A miracle happened this weekend:
After approximately 6 billion days of overcast skies and rain, the sun came out of hibernation and kissed us with its rays.
It was perfect timing. A dear friend of mine had recently moved home after years in Australia and we were spending a much-needed weekend together in Kilkenny.
I was so excited to see her, and even more excited to have an excuse to make a cheese board! A good cheese board is a thing of true beauty. It should be varied and have a range of textures and flavours. With that in mind, I went to the perfect place to get some things: The Little Green Grocer.
A haven for all things natural, sustainable, local and delicious, we are so lucky to be able to include this beautiful shop on our food tour. The owner, Eleanor, is so welcoming and knowledgeable about food. A visit here is always one of our guest’s standout experiences: they not only get to try local and organic produce, but also come away with a greater awareness of the importance of sustainable food practices and of supporting small independent businesses.
It’s also the perfect spot to pick up high quality cheese board essentials. Armed with my Kilkenny Food Tours tote bag, I spent a long time browsing the crackers, jars of jams and relishes, cheese, and wine. After careful consideration, I decided on some hummus from Dublin company Lilliput Market, a wedge of west-Cork Durrus cheese, some Wexford-based Isle of Crackers olive crackers (adorably shaped like love hearts!), and some soft goats cheese from Bluebell Falls in Cork. I also picked up a can of raspberry All About Kombucha from the Galway Gaeltacht, because shopping is thirsty work, people.
After that, it was simply a matter of assembly and sitting back to enjoy. We soaked up the sunshine in the garden, chatting and enjoying the food. The cats were lounging around, occasionally wandering over for some attention and a little piece of cheese. It was blissful spending those hours together outside.
The next day, we got an early start. The good weather was continuing and we piled into the car to drive into Kilkenny. The sunroof of the car was opened for the first time in a decade and we had the music playing loudly, warm air rushing in and filling us with a sense of freedom and excitement of what was to come.
Pulling into the car park, our first stop was brunch. Brunch in Kilkenny is synonymous with one place: Arán Bakery and Bistro. Reading and rereading the menu trying to decide which of the delicious options to go for was very difficult. After much consideration, I opted for the classic Korean chicken wrap, while my friend went for the Spring toast. The wrap is always so tasty- crispy chicken, fresh coriander and beansprouts, and the incredible ‘magic sauce’. The Spring toast looked so beautiful too, full of colours and textures, seasonal vegetables and golden brown halloumi. Conversation at the table was limited to ‘this is so good’ for the (admittedly short) length of time we were eating. We headed over to the bakery after eating to pick up some coffee for the road, as the day’s main event was still yet to come!
