Bonjour French Market Friends,
A lot happens in a week, in France the Cannes Film Festival became the “centre” of the Universe, for those who love the glamour of the 
film industry. This is Hollywood glitz paired with the height of French culture and global creativity. Beautiful stars are dressed in eye catching outfits as they parade in front of the world’s media. The serious work of creating, financing and launching films for the global industry happens in the background. The appreciation of the artistic work that is critiqued during the Festival is showcased with glamourous award ceremonies. Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible-The Final Reckoning was launched at the Festival. At a production cost of USD300-400 million (give or take a few noughts) this is one of the most expensive films ever to be produced, and some of film was shot in our beloved country.
Living at the tip of the African continent, I unfortunately, did not get my personal invitation to the Festival, possibly it was sent by post, so maybe it will arrive in 3 months’ time. However, I did buy a ticket, on Emirates to Europe. Whilst it’s a bit inconvenient changing at Dubai, the service on board and the efficiency of DXB airport is world class. Coming from an airline background I really know the difference. However, the main reason I chose EK was the 2 large suitcase baggage allowance, meaning I can stock up on some French treats for our shop.
With a quick visit to my daughters, we celebrated birthdays and Mother’s Day in central London. It was beautiful weather with clean streets and parks full of greenery. My daughter’s spoilt me with an incredible 7 course tasting menu dinner at Alain Ducasse’s 3star Michelin restaurant at the Dorchester hotel. (Alain’s Image courtesy Wikipedia)The décor is contemporary and elegantly subtle, with no distractive elements. Executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet heads up the team, having worked alon
gside Alain for over 10 years. The entire focus is on the food; each dish was exquisite in presentation, in flavours and uniqueness. The service was friendly and informative, the waiter did look a little surprised when I asked the origins of certain products such as the clotted cream, because I am really interested in knowing the source of what I am eating. Where many restaurants try hard to create eye catching presentations, to me, this restaurant is truly the best example of what “Haute Cuisine” means, and a real reflection of the creativity of one of the greatest French chefs of our time using carefully selected local produce. 
After London I headed Southwest to the National Park of Dartmoor where we used to live, when I was a child. Apart from eating scones with Devonshire clotted cream non-stop, I had some great rambles across the moors. I even managed to ride out on a pony and enjoyed the pleasure of an unspoilt countryside with larks singing, sheep and ponies wandering freely, a far cry from our busy city of Cape Town.
Af
ter a quick flight to Limoges, and trying to remember how to drive on the opposite side of the road, the real pleasure I derive when I come back to the heart of the French countryside away from the cities, is that very little changes in the countryside in France. You only need to drive just a few miles off the highways and you will be in unspoilt countryside. I am now at home in my very rustic cott
age in Charente, reconnecting with old places. In one of my barns, is an old pillar from the Roman quarry up the road, that was carved when they built the Roman baths 2000 years ago, 1km up the road from here at Cassino Magus (Chassenon). These Roman baths are some of the best preserved in Europe as they lay undisturbed for centuries. If you are interested in exploring this region, my cottage is available on AirBNB all year round, contact me for more details.
Stocking up at the local “supermarches”, a few miles down the road, in the ancient town of Rochechouart, I wanted to buy everything. The produce comes from local farms and also from other parts of Europe. The dairy section is vast and I had great difficulty in restraining myself from buying everything in sight. This produce was the inspiration for creating my French Market shop, even though it’s challenging to import, as we are located 10,000 miles away from the source, it is worth the effort. You will be glad to know that we can fly produce in regularly. This w
eek we received new stock of 18 month aged Comte, Reblochon, Roquefort, Munster, Brie de Meaux, Morbier, Buche de Chevre and plenty more. My team are on hand to look after you and are manging very well while I am travelling and sourcing new products.
In the country homes in France, you will always find an old cupboard or larder tucked away in the coolest part of the kitchen, containing earthenware jars or bottles of preserved fruits and vegetables. These are the results of the ample produce grown in the orchards and fields surrounding the village. Fruits and vegetables were picked at optimum ripeness then preserved for the cold winter months, nothing would be wasted so that the family would have plenty to eat during the long, cold winters. Every French country person will have recipes handed down from their Grandmeres (grandmothers). These recipes were created centuries before electricity and fridges arrived and remain as unchanged as the countryside around them.
One of the tastiest preserves to accompany cheese is a sweet preserve, this is because the sweet, tangy flavour complements the rich dense taste of the cheese. There are different pairings of cheese and preserves. A simple one is an onion preserve, this pairs well with a Comte or an Irish cheddar. Shallots are currently in season (in Cape Town), they have a slightly sweeter taste than onions, (you can also use onions in this recipe). If you wish to reduce some of their sharpness you can soak the chopped shallots in water first. See recipe below.
I hope you have an enjoyable week, our shop is open every day, but don’t hesitate to message me via whatsapp or email if you need me, I am available most of the time.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team