Bonjour French Market Friends,
This week in Paris was the French Fashion week, and the highlight was definitely the exclusive Louvre fund 
raising Grand Diner at the Louvre. This has become the most sought-after invitation event, where only the very elite of the Fashion world, stars and leading trend setters get invited. Dressed in elegant evening attire from the great French Fashion Houses, guests wandered through the halls of the Louvre. One of the most strikingly beautiful dresses was designed by Iris van Herpen for Eileen Gu the Olympic skier. The dinner was created by Anne Sophie Pic, the highest Michelin starred female chef in France. This event raised more than EUR1.6M. for the Louvre and the organisers, Visa Infinity, have committed to another 3 years (Image courtesy Eileen Gu Facebook).
Back here at the tip of Africa, our city is in the middle of preparations for the Cape Town Cycle Tour (AKA as The Argus) this will be the 48th race and we are expecting over 30,000 cyclists. The Tour is recognised as
the largest timed racing event on the Planet. Accompanied by all their friends and families, the Cyclists are expected to generate about R500M for our local economy. In addition, many volunteers give their time on the day helping with marshalling of the event and general support services for which the remuneration is used to fund our charities. My Rotary Club of Claremont manages the Start and makes sure that cyclists get off at the right time amongst other activities. My role is to provide light refreshments to the volunteers at the Start. This involves making hundreds of sandwiches, pouring coffee and tea etc. Not exactly brain draining work, but we have to be up and organ
ised on the Grand Parade by 4:30am which is tough.
One specific product in our shop that is used by French cyclists is Crème de Marrons – sweetened chestnut paste. It is highly nutritious and gives plenty of energy. In France the cyclists pop 2 or 3 tubes in their back pockets to keep them going during long cycles. If you are cycling this weekend, come and try the Crème de Marrons, it may help you win.
We are now in the truffle season of the Italian Bianchetto (small white) fresh truffles. These round shaped truffles are pale coloured with a slight reddish hue, a beige internal colour and white veins. They grow from January to April (Italian Springtime). They have a distinctive garlic type flavour. We get them in on a preorder basis, delivery time usually within 72 hours Mon-Fri.
Back in sto
ck this week is the beautiful Echire butters in wooden baskets. Produced in the village of Echire in the Charentes-Poitou region, this butter is made in the old-fashioned way in wooden butter churns. This gives the butter a smooth and silky texture. It is considered one of the best butters in the world, dense, rich and full of flavour.
Another stock that is back this week is the mini goats’ log cheese These 100gr natural goats’ cheese logs have a delicious flavour with their soft texture. I suggest serve them sliced in small rounds on top of a salad with cherry tomatoes fresh herbs and drizzled with an olive oil dressing.
In our cheese range we have piles of stock as our stock arrived safely from Paris this week. One of the most popular is Vacherousse, rich and creamy with a slight tang in the 
crust this cheese comes from the milk of cows grazing in the Jura. We have also received a stock of Reblochon style cheese Fleur des Alpes. It has a dry crust and soft centre. Very popular with the French to make a dish called Tartiflette. This traditional dish is a creamy potato bake made with lardons (strong flavoured chunks of bacon) onions, cream and wine, then a whole Reblochon style cheese is sliced in half and placed on top of the potato bake. You cook it in the oven until the cheese has melted completely over the potatoes and has turned a dark golden colour. I paired this full flavoured, creamy dish with a Gustave Lorentz Riesling from Alsace as this wine has plenty of flavour to balance the strong cheesy ta
ste of this dish.
Next Saturday, 14 March, is the Fete de la Francophonie at the Belgian Ambassador’s Residence, 29 Boshoff Avenue in Newlands. There are lots of cultural activities, live music and many foods stalls. We will have our French Market stall again there. Come along and bring the family – you will enjoy it.
I wish you a fun weekend and good luck if you are cycling.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team