The Food Trail, episode 1

Just walk around any French market, look at stalls groaning with an abundance of seasonal produce and your mouth will water – start dreaming of your next meal perhaps sampling something from the bowls of olives of every different hue and taste on display .. look at the breads, poultry, fish smelling sweetly of the sea, cheeses and the widest selection of fruit and vegetables. It’s enough to send any food lover to paradise!
In this mini-series, follow us around France as we go through a typically French menu we made just for you. Let’s start with the “entrée” this week…

So, just where could one start to plan the perfect repas? Perhaps a Lentil soup? Le Puy lentils are, of course, world renowned and have designated AOC status and come only from the Haute-Loire – but as it’s a nice day, let’s drive up there from Southern France passing through the stunning Ardèche valley en route – this is an enchanting area where mountains make a wonderful backdrop to the grapes, apples and chestnut trees which surround the road on our journey.
If you don’t fancy a heavy bowl of lentil soup, you could cook some lentils for a salad, then use the cooking stock with carrots cabbage courgette leeks a few potatoes and lardons of bacon! Yum!
So what are we having next? Find out next week!