Category: Food and Drink

MANY people across this corner of the Dordogne are preparing for the chestnut harvest at this time of the year, with the initial work involving the laying of nets beneath the trees.

Tractors trundle along the forest paths, laden with large sections of netting, these are then rolled out across the ground and stretched beneath the chestnut trees.

As the chestnuts begin to open in the coming days they will fall onto the netting, making their collection a little easier.

Some chestnuts have already escaped their spiky shells, but soon enough many, many more will be scattered across the netting, awaiting their harvest.

Then a large vacuum machine will be used to collect the chestnuts, although some will be collected by hand with hunched figures making slow progress beneath the trees.

EVERY Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubéjac’s church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August.

The first one takes place on 8 July, running through to 2 September, and starts at 18h30, and remember to bring along your plates, as well as glasses for a dash of wine and knives and forks.

You will also be asked to conform to any social distancing requirements and to be aware of keeping your hands clean before and after touching surfaces.

Local food and drink producers offer duck, breads, soups, salads, wine, fruits of all types and you can sit down with friends to enjoy a leisurely evening.

This southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, always offering a slice of real French life.

There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle from 13 July through to the 31 August and starts at 18h30.

On Fridays there is a farmers market in Besse from 18h30, starting on the 9 July until 27 August.

Summer 2022 farmers’ markets will be taking place, find out up to date dates and information.

EVERY Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubéjac’s church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August.

The first one takes place on 2 July, running through to 27 August, and starts at 18h30, and remember to bring along your plates, as well as glasses for a dash of wine and knives and forks.

You will also be asked to conform to any social distancing requirements and to be aware of keeping your hands clean before and after touching surfaces.

Local food and drink producers offer duck, breads, soups, salads, wine, fruits of all types and you can sit down with friends to enjoy a leisurely evening.

This southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, always offering a slice of real French life.

There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle from 7 July through to the 1 September and starts at 18h30.

On Fridays there is a farmers market in Besse from 19h, starting on the 10 July until the end of August.

Summer 2022 farmers’ markets will be taking place, find out opening dates and information.

EVERY Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubejac’s church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August.

The first one takes place on 5 July, starting at 18h30, and remember to bring along your plates, as well as glasses for a dash of wine and knives and forks.

Local food and drink producers offer duck, breads, soups, salads, wine, fruits of all types and you can sit down with friends to enjoy a leisurely evening.

There will be live music on 2 and 9 August, with the last night market taking place on 30 August.

This southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, sometimes featuring live music, but always offering a slice of real French life.

There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle and starts at 18h30. On Friday there is a farmers market in Besse this one starting at 19h.

Summer 2022 farmers’ markets will be taking place, find out opening dates and information.

The popular night market beneath Loubejac's church tower.

IF you want a taste of rural France in the summer then look out for a farmers' market close to you.

On the Marchés des Producteurs website you can track down many of the events taking place across France in a couple of clicks.

Every Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubejac's church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August starting at 18h30, remember to bring your plates and cutlery.

A HEAVY downpour a few days ago has seen a rash of cèpes mushrooms across the Dordogne, but not enough to get too excited about.

According to France Blue Perigord, mushroom collectors have been out after recent thunderstorms created enough humidity to spark some life into the cèpes.

Locally around Villefranche-du-Périgord we had about 20mm of rainfall, which after three months of practically no rain, was quite a downpour.

But for now, the famous cèpe market in Villefranche-du-Périgord that starts on the ring of the church clock will not be opening just yet as the quantities being collected are still too low.

IT is four o’clock in the afternoon and the church tower in Villefranche du Périgord chimes the hour, but also the opening of the marché aux cèpes, writes Carol Miers.

People pass through the barriers and exchange a handful of euros for a box full of cèpes, the large bun-like mushroom found in the woods of the Dordogne.

It has been a good year for the marché, in the past it has not been able to open as the delicate balance required of the weather was not right.

Cèpes need warmish temperatures, but also a slight chill that gives the initial mycelium a thermal shock, followed by rain and about ten days later beneath the pines, oak or chestnut trees the first signs of the mushroom will bloom.

Down seldom used lanes in the forest, vans come to a stop and locals get out with wicker baskets sometimes lined with soft green leaves to show off the mushrooms once collected.

Walkers may hear strange scuffling sounds and voices from thickets under the trees, while local farmers arrive bearing gifts of trays of cèpes but also orange amanite des Césars.

For maybe a week or so the woods are glazed by unusual bouquets and clusters of fungi; girolles, lactaire delixieux, chanterelles, parasol mushrooms, brittlegills, puffballs.

For every changing season, a crop. Today the fleeting marché aux cèpes, short-lived, before the farmers rush home for the next harvest, la châtaigne.

AFTER passing an innocuous signpost near a small hamlet called Loupiac, in the Lot, I am en route for Les Domaine des Sangliers, vignoble biologique, in the Cahors valley, south west France.

Veering past a red rock face, upward through a leafy canopy to a hilltop driveway which opens out on to ten cars, several vans and mobile homes, writes Carol Miers.

I can see another sign to ensure there is no mistake, and as I walk toward some building works, I see a farmhouse and an open garage complete with grape picking troughs.

What I already know is that all hands are needed for the annual vendange, which will be a few days of grape picking at Kim and Lisa Stanton’s organic vineyard.

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BENEATH the wide canopy of the chestnut trees are spread fine nets scattered with shells and nuts waiting to be collected.

It is a busy time in this corner of the Dordogne for the chestnut growers as they sprint out to collect the nuts between rain showers and strong winds.

Our job for the afternoon was to grab a corner of the nets and pull them across to the other side to gather together all the chestnuts, and then do the same from the other side of the net.

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