The Food of France

Call me crazy, but I really like my food to taste like food.  And France totally gets that about me, the entire country pulls together and delivers fresh, beautiful, tastes-like-food food.  And for that, I thank it.

Having just spent a week in rural France, I got to be floored by how awesome the food there is everyday.  It was a food lovers paradise.  In Canada (or Ontario, at least) vast amounts of food are discarded before even getting to the store because it doesn't look right (the tomatoes aren't round, or the carrots are too fat!) The waste breaks my food-loving heart. Mud on produce is okay (it comes from the ground!).  Misshapen produce is great (why do veggies need to be more perfect than people?).  France gets it, and that is devine. 

Just look at this bread. It's perfect. It's hearty. It's love.

This butter changes lives.  I don't generally butter my bread because I don't find it adds much.  This butter however I could practically eat by the spoonful.  It has chunks of sea salt in it that create the most drool-worthy taste.  The only way I can think to portray how good it is, is tell you that i would liberally spread this on my croissants in the morning - yes, even the freshest, most buttery croissant would be lathered in this stuff. I'm telling you, life changer.

 No post about french food is complete without cheese (and some saucisse l'ancienne thrown in for good measure!) There's the obvious brie (no trip is complete without!), the orange rinded fellow is a creamy and mild Port-Salut, and that gorgeous beast in the front is a stinky (but delicious!) Pont L'Eveque.  Any one, or all, of these and a baguette and I am good to go!

Seriously, look at that produce. Are those tomatoes not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!?

You could smell these strawberries from across the store (literally, it was major). Naturally we picked up and entire crate of them.

Put it all together and you get lunch! The loveliest, simplest, most satisfying lunch.

Bonne Maman Yogurt! It was love at first sight. 

Aren't these beautiful? I didn't actually drink them, I just snapped them while passing by in a market, they are all lemonades and the colours are stunning!

I cannot believe I didn't get a picture of the (many) baguettes and croissants I ate each day.  Perhaps a testament to how tasty they were? But you should know that if you're ever in the region and happen upon the tiny little hamlet of Paizay-Naudouin-Embourie, may I recommend the croissants.  You'd be hard pressed to find better!