Wednesday has been market day in our village since 1180 and for all this time it has been a meeting and trading place for people from the sea, the coastal plains and the mountains. Although it’s a small market now, the tradition continues with the regular stalls including fish from the Mediterranean and shell fish from Bouzigues, vegetables, some local and some from Provence and Spain, and charcuterie from Lacaune in the mountains to the north-west of here. Stalls selling clothes and household goods also visit from time to time, but the three food stalls are a constant.
I used to have a rule that I wouldn’t buy vegetables we grow in the garden when they are not available in the garden, but I frequently break this rule with aubergines. Although we have frozen and bottled ratatouille and other aubergine dishes, I like them too much simply sliced and fried in olive oil to wait until June when we hope to have our home-grown ones again. Our local goat farm at Mas Rolland has stopped selling cheese for the winter and will start again in February. Their cheeses are the best I’ve ever tasted, but luckily the village shop sells other, more commercially produced but still fairly local, goats’ cheeses, so I was able to make this salad with my contraband aubergine:
Fried slices of aubergine and red pepper, slices of goats’ cheese, chopped paprika, parsley and garlic, with toasted paillasse bread. Oh, and a glass of Domaine d’Estève wine we bought there this morning – the bag in box of AOC Faugères red that we always have in the kitchen. We also bought some of their best wine, Plo des Figues, but that’s for les fêtes when our family will be here.
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olivesandartichokes 
Contraband aubergine – love it! Like you I feel the same about not buying fruit and veg out of season/if we grow it, but rules are made to be broken I guess. As long as we are supporting local people, buying the best and most organically grown then I´m sure our consciences can turn a blind eye. Thanks for taking us along with you to the market!
Yes, that’s how I like to think of it!
Lovely salad – I, like you, find it hard to live without without aubergines. We’re surrounded by good goat cheese producers, but I’ve been reduced to buying more commercial products at this time of year. Nice post.
Yes, you have very good goats’ cheese producers near you. Even here we sometimes see cheese from La Mothe St Heray.
Your contraband salad looks delicious — and so festive! You’ve assembled a great combination of flavors, Karen.
CLAIRE!!!! So sorry, dear.
No, neither! But thanks for the comment!
I’m just going to quit before I make an even bigger fool of myself — and never, again, try to comment upon a post when on the phone. With apologies.
no need for apologies – I always welcome your comments!
I love aubergine and yours looks wonderful!
Nice post and pictures. I haven’t got a garden, but I am very keen on seasonal vegetables. I try to buy everything at the farmers market and I’ve been going to the same farmer for 11 years! Amazingly, because of the unusually mild spring and autumn, he still had a few tomatoes last weekend.