21 Comments

Love this out of season stuff. Makes me very envious !

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I love that the French can find any excuse for a get together. We spend our summers trauling the vie greniers, happy to drive for an hour and only return with a linen sheet. We live in champagne though so the tipple is top notch!

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Soups are a big deal and winter time exploration as well as reuniting with all time favorites. Thankyou Debora!

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Love a good market, pity my husband doesn’t feel the same way, but there is no way we would ever have the bounty of produce that French markets do, even though here in Australia we do have a great variety. Perhaps I’m not shopping in the right places. Another great recipe which I will file away for cooler weather, 42c tomorrow. I have a small truffle and also truffle oil, so your mention of truffled potato makes me think there is no reason I can’t prepare that to accompany our meat for dinner tonight. Thank you for another great read Debora.

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I would have never thought that Sète was part of the truffle scene. You learn something new every day on Substack!

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Another recipe to add to my list, thank you.

We had the chocolate oranges in our local Sainsbury’s over Christmas. They were labelled ‘Brown Sugar Oranges’, I’d never seen them before but tried them and they were delicious. They’ve disappeared now but been replaced by the Sevilles, so I’m busy making marmalade. They are one of the few things that seem to be truly seasonal.

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That soup looks just up my alley, and you've reminded me that I bought a bag of orzo a few weeks ago, specifically for putting into soup, but it has somehow directed itself to the back of the cupboard. (I am quietly coveting your basket collection too - the ones in our local market are woven from recycled coloured plastic - a very good idea but nowhere near as satisfactory as the real thing).

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I love the market haul pictures ❤️

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Popping back to say we just had the soup for lunch and it was great! I measure out a thirds for our lunch and added the spinach. The 2/3 will be frozen separately for lunches in the next couple of weeks. I used pearled spelt as I had no barley and turkey stock from the bird that kept on giving. Super flavour (I might add slightly more chilli flakes next time). So nutritious and warming

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'But you can have enough peace. Naturally, I’m always up for distraction.'

Me too, Deb. Me too.

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Truffley creamy potatoes sound like my idea of heaven!

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We were in Sète last May - with our little dog - found an appt overlooking the port. Wonderful vibe! Didn’t think they’d have truffles tho!

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Deborah, I hate to correct you, but as a Scot I have to tell you that it's "dreich", not "driech"! The pitfalls of foreign languages 😂.

Your post made me long more than ever for a French market, and for a winter market rather than a summer one. Not a fake-Yule one, but a robust, redolent with frying potatoes and sour choucroute aromas one. You've actually given me the impetus to get on and book a few weeks at an Alliance Française in France next winter, staying with a host family. My French is rusting and besides I need an injection of winter markets.

Thanks for the soup recipe. A new pressure cooker plus a stock of dried chickpeas leftover from lockdown supplies plus plentiful kale in the garden as a spinach substitute seem made for this.

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And ironically, apologies for the spelling of your name. I did write "Debora", and then autocorrect sneaked in!

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Mmmmm❤️

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Hi Debora

Lovely interesting piece of writing. Most enjoyable. What are you going to do with the persimmons? xxx

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Always a pleasure to read your newsletters. I’m going to make the soup this evening.

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