June Fruits Rouges Paris Sketch Letter

I'm late cluing you in on what to eat in June (juin). Quatres fruits rouges (4 red fruits) may be a strictly French thing. Correct me if I'm wrong. I remember first time I ordered a mysterious dessert called '4 red fruits'. I've been addicted ever since.

On a visit to Le Bonbon au Palais I spotted this little advert card for pates de fruits. Instant love. I begged Georges if I could borrow it. Then I raced to the copy shop. Picasso said "Good artists copy; great artists steal". I would have happily stolen Georges' little card. What does that make me?

My first doodle sketch..

You may wonder exactly which red fruits are included. Guess what? Any summer red fruit will do. No apples please. Plus fruits bleu Arte allowed.
Fraise, framboise, cerises, cassis, myrtille, mure, groseille to name a few.

Off to the marché

For some very much in season June red fruits.

FYI these sweet little boats filled with fruit are called 'barquettes'.

Early days on my Paris jaunts I would race through marches intimidated and clueless.

Thanks to Marjorie William's informative MARKETS OF PARIS all that's changed. Marchęs are an integral part of daily Parisian life. DO NOT MISS OUT please. How else to know what's in season and what to order when you eat out? Plus the colors, aromas and friendly sellers insisting you taste a bite is instantly cheering. When I first moved here I lived at Metro Duplex 75015. I had to walk through marché Grenelle 2 times a week. It was a better spirit-lifter than any shrink.

You could take your red fruits back to your apartment and easily put together a tarte au fruits. Just bake a giant sable cookie base. Throw on some crème patisserie for glue so your fruits don't roll onto the floor.

Check out Jill Colonna's recipe for sablé on Mad About Macarons.

If you're like me, you can't be trusted around raw dough. Then go to the nearest patisserie. Two sizes on offer - family size and 'individual' for that afternoon peche mignon.

More guilty pleasures (peche mignon) to admire.

An exquisite slice of sablé topped with strawbs from haute couture patisseries Hugo and Victor. I lay the blame at your feet dear PB readers for teaching me to enjoy fab crust. In the old days I'd just eat the fruit. Tisk tisk

Yesterday was the first time I spotted fruits rouges ice cream at Maison Gosselin near the Orsay. I will have to return to taste.

Of course there is tons of red fruits jam in France and even red fruits teas. But red fruits biere! Who knew?
à table everyone and eat your red fruits with or without a cookie base.
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Confiture!

I'm posting in time today for breakfast/ petit dejeuner...Jam anyone?I love jam almost as much as I love macarons...
I spent a lot of time gazing at these jam jars of Christine Ferber confiture at the Lafayette Gourmet.Just a portion of the different flavors/ parfums Christine Ferbier makes. You can make them yourself if you get her book.Everybody makes jam!
Pierre Herme works with Christine Ferber to create special flavors that tie in with his pastry collections.French patisseries have jam too.

I was influenced by jam from an early age...

I adore their handmade labels. The French labels with handwriting on them are especially endearing - as if your grandmother made them.

That's why I redesigned the Paris Breakfasts banner as a jam jar label.

A real grandmother was at the SALON DU CHOCOLAT selling her jams. Grandmere Ezilda Lapasse Depardieu of le jardin des gourmandises from Domaine du Tronchay. You can go and stay in her Chambres d'Hôtes and eat jam morning, noon and night = Heaven. I bought the "Fruits Rouges" made of (all red fruits) fraises, cassis, groseilles, griottes, framboises =Maim