A local French Market Tour

I’ve been back to living in in Brittany for a year now. A year marked by exciting new adventures, making memories with old and new friends and indulging back into the French way of life that I missed so dearly. And of all the old routines I rekindled with, the one I perhaps love the most is going to my hometown farmers’ market every Sunday morning.

This market is set in the town’s main square, which is wedged between two beaches. It is a picture-perfect, medium-sized Brittany market that offers a wonderful place for local producers to sell their goods each week. 

As a kid I loved this market, the lively atmosphere, the smells, the colors, the tastes, the vendors’ laughter and chit-chatting with locals. As an adult, I probably love it even more, along with the ritual that goes with it. The idea that no matter how hectic the week is and whatever the weather, our Sunday trip to the market is set to happen.

We go and see the same familiar faces every week, buy our produces from the same long-standing vendors and finish our trip with the same “À la semaine prochaine!” (See you next week!). There is so much happiness and comfort found in this weekly ritual, that I never fail to share photos of it every Sunday on my Instagram.

But of course, most of the beauty of a market is found in its food. At this time of the year, you can find an array of lingering winter produce mixed with colorful spring bounties. It truly is a special time of the year, as locals get excited for warmer days and more colors on market stalls. We all love to see the first strawberries, the first asparagus of the year…

To share this experience with you, I thought I would give you today a tour of the best produces you can find at my farmers’ market this season. For more inspiration, I am pairing some produce with a recipe you can prepare in your own kitchen.

Asparagus are the first sights of Spring at the market! End of March is when asparagus harvests start in Brittany and they are enjoyed until May. Because their season is fleeting, they usually sell fast at the market as people want to make the most of them before they’re gone. Asparagus are turned into soups, used in quiches, and simply enjoyed blanched with a simple vinaigrette or a gribiche sauce.

Radishes are Spring favorites in France. In Brittany, where they are plentiful, we love to buy them in big bunches as soon as they hit market stalls in April. We often enjoy them as a starter – simply raw, with butter, a pinch of salt flakes and bread. And with the remaining leaves, I love to make this soup. 

Leek season runs from September to May, in Brittany. That said, Spring leeks are smaller and more tender, which makes them perfect to be enjoyed as a “Poireaux Vinaigrette”: simply poached leeks served as a starter with a vinaigrette.

Cauliflower is a classic Breton vegetable. The local producers are known to harvest incredible cauliflower, which are a mainstay of markets from September til May. Brittany’s sandy soil and mild, humid Winters makes it perfect to grow this cruciferous vegetable – and the region grows and harvests about 80% of the total cauliflower available in France. 

Naturally, the Brittany cooking repertoire features a myriad of cauliflower recipes. Among the most favorite ones are the Cauliflower Gratin and this Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup. Although in the Spring, my favorite way to prepare cauliflower is perhaps this one.

Along with cauliflower, artichokes are another staple produce from Brittany in the Spring. Unlike Mediterranean varieties which are smaller, the “Camus” variety grown in Brittany is big, green, round and feels heavy when lifted. Its most popular way to be enjoyed is boiled with vinaigrette – one of my favorite Spring meals, hands down. 

New potatoes are incredibly popular in Brittany in the Spring. These types of small potatoes (harvested early) are loved for their nutty flavor and waxy texture, which holds very well once cooked. The season starts in April and lasts all throughout the end of the Summer, until potatoes get bigger. In the Spring, we love to prepare them simply roasted to accompany a roast, or in a cold salad.

Last week at the market, I was so happy to spot the pretty “Gariguettes”: the first strawberries of the season! These beloved strawberries are known as a “variété précoce” – meaning they are an early variety. The first to be harvested in the Spring! They’re known for their deep red hue and melty, sweet flesh. They are just as delicious enjoyed fresh with Chantilly, or in baked goods, like in a Strawberry Flaugnarde. That said, my personal favorite way to enjoy strawberries is in a French Strawberry tart – a timeless, always elegant and delicious dessert.

To sum up, what are the local produces to look for when visiting a Brittany market in the Spring?

• Smaller leeks
• New potatoes
• Asparagus
• Radishes
• Cauliflowers
• Artichokes
• Strawberries

Have a you ever visited a market in France? Or, what is your favorite French market? Let me know in the comments!