Lovely atmospheric post. I lived in France for a couple of years and then tried to transfer my French buying habits to England. It resulted in daily ransacking of the eponymous ‘middle of Lidl’, a house full of tat and a fridge full of reduced food. I’ve had to move back to a weekly shop unfortunately but miss those market days.
Thank you so much! In the states there are usually outdoor markets in most cities, but not as big or as plentiful as the France. It definitely is a lifestyle the French do so well.
Brava for the succinct market shopping guide, Jenn! I love best of all, my smaller midweek village market for the best local greens and vegetables and the more leisurely pace of “Shop & Chat.” And bonus points for making and sharing Fromage Fort— sometimes made with very “fort” eau de vie in the countryside. So happy you are finding your French feet on the ground!
Thank you so much Kate! yes, I love the smaller neighbourhood market here on Fridays, its so nice to see the same vendors each week. The Fromage Fort is definitely more pungent after a day or two, I made an omelette with mine yesterday. Loving this French life :)
I so enjoyed this article! I love the words of fresh food wisdom, definitely one we need to adapt here in the states! I am living vicariously through those lovely fresh veggie market pics! One day to France I’ll get!😎🙏🌻
So glad you like it, thanks for reading! I think its possible, there are so many cities with farmer's markets in the states..its just not as common to walk to them as it is here. :)
I love this post! it is so well written my imagination went wild! I could visualise the bakery, the atmosphere at the farmer's market and the little specialised shops.. truly lovely!
I love this approach to life and eating and cooking. Daily shops make you more mindful, and as you say ensures less waste! I'm moving to Spain this year and I can't wait for daily trips to the market to see what is fresh that day, and then cooking accordingly. It seems like such a better way to live.
Love it. I only wish the village life was alive and thriving here in the United States. Living in the city has its perks, of course. I typically found my rentals in locations nearest the farmer's market. Now that I'm in the country, it's not quite the same needing to drive 30 minutes to get to a decent local market. Plus we are diverting much of our energy now to growing food, which has a life of its own. But I do miss the social aspects of daily shopping.
I lived way out in the country for many years, growing vegetables and driving 20 minutes to the store, but I could always find local farmers or markets selling somewhere on the weekends. Love a local honey stand💛
The food culture and shopping habits in France are truly something to be celebrated. Where I am currently based (small town southern England) we have a fresh produce market once a month. Weekly would be a dream come true!
I loved reading this. I cook/bake virtually all I eat, and I have good kitchen skills with little waste. More Americans should try thinking this way; it’s very rewarding.
This sounds absolutely lovely. And your photos are delicious! I confess I'm a little jealous. I wish we had these kinds of grocery experiences here in the US.
Thank you so much! I think its possible to create some shopping experiences like this in the states. I've lived in both rural and larger cities, found a farmer's market in multiple states and speciality shops sprinkled about. But, I do agree it is much harder to walk to them, or find all the offerings close together. Buying fresh and more frequent does help reduce food waste, just takes extra effort over convenience.
Lovely atmospheric post. I lived in France for a couple of years and then tried to transfer my French buying habits to England. It resulted in daily ransacking of the eponymous ‘middle of Lidl’, a house full of tat and a fridge full of reduced food. I’ve had to move back to a weekly shop unfortunately but miss those market days.
Thank you so much! In the states there are usually outdoor markets in most cities, but not as big or as plentiful as the France. It definitely is a lifestyle the French do so well.
We have 1 or 2 almost every day in San Francisco!
that's so lovely! I had a Wednesday and Saturday market I went to in Chicago :)
I love living this way in Italy. Wonderful summary.
Thank you! Where in Italy are you?
Brava for the succinct market shopping guide, Jenn! I love best of all, my smaller midweek village market for the best local greens and vegetables and the more leisurely pace of “Shop & Chat.” And bonus points for making and sharing Fromage Fort— sometimes made with very “fort” eau de vie in the countryside. So happy you are finding your French feet on the ground!
Thank you so much Kate! yes, I love the smaller neighbourhood market here on Fridays, its so nice to see the same vendors each week. The Fromage Fort is definitely more pungent after a day or two, I made an omelette with mine yesterday. Loving this French life :)
I so enjoyed this article! I love the words of fresh food wisdom, definitely one we need to adapt here in the states! I am living vicariously through those lovely fresh veggie market pics! One day to France I’ll get!😎🙏🌻
So glad you like it, thanks for reading! I think its possible, there are so many cities with farmer's markets in the states..its just not as common to walk to them as it is here. :)
I am in California so there are many. Just have to do the weekend ones. Spring brings plenty so will be checking them out!
That's wonderful! I like planning my meals based on whats available at the market, makes it more exciting, haha!
I love this post! it is so well written my imagination went wild! I could visualise the bakery, the atmosphere at the farmer's market and the little specialised shops.. truly lovely!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading💛
I love this approach to life and eating and cooking. Daily shops make you more mindful, and as you say ensures less waste! I'm moving to Spain this year and I can't wait for daily trips to the market to see what is fresh that day, and then cooking accordingly. It seems like such a better way to live.
It’s such a rewarding and enjoyable process, and I feel so much better about what I’m consuming. You will love Spain! Congrats on the move 🤎
Nah, you got this story from a fairytale, right?
Sounds pretty ideal.
It’s so wonderful!
Love it. I only wish the village life was alive and thriving here in the United States. Living in the city has its perks, of course. I typically found my rentals in locations nearest the farmer's market. Now that I'm in the country, it's not quite the same needing to drive 30 minutes to get to a decent local market. Plus we are diverting much of our energy now to growing food, which has a life of its own. But I do miss the social aspects of daily shopping.
I lived way out in the country for many years, growing vegetables and driving 20 minutes to the store, but I could always find local farmers or markets selling somewhere on the weekends. Love a local honey stand💛
The food culture and shopping habits in France are truly something to be celebrated. Where I am currently based (small town southern England) we have a fresh produce market once a month. Weekly would be a dream come true!
They truly are and one of many things that drew me to France💛
I loved reading this. I cook/bake virtually all I eat, and I have good kitchen skills with little waste. More Americans should try thinking this way; it’s very rewarding.
Aw thank you! It’s so rewarding to make most of your meals💛
This sounds absolutely lovely. And your photos are delicious! I confess I'm a little jealous. I wish we had these kinds of grocery experiences here in the US.
Thank you so much! I think its possible to create some shopping experiences like this in the states. I've lived in both rural and larger cities, found a farmer's market in multiple states and speciality shops sprinkled about. But, I do agree it is much harder to walk to them, or find all the offerings close together. Buying fresh and more frequent does help reduce food waste, just takes extra effort over convenience.
Please offer a guided tour of pastries in Bordeaux. Will pay top dollar! :)
Something to think about 🤎
I look forward to reading your posts.
I’m so glad 🤎
Proper food sourcing is a way to better life! Might as well, do so with style, right! Thank you for such a transcending read !!!
Loved reading this! One of my favourite parts of visiting France is the culture around food!
The French have got it all figured out! I love this soft and slow approach to life and food. 🥰 Also, I love how you write it! It’s like I was there!