Saturday, March 10, 2018

Tradition gives way to margin.


An uninspiring choice at the bakers. Bob and Sophie get given some slivers of choux pastry so they come away happy. Bob and Sophie have a very low threshold for happiness.


The spindliest white asparagus makes an appearance in the greengrocers. It is examined and then put back. The green asparagus isn't much better. I read somewhere that there's an asparagus shortage in Germany. Maybe this is why the offerings that reach the French consumer look so pallid.


No doubting Spring is on the way. The first peas in their pods........


..... and lemons with the leaves still attached make an appearance in the greengrocers.


Loic comes to blow leaves. While the PONs follow him round the garden their master heads off to buy 40 lavender plants. I return to find Bob asleep in the courtyard. His sister is in the kitchen staring at the chicken that's being prepared for lunch.


Easter Eggs, which have been slow in making an appearance, are suddenly everywhere. The little rabbits with bells round their necks outnumber eggs in a 60:40 ratio. They must be less  fragile and easier to ship and display. Tradition gives way to margin.


Cat soup on sale in the supermarket. Not having the faintest idea what cats get up to this product comes as something of a surprise. I find myself momentarily shuddering at the thought of PONs eating soup. Their muzzles and beards would be a disaster zone.





12 comments:

Lisa in Tokyo said...

Bob looks like he's forgotten all about the horrors of yesterday!

WFT Nobby said...

Funny, I had the same thought re Bertie and beards and soup...
Cheers! Gail.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari oM
I can almost smell those lemons... happy weekend. YAM xx

Taste of France said...

Aren't there camionettes at intersections selling local asparagus picked that same morning? Driving around here, my husband remarked "ceux qui n'ont pas d'asperges doivent le faire exprès." I shy away from produce in plastic packages that are labeled in multiple languages.
Another point about Easter eggs vs. bunnies: The French tradition is Easter bells. All the church bells are silenced during the 40 days of Lent, and people would tell children the bells had flown away to Rome. On Easter, they fly back. No bunny involved. Usually the Easter eggs are made into the Omelette de Pâques...and so aren't chocolate.

Angus said...

If only. A camionette selling asparagus would be rather too 'chic' for this department. In fact I don't think asparagus is grown here - garlic . melons and strawberries yes - asparagus possibly not.

Angus said...

Great thing about dogs - after it's over - it's over.

Angus said...

Dog soup = nightmare.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I'd say that the cat-soup is another attempt to get those finicky felines to eat. Here they sell something like it for dogs - It's a broth that you put over kibble for the same reason. I think if they had the benefit of 'the Font's' cooking, and your bakeries, there would be no need for it.

Angus said...

Dog broth ? Sounds like another 'tradition gives way to margin' product for the harried dog owner.

Emm said...

Your asparagus, however pallid, looks about like what I saw yesterday in a specialty US grocery, at a premium price. And lemons with leaves still on would be a luxury; they're usually sold in plastic net bags.

Coppa's girl said...

For one awful moment I thought - cat soup? Oh no, surely not another Chinese delicacy hoisted on us unsuspecting Europeans - then I read your comments !
On the daily dog walk I pass several houses, with absentee owners, where the lemons are weighing down the trees, and much of the fruit is left rotting on the ground. However those branches overhanging the road haven't a single fruit on them at all. I often wonder who creeps out in the dead of night, with stepladders and secateurs !

Stephanie said...

Like Coppa's girl, my heart skipped a beat wondering about the cat soup. I don't think I'll be adding it to our cats' menu. (And they might be relieved to know that they aren't being added to the menu as well.) I didn't think I would ever say it but the bakery selections are somewhat lackluster today. Best wishes to the Old Farmer as he recovers. And your camera truly is taking excellent pictures; what clarity! Stephanie (Jo) in Northern California