I went for a stroll in Besançon to buy some ingredients for a Sunday lunch at a friend's place. It was decided that I will cook something hearty and I decided to just go with whatever that is available in the market (the market is open on Sundays from 8 till 12.45). Well, I wouldn't say that cooking at home will be any cheaper than eating out but at least the ingredients are assured of quality and freshness.
My shopping list was:
2 red onions
1.5 kg of fèves (broad beans)
1 head of violet garlic
2 pcs of smoked bacon
5 lamb sausages
thyme, rosemary and parsley
1 can of cooked cannellini beans
1 can of green flageolet beans
2 Roma tomatoes
1 box of fresh figs
6 slices of air-dried ham of the region
1 pc of Clarine cheese of Franche-Comte
The bill came up to more than 30 euros and I can see that the price of groceries is definitely more than they used to be...
My friends Jorges and Juan came along to the market with me and on the way back, I snapped some photos of the scenery along the Doubs loop in Besançon.
Ham on a bed of ripe figs with a drizzle of olive oil.
Salad of broad beans, red bell peppers and onions. The broadbeans were plunged into a pot of salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. It was then drained, skins removed and set in a salad bowl. Slice thinly an entier red onion, half a red bell pepper and toss them together, seasoning with olive oil, juice and zest from half a lemon, salt and freshly chopped parsley.
Star of the show: lamb sausages with cannellini beans.
5 lamb sausages ( cut into short portions)
2 strips of smoked bacon ( cut into cubes)
1 can of prepared cannellini beans (called haricot blanc in French), drained and washed
1 small can of flageolet (green beans)
1 red onion: sliced thinly
1/2 dried Espelette pepper (roughly torn to pieces)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup of Muscadet wine (or any white wine)
thym and rosemary
salt, olive oil
In a casserole, heat some oil. Reduce the fat from the bacon. Add in the sausages, turn and cook for a minute. Add the thym, rosemary and Espelette pepper. Cook for further 2 minutes. Add the garlic and onions, cook until they start to soften. Add the beans, season with salt. Add the wine, half the parsley and cook with the lid of the casserole covered for about 10 minutes. Mix well, check to see if the beans are ready. Add the remaining parsley, switch off the fire and mix well. It is easier to use prepared beans as they are already cooked and soft. If using dried cannellini beans, you will have to presoak them for 24 hours before cooking and the actual cooking time will be much longer (till the beans tenderize). Juan tasted this dish and swored that it is as Spanish as it can get...
