Honest2Goodness Market newsletter 24th February 2011

Wow - what a gorgeous day this is,  weather-wise! One of those days, full of hope for a fresh start and a reminder that not everything is doom and gloom...

Talking of which... Well, tomorrow is the day when we'll all be called upon to decide the fate of the country's politicians. It hasnt been the most interesting of campaigns, although I finally had a canvasser at the door the other evening - fair play to him, out in the rain to canvass for an Independent Candidate. I havent fully made up my mind on my order of preference, and clearly there isnt much time left now in which to do so! I have been following a lot of the online stuff on www.thejournal.ie - very up to date! And of course on Twitter (#ge11).

The count will be the most interesting part of the whole election, I suspect (as usual!), so I think that at least one lap-top will be switched on at the market on Saturday. By the way, we do have free wireless Internet Access at the market cafe area, just ask us for the code!

Event news:

We are starting our 'H2G Bazaar' this Saturday, with another day next Saturday. Tell all your bargain hunting friends to come along to the cafe to find stuff - prices start at 50c up to €5. We are still accepting goods for the bazaar - stuff must be in usable condition...

 

Stallholder news:

This Saturday, joining us is Breanndan of Gourmetstreetpizza.com. His pizzas are made from proper Italian flour, and all his ingredients are authentically sourced, and his pizzas are freshly baked in his wood-burning oven,  so he'll be at the market early on Saturday to stoke it up!

 

At the Pantry, we expect to have all our food orders delivered by Saturday morning, including lots of produce from Gubbeen (and yes, we are expecting the Fresh Chorizo to be available!).

We are also taking delivery of our first lot of Glebe Brethen Cheese (as well as lots of our more regular cheeses). Glebe Brethan is made in Co. Louth by the Tiernan family with their Montbeliarde cows (that's one of them in the photo above!) and is a Gruyere-type cheese with lots of soft nutty flavours - we are really looking forward to your sampling it, as we think it'll be a great addition to our growing range of cheeses!

 

At the Wine counter, our wines of the week are:

White wine - Vini Mustella, Bianco Jovine
€15 down to €12

Piemonte is well known for its wonderful reds including the world famous area of Barolo, but some of the more adventurous in the area can turn their hands to making whites too. This white made just up the road from Barolo and Alba (based on Chardonnay and Favorita grapes) shows lovely ripe melon and tropical fruits with a nice spicy fennel finish. Delicious with chicken, pork or creamy cheeses.

Red wine: Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Italy)
€14.00 down to €12.00

Benchmark Montepulciano from the Italian winemakers of the year in 2004. Shows great complexity and elegance with flavours of cherry, violet, tobacco and an earthiness typical of Montepulciano that works well with savoury dishes made with truffles or mushrooms. It also matches nicely with red meats and hard mature cheeses, so should be an ideal match with the Glebe Brethan cheese!

We will also have our Extra Virgin Olive Oil on tasting on Saturday. This award winning olive oil is imported by us from the producers in Spain - Ortigosa. It is made from the Arbequina olive, which is regarded as one of the best olives from which to produce oil. Dont forget that olive oil - in particular Extra Virgin - is attributed with many health benefits! To accompany the tasting, we are offering a 20% discount on our olive oils this Saturday!

Farm Visit Invitation

Jim Ryan tells me that he will have a special on corned beef this Saturday with a 20% reduction on his normal price. Calving and lambing are continuing on the Farm, and Jim has issued an open invitation to all market customers to pay the farm a visit any Sunday in March. Just contact him at 087-9857480 or Anthony at 087-9910833 to make the arrangements.

Sarah-Jane let me know that she plans on bringing some small cut and come again cakes - maderia, coffee and walnut, carrot at €4.00 they are great value. Also scones this week will be Lemon / cinnamon raisen.
and Gluten free banana bread will be back on, as well as some Gluten free apple and honey muffins.

The Curry Sauce Company news: Fresh Naan's received (No Peshwari, but plentiful Garlic&Corriander, Plain and also Chapati's) All €3

 Recession Election Beater Deal:

 Our usual pricing remains intact €6 each, 3 pots for €15

Or

Buy 5 for €20

Oh, nearly forgot to let you know the dishes of the day at the Cafe - we will have butternut squash and winter root vegetable soup, and to make our Sicilian Beef casserole, we are already marinating some of Jim Ryan's beef in a marinade of Sicilian red wine, herbs garlic and olive oil - should be beautifully tender by Saturday! And due to the Bazaar, tables and chairs will be at a premium on Saturday, so please share with other customers!

So, lots of interesting food, all at great prices, chat, gossip, meeting neighbours and friends (old and new!) - sure what more could you want?! Well, maybe a crystal ball to see the result of the election...

 Brid and all the team at Honest2Goodness market