for branches springing back, muddy patches, cow pats, slippery slopes, briars, even barbed wire here and there. Still, despite a few minor tumbles, it turned out to be a terrific morning in the old deciduous wood and quite a few baskets were filled.
Cured organic Deenish Island Salmon
Back to the bus then and we arrived in Greene's in mid-afternoon sun be be greeted with cool glasses of La Contesse spumante.  Fionnula Harkin of Wines Direct, introduced us to Francesca of Le Contesse who told us about the family run vineyard, how the grapes are handpicked and that quality and consistency are prime considerations. Fionnula emphasised that this is the kind of vineyard that Wines Direct deals with, “family run vineyards, nothing industrial”.

Ross Lewis from Chapter One, a senior member of Euro-toques, then spoke. “Ireland has some of the best primary produce in the world. And Euro-toques is one big food family, passionately engaged with artisans. As the artisan movement gets stronger and stronger, Ireland's food will have its day in the sun.” He reported that tourists in his own restaurant are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences of Irish food.

Seared Wild Irish Venison Haunch Fillet
wine: Luc Lapeyre Les Clots (Languedoc)
And then it was time to sample some of that food. We had some beautiful nibbles by the waterfall in the sun before moving indoors to continue enjoying the produce of Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Wines Direct, Caroline Robinson Organic Vegetables, Kilbrack Farm, La Rousse Foods, Ummera, Jack McCarthy, Waterfall Farms, and Arbutus Breads. Greene’s chefs, like their Euro-toques colleagues nationwide are, as Ross Lewis said, “passionately engaged with artisans”. And this meal brilliantly underlined it!

  • If you spot your favourite chef sprouting a moustache this month and next, he’s more than likely doing it for charity, all in aid of Movember who raise awareness and funds for prostrate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s health. Don’t leave it all to the chefs!
Poached Garden Pear & Wild Foraged Blackberry
wine: Le Contesse Pinot Rose.




Monday, September 29, 2014

Treasures of Fenn’s Quay

Treasures of Fenn’s Quay
Kate's Magic in the Kitchen
Monkfish

In a small kitchen, on the oldest terrace in Cork city, with much perspiration and no little inspiration, Head Chef Kate Lawlor works the magic for her many customers at No. 5 Fenn’s Quay. Both Kate and the building in which she operates are Cork treasures.

And what it is this exotic material that she turns to culinary gold? Nothing exotic at all, in fact. The produce comes from the local farms and seas, much of it via the familiar stalls of the nearby English and Coal Quay Markets. The magic has been acquired through years of hard work, watching and learning and doing, her long hours in the heat and steam often repetitive but sometimes brilliantly illuminated by a flash of inspiration.

There was quite a buzz there when we called in last week, happy customers by the sounds of it. The menu, quickly delivered to the table, and the Specials Blackboard on the wall, told us why, and soon we were reading our way through the offerings, the only problem being that if we choose one gem, another was to be remain untouched!


The 18th century terrace at Fenn's Quay pictured 1986.
The bookshop (far right)
is where the restaurant now stands.

There is a Fish Platter (to share) on the specials but we go for two of the regular starters. Eoin O'Mahony is one of our favourite butchers and is also a favourite at Fenn’s Quay and the  O’Mahony’s Pressed Ham Terrine, Pickled Quail Egg with Celery Salad & Lemon Aioli is a delight, every bit polished off.

The other starter is even better, perhaps the result of one of those magic moments. I absolutely enjoyed every morsel of the Chicken Liver Brûlée with Crozier Blue Cheese Ice Cream & Red Onion Compote. What a combination! It had beautiful textures and flavours, even the toasted bread was conveniently curled to hold the paté. All it lacked was a small spoon to take up the final drops of the Ice Cream.

