Sunday, November 13, 2005

Markets in France

Though I was separated from the soil during this trip to Europe, I was never far removed from the fruits of the garden. For example, one of my favorite streets in Paris is the Rue Mouffetard. Long ago it was the way you left Paris for Rome. Now it is a bustling market street. I was particularly taken with the Charentais melons for sale there. I have memories of slicing into one for lunch some 30 years ago when I was traveling through rural France by motorbike and the flavor was divine. I guess they just weren’t made to grow in New England.

The following Saturday I found myself in the market at Aix-en-Provence. I saw my first Cardoons there that day. Cardoons are a cross between celery and an artichoke and are suggested for use with a dish called “Bagna Cauda.” There were spices and beans and olives and …and ... and,

The pictures say it best.

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