The French take their fruits and vegetables
seriously so in each neighborhood you’ll find several “primeurs,” specialized stores that sell these products
exclusively. I am crazy about these outposts and often go in and talk to the helpful
sales people—“les vendeurs et les vendeuses.” If I want to serve fresh melon with mint, they’ll smell and
touch a dozen before handing me the perfectly ripe one for my dinner that night.
If I can’t decide between white and yellow peaches, they’ll give me the heads
up, and when I say I need some basil for a food photo, they’ll offer me the
prettiest bunch.
The other day at one of my local “primeurs,” the
staff was abuzz about the figs. The first of the season had arrived and were “français,”
not from some exotic land. I bought a
small bagful and prepared them simply.
