Vote for the Boyne Valley & Make it the 2015 Foodie Town

Zucchini's Crafty Weekend

Zucchini's Crafty Weekend was the last event that I had to cover for the Boyne Valley Food Series and what a way to end it! I had never heard about Zucchinis which is only up the road from me in Navan. They have been in business for ten years so I blame himself more seeing as he grew up around here! 

We visited on Sunday afternoon with the SnuggleMonkey in tow. It's clear that it is a regular venue for a lot of families and I can see why. It's comfortable, there is loads of space and the Sunday menu is extremely good value. There is also loads of parking close by so no need to bring a buggy as you wouldn't get it up the stairs anyway! 

Navan Tapas Trail

  

I have lived in Meath now for three years and I still haven't managed to make it to all the great places that people tell me about! Navan is full of such places so when I heard about the Navan Tapas Trail I jumped at the chance to blog about it. Followers of the blog will know that I love tapas and was disappointed that I couldn't make this year's Campo Viejo Trail due to being heavily pregnant. The Navan Tapas Trail more than made up for this and we even brought the baby along!

La Dolce Vita at Jack's Railway Bar & Restaurant

You know you have had a good meal out when you wake up thinking about it! Well that's what happened to me this morning after a fantastic meal out at the La Dolce Vita event at Jack's Railway Bar & Restaurant in Kells. Jack's is run by the lovely Martin and Victoria, a young dynamic couple from Lithuania who took over the restaurant in January. Martin looks after the bar while Victoria expertly manages the front of house. In the kitchen is Aurora, originally from Italy, and having run her own restaurant in Navan for years knows what the customers are looking for when it comes to food. 

Afternoon Tea at Teltown House

Anyone who is a regular reader of the blog will know that I LOVE a good afternoon tea. So I was quick to offer to go to Teltown House to attend their Coole Swan Afternoon Tea for the Boyne Valley Food Series. One of the things I love most about the food series is discovering places that I never would have known existed except for this initiative.

Sheridans Irish Food Festival

Last weekend saw the sixth Sheridans Irish Food Festival take place. It's an event we have been attended every year, rain or shine. Thankfully this year was one filled with lots and lots of sunshine! We didn't make it down till about 3.30 but there was still a steady stream of visitors making their way in. The event is well laid out so it never feels too packed especially since there is a good seating area where people can sit down, enjoy their food and listen to live music. 

Taco Taco, Dame Court, Dublin 2

In the run up to impending motherhood I have been trying to meet up with friends for quiet catch ups before the peace is gone forever! One place I have been dying to try is Taco Taco especially since the concept comes from the team behind the very successful San Lorenzos. Taco Taco is located on the ground floor of the Odessa building in Dame Court and describes itself as a pop up restaurant for the brunch crowd though it was dinner we were there for! 

Boyne Valley Fruit Farm Blossom Walk

This weekend saw the first events of the Boyne Valley Food Series take place. The Bective in Kells held their seafood festival which Nicky from One Life Adventure attended and which you can read about here and Boyne Grove Fruit Farm opened their beautiful orchards to the public. To say they weren't blessed with the weather is a bit of understatement but Sunday saw a much welcomed break in the rain which we and lots of other families took advantage of. 

The Boyne Valley Food Series 2015

So I know I haven't blogged in a really loooog time so hopefully noone totally dismisses this post as spam! Life got a bit hectic and the blog took a bit of a backseat but I'm hoping to fix all that in the next while. My plans however may be scuppered for a little while though with the impending arrival of baby number 1. So please forgive me in advance!

What better way to start back afresh though than with the announcement of the return of the 3rd Boyne Valley Food Series which kicks off this weekend!  For the last two years this wonderful series of events has turned the summer season into one full of food trails, festivals, farmers markets and fun. Personally it has allowed me to discover a whole new side to the county that I call home and its neighbour, Louth. 

October's Food Festivals & Events

Ok so autumn is officially here - me having to defrost my car for the first time in months must mean it is so! I have to say I love the cold (I will probably be shunned for that!) but there is something lovely about getting all the winter clothes out and getting all snuggled up. Now if it rains that's a different matter but fingers crossed it just stays clear and cold - perfect weather for getting out and about. Have a fantastic October.

Taste of Monaghan, Monaghan Town, 3rd – 5th October

Now in its fifth year, Taste of Monaghan celebrates the best of local produce in Monaghan and its surrounding areas.  Our 60+ exhibitors will be in attendance including artisan food businesses, food business start ups and major international players such as Monaghan Mushrooms, Silver Hill Farm and Mallon's Foods.

The Festival will be hosted by Brian McDermott of No Salt Chef fame who will present the audience with cookery demonstrations from a host of acclaimed chefs and personalities such as Jenny Bristow, Clodagh McKenna, Derval O'Rourke, Calso Cooks, Jenny Eustace and Scottish TV Chef, Peter McKenna. 

 

Afternoon Tea at the Morrison Hotel, Dublin

Regular readers of the blog will know that I adore afternoon tea. There is nothing nicer than spending a lazy Saturday having the chats with mates over lots and lots of tea and cake. So when a friend said she had seen a voucher for afternoon tea with prosecco in the Morrison Hotel we were on it faster than you could say BAKE!

I have good memories of The Morrison as it is where my family and I went to celebrate my college graduation years ago! It has been totally renovated and the interior is beautifully chic with tones of purple, white and grey running through the hotel. We were welcomed into the hotel by very friendly staff and placed at a lovely table for two that overlooked the quays and the Liffey where we could see the world go by.

