Spotlight on Bia Beirut at Mahon Point Farmers Market, also Ballintubber Farm, Gubbeen and Emerald Mushrooms.

Spotlight on Bia Beirut at Mahon Point Farmers Market, also Ballintubber Farm, Gubbeen and

Emerald Mushrooms.

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Via Pixabay

Pamela and Rabih Farah are the couple behind Bia Beirut, who have a stall at both Mahon and Douglas Farmers Market. At Bia Beirut, they create Lebanese-inspired artisan breads, snacks and dips, delivering authentic flavours of tradition to your table, and they also do event catering. Bia Beirut was founded to craft wholesome, healthy foods that celebrate Lebanon’s heritage. We called into Mahon last Thursday and met Rabih at the stall. Pamela is recovering from an injury and she is wished a speedy recovery. Rabih, by the way, is pronounced as Rabia. 

The stall is not the biggest in the market, but there is quite a choice. Rabih will help you and explain all the different foods in the display. Perhaps the best way to get an idea of the flavours of Lebanon is to buy a Mezze Box. We bought the one above (they have 3 different sizes) that contains dips such as Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and the roasted red pepper mix called Muhammara. The green rolls are called Wara Enab, vine leaves stuffed with different fillings (rice, herbs and tomato), and are packed with flavour. You can also spot a Makdous (between the leaves and the olives). Some crispy and flavoursome sourdough snaps also as well as a Teta bread (a focaccia style, with different flavours available)  to help take up the dips. A lovely lunch for two or three and all for a little over fourteen euros.

Bia Beirut is often referred to as the Beirut Baker, and this is well illustrated by this terrific wholemeal sourdough, one of the very best loaves of its kind on the market. Good value too, at a little over four euro. Must try more of the breads soon!

A tempting tray full of Makdous baby aubergines packed with walnuts, red pepper, and garlic

Love to see the earth on the carrots! These, the broccoli
and much more are available from Ballintubber Farm,
one of the market's longest serving stalls.

Save yourself the bother and unpredictability of the barbecue and the weather, and enjoy these marinated pork ribs from Gubbeen in West Cork. A single rack costs just seven euro at the market, and will feed three unless they are all Rugby Lions, in which case, buying a double rack might just suffice.

Gubbeen also offer a range of terrific cheeses and I helped myself to these portions of Cheddar Cashel (never a bad cheese from the Tipperary family company) and the also excellent Killeen Cow cheese from
County Galway.

Emerald Mushrooms are grown in Knockraha and are new to me. Top notch. Just enjoyed the Elm Oysters at lunch (below). They also sell another more meaty Oyster at the stall.