Celebrating shadows

At last we have a cloudless sky today, for the first time for over a month, and with a dry north wind and bright light we have the weather we expect during late autumn and winter in the Midi.  I feel as though I’m home again after a long stay somewhere very dark.

 

The market looked very lively in the sunlight and with people coming out after days indoors (because no one here likes going out in the rain).  I was too busy buying meat, fish and garlic and chatting to friends to remember to take photos there but some of the ingredients I bought went into my lunch:

Lo Jardinièr wanted a mackerel and I wanted prawns, so we each bought our own choice.  I made a small collection of tapas – my lazy, less hot version of gambas al pil pil, made with a chopped chorizo pepper which is spicy rather than hot and lots of garlic (Chica Andaluza has a more authentic version), some of the last green peppers of assorted varieties, that we’ve harvested at the very end of the season so they’re very small, fried in olive oil, and some slices of chorizo made not in Spain but in Lacaune where our market charcutier comes from.  And, of course, some crusty paillasse bread to mop up all the olive oily juices.   I did share the peppers and chorizo with Lo Jardinièr and he said his fried mackerel was excellent too.  It was a great way to celebrate the sunshine!