O


ne of the joys of living in France is the great access to wonderful seasonal


food. Indeed, eating ‘in season’ could be considered one of the first rules of French cuisine. Just visit your local food market to see what treats are in store and you’ll know that what is freshest and in season will always be best! Seasonal variety starts the


year with the arrival of fresh citrus fruits, and langoustines harvested around Brittany are at their best in January. Next, we greedily await the advent of spring and asparagus – large white indulgent stalks for delicious soups or tender green shoots to be consumed with hollandaise sauce. In summer, the splendid


ripeness and sweetly delicious Cavaillon and Charentaise melons, strawberries and raspberries scent the air. Tiny, luscious Mirabelle plums come into season; it’s time to preserve them in local eau de vie ready for Christmas treats.


Foodie paradise


Whatever the month of year, it’s always time for a mouth- watering seasonal feast, says Joanna Leggett, as she takes us on a foodie tour of France and its customs


The advent of autumn


is scented with the earthy aroma of wild mushrooms and cépes. Country towns are seasoned with semi-secretive truffle markets where nuggets of ‘black gold’ can reach astronomical prices – especially in the Dordogne where I live. In winter, the heartwarming


seasonal treat of spiced mulled wine – vin chaud – permeates the air of Christmas markets, where stalls groan under treats such as foie gras stuffed into dried figs or apricots, while mounds of vegetables await the ministrations of busy housewives (or husbands) to become velouté or their own


46 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS:November/December 2023


special soup. The boucherie promotes poultry for the festive season sourced from local farms for the grand repas. Then it’s time to feast your


eyes on mountains of cheese before you move on to fish stalls smelling sweetly of the sea with, what for many in France will be, the main event of Christmas feasting – seafood and shellfish.


REPAS RESPECT While it may seem extravagant, in fact this way of seasonal eating is not only logical but practical. At any meal, the nuances of a sauce will be discussed; how did you cook


this, at what temperature, how is this prepared, what do you call this sauce? Expect horrified looks when


you tell French guests your Christmas pudding was made in early November – until it’s presented to the table in full flambé from the copious amounts of cognac you’ve sloshed on! This performance must, of course, be repeated while they get their mobiles out to film. I haven’t yet burnt paint off the dining room ceiling but it’s only a matter of time! ‘Le pudding’ is a great success! The French have a deep


respect for food. The famous writer, Guy de Maupassant,


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