Tuesday Morning at the Vaison-la-Romaine Marché Provencal

The only days that are reserved before we get to Sablet are Tuesdays. Tuesday is when the weekly Marché Provencal takes place in the center of Vaison-la-Romaine. We usually go rain or shine. The latter is definitely more fun.

Since we are fortunate to have a large and very well equipped kitchen (see here) at our home in Sablet, we take advantage of the produce and bounties of the sea we find at the market and do lots of cooking for ourselves, family and friends.

By contrast when you stay in a hotel or similar accommodation, you walk through the markets, and look, sniff and drool about the possibilities that lie before you on artfully displayed tables. You will undoubtedly buy a few things for a snack or picnic, but you will miss out on a home-cooked meal on your terrace made with ingredients you bought at that's morning market.

It is approximately a 6 mile drive to get to Vaison-la-Romaine and we park at our favorite spot near Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth Cathedral. We walk up Chemin Couradou which takes you past La Villasse Roman ruins which I told you about here.

La Villasse Roman ruins

We turn up the street to go past the post office and we enter the market at the area shown below where you will always find tables of pottery from the Crestet Pottery.

Crestet Pottery

The street where the majority of the fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, seafood, cheese, and other assorted products to eat can be found is Cours Taulignan. You will also find these items on streets which intersect Cours Taulignan.

Tomato stand

Come take a look at some of the beautiful fruits and veggies and seafood we spotted on several trips to the Vaison-la-Romaine market this year.

Eggplants

Garlic stand

Cherries

Cantaloupes

Strawberries

Summer truffles

Olive oil stand

Popular butcher truck

Cheese seller

Tomato seller

The Vaison-la-Romaine Town Hall seen below is also located on Cours Taulignan.

Vaison-la-Romaine Town Hall

Olive stand

Jams and jellies

Olive seller

Sausage stand

Apricots

Olive oil stand

Mixed vegetable stand

Rhubarb

Charcuterie and melons

Gourmet sauces

Dry saucissons

Radishes

Peaches

Dry saucissons

Nougat

Jams

Various seafood

Various whole fish

In addition to the Tuesday market in Vaison-la-Romaine, the Lafont family of Maree du Comtat Venaison can be found in Bollene on Monday, Orange on Thursday, Friday in Sablet, a change from this summer and Saturdays in Vaison-la-Romaine and Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes. They have a very large selection of whole fish, fillets and unusual seafoods. I have been known to go to multiple markets the same week so I can buy their beautiful fresh fish.

Our favorite poissonnier is Edmond Lafont of Maree du Comtat Venaison

Fruit vendor

Vegetable and fruit vendor on one of the side streets

Don't need a whole butternut squash, don't worry about it. The seller will be happy to sell you a slice, quarter or half.

Butternut squash

Chestnuts

I made a yummy cauliflower gratin this fall from cauliflower I bought from the vendor below based on a recipe from Thomas Keller he shared in his Bouchon cookbook.

Cauliflower

As you can see below, there was a bounty of cepe (porcini) mushrooms available so I made cepe risotto several times and sautéed them with garlic and parsley for a simple side dish.

Cepe (Porcini) mushrooms

Fresh figs

Large bins of salad greens

Variety of sweet peppers

When we leave the market we are usually loaded down with fresh fruits and vegetables and whatever tablecloth, pottery, souvenir or kids clothes that caught Shirley's eye, we walk down Jules Ferry Avenue past the Jules Ferry elementary school seen below to our car. Then it's immediately time to start thinking about lunch.

Jules Ferry elementary school in Vaison-la-Romaine

Next week is Thanksgiving and I am already thinking about where I will go to buy my fresh ingredients for our family meal which this year will include a large contingent of favorite cousins from France. As I write this post, I am regretting that I won't be able to go to the Vaison-la-Romaine market on Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

If you happen to be residing at our house or another place in Sablet, don't feel too bad if you miss the market. While you can't recreate the special experience of shopping at an authentic Marché Provencal like Vaison-la-Romaine, the Vival epicerie run by our great friends Alain and Myriam Fabre is well stocked with high quality products and produce. Be forewarned, you won't find any fresh fish or seafood.

Have a great week. A bientot.