Thankfully for us, Franck’s father André is of this persuasion. Three years ago he decided to cultivate a large plot of land that has been passed down in the family for..well, as far back as anyone can remember, just beside the vineyards on the way out of Villers-la-Faye. He planted all different sorts of vegetables and an orchard of fruit trees.
And now look…
Luckily for us, he brings us boxes like this on a regular basis during growing season. Like the French, I consider this among the best gifts anyone could receive.
It goes without saying that all of the home grown fruit and vegetables are just about as organic as you can get, but this is not the main reason why the French value them. Sure, it’s a nice bonus that they’re good for us, but this comes a distant second to the fact that they just taste so much better than their store bought equivalent.
With so much of life here in France, the whole point is pleasure; pleasure in sinking your hands into the dirt, pleasure in watching your vegetables grow, pleasure in hearing the thanks when you share them, pleasure in sniffing their heavenly smell, and above all, pleasure in eating them.
So that’s why when we start to landscape our front yard here at La Maison des Chaumes, I’m gunning for a fruit tree.
* Frenchtitude (French + Attitude = Frenchitude) Fridays give ideas for how to inject a bit of frenchness into your life, whether you life in Tasmania or Timbuktu.