J’aime Le Farmer’s Market (Le marché)

Fourteen years ago, I decided to open and operate a small stall at my local farmer’s market and sell fresh pies and tarts. To the chagrin of most friends and family, the idea of becoming a market stall owner was not easily understood. My mother’s blue-blooded response was pity and worry and “why for god’s sakes did you get a college degree?”. I didn’t have much confidence then & I was terribly busy with a young baby girl. But ohhhh my… I loved rolling out pâte brisée & pâte sablée dough and filling it with the freshest huckleberries & raspberries, or whatever I could get my hands on. I gained a lot of experience (hundreds of dough rolled out) and knowledge from the local, but critical pie ladies (“fill your crust a bit more”, “crimp your edges finer…” Mon Dieu, I love those ladies to this day!)

Today, I still love the thrill of the market – the idea of a hard-won find in today’s shopping is exhilarating. Whether or not my goods sell out at the end of the day, the market renews the love for baking that I sometimes lose as a harried business owner.