Diary entries of a Francophile
Markets, breakfasts, and a couscous salad
In my previous post, I mentioned sharing some diary entries I stumbled upon from a visit to France in 2011 and 2012. Below is the second entry. Each entry will end with one or two recipes written back then. Some have appeared in my books. The recipes will be exclusively available to paid subscribers.
Bonne lecture!
Is it really Tuesday already?
Yes, it is. Time is flying by, and our days feel so full—as if we’re squeezing two days into one. There’s just so much beauty to revel in here!
Yesterday, we visited the market in Louhans. At first, it reminded me of the Dutch Albert Cuyp market: two long rows of stands selling everything from shoes to Laguiole knives, and, of course, food. It was so busy! At one point it even felt a bit claustrophobic.
The animal market was hard to see and made me very sad. Chickens, ducklings, rabbits, goats, turkeys, pigeons—and even cats and dogs, all crammed into tiny, filthy cages or makeshift pens.
I eat meat, and I know being so deeply affected makes me a hypocrite. I saw puppies that were skinny with matted fur, panting from the heat and lying listlessly in a corner. We saw a man buying a Boxer puppy. Later that afternoon, I saw him walk by with the weak pup struggling to stand, and the man—visibly worried trying gently to coax it up. It was heartbreaking. It took me a while to get those images out of my head.
After wandering the market, we looked for a place to eat. Nearly impossible on such a busy market day. Every restaurant was full. At one point, we even sat at a table for 20 minutes before being told they weren’t serving food anymore—it was just after 1:30.
Finally, we found a spot—a cozy little café with space for us just before they closed. The plat du jour was lasagna with a simple salad. It hit the spot. Dessert was a molten moelleux au chocolat, which we absolutely adored.
Later that aftermoon, we visited a couple of those typical French megastores—there’s nothing like a leisurely stroll through E.Leclerc, where you can buy anything from food to clothing to home goods.
Later, we returned to Buxy and joined the locals for a drink.
If you haven’t discovered how refreshing a Pastis can be in the summer heat, take my advice and try one next time you’re in need of a thirst quencher or pick-me-up.
Our day, blessed with unexpected sunshine, ended with a sumptuous meal of garlicky côtelettes d’agneau cooked here in our little French country house. We paired them with a simple tomato-basil salad and a bottle of Givry.
This morning, I’ve woken up to bright sunshine. Today’s plan: croissants and fresh baguette from the baker, coffee from the bar across the street—the French way.
À demain!
The weather was absolutely gorgeous yesterday. I bought a newspaper, and we stopped at the butcher for two Charolais entrecôtes and a burger with tomato and mushroom for Kirstie. I served them for dinner with some very garlicky pommes sarladaises.
The plan was to find a small stream where Kirstie could swim, but unfortunately, while it was quite an adventure to get there (a beautiful one), it turned out that it wasn’t worth the effort. She was very disappointed. Luckily, back at home she got to swim in the small river in front of the house. I held my breath a bit as I watched—all those stones!
We had lunch at home. I made some sandwiches and bought one of those lovely couscous salads I enjoy so much. After lunch, we drove to Chalon-sur-Saône again for some leisurely shopping. First, we had a drink at Le Verre Galant. Yesterday I read that it’s actually considered a pretty good place to eat—I already had that idea after enjoying their lovely salmon and risotto dish last winter. And they serve really great wine, of course.
There’s a shop on that corner that sells all sorts of gourmet items. I picked up some fruit coulis to serve with crème fraîche as dessert, a bottle of apple-cinnamon dressing, and a small jar of panettone-flavored sugar. Kirstie got one of those horse figures she loves so much, and we also bought a nice tiger’s eye necklace for Anastasia. I know she’ll love it.
I almost forgot—we also did Kirstie’s back-to-school shopping at the Babou. Nice things, good prices.
We ended the day with a drink at the bar and dinner at home. As I write, it looks like we’re in for another sunny day. Hopefully this won’t be the last. Hans will be making bacon and eggs for breakfast soon, and after that we’ll head to the market in Autun and hopefully enjoy lunch there.
Today’s recipe: Couscous salad
Whenever I want a quick and easy meal in France, I make a flavorsome and filling couscous salad with fresh herbs and plump raisins. The salad is also perfect picnic fare and great for weekday lunches.
