Arles Marché, an apricot print, Foundation Vincent Van Gogh

This week I'm immersed painting apricots for another Provençal print .

Arles huge Saturday marché is considered one of the best in Europe

12 things I love about living in Paris

"Everyone complains about the weather but no one does anything about it".

 

So what if it's grey skies in Paris most of the time. 

"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn".

I don't miss the verticality of living in New York City.

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On the other hand I'm nuts Paris horizontals. Things are on a more human scale.

Pastries are lined up horizontally.

Same goes for chocolate bars and yogurts. They still put me in a trance-like state. Very calming. No need to buy. I get off on reading the labels.

I've fallen for vanilla beans. You can reuse them over and over in your hot chocolate in the morning (even when they dry up rock solid). 

And then put vanille in your tea at bedtime. Or anywhere else for that matter sweet or savoury.

Butter used to be one stick of Land O'Lakes sitting in my freezer 6-8 months. Not anymore thanks to Beillevaire Fromagere.

 

Vermont Cheddar, I've forgotten all about you. There are 300+ cheeses to love in France.

 

Seasonal fashion trends used to be more prominent at PB.

 

Now I'm consumed with what's to eat in season in the marché

 

I ate so many fresh, ripe apricots last Spring, I got a rash and had to wear long sleeves all Summer. It was worth every scratch. Will I ever learn moderation here?

 

GO TO THE MARCHÉ! If you want to see what people are wearing (Raspail on Sunday). What they are eating(far more important). 

What to eat in restaurants (they buy what's in season).
To practice your French.  For so many reasons the marche is one of the best, free experiences you can have in Paris.

 

As for the Metro, I've learned how to push with the best of them. It is the fastest way to get around Paris.
 

Till I learn to ride a bike.
 

Wednesdays are when new movies open in Paris. I read the Metro posters with great anticipation, then the reviews and sometimes I remember to go. Mostly I miss things. There is so much to do in Paris. DON'T miss 'Les Garçons et Guillaume, Á Table' Great fun.

Yesterday I BAKED. This is major milestone. Much thanks to Jill of Mad about Macarons. Her Tarte Tatin d'Oignon Caramelises was so easy and too good not to try. The other day I made Charlotte's Magret de Canard, also easy and trés delish. So yes, I'm still loving Paris for too many reasons to count.

BONNE 2014 PBers. Stay tuned.
 

Marches des Producteurs

Back to French farmers marches in the streets. This time Marches des Producteurs on Bd de Reuilly12th arron.

 

Saucisse sautéed on the spot - the aromas put you in the right frame of mind.

Crowds form when there's cooking going on.
 

Onion beignets frying up.

But I saved my euros...

For this gorgeous bottle of vinagre a la framboise from la Comtesse de Chateau Merle. The look was so enticing, jam-packed with berries.

I bought a bunch of Laurel/Bay leaves too. I better get a French cookbook soon.

I did make apple compote and tossed in a vanilla pod today. Perfection.

Vin chaud. Tis is the season. It will be everywhere but I'll end up on the floor out cold if I down half a cup.

The Raspberry lady from Pari Fermier was here too. These farmers make the rounds on the weekends and produce like crazy during the week on their farms.They come up with endless variations on a theme whether the product is honey, walnuts or raspberries.

Sheep yogurt in a wide variety of flavors including chestnut. I meant to go back...

A sheep from the Alps-Pyrenees at Salon Saveurs, another food fair.

Salon Saveurs was at Porte de Versailles this weekend.  There are farmers but more distributers, so more polished and less hay. Still very fun.

I almost got vanilla pods from Tahiti (2 gousses for 10 euros). They were so much more delicate and fragrant than the Bourbon beans. regret not diving in.

Duck/canard at both food fairs in every form under the sun including almost life size chocolate.

At both marches the tastes are endless. The French are discerning from an early age.

Shopping is much more fun than the high-end department stores at the marches too. And the interchange is informing and friendly.

You won't find these big home-made nut tartes at l'Epicerie or at these prices.

I got my snails last night.
 

They were delicious. A PBer from Australia said, there's an awful lot of food at Parisbreakfast these days. Heading into the holidays, which begin much earlier in France, it will be difficult to avoid. I'll try for balance but preparation for holidays/fetes commences here with passion.

The next Marches des Producteurs will be on Square des Batignolles in the 17th arrondissement December 7 - 8. Don't miss it if you want to sample fresh foods straight from the farm in the city.

The Christmas windows on PB tomorrow.
 

Marche Batignolles Biologic

Saturday I finally made it over to the marche Biologique des Batignolles in the 17th arr, near Place de Clichy. I seem to zigzag between the intensely healthy and heavenly excess in my food adventures. This week will be a plunge into the deep end of heavenly chocolate and sweets at the Salon du Chocolat, so why not shore up with a little healthy balance?
 

It appears many producteurs here show up at the marche Raspail organic the following day on Sunday. This setting is a bit easier to navigate. Four rows of purveyors on an esplanade in the middle of the boulevard. More zigzagging of course.

I've been flirting with fresh figs for weeks in the marche. Le noire de Sollies AOC from the Var are very fine indeed. I'd read somewhere they should be a bit firm. At organic marches in Paris you're allowed to pick out the fruit and veg yourself unlike other marches. I roasted these split with portobellos and cherry tomatoes drizzled with Balsamic, honey and topped with Za'atar. Plus Longley Farm Cottage cheese and roquette...sigh.
 

Fresh hazelnuts. Nothing like them! They're crunchy yet not the least bit dry like other noisettes I've eaten. They don't shake in their shell either.

Look for the letters BIO and AB and AOC when you're buying organic. Some of the most simple vegetables here have a CV as long as your arm.

Fresh oysters...next time.
 

An Italian purveyor who goes to Raspail as well.

At Raspail the lines are always so long

For these onion-potato pancakes. No line so I bought. I'll be back for these.
 

Such beautiful radis.

The colors!
 

Les légumes oubliés are trendy and hot. Black radishes like these. Rutabagas, Jerusalem artichokes, blue potatoes, beets Chiogga.

Kale is super hot.

Chefs were buying it up in the market.

Who else would be buying flat after flat of unusual veggies?

Plus they co-ordinated with the tomatoes.

To market, to market to buy a fig..

Today it's off to the Chocolat Salon Professional and a dive in the deep end. It's sink or swim in Paris.