Un dimanche à la campagne
We started the day by visiting a pottery in Amance, where they had been making roof tiles and pots of all shapes and sizes since 1892. I can see that we will be returning here one day. We then headed for the fromagerie at Champ-sur-barse.
Outside they had set up a number of stalls. I visited the boulangere van and the plant stall and bought some bread made from locally milled flour and a small butternut squash plant, which I will plant somewhere in the garden amongst the flowers and shrubs. I’m loving mixing some fruit and veg amongst the flower borders.
We could also smell the smoky aroma of charcoal singed sausages cooking on a barbecue, so we went to investigate. As it was nearly lunch we decided to have an early snack washed down with some freshly pressed apple juice. All rather delicious.
The fromagerie was filled with delicious cheeses, most made on the premises, which we got to taste. The farm shop is well stocked with lots of locally produced food stuffs, yoghurts, jams, biscuits, sausages, wines, all very well presented, we will definitely be back.
Before we left we visited the cows that produce the milk for the fromagerie . There was a particularly friendly one who was definitely not camera shy. It was lovely to see them being well cared for and happy in their environment. Obviously why they produce such good milk and cheese.
We then headed off to another small village about 20 minutes away called Vougrey - we were visiting La Ferme des Abbesses. This was a farm that grows all their own cereals and seeds, which they then either milled into flour or pressed to produce oils. The by-product of the pressing was then sold as animal feed. It was fascinating understanding and getting to taste their produce. They produce three oils, sunflower oil - which can be used for cooking - and two salad oils. Chanvre, which we know as hemp, was very nutty in flavour and Cameline, quite an unusual and particular crop, which produces an oil that tastes of asparagus. We bought all three and I’m looking forward to using them, especially the salad oils.
Needless to say there was a champagne producer also there, so we sat in the garden overlooking the fields and enjoyed a very pleasant glass of champagne before heading home.
It was great to look at what we had bought on our travels throughout the day, and at no time had we been more than about 30 minutes from home. I loved seeing the farmers turning their raw food stuffs into saleable products on the farms, with such quality, passion and commitment driving their businesses. It was a great couple of days learning about the artisans and producers in the region, and we only scratched the surface. We will definitely be going back to buy more, and look forward to next years event, which apparently is normally in April.
