Friday 26 December 2014

Winter Truffle Markets

The second truffle market for the season will be on Sunday 28 December at Marigny Marmande near Richelieu. According to the local paper, the truffles promise to be abundant and well matured. The local producers are happy, especially as prices look like remaining stable, at about €800 to €1000 per kilo.

Truffle producers on one side, customers on the other, truffles in the middle.
Good climatic conditions from May to July, with alternating heat and rain, were favorable for the legendary fungus. The first tentative excavations at the beginning of December have already hinted at some nice surprises, supporting the predictions based on observing the weather. Depending on the area, the crop seems to be a few weeks more advanced than last year.

 Brie with a layer of truffle.
The market includes around 40 local producers and artisans as well as the truffle farmers. 2014 looks like being a good vintage, not just for wine, but for the truffles too.

 Buying a truffle a few years ago.
The markets will be in the Salle des Fêtes, Marigny Marmande, from 9 am to 1pm, Sundays 21 and 28 December, then Saturdays 10 and 24 January and 14 February.
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A la cuisine hier: Grilled oysters, leftover guinea fowl with salad, homemade foie gras with toast, flash fried steak with foie gras, potato wedges and buttered spinach, leftover Christmas pudding and custard.

8 comments:

GaynorB said...

How many kilos will you be buying?

Susan said...

Gaynor: Ha! None this year. I'd like to get another one, but Simon thinks they are a waste of money. You can buy a walnut sized one for €20 and an egg sized one for €30. It's a fun thing to do and affordable at that scale. One truffle goes an awfully long way, but you need to get a good one and get some advice on how to use it.

Tim said...

"One truffle goes an awfully long way"....
preferably an awfully long way!

I'm with Simon on that...
there's more stink from them than mouldy parmesan!

How come you needed a shopping list that said "truffle"...
you should have written "chocolate" in front...
now, a really good chocolate truffle IS worth hunting for...
and I'm not thinking "Leonidas"...
more "Chocolate Line"!

Have a good w/e!

Susan said...

Tim: They smell fantastically mushroomy, and you enjoyed that truffled cheese from Rodolphe.

Tim said...

Yes, I did...
but I didn't detect the mushroomy smell...
there was a taste there that was different....
it was the mouthfeel and overal cheesiness that grabbed me.

It is probably just me...
I can't d'tect saffron either...
for me saffron is a wonderful colour ingredient...
much nicer than dried turmeric...
which can impart a "nasty" taste to a dish...
rice per example...
and almost the same as fresh turmeric...
the latter tastes a bit like galangal [laos]...
but with colour.

On the otherhand, I can smell roses that Pauline can't....
and vice versa...
but neither of us can smell "goat"...
which is something that many people find off-putin with goat cheese...

Susan said...

Tim: I suspect the truffle enhanced the savouriness of the cheese.

Saffron tastes like iodine. That's why it goes with seafood, but it isn't surprising that some people don't like it. It doesn't smell at all like it tastes either.

I don't notice goats cheese smelling goaty, but lots of people talk about it.

indre chef said...

Interesting comments......we use saffrona lot in cooking,i tend to make an infusion with milk or stock then leave it overnight,also am planning a trip to the marche du truffe end of jan....time to experience the great taste and aroma again

Susan said...

IC: Saffron definitely works best if it's infused. We are going to the truffle market on 24 Jan with friends. Might see you there.

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