Bonjour French Market Friends,
This week in Paris, Sebastien Lecornu, was reappointed as PM and his coalition government 
managed to survive another No-Confidence vote on Friday, by appeasing the Socialist party, including not increasing the retirement age to 64, amongst other matters. His goal was to build sufficient support in the French parliament on decision making, instead of forcing through Presidential decrees. There is 18 months to go to the next Presidential elections which is now the main focus of ambitious politicians hoping to be elected as President. (Image courtesy Lecornu Facebook)
French cheese paired with French regional wines is always an interesting taste experience. This week we had a great cheese and wine pairing hosted by Caroline Fine Wines a
t Tokai this week. The wines were some of my favourites such as Marc Bredief Vouvray with buche de chevre; Baron Ladoucette Sancerre paired with hard goat crottin; Chateau Jany Sauternes paired with Roquefort; Lauriston Calvados and Cognac 1270 from Frapin paired with Camembert and Pont l’Eveque from Normandy. What I enjoyed most from the event was there were several people present who had not tasted my French cheese before and it was so rewarding to get their enthusiastic feedback on the flavours of each cheese that I presented. We can organise a private cheese and wine tasting for you at home or at a corporate event. To make it viable you need to work on 15 guests. Let me know if you would like more information.
We have just received a large shipment of cheese in Cape Town from Paris this week. The 
favourites back in stock include Brie with a layer of truffle cream, this decadent cheese has a thick creamy central layer with pieces of summer truffle; Vacherousse the rich creamy cheese with a light tangy crust from the Jura; lots of triple cream Delice, Camembert from Normandie, Brie from the Vosges, this has a 60% fat content so it is much richer than the average Bries. There is a cheese to suit every one’s taste, come in and try some.
Back here in Cape Town we have the Cape Town Marathon happening this weeken
d, our city is welcoming visitors from across the globe coming to enjoy this major event. Traffic will be completely disrupted with road closures, so plan your routes carefully if you are driving. Runners need lots of energy and the cheese with the highest concentration of calcium is Comte. Our Comte is aged between 16 and 24 months. As the cheese matures the calcium forms into crystals which gives it that crunchy, salty taste, this is great for bone building, and the flavour of the cheese is incredibly complex.
Another high s
ource of energy is our crème de marrons tubes. This sweetened chestnut paste is used by sportspeople in France as an energy booster as it’s easy to tuck into a small belt. We have received new stock of the Crème de Marrons in tubes and in cans.
Remember that we still have some white asparagus in the shop, the season won’t last for much longer so do get some while you can. For my recipe this week, I am sharing a side dish which I will serve with my asparagus recipe from last week. This is Pommes de terre Duchesse, a classic French recipe for mashed potato. This is a great side dish for a creamy main course.
I wish you an enjoyable weekend, good luck if you are running, eat lots of cheese and crème de Marrons to keep you going.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team