Sunday at Saint Antonin

Sunday at Saint Antonin

Saturday and Sunday are my favourite market days. Sunday it is Saint Antonin about twenty minutes away so yesterday Maddie my neighbour and I went for our weekly fix. Once the hurdle of parking is out of the way, it is paradise for greedy gourmands. Outstanding for produce all year round now that it is spring this market is exceptional. It is the May Day long week-end and traditional fragrant, delicate muguet, or lily of the valley bouquets were on sale at most stalls. Baskets at the ready for the goodies it was taste, and try everything. The colours were so vibrant and green seemed to be the colour of the week. First it was a purchase of pots of aromatics or herbs to plant in the garden. Without a second thought we bought fat green olives, a lovely bunch of fresh asparagus, tiny tasty leaves of spinach and fresh Petit Pois which we shelled and ate as we strolled along the narrow market street. Speckled quail eggs which  looked almost too pretty to eat and Aillete, the young fresh garlic now in season also went into the baskets. This is instant gratification at its best and so much more satisfying than adding items to an internet basket. The famous local Garriguete strawberries, which bear only one crop are in season so it is buy and eat, eat, eat them while you can.

I also bought an expensive can of Cassoulet from Christian, a local producer who lives in Castelnau de Montmiral. It is useful to have in the pantry in case of unexpected guests and I find his the best of many I’ve tried. Even though I am on one of my seemingly perpetual regimes or diets, I could not resist the temptation of a little foie gras on a morsel of bread which he always offers. He only sells from the markets but told me he is opening “a little something” where he lives soon. He is the best friend of my builder Paul and promised to send me an invitation to the launch. I explained that as Paul has just taken four truckloads of fill from my place to his site I might also rank in the friendship stakes now. My brother and his wife who visit each year love his mustard fruits and it is on their list of must haves when they arrive.

Exhausted from our efforts, shopping baskets bulging, we followed the aroma of roasted coffee and drank our ritual Grande Crème in the square near the covered market. This is another custom my brother enjoys as one is always joined by friends and the circle at the table just keeps growing.  I am inspired to cook after Sunday at S.A so with very little effort I sat down to a late lunch of pasta with blanched green spinach with fresh goat’s cheese topped with scattered toasted pine nuts followed by garriguet strawberries (no wine until I lose three more kilos).