It’s Market Day on our Foodie Adventure…
Always one of our favorite days!
There are numerous markets through out the Loire Valley, but the scenic village of Amboise is our personal favorite. The market is located in the park, along the Loire river and close proximity to the Chateau and beautiful shops in the village.
Early morning our first stop is the Seafood Vendors! It’s always fun to see the days assortment and a good idea to make your selections early for the best selection. Last week we were lucky to find a delicious variety of oysters and crab that the foodie travelers learned how to steam, clean and pick for dinner that evening.
Next stop Cheese -glorious Cheese! I can’t think of many things I love more than French Cheese.
There are so many choices the best option is to try one or two each day to discover your personal favorites. Valençay cheese is recognizable by it’s truncated pyramid shape, Crottin de Chevignol is shaped like a small cylinder, Selles-sur-Cher has a rind of natural mould covered with powdered and salted charcoal and Chavignol is hard black and knobby on the surface.
When Michael discovers the most delicious pears or the variety of berries available are irresistible, our nightly menus vary a little to reflect the seasons. The dessert tartlet he had envisioned in apricots may soon become a tart topped with fresh cherries. In a chef’s mind that’s the thrill of visiting a thriving market and letting your creativity come thru. Our foodie travelers visit the market and dream of the evening’s creations from the Chef’s perspective.
I’ll be honest, as Michael is soaking in all that is fresh and local in the food category I’m enjoying the people watching. Young families and grandmothers are catching up with neighbors, exchanging news and I’m imagining gossip too. I love to see the food they are buying to prepare for dinner, critique all of their market baskets and observe the fashion change from season to season, year to year.
A glimpse inside life, in small village in France always makes me smile.
And if there’s time maybe a little personal shopping too. For Michael, he loves the vendor who sells the Limoges china, the slightly imperfect pieces are a great deal and it’s not as painful if they break in the luggage on the flight home 🙂 For me I can always be tempted by something that screams French fashion.
If you’re curious about a Foodie Adventure, our full itinerary and availability calendar thru 2015 for the Loire Valley in France, Tuscany, Italy and Catalonia/Barcelona, Spain is available on our website: www.chefmichaelsalmon.com
Let’s Cook and Play together!