We recently headed to a new market in France. Several regular vendors were there, like our favorite boulangerie for bread and poissonneries (or fishmongers). We’ve found that some vendors participate in different markets. They also had a lot of new vendors we hadn’t seen before, especially smaller fruit and vegetable producers. We were excited to explore what they had to offer.
You have to be discerning at certain markets. You’ll find farmers and producers, but many people buy and resell fruits and vegetables. When you see exotic fruits, you know they probably weren’t grown locally, but often they identify the country of origin, even at the supermarket.
It’s citrus season, so we’re seeing tons of mandarins, and we’re just starting to see blood oranges. (Perfect for our blood orange, fennel, and burrata salad.) They typically come from Spain or Sicily. Although it seems a little early, fava beans are also beginning to make their way into the market.
We also saw a lot of artichokes, squashes, cabbage, several new boucheries, butchers, and trucks roasting chickens over potatoes (pretty much always available in most French markets.)
In the summer, you’ll find people shopping with those famous romantic straw baskets in the French markets in the summer. In the winter, we’re seeing more reusable bags. I’ve found it challenging to find someone who sells the baskets in the late fall and winter.
