A few days ago I was at someone’s house and accidentally looked at French TV. There was a news special about France’s most expensive potato at 6.50 Euro per kilo, Les Bonnottes de Noirmoutier. They only cultivate 100 tons per year.
Okay, you know I’m game and not easily outraged when it comes to quality food, although I did stutter a bit when I found out they were selling these gourmet potatoes in our Sens farmers’ market at 9.90 Euros per kilo! In West Africa they always blame highway robbery on the transportation fees. That must be the case with these potatoes. After all, Noirmoutier is an island of the Vendee department, about 6 hours away; probably boats, trains and trucks are involved. Still, maybe I should have Roger mail them to me next time.
Today is Friday, one of the big market days. After a protracted coffee seance at Le Litteraire this morning, I swung by the market for the good stuff, including fresh peas and new carrots.
I laugh in the face of frozen peas and carrots. HA HA HA.
What I really wanted was Toulouse sausages but I didn’t find them. What I did find were some artisanal sausages from Le Village Gourmand and they were exceptional as are all of their products.
Now all I needed was serious eaters. Ah-ha, there’s one right in front of the house! Isn’t he cute when he’s impatient 😀
I love to prepare food for those who like to eat it!
No poking at the food like there’s an odd, suspicious object on the plate, but instead workman-like fork to mouth action!
So what did we think of the potatoes? They were good, but so are the potatoes from Le Parret’s garden and those are free 😉
Pan Fried New Potatoes
1 lb new potatoes, sliced in half
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
Melt the butter in the olive oil and pan fry the potatoes until brown, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Season with salt and pepper.
Fresh Peas and Carrots
1/2 cup lardons or diced bacon
4 spring onions, thinly slice
1 tbsp butter
4-5 young carrots, diced
3 cups fresh peas, about 2 lbs of unshelled peas
Salt and pepper
Brown and crisp the lardons in a skillet, then add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are soft. Stir in the butter and set aside.
Boil the carrots in water to just cover for about 5 minutes, then add the peas and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Drain, stir in the onions and lardons, then season with salt and pepper.
Cooking in Sens 
Oh I do love Bonnottes from Noirmoutiers ! I usually get them once a year, in a little wooden box, at 5-6 euros a kilo (I wouldn’t have got them for as much as what you paid)! They are also hand picked, which might be another explanation for their price. Your dish looks delicious and the pictures are wonderful.
Thank you Darya.
Very interesting – I’d like to compare those posh spuds to the Jersey Royals (from the island of jersey) that we buy in the UK, though they are nowhere as expensive. Perhaps Roger has tried both and can comment…
Those are lovely looking sausages – I got some nice Napoli sausages from the butcher today, along with a duck breast – the discussion on cassoulet has subliminally pointed me in that sort of direction…
I’m still waiting for fresh peas and broad beans from the farmer – he’s had lovely asparagus the last couple of weeks 😉
I’m sort of stuck on the cassoulet also. I bought some beautiful duck legs today from Jean Louis.
I have made it before and love it, but it does require a few hungry mouths – I’m sure you can find a few neighbours to feed 😉
Too expensive for me!
They are too expensive for anyone but I’m glad I tried them.
Are your pets all settled in & happy with their French cuisine? J’espere.
They are jm. They seem to like the food better in France also 🙂
that is a meal i could dig into! we get such excellent potatoes here for next to nothing. i can’t imagine paying that much for any potato. we are really lucky because not only do we get wonderful potatoes, we get a huge variety of them too. i live in sausage country too and get wonderful ones. you are SO happy to be back in france!
I am 🙂
Rosemary, life has pulled me away from time on the blogs of late. I am delighted to see you back where you belong. I would be growing my own too.
Yes, I don’t see any difference between the bonnottes and M. Parret’s charlottes.
I love the French respect for food. and I love that someone can be a diplomaed cheesemonger.
Yes 🙂
The potatoes look yummy, but as you said — highway robbery. It sounds like such a lovely market. Enjoyed this post a lot. Hugs!
It is a great market Geneviene. It’s nice to have access to both quality and variety.
For school I did a presentation on Les Bonnottes…I’ve always had a strange obsession with potatoes. Not in even like a culinary way. I just like to talk about them a lot – for no apparent reason haha Love your ingredients picture, looks so fresh and delicious. I am dying for farmer’s markets to start in June, where I live!
You’ll like this : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine-Augustin_Parmentier
You’d LOVE to cook for me as I love my food! In Spain “Boniato” is a type of sweet potato – I wonder if they are related to your posh spuds? Love the look of those sausages almost as much as I love the look on M. Parret’s little face 🙂
I would love to cook for you! I’d also like to taste those sweet potatoes.
Great to see you back in France, Rosemary!! I’m sure the Bonnottes were delicious, but to my mind nothing can beat freshly dug potatoes – I’m waiting for mine to grow big enough to pull out a few “babies”. Infanticide perhaps, but…
I think you’re right. New potatoes are new potatoes. It’s not infanticide unless it’s inedible 😉
I find that with new potatoes (as with so many vegetables) it’s the freshness that counts. If they have to be shipped half-way across the country they won’t be that fresh when they reach me.
I agree. Better to go and pick them out of a neighbor’s garden 😉
Nothing like a simple and fresh meal, you cannot go wrong with a great sausage, fresh veggies and those cute potatoes. Looks very inviting!
Thank you Nadia.
Beautiful provincial cooking here. Great flavours from fresh local produce. Nice
Pingback: Vaguely Indian | Cooking in Sens