« Dining Out and About (Paris): Crêpes at Breizh Café | Home | Twenty years ago »
A year in a French market: The idle of May
By Ann | June 2, 2009
There are a lot of stereotypes about French people and most of them aren’t true: they DON’T wear berets everywhere, they DO wear deodorant (at least some of them, anyway), and (some) French women DO get fat. However, as much as it pains me to admit it, there is one French cliché that is based in truth…
They don’t seem to work a whole heck of a lot. At least not during the month of May, which has so many public holidays the Ministry of Labor might as well just declare it a four-week vacation. There is May 1st, or Labor Day, which no self-respecting lefty (e.g. ordinary French citizen) would disregard. May 8th is le jour victoire, or Victory Europe Day. May 21st is Ascension Thursday and June 1st Pentecost Monday, two Catholic feast days that are celebrated with fervor (or, at least, by not working) in this self-declared laïque, or secular, country. And let’s not forget that if any of these holidays fall mid-week, say on a Tuesday or Thursday, it’s easiest to fait le pont – that is, take an extra day off to create a long weekend.
It’s a wonder any commerce at all occurs in May, but somehow in between all the holidays, I managed to actually do some shopping at the Boulevard Raspail market. There I found a new vegetable: asperge sauvage, or wild asparagus (photo above), which has a fresh, grassy sweetness and delicate crunch. When questioned, the vendor told me to put it in an omelette, or steam it and dress it with a thin stream of olive oil or knob of butter. Both easy options for an idle month, but they only used up a third of the bunch, and then I was out of eggs. What else to make when the cupboard is practically bare and all the shops are closed because of the endless holidays?
Voila, the lazy girl’s way of cleaning out the fridge: fried rice. The only necessary ingredient is stone cold, leftover rice, either white or brown. (Take it from me, fresh rice will stick together in clumps.) I’ve included a recipe below, but it’s not really necessary. Just add a scrap of this, a sprinkle of that and you’ve made a meal out of practically nothing. Of course, June is now here, bringing with it unfettered grocery shopping (*except on Sundays, sometimes Mondays, between the hours of 1pm-4pm, and after 8pm). But soon enough it will be summer, when the whole of Paris goes on vacation from July 15 to the end of August. Vive la liberté!
Fried rice
Serves one (or maybe two, as a side dish)
Vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Chunk of ginger (inch-long), peeled and minced
2 cups assorted vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used asparagus and red pepper)
1 1/2 cups cooked, cold rice
1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce (or to taste)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or to taste)
1 egg (or egg white)
In a sauté pan, over medium heat, add a tablespoon or so of oil and sizzle the garlic and ginger. Add the vegetables, stirring until cooked. Remove from pan. Add the rice, Sriracha and soy sauce to the pan, combine and stir until hot. Re-add the vegetables, mix to combine and heat through. In the center, make a well in the rice, add the egg, cook until set and then scramble. Stir to combine egg throughout the rice. Taste, adding more Sriracha or soy sauce if necessary. Eat while hot.
Topics: A year in a French market: Spring |
6 Responses to “A year in a French market: The idle of May”
Comments
« Dining Out and About (Paris): Crêpes at Breizh Café | Home | Twenty years ago »
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 am
How do these asparagi taste — like asparagi? One thing to look forward to in July, by the way, is the sales!
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 am
This looks so delicious!!! can’t wait to try this receipe when I am back to my gourmet kitchen. So good to read your articles Ann - keep up this blog becasue I will be checking it frequently.
Lina
June 4th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Chris — The asparagus taste like asapargi! It’s mainly the texture that’s different — less juicy, more delicate, snappy, crunchy.
Lina — So thrilled to see you here! Thanks for stopping by — I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a swift return to your home kitchen. In the meantime, hope you can enjoy the hummous. x
June 8th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Try cutting off the buds, reserving them, and then make a soup out of the stems, pureeing them when they are still green but cooked through. Season with your favorite flavors (salt, pepper, lemon, nutmeg, dairy (dare I say cream), olive oil or butter, etc?), then add the buds and re-heat until they just turn bright green. Serve it with garlic toast.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:23 am
I forgot to tell you, our little French market on Fulham Road in London sells them when they are in season, and I always wondered what they were.
March 21st, 2010 at 11:07 pm
[…] good example would be… A year in a French market: The Idle of May where Ann debunks some French myths; the French DON’T wear berets everywhere, they DO wear […]