Click to view picturesAs a mother and wife, I have made it my job to research good sources of food available in the city of Mullingar and I would like to share with you some of my tips when it comes to feeding your family quality over quantity.
One excellent place to source fantastic bread and organic cheese and vegetables is the Sunday Farmer's market in the Penney's carpark. With an Italian husband that has been looking for a lovely Focaccia bread for quite some time, I have to say he was more than pleased with the bread baked by qualified chef Linda Sheridan, founder of “Garveys” who comes here from Finea, Co. Cavan (087 253 3493) which at EUR 5.99 is as big as a medium pizza and comes toped with cheese, tomato, caramelised onions, and a traditional array of fresh herbs. I think for such a delicious bread, the price is a steal. Be warned you will have to bake it for a few minutes for top taste, but if you want to buy a quality Italian-style bread, our Farmer's Market is the place to go every Sunday from 9 to 3.
To complement your Focaccia meal, you can add some organic cheese, and I have to say I really like the Brie supplied by Martin and Dorthoy Halliday (087 256 3167) from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Martin is always ready to give you a taster and I have also tried a very delicate Nettle and Chives Cheddar that my children really like with cream crackers for an afternoon snack.
From the market you can also source organic vegetables to create a summer salad made of succulent leaves of Irish lettuce, deep red vine tomatoes, organic green onions, and a cubed and peeled orange, sprinkled with a generous amount of balsamic vinegar for a true Mediterranean taste.
I have fed my family of four with a wholesome and filling quality meal of four, for less than EUR 20.00, fully sourced from the Farmer's Market while educating their tastebuds, saving a ton of time that I then spent having a family conversation and enjoying the food in my garden instead of slaving over a Sunday roast, while helping the local economy and some of our top suppliers, all in one go.
And if you want to indulge, why not try some luscious chocolate muffins from Sheelagh McCann (044 93 31586)? My daughter swears by them and they are a treat worth waiting for. She has a variety of home-baked goodies that can satisfy the most demanding consumer, and one of the only reasons I have broken a one-month diet with full justification.
We go there after Mass every Sunday and my children are now looking for quality chutneys, asking more and more about good wholesome types of bread and vegatables, and in general, looking forward to a few minutes of hassle-free outdoor food shopping in the centre of town.
Also, I have located what I think are the best chicken fillets in town, supplied by John at the Bacon Store in Dominick Street. At EUR1.50 each they might sound a little pricey, but I can say that three of those fillet feed a family of four and they taste so nice and look so clean and fresh every time, that I am now a fan! In the end, they are really value for money: I highly recommend visiting him one of this days and trying them yourself.
My next food research project will be for quality drinking water, and I will be sending some normal tap water samples to a lab, sharing what I find with you for my next contribution.