The markets yield many delicious treats and surprises. I made friends with a bee farmer who said that if Chris and I follow through on our plan and become self sufficient individuals – then we can trade honey. There are trucks filled with all kinds of vegetables, fruits, meats, and cheeses. The most surprising truck is the one that opens to reveal a whole wall of rotisserie chickens — turning on spits, on the side of the truck.
The cheese is the challenge I have undertaken while here. At home – cheese is expensive, somewhat flavourless, and I find it lacking somehow. It turns out that it is because mass production methods have made us accustomed to an inferior product. In France, even the stinky cheeses are somewhat coquettish – under their mantle of green, grey or white fuzz.
Before I get ahead of myself and lead you to believe that I have somehow acquired the taste for science project cheese – fret not. I am still a self confessed ‘pussy’ when it comes to cheese. However – now I eat rind 😛
This beautiful woman, who is clearly France’s answer to their lack of Joan Jett sold me a third of a kilo of what Becky and I believe to be ‘Petit Savoie des Pyrenees’. Unlike other proprietors and venders at the ‘marche’ she didn’t have a truck/van/commercial vehicle. It would appear that she sold me the cheese out of the trunk of the sedan pictured.
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It was with great effort that I assembled the ten cheeses pictured. Laura, roommate extraordinaire, helped with the addition of a jeune Gouda, wrapped Camembert, and the slab of pate. The young Gouda was buttery and much stronger than a young cheese that we are used to. I ate some of the rind of the Camembert (bravely) and it was tasty. The pate was peppery and a bit chunky – not like the strange meatloaf textured pate I had another time.
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The other cheeses were: Tomme Noire des Pyrenees which is a delicious find – it is like a mild Havarti but with a super bad ass black rind; Boursin – same as at home except there are a whole lot more flavours here and it is super cheap (which makes it extra delish); Passendale which tastes like Gouda and Havarti made a delicious baby; Cheddar (best orange cheese ever); Emmental (Swiss); Coumilliers – a delicious brie like cheese – and I ate some rind and last but not least Beaufort – a cheese that seems to shift in flavour profile every time I enjoy it. I purchased it from a cheese truck, from a nice man who laughed when I asked for his suggestion about ‘un fromage moins forte regionalle’
I rounded out my supper with crostinis that I made myself, an Italian Clementine and some Orangina (the racist kind)
Whew – it was almost as hard to get this post together as to eat this much cheese in one sitting. We have been having Internet problems.
From the Adventures of Reta Chapman 
