Bonjour French Market Friends,
On 
this Sunday 14th July, we celebrate the French National Day known as the Fete de la Bastille, because this was the day that the infamous Bastille prison in Paris was stormed by the rebels, at the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It is the middle of summer and throughout France, villages and towns are decorated with the Tricoleur flag, the Town Mayors wear their tricoleur sash and generally everyone has a great party, usually ac
companied by plenty of local wine and music, enthusiatically played by the local town band.
In Rochechouart, the small town near my country cottage, deep in the Charentes countryside, the local Committee have organised events from 10am until midnight, ending with an impressive musical fireworks display, reflected in the local lake. Apart from lots of food supplied by local food producers, there is an outdoo
r dance floor and local DJ. Life in this French countryside has not changed much in the last 50 years, despite all the politics, most people grew up in this area, they went to school together and they stayed and work close by. The kids all know each other and have loads of fun. It is so peaceful, almost like another world carrying on, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, long may it last. If ever you want to experience this country area, my cottage is available for holiday lets.
Here in Cape Town, I am honoured to be the supplier of French cheese for the celebrations hosted by the French Embassy and the French Consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town. This requires planning several months ahead, as every shipment has to have the necessary permits from the Agricultural department to come into this country. This year has gone according to plan so far, and many kilos of cheese are travelling around S Africa to reach the buffet tables for the festive events this weekend.
With th
e Cape of Storms living up to its reputation this week, we are battening down the hatches as a forecasted Level 8 storm front hits us. Capetonians don’t do cold, when the temp goes below 20C out come the beanies and the knitted winter jerseys. Currently we are all dressed as if we live at the South Pole, with temperatures hovering near 12C. This is the time when many people celebrate Xmas in July, with Christmas style meals being served, accompanied by some good red wine. We have had several clients asking for cheeses to serve at their dinners this weekend. Fondues made with Emmental, Comte and Gruyere are also very
popular. We currently have some ready grated Savoyard Alpine cheese fondue in stock. All you have to do is add a glass of wine and a little Kirsch and heat it up. We have Black Forest Kirschwasser in stock.
New in stock this week, after a long absence, is the popular pure duck liver mousse from les Delices de St Orens in the south west of France, where the ducks roam freely on the farm. This smooth mousse has a medium texture and deliciously rich flavour. You can serve a slice with some fresh baguette, or a lightly toasted brioche, you can also serve it accompanied by crunchy cornichons or candied figs and confit d’oignon (onion preserve).
Also back in stock is Ossau-Iraty, this is the famous sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region, where the hilly pastures 
are well suited to sheep. The cheese has a firm texture and dry crust. The flavour has depth but is not too pungent. In type it is similar to Manchego but more handcrafted. If you like creamy and rich flavoured cheese we have plenty of raw milk Camembert and Brie de Meaux in stock. For creamy and milder flavours, I recommend the Triple cream Delice and the Vacherousse from the Jura. In the goat’s cheese range we have buche de chevre, crottins de chavignol, which is hard, raw goat’s milk little balls and fresh mild flavoured goat’s crottin. There are plenty more cheeses for you t
o come in and explore.
Remember that we are in the locally grown, fresh black winter truffle season, this only lasts for a couple more weeks so let me know if you wish to order some. They are great, shaved over a bowl of creamy pasta. These need to be pre-ordered as stock is limited.
For my recipe this week, I decided to share a winter warming soup made with shallots, that we currently have in stock, and layers of toast topped with grated Comte. I would pair this with an earthy Cotes du Rhone such as the Bouachon Pavillon St Pierre available in our shop.
I hope you have a great Bastille Day celebration this 14th of July, stay warm and dry.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team