Despite tempting chicken (O’Sullivan’s), O’Mahony’s feather blade with Ballyhoura mushrooms, and more, we both picked fish specials (from O’Connell’s) for mains.  CL loves her hake but, this being Fenn’s Quay, the dish was somewhat different: Roast Hake and Gubbeen Chorizo, chickpeas and seasonal vegetables in a mild spicy broth (15.95).

The Hake

This was a gorgeous dish and the spice, mild as stated, went well with the hake. And matched too with the wine we picked, the tingly multi-grape Claude Val blanc 2013 (Languedoc). Indeed, the wine was also suitable with my mains: Pan-fried Monkfish and potato rosti, braised leeks, celeriac and king oyster mushrooms in a delightful lemon butter sauce. I could have eaten any part of this on its own but put it all together as Kate did and it is top notch, all the ingredients (including that sauce) so well measured, so well matched.

And could she surprise us with dessert? Could she what? We went for the Mimi’s Cork Dry Gin and Tonic Dessert and the Vanilla Carrageen Moss with Seasonal Fruit. Where else would you get them? Beautiful. Terrific finalé to a very enjoyable meal.

Have to say before I finish that the service was excellent here. Our server was busy but still had time for a brief chat or two and a laugh or three. And she spotted that we were out of water before we had to ask for it. On the ball. Just like her hard-working chef-patron.

Desserts, Carrigeen Moss (left), Gin & Tonic.






Saturday, June 28, 2014

Chatting My Way Around the Midleton Farmers Market

Chatting My Way Around the Midleton Farmers Market
Filling a few bags as well!
Immaculate King Oyster from Ballyhoura Mushrooms
Looks like quite a few of the traders from the Midleton Farmers Market are heading to the City Hall on Monday for the Cork Kerry Food Forum and Artisan Fair. The afternoon session, from 12.30pm on, is open to the public and you’ll have  a chance to sample and buy the products.

In the morning, there might well be a question or two about rulebook regulation hampering the development of small producers. That was certainly a topic in Midleton on Saturday. There is agreement that regulation is needed but so too is common sense.
Heaven's Cakes

The difference between shopping at a market and elsewhere was heavily and pleasantly underlined for me on Saturday. So many stops, so many chats, even a recipe from one producer. Bought one of Frank Hederman’s smoked mackerel (I know lots of you love the fillets but you must try the whole fish smoked on the bone) and Frank himself gave us a few tips on making the best use of it.

Cobh's Just Food started off at a corner of a stall in Midleton and it was great to see Deirdre Hilliard back in the market and supporting the stall-holders. She’ll be in the City Hall on Monday as will Jane Hegarty of Ardsallagh Goats. I was gossiping away to Jane as she handed out samples and one of them stopped me in full flow. It was a mature cheddar, four years old, delicious. She hasn't much left though and when its gone….

Deirdre’s nieces, Lilly and Roisin Higgins, were ”breakfasting” at the market but I don't think they got too much at all as their kids weren't inclined to leave any of the gorgeous pizza after them! Had a chat too with Lucy from Ballyhoura Mushrooms but forgot (too much gossip going on) to go back and buy some. Next time Lucy!


Mackerel, smoked on the bone.

Bumped into Colm and Aoife McCann from Ballymaloe and Peter Corr of Febvre Wine, and children. Colm is busy as usual lining up great wine events for Ballymaloe and has high hopes for the visit of the amazing Riedel Wine Glasses Show in November. That’s a long way off but there’ll be plenty of tastings and so on in between and we’ll let you know as soon as Colm has confirmed.

Also stopped to say hello to Noreen Conroy of Woodside Farm. They now have two stalls in the market, the second selling their delicious hot food.

We did manage to buy a few other bits and pieces, including (under instructions from Mr Hederman) some Ballycotton spuds from Willie, irresistible strawberries from Rose Cottage Farm  and, of course, bread from Arbutus. Another chat (French themed!) here of course with Declan and Deirdre before we retreated back to the city with one of their delicious Almond and Saffron Rings in the bag. Half of it is gone already and I don't think it will last the day!

Almond and Saffron by Arbutus