Tis the Mushroom Season

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /chroot/home/ada52847/7bcdfc4e06.nxcli.net/html/wp-content/themes/frenchAffaires/single.php on line 12

The French love the earth. This passion takes various forms. For many French, having a garden is de rigueur (a must). Whether a large potager (vegetable garden) in the country or a few herbs in pots on the apartment balcony in Paris, a bit of dirt in which to make things grow is a link to the land.

The earth and the French meal experience are also tightly linked. The notion of terroir, which roughly translates as ‘taste of the earth’, means that food and wine taste of where they are grown and produced. French people know this well and appreciate the nuances of flavor and aroma that speak to the richness and variety of French soils and terrains. Restaurant menus often describe where a main ingredient is grown or raised as part of the dish.

Moreover, the French have an innate love of la campagne (the countryside) and spend good chunks of time out in nature. Walking in rural areas is a favorite pastime and in the fall, mushroom hunting inevitably becomes part of the outdoor, earthy fun. The French are proud of their ability to seek out mushrooms and distinguish good ones from those that are poisonous. But when in doubt, local pharmacies can verify which mushrooms are ‘keepers’.

PA100635

If you are just passing through France and can’t get out to the country for a good mushroom hunt yourself, then I highly recommend a visit to the local market during mushroom season. You’ll see an astounding variety of fungi–and a multitude of customers lined up trying to buy the best of that day’s ‘catch’.  A couple of weeks ago, I was fascinated by this vendor in Aix-en-Provence who was selling the usual suspects such as cèpes and girolles, as well as many mushrooms I had never heard of…

PA100634

PA100633

PA100636

 PA100640

  PA100637

PA100642

PA100644

You can also find restaurant chefs taking advantage of the seasonal riches with mushroom dishes featured prominently on menus. Earlier this month, I enjoyed grilled artichokes, onions and mushrooms at Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris, as well as a lovely mushroom tart at an outdoor lunch near St. Rémy-de-Provence.

PA030028

 PA070398

Currently, I am back in the States and starting my own ‘mushroom hunt’ to see what’s available at the supermarket to this home chef. And dreaming of the embarras du choix of mushrooms in France.

French Take-Out ~ La France à emporter

An easy way to enjoy the maximum flavor of wild or domestic mushrooms is to sauté them in a bit olive oil and butter. The fricassée of mushrooms is great with meat dishes or folded into omelets. Patricia Wells has a wonderful recipe in her cookbook Simply French: Patricia Wells Presents the Cuisine of Joel Robuchon. Ina Garten also takes advantage of the fall specialty in her cookbook Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home. Enjoy the mushroom season!

Sign up to receive our newsletter:

Subscribe