Salon de l'Agriculture 2016

Yesterday I attended opening day of this year's Salon de l'Agriculture. Here's some of what I ate, not counting the chickens.

I think this is my favorite event in Paris. Everyone says I should have visited a country fair as a kid. I'm making up for it at the Salon. Its held at convention center Porte de Versailles. Metro Line 12

I love all the educational aspects of the Salon like how wheat is grown.

I came home exhausted and was revived watching Michael Pollan's 4-part series, 'Cooked' on Netflix.The perfect accompaniment to understanding long traditions of using Fire, Water, Air and Earth for  cooking. The process of fermenting foods like chocolate was fascinating. Don't miss this beautifully produced series.

Playing with piglets or porcelette looks like fun.

I was surprised last week to find I have a pig for a neighbor. It was cold and rainy. The Seine had overrun the quai. A man came out from one of the houseboats with what I thought were 2 dogs, one an Australian sheepdog. The other much bigger with grey fur and a few black spots like this piggie. My jaw fell when I realized it was a huge pig. The man looked up and smiled.  He held a metal bowl of greens. The pig pretended disinterest at first, then started to drool and made a lunge for the bowl. Why didn't I have my camera.

Hard not to feel 5-years old again with all the animals. I petted a sheep.

Farm scene photographs everywhere at the Salon

Natch I bought this years prize cow carryall (3€). Barb gave me hers last year. I'm building a serious collection.

So much food preparation. Food from every region of France.

Why is crepe-making so much fun to watch?

A top MOF chef made an elegant dish for tasting with such simple ingredients (for the most part) - lentils, red onion, cream, a little ham. Added white asparagus and Champagne made the lentils celestial.

Chef Philippe Mille is from the divine chateaux Les Crayeres in the Champagne area. 

Trés celestial!

Oysters from Noirmoutier, Normandy were yum. I could eat oysters everyday anytime.

This French child mistook a mini sausage display for a sample. Her mom promptly put it back. Easy to put myself in that kiddie's shoes instantly.

Somehow, as tired as I get wandering the regional food halls, I can't bring myself to sit down and relax.

I'd much rather munch and walk with a heated Alsacien cheesy pretzel.

Miracles do happen. I resisted eating a Kouign Amann from the Brittany stand. They had just been heated up too...

Endless French wines to taste from every region in case you were wondering.

On the ride home I was reminded you don't see big cow-like dogs on the London Tube. No dogs at all ;((

And you don't see cows in the London/New York metro stations.

Two more reasons to love living in Paris, along with the annual Salon de l'Agriculture.