For the past week we have been on holiday visiting my Auntie Sandie and Uncle Gordon in France. I have been visiting them in their amazing house in the Lot Valley for over 10 years and since my first visit one of my favourite things to do has been to visit the farmers market which is on every Thursday evening in July and August. It takes place in a small village called Loubejac in the field of the church. Local producers set up stalls around the edge of the field selling their produce, fresh fruit, wine, cheese, bread, meat cooked in front of you, salads, soups and many more.
There is so much food on offer it can be difficult to decide what to go for. However there are certain stalls which I can never resist, bread from the local bakery, goats cheese served with floral honey and walnuts and as many fresh berries as is decent to consume.
The food on offer is amazing but what I really like abut the field is the communal feel of it, people from all backgrounds and nationalities (French, British, Dutch and Australian particularly) come together and eat, drink and generally be merry under the tree-lined field overlooking a beautiful valley.
I found it reassuring that the stall holders thought it a little strange that I wanted to take photographs of them with their produce as it shows that whilst there are many visitors at the market it is still about the food and hasn’t become a tourist attraction unlike most London food events and markets (anyone who has been to Borough market will know exactly what I mean).
As we sat around enjoying the food and wine a thunderstorm was skirting the valley providing some amazing skies that was inevitably followed by a downpour (to the delight of everyone after the 40 degree heat) this cut our evening a little short. Probably for the best after canoeing all day on the Dordogne I was pretty shattered and had already eaten a greedy amount of food and a little too much wine.
Fruits, Roots & Shoots 