Aix en Provence, market

The fabulous fresh fruit, vegetable and flower markets in Aix en Provence, France.  An abundance of vibrant colours, tantalising smells and juicy produce, enough to make you want to buy kilos to take home to taste, display and cook with.  We English can't get enough of Aix and it's farmers' markets.

Market Locations

Large Aix en Provence market
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the morning
Place de Verdun

Flower market Everyday in the morning
Place de l'Hôtel de ville, Place des Prêcheurs

Quarter market in Aix en provence
Different days depending on the quarters

Local producers market Everyday from in the morning

Place Richelme

Fruit & Nut Biscotti

Ingredients

• 250g spelt flour
• 170g - 250g unrefined muscovado sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 medium organic eggs, lighted beaten
• 55g plump sultanas
• 55g dried cherries, cut in half
• 55g pitted dates, chopped
• 75g shelled pistachio nuts
• 55g whole blanched almonds
• 55g of shelled hazelnuts
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180c. 

Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.  Add half the beaten eggs, and mix well.  Then add more egg little by little until the dough takes shape (you may not need all the eggs).  If it's too wet add some more flour.  Add the fruit, nuts and lemon zest and mix well.

Divide the dough into six and roll each sixth into a sausage shape, about 3cm in diameter.  Place at least 6cm apart, on baking parchment on baking trays.  Wetting your hands when rolling out helps to prevent the dough sticking to your hands.  Lightly flatten the sausages and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes to cool down and firm up. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 140c.

With a serrated knife, cut the biscotti on the diagonal into 5mm slices and lay these on the baking trays to cook for a further 12 minutes.  Turn the biscotti over and cook for the third time for 10-15 until pale golden.  When ready remove from the oven and place on cake racks to cool.

Enjoy!

Sunday Smoothie

I can't be the only person out there, who has all the greatest of intentions when buying fresh fruit and vegetables.  I seem to wait till they're on the turn before doing something with them!

My daughter hates bananas.  It was a case of one too many.  Now I slip those frozen chopped up over ripe bananas into smoothies.  They do a great job of cooling down the fruit.  Today, it was a pineapple that was so over ripe that I had to put it in the fridge to keep the mould at bay, a bargain bucket punnet of strawberries and a glug of goat's milk.  No sugar needed.  Usually I use yogurt, but I was too lazy to get a spoon out, and pouring seemed so much easier.

Put into glasses and eat (too thick to drink).  A whole blender full was demolished, and a waddle to the park was all that was manageable.