Markets are a wonderful source of menu inspiration. There is nothing better than developing a menu around fantastic ingredients. A walk through the weekly market in Saint Remy de Provence is more than inspirational. It is simply unforgettable.
Local outdoor markets in France are special. If you ever get a chance to visit France, make a point to spend a few hours walking through the market. There is a cornucopia of wonderful food and fantastic Ideas.
Mushrooms
In the fall you are sure to see a wonderful selection of mushrooms. In the US we grew up with one mushroom. The Champignon or white button mushroom was all we knew. We called generic tissue a Kleenex and a Champignon was a mushroom. My mom was an adventurous cook and I can remember her forcing mushrooms on us as kids. As the ungrateful brat that I was, I can even remember complaining about the smell of the mushrooms cooking. Today the sight of the mushrooms at Saint Remy made me drool with thoughts of mushrooms soup, sautéed mushrooms with chicken, mushrooms in a wine sauce with steak. I could go on and on.
Hostess Gifts
My book publicist made me write an article on hostess gifts. I protested that hostess gifts weren’t exactly a “guy thing”, but I tapped into my “expert panel” and wrote a fun article. Walk through the market in Saint Remy and you find all kinds of things that would make any hostess happy. One catch, you won’t find any Pro V1 golf balls, but I digress. (see the article)
Fruit de Mer
There is nothing like a multi tiered platter of fresh seafood at a Paris bistro. I always remember my buddy, the food scientist from Louisiana, ordering a whole platter for himself and declaring: “It is just protein and water”.
Cured Meats
Growing up in an Italian neighborhood in New York, I learned to love salamis and sausages. The cured meats at the Saint Remy market were simply at another level. A few of these salamis and a nice baguette would make the perfect supper club meal, for me.
The Perfect Takeaway
Do have people coming over for dinner and you are too tired to cook? Stop by the Saint Remy market and pick up some paella for dinner. Sounds pretty perfect to me.
Fromage
What to have for dessert? Why not bring home a selection of cheeses and a pear, an apple and a bunch of grapes. Voila!
Seasonal Specialties
For me, there are few things more inspirational than the perfect tomato, lettuce and peppers. To get vine ripened produce in season is more than special. Maybe I am just weird.
Exceptional Produce.
Every supermarket in the U.S. has produce, but to see really fresh produce at the market in Saint Remy was special.
OK, many of you are thinking: “The Saint Remy market is great, but I don’t live in the South of France”. My advice is go to your local market and dream a little. Think about the trip you took, the TV show you saw or even this silly blog. The chances are you will see something inspirational.
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