Our Introduction to Market Day in Cluny

June 23, 2012

This morning we all met outside Le Cellier de’l Abbaye at 9am before being led into the market and shown around by Catherine Healy. We first past through a few non-food vendors selling jewelry, wallets, bags, and clothing before entering the heart of the market. We were there just as it was getting started, so there weren’t a ton of people there yet. Cathy led us through, with several stops to point out the cheese farmers and sellers, indicating where to get the best goat cheese, the vendor townspeople line up to purchase their cheese from, and the goat-cheese-filled pastries we had to try.

Before setting us loose, she left us with a few useful phrases which we could use to request half a kilo of something, one/two/three of an item, and for cheese, “un petit morceau,” a small piece. We decided to simply buy what looked good to supply our picnic that afternoon. As we dispersed, the locals and visitors from neighboring towns, coming to do their grocery shopping for the week, began to roll in.

I loved seeing all the shoppers out and about in the market, filling baskets or little rolling carts with a bag on them with small parcels of delicately wrapped meats and cheeses and bag after bag of fresh produce. One vendor was selling produce, milk, and milk products which had been produced ising biodynamic farm methods. Biodynamic farming, is a step above organic, with emphasis on sustainable agriculture. The milk they were selling was raw. Even after eating all this raw cheese, the site of raw milk still sends shivers down my spine after doing a brief paper on the raw milk debate during the spring semester. Not sure if I could ever take that risk.

I felt silly among the hustle and bustle taking pictures of the market, which, in addition, the French find ridiculous. Why would anyone want to take pictures of that?

 I readily purchased a few goat cheese pastries for all to try at our picnic, as well as some lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado—I needed to break up the cheese and bread meals with a little green. I continued to walk around with the other students, tasting wine at some vendors and perusing a full other strip of trade items such as wooden instruments and jewelry, not to mention all the clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, etc.

We headed back to Cluny Sejour to rest up and prepare for our picnic lunch. I can easily say I really, really miss having my own kitchen and being able to prepare my own meals. I’m the kind of person that will put thought into the details of every meal I eat. I’ll go all out with elaborate plating, garnish and all, even though most of the time I’m just cooking for myself. I felt a little lost washing the lettuce leaves one by one in the solitary sink in our hostel room, having to scavenge for paper towels to dry them on layer after layer, and no bowl or plate, but a plastic bag.

The least I can say is that at our picnic, which took place under the shade of several trees, atop a large, round rock table with no seating, the lettuce was a hit. Other students purchased a roasted chicken, mustard, and cucumbers, all of which were utilized along side a touch of avocado and a sliced tomato, nestled in tasty lettuce wraps. Boy, does Dijon mustard have some kick to it! That stuff was like wasabi. A little shocking, but with my love of spicy things, it kept me coming back for more.

We had a great selection of goat cheeses, leftover Emmental, the Citoux and Pyrenees cheese from the day before, and a new cheese which Laura bought at the market, called Salers. We could tell this cheese had been aged several months and would be nutty and delicious. And, oh were we right. I could eat this cheese for days. Needless to say, it went very quickly. We’ve gotten pretty good at building some tasty picnics. We even had dessert today which included raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. Oh, and a good ol’ jar of Nutella….

I’m currently getting ready to go for a run really quickly so that I can be ready to go to an oboe performance later this evening with the rest of the group which will be followed by a reception with wine from Perraud vineyards (Sonia’s!) prior to dinner.

Also tonight, Spain will be playing France in the Eurocup. Once more, my heart lies with the Spanish team. Though, from what I can tell, it doesn’t seem as though soccer is too big here in Cluny. There are no big screens set up anywhere as I have seen done in several other cities. This isn’t too big of a deal, as long as I can catch the game somewhere!

- Adrianne Speranza