Saucisson Sec

We could possibly spend the next month visiting a different market every day and still not have made it to all.

The largest market in the region could not be ignored and with sunshine forecast we decided to cross L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue off our list at the start. It is said to be held in a picturesque storybook setting and as the second largest market in France promised to provide us with anything and everything we could possibly need. Plus items we could not possibly ever need but might feel tempted to purchase.

Peter Mayle wrote in his famous book Year in Provence that the only thing you couldn’t get in L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue is a bargain. It was good to attend with that context. I find it so much easier to keep my wee wallet safely inside my bag when I know that there may be other bargains to be had. Also, going early on in our nine week jaunt here means I can keep telling myself that I’ll be back and won’t miss a thing if I don’t purchase straight away.

Finally, after a week of living here we found some vegetables that looked just as I had imagined the vegetables would look. White asparagus, capsicums that are long and large (not like our round ones), tiny oblong radishes and a range of artichokes. I am determined to conquer the artichoke. Time to learn something new.

There were large stalls with olives in varying colours, sizes and marinades, men specialising in peppercorns and a vast range of regional cheeses. Even a cheesemonger wearing an All Blacks top. The only thing not so storybook was the number of buskers singing songs in English. Edith Piaf would have fitted my vision so much better.

After being fascinated by them in a few markets we were finally brave enough to purchase a saucisson sec - a very French charcuterie to be sliced finely and eaten. Each saucisson stall has around 20 different flavours. The extent of my daring was limited so I stuck to Pork and Onion.  I find it very curious that all that meat could be lying out in the summer sun having been hung for three weeks in someone’s garage to cure and then could be popped in to the fridge for six months. I never shy away from blue cheese, in full awareness of what creates the blue veins, but the white coating of mould around this meat is slightly repulsive.

It wouldn’t be right to return home with just vegetables (and the obligatory rotisserie chicken) so my wallet did make it out a few times. My purchase of the day: a small copper saucepan. I have grand plans for it. On my return to New Zealand I will rush to see Martin and Bill at Gipp Street Butchers for two pieces of their delicious scotch fillet and whip out my new French copper pan perfect for creating a batch of Béarnaise. That will of course be the plat du jour to be followed by a cheese course and preceded by a simple entree celebrating the artichoke.

Conquering French cuisine one vegetable at a time.