Bonjour French Market Friends,
On Monday we experienced a massive Orange Level 8 storm in Cape Town when North Westerley wind gusts over 110kph were recorded at our harbo
ur. This appears to have been similar to the great storm in our harbour on 16 May 1865 when over 50 boats were blown onto the rocks and beaches and countless lives were lost (Image Facebook David Slingsby). I would like to apologise to any of our clients who may have came through late on Monday to shop as we closed early at 5. I wish to thank my staff member Shyleen who looked after the shop on her own throughout that terrible weather. Shyleen’s sister Shavinn was stuck far out of town and I was incapacitated for a few days. I am very fortunate to have such a loyal and supportive team.
France is a country with a large agricultural footprint and revels in its unspoilt countryside. This week in France the Gendarmerie (Police) in Saone-et-Loire issued an alert to motorists on their Facebook page, cautioning motorists to 
watch out for drunken deer (Cerfs ivres) on rural roads in the wooded areas. According to this Police report, in springtime the deer sometimes eat fermented fruit which makes them drunk and causes them to behave erratically. Their video of a 4 legged culprit caught dancing in the middle of a field went viral globally. According to the Gendarmes, the point of the video was to warn motorists to drive carefully and not to drink. You can view their video of the dancing deer on this link: https://www.facebook.com/
The size of land used for agriculture in France is still massive compared to many countries and has been the reason for the development of the dairy production from pre-Roman times. In particular the Arvernii, a Gallic tribe had 
large dairy herds around the Cantal mountains and the Auvergne. To this day we have their celebrated Cantal cheese made from the rich milk of Salers cows grazing on hay between November to April in the Cantal mountains. The process has remained true to the original style of uncooked curds which are pressed together into a cylindrical form. The outside crust dries and pre
serves the cheese, which is then aged. A Petit Cantal weighs about 10kgs. We stock the Cantal “Entre Deux” which is aged from 3 to 8 months. It has a tart flavour and medium firm texture. It has a similar taste to Cheddar (which the French claim they taught the English to make!) This is a great cheese for wintertime; it can be eaten on its own with fresh apples and walnuts or melted and served in lots of different recipes. Come in and taste some, it is delicious.
For wine pairing with Cantal, a light Gamay is recommended. Gamay wines are the 
main grape from the Beaujolais region at the southern end of Burgundy which has a different soil composition to the other regions. The vines were uprooted from the central Burgundy vineyards and left to flourish in the Beaujolais area in the 1300s, after the local Duk
e of Burgundy, Phillippe le Hardi, decided he preferred to drink Pinot Noir wine which is more delicate than the fresh and fruity Gamay. He decreed that only the red Pinot Noir grapes could be grown in the main region of Burgundy. As a result, all Beaujolais red wines are made with Gamay grapes. We stock a Beaujolais from Chateau Pierreux in Brouilly.
Following on from the uptick on orders for our discounted Roquefort – we are continuing the special discount of 30%, you can order any size. Roquefort is delicious served with figs, nuts and Membrillo. This is the Spanish thick paste made from quince which we stock.
For our recipe this week I have included a recipe for a warming tart made with lardons (chunky pieces of bacon), leeks and slices of raclette. Pairing is challenging but I think you will find that a light Beaujolais could work. Try it with our Chateau de Pierreux Beaujolais alternatively a Marc Bredief Chenin from the Loire valley.
I hope you enjoy your weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team