An abundance of freshly-picked fruits and vegetables
Charley, Kelly and I love the markets of Provence: a sensory delight of colors, sounds, tastes, aromas and happy people. This evening we went to a very different kind of market—the “Marché Paysan” (Farmers’ Market) at Velleron, considered by many “foodies” to be one of the best food markets in France. Velleron is a village of about 2800 people, a few miles north of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and about 20 miles from our base in Bonnieux.
A “Marché Paysan” includes only farmers selling produce they’ve personally raised and harvested. At these markets you won’t find any tablecloths, lavender sachets, handmade jewelry, olivewood cutting boards, scarves, straw hats or other products intended for the tourists. And there aren’t discount goods like clothes, shoes, cosmetics, kitchen utensils, toys, and hardware gadgets for the locals either. Just locally-raised farm products sold by real farmers: an abundance of fresh vegetables, fruits, olive oil and wine, honey, goat cheese, and flowers. We estimate there were 80-100 sellers when we visited on this Monday evening, all operating from very simple stands set up in front of their trucks.
So what’s in season in Provence right now? We found out at Velleron, since everything was freshly-picked, probably earlier today. Today’s market included aubergines (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), melons, plums, nectarines, apricots, green beans, peppers, huge heads of salad greens, many varieties of tomatoes, and more. One farmer sold farm-raised chickens, and another sold veal from her farm, packed in plastic bags. There were farm-fresh eggs, rounds goat cheeses, handpicked flowers, jars of honey and homemade jam, bottles of fruit juice, and even wine from a few small wineries.
Courgettes, 70 cents a kilo
The Velleron market isn’t in an impressive spot. We headed for the center of the village, and then had to ask a passerby for directions. We found the market set up adjacent to a large parking lot on the end of the village, near the road out of town and the Sorgue river. The farmers were set up on either side of a long and narrow dirt lot; the shoppers walk down one end and up the other. There weren't many tourists; most of the shoppers were locals, making a bee-line for their preferred sellers.
We arrived about 6:15 pm, passing several people already returning to their cars with full crates of plums and melons. This isn’t a wholesale market, but most items were sold in bulk, already weighed and placed in “barquettes” (containers) by the farmers. Their displays aren’t at all fancy—just gorgeous produce arranged on simple tables with homemade signs. Some of the busier stands seemed to be operated by several family members.
Pears, 3 euro a plateau (tray)
The prices were excellent: 70 cents for a kilo of courgettes, a euro for a kilo of beautiful tomatoes, a full crate of pears for three euro. This is definitely a market for people who like to cook and want to use fresh, seasonal products directly from local farmers. This is a market that made us happy to be in Provence.
We walked all the way down the market without making any purchases, surveying the stands and the prices, trying to remember where we saw something that looked especially good. When we reached the end, we compared notes and headed back down the aisle of stands to shop. Kelly bought plums and nectarines, melons and a watermelon. She also bought raspberries, sold by an elderly farmer who captured her heart. His hands shook as he counted out her change. Charley bought green beans and tomatoes. My purchase was hummus dip, freshly made from local chick-peas.
A special purchase for Kelly
Our shopping basket was soon bulging and far too heavy, mainly due to the crate of four melons we bought from one farmer. I was glad I had toted along a bottle of cold water for us to share. Even though it was almost seven and the market was winding down, it was still well up in the 90’s on this hot July day.
There was so much more we wanted to buy, but we also knew we had to eat it all in the next couple of days. Much as we like eating out in Provence, we decided we'll eat dinner at home the next couple of days. And when we need more fresh produce, we'll head back to Velleron or to one of the other wonderful outdoor markets in Provence.
Produce straight from the farm
Note: The Velleron market is open every day of the week (except Sundays and public holidays) from April to the end of September, beginning at 6:00 pm. The rest of the year it’s open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 4:30 pm. Other Marchés Paysans in this area are held during the warmer months at Coustellet (Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings), Apt (Tuesday mornings), and Cadenet (Saturday mornings). A small Marché Paysan has just started on Wednesday mornings at the Bonnieux Cave Cooperative near the N100.
