Hot summer at Ceret’s vibrant market will be packed with local produce the tail end of Springs late harvest still asparagus, bunches of young artichokes, fresh sparkling white brousse (our version of ricotta), cherries.  Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, even the odd tiny boîte of gooseberries, the plums will be appearing also the the Mirabelles.  Mountains of red, green, black and yellow Ancienne Tomatoes, Peppers in all shapes, sizes and colour, Chilli Peppers from sweet to fiery, Aubergines purple, mauve and white coming in all sizes.    The mache of winter and spring is replace by rocket.  You will get to meet our chocolatiere, Florence, and taste her famous handmade complex and intoxicating chocolates, she always has seasonal flavours, sadly the ‘bear paws’ she makes to celebrate our bear festivals will not be seen again until next January but her Cherry and Almond Chocolates using cherries she grows in the valley will still be available.  Meet another Florence who is part of Thibault Gonzalez team, selling fresh pork and delicious pates from their organically farmed rare breed Gascon pigs in the Vallespir.   The new kids on the block live a few yards from me, Cecille and Simon are fermenting organic rice (from the Carmargue) milk, mixing it with their own seasonal fruits and aromatics and have created a continually varying range of delightful, fresh delicious plant based yoghurts.  Local cheeses will be in full swing goat, sheep and cow’s all farmed on the slopes of the Vallespir, the goats cheese just waiting for the arrival of the figs to become a delicious salad. Céret’s market is packed with many local organic producers.   I will show you how to identify the best of the local stalls, the best of the season and talk about how to get the best from seasonal produce in your kitchen.  This 2 hr wandering tour, with lots of opportunity to buy, also includes a couple of seasonal recipes for you to take home and try.  We will finish with a coffee or glass of wine together and talk food and cooking with the odd tale from an itinerant chef.

Numbers limited, to book contact me via email hilaryjj@btinternet.com or +44 7714 334718