Bonjour Dear French Market Friends,
I hope you are enjoying your extra day’s holiday today. We are open so you can come in and shop for those special Christmas gifts and treats at leisure. We only close on 25 and 26 Dec and 1 Jan. Please note today is the last day to order Buche de Noel. They will be ready prior to Christmas. Please contact me for more details.
This week we received several hundred kilos of cheese for the Festive season. In amongst all the
favourites such as Brie de Meaux, Delices triple cream and Vacherousse, we have received lots of individual units of special cheeses for the Festive feasts. Individual cheeses in their original boxes make great gifts at Christmas and you can create a cheese board with a selection of these.
We have Pouligny St Pierre, these are the famous, pyramid shaped, raw milk goat’s cheese from Pouligny St Pierre in the Loire. They have a white, wrinkly crust and a medium firm texture. The flavour of this raw milk cheese is distinctive. Also, from the Loire we have the St Maure a small log shaped soft goat’s cheese dusted with ash, and fresh goat’s cheese crottins. Plus, our popular Buche de chevre which has a chalky textured centre with a white crust.
We have Mont d’Or; these are individual cheeses made with rich milk from cows that graze on the Mont D’Or (Golden mountain) in the Jura region. The cheese is encircled by a layer of pine bark which gives it a distinctive and unique flavour. The cheese has a surface crust that looks like cloth, inside the cheese becomes soft and creamy. Many people make a fondue with the cheese by heating the cheese in its box and adding some slices of garlic into the crust.
We have received the individual boxes of triple cream delice with truffle, these are stunning. 2 layers of soft and creamy delice with a layer of truffles across the centre packed in a wood box. Apart from tasting amazing they also make the most unique gifts. We also have 1 kg boxes of Delice for a large festive party.
We have Camembert Bocage from Normandie in two individual sizes 250gr and 150gr and the 1kg wheel. These cheeses are made with milk from cows grazing in the rich pastures of Normandie, producing a rich creamy milk. They are the best types of Camembert, full of flavour. Also, from Normandie we have Pont l’Eveque, the square shaped, wash rind cheese which has a more tangy flavour.
From Brie we have the traditional brie from Meaux which is made with unpasteurised milk and hand crafted. This cheese is a gold medal winner at the Paris Agricultural show. It comes in a 3 kg wheel which we slice into smaller portions, or you can order a whole wheel. We also have the milder, pasteurised brie by Maubert which is made in the East of France in the Vosges region. This brie is gentle flavoured and appeals to everyone, pair it with figs and some of specially made preserves.
We received the St Julien a walnut cream cheese. If you like walnuts this is a must try, the cheese looks like a cake with layers of soft cheese interspersed with layers of walnut cream. We have lots of Epoisses the amazingly smelly orange coloured cheese that is washed in brandy from Burgundy. The centre of cheese is soft and creamy. These cheeses come in 1kg wheels and 250g boxes.
We have plenty of raw cow’s milk, large mountain cheeses Comtes, Cantal, Beaufort d Ete, Tomme de Savoie, St Nectaire, Emmental and Morbier. Plus plenty more, come in and have a look.
The Pane
ttone and Pandoro Christmas cakes are flying off the shelves. We have a special cake made with candied apples and cinnamon that is beautifully wrapped with ribbons and makes a great gift. We have boxes of Marron glaces, the unique sweet treat made from candied chestnuts, that is given by the French at Christmas time.
There are lots of French terrines and rich duck liver produc
ts in store. We have caviar and different types of anchovies.
In our alcohol range we are stocked up with wines from the great regions of France. A range of champagnes including my favourite (and the Tsar’s) Louis Roederer Cristal champagne (limited stock) in a beautiful gift box. This is the gift to give to someone who has a great taste in champagne.. We have liqueurs including Armagnac, Cognac and have just received some Calvados.
We have had some special preserves made for the shop, to accompany the cheese, branded with Madame Fifi, our French Mouse logo: Confit d’oignon rouge, is a red onion chutney made with some of our red wine from the Rhone valley; Confit of poire, gingembre et citron vert is a preserve made with pear, ginger and lime. Confit de figures et thym, is a preserve of fig and thyme.
I really enjoy the flavour of good chocolate and Valrhona chocolate form France has a great flavour which enhances any recipe. For my recipe this week here is a delicious and easy to make chocolate cake (from my sister Julia’s family recipe collection), it can be served as part of a festive meal or on its own for tea. Pair it with a glass of Rose Champagne from Tribaut Schloesser.
I hope you enjoy this long weekend as you prepare for the Festive season,
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team