What is the Paris Challenge?

Paris, and France in general, is heaving with markets, and it’s no secret that I love a good market. Maybe it’s the cheerful atmosphere, the smell of the fresh food and the fact that you’re actually outdoors means that doing the weekly shop in the market is, dare I say it, fun. But back to France, and Paris in particular, and why I’m here. Sitting at my own local farmers market one Sunday morning, I had the thought that it would be really fun to go to Paris on a sort of market tour. Any time I’m in France, I go to the local markets and enjoy picking out gorgeous, fresh food and it’s something that just happens quite naturally. This time, however, I had the idea of coming here specifically just for that reason. Each market I’ve been to has it’s own very individual feel and characters, so much so that surely these cultural institutions, if you like, deserve to be celebrated in their own right, rather than as a solely practical necessity.

So here I am in Paris. In Paris, with the thrilling (albeit daunting) task of visiting at least two markets each morning (at least- gasp). Of course, it would be a waste if I had come all this way only to go to a market to LOOK at food; that would be a terrible oversight. No, I have set myself the challenge of buying ingredients to cook a meal for two each evening (thank you to my very kind Parisian friend and host, Clementine, who is going to play royal taster-I promise to be kind to the palette). No recipes, no cookbooks, just whatever comes to me as I wade through all of the delicious fare each morning. I tell a lie; I will consult ONE book: The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit, just so as I don’t make cumin and lemon biscuits.
Again. The Kit

Early morning Eurostar

Wish me luck and BON APP!