Saturday 1 December 2012

Square Meals

Back at the market again...but eating AT not buying FROM this time.

We've decided to partake in the Saturday custom in town of 'doing' the market (buying, perusing or both) followed by settling down around 12:30 to enjoy lunch at one of the many cafes either in the main square or somewhere along the circle road around the town.

Last week we opted for one on the south side of the market - Café de l'Oustal. Truly it's nearly dinner theatre as the lunches are considered the main meals of the day and you get to watch the vendors take-down their stalls....an incredible site to see. Hundreds of bags/purses crammed into banana boxes and loaded into mini vans and double long seafood stalls "transformer-ized" down to half their size and trailered out by trucks.

The meal we had was excellent and accompanied by a nice bottle of house red wine for a steal (although that's the common theme for wine in France). Brad had the pavé de boeuf (with sauce poivre -pepper sauce- in the small jar), grilled eggplant/peppers and zucchini and scalloped potatoes (a nicely drier version than at home).


Cassie had the gratin de brandade epinard - creamed cod with olive oil and milk, baked with cheese and spinach. This dish was perfect with the little bit of coolness in the air (and the fact we weren't able to secure seating under one of the outdoor heaters).


And this Saturday's meal. We opted for the north side of the square - enabling us to see the vendor-van ballet of removing the basket stall, housewares dealer and pasta maker. Our restaurant of choice was Terroirs - we nestled up to the side of the building, basked in the sun, with the building protecting us from the wind - perfect. Eating outside. December 1st for Pete's sake!


Cassie had the smoked duck with mushrooms and spinach on toasts.


Brad went for the smoked salmon with sauteed onions on toasts (and a pomme de terre of significant size aussi).


Dessert was a must (well, for Cassie at least). Fromage frais -think super thick yogurt- with salted caramel sauce.

So. Good.


And then we rolled our après-marché full tummies back to the apartment...for a nap.

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