Bonjour French Market Friends,
This week in France the extreme heatwave, with record temperatures of 40C reported in various regions, was 
broken with cooling temperatures and storm warnings of floods particularly in the northeastern area. A dramatic thunder and lightning storm over Paris was captured with an image of lightning hitting the Eiffel Tower (Facebook Image by Bertrand Kulik).Apparently this happens about 5 times a year. 
In Brittany, UNESCO added the Megaliths of Carnac and the shores of Morbihan to the list of World Heritage sites. When you next visit France, take time to visit Carnac in this remote northwestern region, where these unique, multiple rows made with 3000 standing stones date back as early as 5000BC, and find out more about the cultural complexity of the Neanderthal society that inhabited this region. These sites are free to visit from Oct-March,
outside of peak season.
Back home in our beautiful city, Spring has definitely started, with blossoms bursting out and their fragrance wafting on the air. Our West Coast is also a UNESCO World heritage site, and I hear the wildflowers in the West Coast National Park, especially around Postberg are already spectacular. I suggest you pack a picnic basket of French cheese and pates and head up to see the daisies.
In your picnic basket I would recommend that you include some of the following cheeses in stock in our shop. Cam
embert from Normandie comes in a 250g box, the crust is tangy, and the centre is soft, the taste has a slight algae tang. Add a slice of Brie with truffle cream layer, this delicious combination of gentle brie with the rich creamy truffle flavoured layer is addictive. For a slightly tangier cheese add a box of Pont l’Eveque, this square shaped, light orange crust cheese is a washed rind cheese also from Normandie with a tan
g in the crust and a soft centre. From the Loire add a tub of the soft, mild tasting creamy goats cheese flavoured with truffle. If you like a strong and smelly cheese add a tub of Epoisses which is washed in the Marc de Bourgogne, the brandy from Burgundy. Round off with a firm textured cheese such as the Comte from the Jura, we have the 8-month matured which has rich, fruity flavour and the 16-month matured, which has a deeper nuttier flavour, and the texture is harder.
To your picnic basket, add some traditional French terrines and pates, we have lots of different flavours and tastes, from smooth pork liver pates to coarse textured duck rillettes. They come in glass jars and easy to open small tins, which are practical on a picnic. You can see the available stock on our website www.frenchmarket.co.za
Pair all this with one of our sour dough baguettes, they are freshly baked for us every morning. I recommend that you preorder your baguette as they sell out most mornings. Alternatively take along some crisp Italian crackers made with sour dough. They come in plain salted or flavoured 
with rosemary and olive oil. To go with your picnic, add some of our preserves which come in mini jars and ideal for a little sweetness with the cheese, we have a whole ra
nge of flavours to tempt you from fig with truffle, to peach and rooibos.
And of course, you will need a bottle of French wine to enjoy (responsibly) with your French picnic. We have some good value table wines to tempt you from various regions of France. From Bordeaux try the Petite Sirene rouge and the Cheval Noir Sauvignon Blanc, the Pavillon St Pierre from the Rhone and the Cotes des Roses Rose and Chardonnay from the Narbonne region. All are priced below R300.
With the arrival of Spring, it is so exciting as the seasonal produce arrives. We have been told that the globe artichokes are ready for picking and will be in the shop next week. Let me know if you want to reserve some. The season usually last for 6-8weeks.
My recipe this week is crunchy Comte cheese biscuits that you can take on your picnic. Very quick and easy 
to make and really delicious. I love the taste of toasted cheese combined with the flavour of sesame seeds. The best cheese to use is a strong, hard cheese, I prefer Comte or Gruyere. You can keep the raw pastry in the freezer until you need it, when you have unexpected guests drop in. You can increase or decrease the quantity in this recipe as long as you use equal quantities of the ingredients. I would pair these with the Louis Latour Valmoissine Chardonnay.
I wish you a great weekend, I guess most of us will be following the rugby on Saturday with our fingers crossed, hoping that our Boks can turn around the defeat inflicted last week.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team