 

Boyne Valley Food Series - September Events

The Boyne Valley Food Series is nearing its end and while I am sad to see summer go the prospect of autumn fills me with joy. The countryside will look more beautiful than ever and autumn is such a wonderful time to celebrate what the land provides us with. The closing events of the Boyne Valley Food Series reflect this.

September's Food Festivals & Events

The schools are back and the sun is gone but there are still a million reasons to love September. Long autumn walks, hearty stews and big chunky cardigans are just three off the top of my head! September also means there are loads more food events and festivals happening all around the country. Harvest time is here - Enjoy.

Breakfast at ORSO, Cork

A good brunch is one of the requirements of a girlie night away. The others are dancing, cocktails and lots of gossip - not necessarily in that order! To cure the night before after our day of eating and drinking at the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail and Arthur Maynes, we were gagging for something substantial to tide us over till a late lunch. We were tempted to head back to Arthur Maynes but felt like a change of scene after spending hooours there the day before! We even had a look at the menu but were then enticed into Orso Kitchen and Bar which is right next door. 

We had just missed the 11:30 cutoff for breakfast but the staff happily made an exception for us and let us order of their amazing sounding menu. Orso have a very creative and interesting breakfast menu. Now tell me if I'm wrong but how wonderful does feta, spinach and raisin breakfast pie or warm flatbread with banana, cinnamon and toasted almonds sound! Now we were all craving bacon and eggs so two of us went for the Breakfast Manoushi while the other two went for the Breakfast Moglai.

Breakfast Manoushi

The Blog Awards Ireland & Starting that blog you have been thinking about!

It was a lovely surprise to wake up yesterday morning and discover that The Purple Page had been shortlisted for Best Food/Drink Blog in the Blog Awards Ireland. It’s a case of third time lucky for the blog as I was nominated in 2012 and 2013 but didn’t make it to the next round. There is some tough competition in there and I am up against some of my own favourite blogs too (check out Fiona’s Japanese Cooking, The Dublin Diary and The Beer Nut for starters!) so it is an honour to be included in the list. 

Foraging for Lunch on Girley Bog with Meath Eco Tours

Foraging is something I don't know a lot about. Yes I can identify blackberries, elderflowers and wild garlic but that is about it. I'm lucky enough to have the first two in my garden so I'm not even sure you can call that foraging!! So when Kate from Meath Eco Tours invited me along to Girley Bog for a morning of foraging as part of Boyne Valley Food Series I jumped at the chance to learn more.

 

Arthur Mayne's, Cork City

A few weekends ago, a few of the girls and I made a one night roadtrip to Cork especially for the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail. It was a great afternoon which turned into a great night! We ended up going back to Arthur Mayne's as we were told it had a lovely outdoor area and was open late. In fact it is open till about 2 in the morning and that was on a Sunday night. 

Arthur Mayne's is a 20-year-old chemist turned wine bar. Apart from display cabinets filled with wonderful old merchandise, it also boasts a wine system which allows you to sample 24 different varieties of wines. We decided to keep that though for another trip! Arthur Mayne's merges with Crane Line and between them there is a great outdoor area which is long and narrow and has a good few seats. The sun was gone by the time we were there but it was still lovely and warm where we were sitting. Later on that evening they turned the heaters on and sure we didn’t move till again till about 12.30 that night. 

Photo from Arthur Mayne's Facebook Page

The National Organic Food Fair - Sunday, 14th September

The second National Organic Food Fair will take place on Sunday, 14th September in Marlay Park.  The event is open to all and entry is free! The National Organic Food Fair is a collaboration between the Organic Trust and the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, and is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Fair will have lots on offer with face painters, balloon makers, and a pet farm to name just a few attractions. This organic festival will also have lots of outdoor stalls and marquees showcasing Irish organic products. Tempting food stalls will also be there with a host of food from burgers, to soups, yogurt and apple syrups and ciders, all of which are certified organic. It promises to be the largest display of Irish organic food available in a single venue yet.

Clodagh McKenna will also return this year to host a cooking demonstration using excellent organic produce, most of which has been sourced from the stall holders at the event. This is free to the public but please come early to avoid disappointment. Cooking demonstrations take place at 12.30pm and 2pm.

If you have an idea about producing an organic product, a range of selected producers and industry leaders will give practical seminars on the day. Topics such as routes to market, why organic food is important, eating organically on a budget, and also practical tips on growing organic food are all taking place at different times throughout the day. The full schedule will be announced closer to the event.

The aim of this year’s National Organic Food Fair is to strengthen and promote the message that organic, local and seasonal foods offer the best quality ingredients for home cooking, combined with the added advantage of supporting jobs, economic growth and local development. 

Find them on Facebook here. 

Campo Viejo Tapas Trail - Cork Style

Anyone who is a regular reader of the blog will know that I am a big fan of affordable, creative and interesting events that help to showcase a city. One of my favourite yearly events in Dublin is the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail which I have gone on since it started in 2010. You can read all about the fun we had at the 2014 one here. Campo Viejo also started doing a tapas trail in Cork last year and it looked great, so much so, that the girls and I said we might even think about going down especially for it. Surprisingly, we actually managed to get ourselves organised enough this year and made it down to Cork for the last Sunday trail of the season!

Now Cork is a well visited city on my holiday destination list but I had never eaten in any of the restaurants on the trail which made the event all the more exciting. Our guide for the afternoon was George who was a lively and very entertaining Cork woman – a pure born rebel as she called herself! Our first stop was Electric which has the most gorgeous art deco inspired facade.