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Explore France Holiday Guides Lot-et-Garonne Fresh from the market
| Fresh from the market |
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| Wednesday, 28 February 2007 | |
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Market vendors are usually gregarious foodloving souls willing to share a few tricks of the trade. After all, the fruits of their labours are intended for your table.
Even the most rudimentary French goes a long way when gathering ingredients for a classic tourain d’ail (garlic soup) or tarte aux pruneaux (plum tart). Markets are where the real gastronomic gossip occurs. Think of those colourful umbrellas sheltering abundantly laden tables as your new French lessons. Who has the best produce? The freshest eggs? The most delicious farm-made cheese, sausage and breads? Which foods are really in season? Does the little slate sign say ‘Lot-et-Garonne’ or ‘47’ defining what is truly local? Markets are also a good way to learn more about this agricultural region, its cuisine and culture. Whether shopping for an impromptu picnic, or Sunday lunch, let the market dictate what to buy rather than going with a set list in hand. Take a walk around and get your bearings about what’s in season, what strikes your fancy and who has the speciality items. Go early enough, before the crowds. Take a quick break at the café to make a list although you can often leave the amount you buy up to the stall keeper: “Pour quatre personnes, s’il vous plaît.” Being pros, they know that the overflowing bag of spinach is only enough for two, that 250g of Salers cheese is plenty for a healthy serving for four... Then basket overflowing with the hard work of market vendors, head home for a delicious retour du marché lunch. Kate Hill lives and writes on her canal boat and teaches cooking at The French Kitchen. Featured in international food and wine magazines and on the BBC’s ‘Rick Stein’s French Odyssey’. For recipes from the Lot-et-Garonne, “A Culinary Journey in Gascony” For market tours and classes, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 06 75 41 79 54. |
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