Le Grand Marché

Tomates anciennes
(literally "ancient tomato," but best translated as "heirloom tomato").

The first time I took a bite from fruit I had purchased at the grand marché in Aix-en-Provence, it gave me pause. Literally. I stopped chewing, held the apple at arm's length, and examined it as though seeing an apple for the very first time.

What is up with this apple? I thought. Why does it taste so . . . good? It's just so . . . apple-y.

But that's the thing - it WAS so apple-y. It was exactly what I would imagine an apple to taste like if I had never eaten one before: perfectly ripe, with a crisp red skin and juicy flesh. It tasted like nothing I had ever eaten in the United States.

Then it happened again. This time with coffee: a milky café crème. I savored that coffee for the better part of an hour. Then with, of all things, a chicken sandwich. Everything just tasted . . . better. More real.

Artichaut (artichoke).

In the four months I spent in Aix-en-Provence, from September through December 2005, I learned to love food when previously I had merely thought of it as sustenance, just something I had to do to stay alive. I learned that real tomatoes are not mealy, like the ones that come in packs of three in the refrigerated aisle.* I learned that herbs de Provence can be sprinkled on everything from spaghetti to pizza. I learned how to cook Thanksgiving stuffing from scratch.** I learned that goat cheese is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Banane (uh, banana - but you figured that one out, right? RIGHT?!).

Le fromage! (The cheese! But you knew that one, too.)

Upon my return to Aix, I made sure that on our first morning out, Dan saw the grand marché. Now, Dan was raised on a farm in Western New York so he knows a thing or two about fresh food. But when he bit into those ruby-ripe strawberries, all he could do was smile. 

Moral of the story? Fresh food is good food and good food is fresh food. End scene.

Radis (radishes).

Tomates coeur de boeuf.
(Literally "heart of beef tomatoes" though I have no idea why.
Maybe because cow's hearts really look like that?
If so, then - ew.).

La chèvre (meaning both "the goat" and the cheese that comes from goats).

*Tomatoes that come from the refrigerated aisle will always taste like crap because TOMATOES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE REFRIGERATED. Set them in a bowl on your kitchen table, out of the sunlight, and they'll do just fine. I have a weird little glass dish/pedestal that my mom gave me, and I put our tomatoes on it one at a time with a sign that reads Prince Tom Ato. I think the tomatoes like it - builds their confidence.

**We cooked Thanksgiving dinner for twenty people in a toaster oven. The turkey was sawed in half and we didn't eat until midnight, but my stuffing was called a "Thanksgiving miracle." Woo doggy! Those Pilgrims got nothing on me!

The haul from our first trip to the grand marché. Total cost? About 12€. 

Post-Script: If you can't tell from this post, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD. I believe the American system of "Big Food" is single-handedly ruining our collective health and contributing to the weakened economy. If you want to read more about what is happening, Michael Pollan's website is a good place to start: his articles on American food culture are thoughtful and well-researched, and his site includes links to many other terrific organizations.