The Marche d’Aligre outdoor market is right on my doorstep and I love walking through it, checking out the fruit and vegetables, cheeses, spices, flowers and on some days there is a vintage flea market. I don’t take photos when I go because I want to experience it as a shopper, not a tourist. The stall holders are there every day from 9am – 1pm, and 4-7:30pm, so that people can choose the best ingredients for lunch and dinner, and they are world class sales people. Make eye contact, or let your glance linger on something for more than a moment, and it is proffered for you to inspect. Stop to look and it is put in your hands. Hold it and a bag is wrapped around it (sometimes with your hand also in it) and you’re expected to buy. Tourists who come to take photos or in a tour group can be subject to innocent fun – one American woman asked for three onions in semi-passable French only to be given three kilos of them (while the stall holder tried not to smile and called out to his mates that he had the best customer in all of Paris). She tried again to say she only wanted three, only to be presented with another three kilos 🙂 Then, taking pity on her, he quickly wrapped three in a paper bag and she paid and moved on, smiling and laughing at her charming experience. At the moment tiny leeks are in season; delicious browned with some butter and served with crusty bread. Clementines are also plentiful, a sweet orange that is small like a mandarin and easy to peel. Small vine tomatoes like grapes are piled high, as are giant ones the size of a fist. Endives, eggplant, dates, lemons, green beans, and tiny potatoes. And onions 🙂 So many recipes run through my head! Clementines are the winner today though, and I manage to buy 5 without mishap 🙂 I really love this style of shopping for fresh produce and eating it that day.
Crème brulee with pear and candied almonds