Local Goodness

One of the best tips for living the champagne life style on a beer budget came from my Mom. She always says you could treat yourself to whatever you wanted at the grocery store, because even if you bought the most expensive thing there it was unlikely to break the bank.
Galway is the perfect place to put this philosophy into practice. One of my favorite aspects of life in Galway is the constant fixture of food markets. There is the weekly market by St. Nicholas's Church, a great place to scout out organic veg., olives, homemade doughnuts and the best Matar Paneer I've ever had courtesy of the Harri Krishna run Govinda's food truck. If you don't mind a little hippie with your Indian food it's well worth getting it just to listen to the conversations of the other people waiting in line. Last week I got to listen to a very serious conversation about the huge amount of radiation you are exposed to when you fly, and that it should be avoided at all costs.  I wish someone had told me this before I moved to an island :)
At regular intervals throughout the year Galway is also host to a number of artisan food markets full of to die for fudge, sushi, bread, and my absolute favorite home made jams, condiments and marmalade. The best of the bunch, in my opinion is Memory Lane http://www.bluebellcottageireland.com/
Their Rhubarb Ginger jam has changed my life. I am sure it is simple enough to make if I put my mind to it, but for around 3euro I can my very own jar that I don't have to make myself. It is absolutely divine paired with Brie, Camembert or Goats Cheese and served on oatcakes. My new favy snack for when I am a bit peckish in the afternoons. It's the perfect consistency,. which can be difficult to find in homemade jams and the ginger adds just the right amount of spice and complexity. 
In other news, I am moving to a proper town house. This means I can finally unpack and get to cooking. The house is conveniently located within 5 minutes of Lidl, Tesco and Aldi. So watch this space for actual cooking posts, complemented by actual photographs if I can find the battery charger for my camera.