A fitting start to our journey in Cork, Midleton Farmers” Market features delicious produce, small batch chocolates, baked goods, mushrooms, and healthy salads. It was a lovely sunny morning as we walked around. I found a tasty green juice, since we had already had a breakfast at our Bed and Breakfast. At the Ballymaloe Stall, I picked up some Elderflower Cordial that was the perfect match for my Highbank Orchard Gin. So began my current obsession with the stuff! Check out my recipe to make your own cordial!

A short walk from the market is the town itself. Midleton is quaint with a great foodie scene. Local Sage Restaurant is owned by award winning Irish chef Keith Aherne, who led the charge for the 12 Mile movement (where dishes are created using ingredients sourced within twelve miles of the eatery, watch the video about 12 Mile to learn more).

In the span of barely two days, we hit three markets, numerous restaurants, and a million picturesque views – but missed so much! A great resource for all things Cork is Seán Monaghan’s website. He is the filmmaker behind 12 Mile and created the book, A Taste of Cork, which was a helpful introduction to the food of Co. Cork. A book that also made me realize we would need to come back to Cork and stay longer, which is the plan!