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A year in a French market: Dog days?
By Ann | June 24, 2009
It snuck in so quietly that I didn’t realize it had arrived until it was already here. Summer, I mean. And while Paris’s recent cool temperatures don’t necessarily scream seasonal, the produce doesn’t lie: the market is full of early summer fruit, and by that I mean cherries. The best ones are dark and firm, and eaten on the sly, stolen from a bowl in the communal kitchen at the office. Shhh!
Perhaps an early onset of summer dog days contributed to a recent incident involving my friend G. and his car. On the cusp of leaving Paris, G. decided to sell his vehicle; he placed an ad which garnered some interest and was feeling quite positive about an impending sale… Until he answered a phone call from his wife…
It turns out a 160 lb Rottweiler had escaped from the window of a chambre de bonne, one of those attic rooms that used to house maids but are now mostly studio apartments. Frightened, the dog ran wildly along the roof until it lost its footing and plummeted seven stories — landing right on the hood of G’s car. The dog? Sadly, dead. The car? Also, dead. Sad. Poor dog. (Although, what were its owners thinking? It could have killed someone!) Also, poor G., who essentially lost his car (when we last spoke it was unclear whether or not his insurance would cover the damage).
The moral of the story? I’m not sure. Don’t let your 160 lb dog escape from a window? Don’t park your car under the windows of a chambre de bonne?
Anyway…. Back in the market, there’s other, determined, early summer produce on offer. Like these leafy lettuces, which just cry out for vinaigrette, don’t you think?
Mountains of luscious cherries — I think the best ones come from Provence (where I will be in just a few weeks!).
I thought carrots were a winter crop — turns out the tender, sweet baby ones appear in the spring, usually April, but perhaps our northern growing season means June?
Topics: A year in a French market: Summer |
4 Responses to “A year in a French market: Dog days?”
Comments
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June 24th, 2009 at 7:51 am
We have carrots every season except late summer in so cal. I was horrified to read about the dog. And trying to refrain from using a “raining (cats and)dogs” joke…total bummer for all parties involved. Enjoy your trip to Provence. Hopefully you’ll have many warm, sunny days ahead. I’m still shivering in the rain here (Cape Cod).
June 24th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Summer has arrived where I am, full force. It is only 7a.m and my air-conditioning has already kicked on. Sad,sad,dog story. I’m speechless about that. The photo of the lovely cherries bring back memories of being 13, visiting behind what once was the Iron Curtain and sitting in my uncles cherry tree and eating cherries until I was almost sick, so delicious! Enjoy your summer!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I have always thought of plums as the ideal early summer fruit treat, although now I’m not sure they’re considered early summer fruit! I remember buying them with my mom at roadside stands in suburban Maryland during the last weeks of our one year living there — this was June/July 1976. I’ll never forget their sweetness, juiciness. Are plums not early summer fruit? Sorry about the pooch!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Poor dog and poor car! That must have been some thump! Sadly, there won’t be any more dog days of summer for that hound. Ah, cherries! The first fruit of summer. Do you remember going to Cherry Valley and picking crsp, sweet cherries off the trees, eating and picking until both we and our pails were full.