Every year, we host at least one meal for our neighbors and friends in town. This time we did a Monday lunch, which was perfect since the Mirepoix Market takes place on Mondays and I knew that I could get everything I needed there. It's a market that we have been going to for many years, and it hasn't changed much - it's medium-sized, with local produce and things like honey, meats, and cheeses, all of great quality. We arrived at 8:30am, which was the right time to be there - not overly crowded, and with some of the fruits and vegetables still being unpacked - as close to picking them yourself as you can get.
For nibbles to go along with our apperitifs of rose wine, we went to the olive stall and picked out some fresh, uncured olives (bright green and so tasty), and a dip called Anchois, which is usually found in Provence. It is a paste-like concoction of anchovies and fennel and has a wonderfully salty flavor.
The cheese stalls are my favorite - especially ones that insist that you taste something (I taste everything). This one had beautiful farm-made goat's cheeses, very reasonably priced.
They had some wonderful fresh organic pasta for sale, along with some hearty whole-grain breads. The pasta was so soft, we had to take care not to let it get smashed in the market basket.
One thing that I did not buy, but will definitely check out next time, was sausage. This stall had every kind of sausages that you can imagine, from pork, to beef, to wild boar, to donkey!
By the time we were done, we had visted no less than 10 stalls, and our bags were heaving with food...time to cook.
