Bonjour French Market Friends,
Whilst President Ma
cron and other heads of State and Leaders of NATO, attended the annual NATO conference at the Hague this week, there were major cable thefts overnight on the 25th on the Eurostar line near Lille, on the main rail line between France and UK and around the Hague. Over 600 meters of copper cable was stolen or severely damaged, which caused massive disruptions to travel. Teams of engineers worked tirelessly to replace and connect the cables within a few hours. The conference continued despite this disruption. So far no one has owned up with a motive, however our local rumour that it must have been a gang from Cape Town wanting to make a quick buck selling the copper, as happens regularly here, has not been taken seriously. President Macron and Brigette, his elegant wife, arrived in time to attend the meetings. (Image courtesy Facebook Emmanuel Macron) The First lady is usually clothed by the Louis Vuitton Fashion House.
On a lighter note, Men’s Fashion week Spring/Summer 2026 is happening in the heart of Paris this week. All the famous musicians, film stars and Fashionistas are in attendance, including J-Hope carrying a beautiful pink LV bag. The Week started with opening shows on Tuesday by Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton; Dior’s new head Jonathan Anderson will 
debut with his highly anticipated show on Friday. I love to see all the latest trends.(Image courtesy of Facebook LVMH)
Back home in RSA the bright light on the horizon is the Loan agreement between the World Bank and RSA government of USD1,5billion to improve our public infrastructure services. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the Treasury checks the funds are used as intended.
Whilst France bakes in exceptionally hot weather, we are currently experiencing midwinter weather with thunder, lashings of rain and chilly temperatures, anything below 15C is freezing to us Capetonians. Now is the time for rich meals that warm you up. Fondues made with Gruyere and Comte, Raclette melted in front of the fire, Aligot made with Cantal, garlic and mashed potato. Think of Camembert baked in the oven with slices of garlic. A small bun filled with melted cheese accompanied by some crunchy cornichons, even a simple toasted sandwich filled with melted cheese and tomato makes one feel warmer ju
st thinking about them. All of these cheese possibilities are waiting for you in our shop to come and enjoy. Plus many other tasty treats. We have lots of runny vacherousse in stock so we have that on special this week.
A new product that we have sourced is organic veal stock powder, this is often used in French recipes as the flavour is more
subtle than beef stock. We also have Saffron from the Karoo and Edmond Fallot Mustard from France flavoured with Saffron.
Another new product is fresh Duck eggs, these are free range and pasture raised. Duck eggs are richer than chickens eggs and great for making a rich mayonnaise. We have limited sock so please pre order and we can bring in each week from the farm.
The growth of the black winter truffle in South Africa has come through the much hard work since the first efforts w
ere started by the passion of local and international specialists. The spores were introduced from Italy and the ground for the truffle orchards was carefully prepared to ensure the perfect conditions for the truffles to grow. It takes years for the first truffles to develop. The first produce to be certified as the authentic Tuber Melanosporum, came in 2015 and since then the truffle farmers have extended their planting. The best way to serve the truffles is on a neutral flavoured base that will not interfere with their flavour. One of the Presidents of France always liked his truffles freshly 
sliced, served on a slice of baguette that had been layered with rich butter. Another way is to serve them with mashed potato or freshly made pasta tossed in cream. The demand for these truffles, due to their limited availability and intense flavour, is high with our local chefs, so it’s difficult even getting a few in the shop. The season starts in June and lasts for about 4 weeks. This week we are expecting to receive a couple of fresh black winter truffles, Tuber Melanosporum, grown locally on the edge of the Karoo. Please pre-book if you would like one as there is high demand and stock is very limited. Price is R40 per gramme the size of the truffles that we will have average about 25gr.
The best type of food for this winter weather is a hot soup full of tasty bits and pieces to be enjoyed with friends and a glass or two of 
wine in front of a roaring fire. I enjoy the French style fish soups, full of seafood and vegetables, accompanied by Rouille mayonnaise, plus toasted croutons topped 
with melted Comte cheese. It’s filling and tasty. There are lots of variations for fish soup depending on the regional fish. For example, a traditional Bouillabaisse can only be made with fish caught in the Mediterranean Sea. This week’s recipe involves lots of vegetables, pieces of white sea fish and small squid and mussels. Certain ingredients, apart from the fish, are essential such as tomatoes, fennel and celery, plus saffron for the Rouille. This is a really easy dish to prepare. The best wine pairing is a Rose from Provence such as Whispering Angel available in our shop.
I hope you have a great weekend, stay warm and have lots of hot meals. We look forward to welcoming you to our shop soon,
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team