Marche des Pays, Aveyron with Chef Marthe

Over the weekend I was invited by Chef Marthe and friends to visit

The annual event in Bercy Village, 12eme

Le Marche des Pays de l'Aveyron a region in Midi-Pyrenees near Tarn et Garonne.

"Tasting is obligatory" is the rule of the day with the Aveyronnais. FYI many of Paris' cafes owners are from the Aveyron department including the hugely successful les Freres Costes.

The brioche-based cakes are wonderfully light and filled with prune preserves from Agen.

These hearty brioche cakes are called 'fouace' or fougace.

Another specialty,'Gateau a la Broche' is endlessly turned on a spit, each turn adding more batter

So the end result is a christmas tree-shape of multiple layers of crust. Delicious!

The hams are deeply flavorful.

Lunch on offer is a hot bowl of Aligot (made from mashed potatoes, Tomme cheese, garlic) plus local sausages.

Aligot being stirred and dished out. Not an easy job since Its tremendously sticky and  stringy. Not easy to eat either but intensely garlicky.

I was admiring the walnut oil.

But Chef Marthe cautioned buy only a tiny bottle. It can go off fast. We bought fresh walnuts instead.

From south Aveyron, comes the 'king of cheeses' Roquefort made from non-pasteurized/lait cru sheep milk

From these sheep come wonderfully toasty socks. I will have to visit Aveyron and get them. Je regret beaucoup.

Marthe told me of the fabulous, tender beef from Aubrac bulls, a must-buy from Maison Conquet. Its so tender you don't need a knife to cut it.

This enormous Saint Bernard showed up, hoping in vain someone would throw him a giant bone or side of boeuf.

Interesting to note some of the sharpest knives in France come from Laguiole in Aveyron. I came home laden with Roquefort, prune cake, entrecote steak and walnuts. Aveyron producteurs come back to Paris for the Noel season at Salon Saveurs and Salon l'Agriculture. 

Please come back mohair goat sock lady 

Et mille merci Chef Marthe!

Le Marché des pays l'Aveyron at Bercy

This past weekend was the big annual vendanges/wine fete de Montmartre and lesser known, smaller annual Marché des Pays de l'Aveyron in Bercy, 75012.

The 3-day MARCHÉ takes up few streets, yet is chock-a-block with delicious regional food specialties. FYI l'Aveyron is in the Massiv Central department.

 I've yet to visit.

Masses of hand baked goods made with regional walnuts or prunes. Buns were covered with bees.

Tempting prune pockets were very popular.

Eau de vie from local fruits; pear, quince, plums. A small sample was way to strong for me cough, cough.

So many producteurs of Roquefort.

They all offered a variety so you tasted at least 3 vatieties per cheese maker.

This Roquefort cake mix looked interesting.

Beautiful knitted goods from (Correction!) FERME DE MALEFIGUE - Mohair from chevres/Angora goats.

Loads of duck products. Aubrac beef and charcuterie is also famous from this region.

Their Gateau a la broche is turned on a rotisserie

Its big in Paris Christmas markets because of its pine tree shape. The flavor is pleasent. Its more about the texture, form and regional tradition.

L'Aveyron Aligot is always served with saucisse. Made from mashed potatoes, Tome cheese and garlic.

I managed to grab a mini taste from sellers of the boxed variety. I'm sure the freshly made is far more flavorful.And much more sticky and stretchy.

There were long, long lines for these patties made with onion and blette (a kind of Kale).

I had small tastes of just about everything (who could resist) but I only bought a large pack of shelled walnuts, only to find walnuts in the shell around the corner. I am very well-supplied with nuts shelled and unshelled for the Winter and they go well with Roquefort. The l'Aveyron marché is a wonderfully rustic annual country festival you shouldn't miss if you're in Paris in October.

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast letters 💌 maps and watercolors in your mailbox 📮 look in my Etsy shop. 

Bonne semaine prochain

Fall Marché de Pays Aveyron 2021, Bercy Paris

 

Are you wearing your Fall 🍁clothes yet?

Have you bought any Fall flowers🍂?

Fall is the time for French regional foodie events. I’d like to get away outside Paris more on the weekends and I thought this weekend was the Fete du Brie in Melun…but it was last weekend 😬 Next year🤞

Instead I went to the Marché de Pays Aveyron. It seems a good idea to place the department of Aveyon (26 min video in French) on the map.

Every October the Marché de Pays Aveyron takes place in Bercy 12e. Its been 3 years and I wasn’t going to miss it. Portions tend to be family-size.

They don’t understand what an ‘individual’ part/ portion is. Buy the whole cake or nuttin’. Full of myrtille/blueberry preserves, though they look like Philadelphia cinnamon buns. Thank goodness for the big free samples. I ate them and bought a sacristan to justify.

The marché is a ‘populaire’ event (for regular folks) with many, many free tastes. 

Especially their famous regional sheep cheese, Roquefort. I bought a part(1/4 for 12€). This tastes nothing like the packaged stuff I usually buy in the supermarché.

Another must-taste regional specialty is hot Aligot (mashed potatoes, localTomme cheese, a ton of garlic plus grilled sausage) eaten with a tumbler of beer of course.

But the lines were block-long and I don’t yet have French patience. Next year…

No long lines for fresh regional walnuts in the shell. I bought a kilo(2.2 pds). 

The marrons looked tempting.

As did the tins of foie gras…

Steaks from the grass-fed Aubrac cattle are some of the tastiest in France and always in demand at the marché.

One thing I did have patience for was these mohair winter socks.

I had seen at the fair in 2015. 

But she only had knee-highs. No short socks. I may have to visit Aveyron to get them! Or wait until next year and pray 🙏 Or find another farm. An automnal walk through the Jardin des Plantes ended a beautiful sunny, crisp day. And back to the drawing✏️ table. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast letters 💌 maps and watercolors in your mailbox 📮 look in my Etsy shop. 

Bonne Monday PBers ☕️🥐🇫🇷💋🐻