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The Market
Appears in
Published 2008
In the May and June of 2006 we picked 100 kilograms of cherries from our orchard to make eau de vie.
For most British people who come to France, the first two lures on the list are the weather and the food. And when you think of French food, you think of the markets.
We are within reach of half a dozen, including the most popular in the region, at St-Antonin-Noble-Val. This is a market with bells on - organic sourdough, hand-picked grapes from Moissac, fig and cardamom jam made by nuns, rare-breed meats. Our local market is more down to earth, and it is where you will find me most Friday mornings. When we made our programme with France-3, Carmaux market was one of the most exciting ‘segments’. The highlight was an interview with the mayor, in which he remembered as a child trailing round all morning behind his mother, while she compared prices and observed the minutest fluctuations. At the very last moment, she would pounce on the bargains, four hours of diligence saving her a triumphant handful of sous.