Bonjour French Market Friends,
This week
in France record breaking temperatures were recorded for Springtime, particularly in the Western region. In the South, summer temperatures of 30C were recorded in many areas. There is grave concern for the effect of global warming and the impact on agriculture. At the same time there is concern over fuel shortages with 18% of petrol stations facing shortages, plus protests in certain areas over the increase in price. France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure said France is actively looking to reduce reliance on imported fuel and is increasing investments in offshore wind projects with the announcement of 7 tenders to supply 10 gigawatts of power.
Back here in our beautiful city, the days are shorter and cooler as Autumn approaches. Everyone enjoyed their Easter treats and most holiday makers are on their way home. We now settle down and plan our winter season. The Alliance Francaise du Cap has a busy programme lined up for members. You can now sign up to do multiple language courses in house or online. There are free-entrance Tuesday night movies, art exhibitions, wine tasting events, jazz nights and a French story telling event for children from 3-6 years. Prebooking required as space is limited. Check with the AFduCap for more details.
In our shop we have plenty of soft cheeses, some of the creamiest and most popular are Brie with truffle layer, Vacherousse 
and Delice. The more pungent Epoisses and Munster is sought after. The Camembert from Normandie has a distinctive taste and creamy centre, the milder St Paulin is an easy cheese to be enjoyed at breakfast time. The washed rind Pont l’Eveque and St Nectaire have more pronounced aromas. Try something new, you are welcome to ask for a taste to help you work out what you like best.
We continue to build up our stock of super jumbo-sized free-range chickens’ eggs, which are delivered every week, you can always contact me if you want to reserve some. Our fresh duck eggs get delivered every couple of
weeks and fly out of the shop. We will have some more by the weekend.
In our fresh baked range, we have received stock of canelés, these little cakes originally from Bordeaux have a waxy, crispy exterior and soft centre, flavoured with vanilla and rum. We have plenty of lemon flavoured Madeleines, these are small shell shaped sponge cakes, very easy to pop in the mouth. We also have little Palmiers (nicknamed pigs’ ears), these are c
runchy circles of puff pastry glazed with sugar. We have the most delicious individual cakes created by a French baker plus eclairs and macarons.
Latest news for fresh truffles is that the new season for summer truffles Tuber Aestivum from Italy has just started. These ones have a very mild aroma; dark brown to black on the outside and beige with brown and white lines inside. Sizes range from 20 to 60gr. We bring them in on a pre-order basis usually within 24 hours.
For this week’s recipe I decided to share a fragrant lamb pie. My favourite accompaniments to lamb are rosemary, garlic, and red wine. By combining these in a pie, one captures all the flavours. I used a large lamb shank and marinated the meat for 24 hours to get the best flavour. Once the pie is cooked, a delicious fra
grance escapes, as you cut into the crusty pastry. The pie went beautifully with some garlic potatoes and a good bottle of red wine. This is a warming dish to have on a cooler evening, and it is easy to make.
Pair with a glass of La Maze Merlot an exclusively grown, hand harvested wine, vinified and bottled by the Domaine of Comte de Thun at Chateau de Frausseilles in the IGP region of Cotes du Tarn in the Southwest of France. We have a small stock of the 2012 vintage which is rare.
I hope you have a relaxing weekend and enjoy lots of delicious, tasty treats.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team