The lady who tasted garlic jam, a true story

I know, sometimes it isn't easy to accept my ideas about jams. I use ingredients that the average person in the French countryside find hard to accept. We're always claiming that we're advanced, revolutionary and that France is the real pioneer in human rights. Well, as revolutionary and advanced, I think the fFrench could be a little more open to new ideas in cooking and eating ( Of course, you might think I'm wrong, and I'd love to have the contrary proven to me).... Anyway... On cloudy day on the market at Le Buisson a lady stops at my stand and looks vaguely at the jars. I asked her if she liked to try a few and she gave me this hostile " I hate jam" phrase ( how can she hate something she doesn't know?) So I agreed politely that when we speak about supermarket industrial jams, I hate them too. Because you never know what's inside there. Everything is chemicals with coded names. And she goes on " I only eat onion comfit with foie gras!.... hey, what's that? Peach and garlic jam? Never heard of it!!!"She was talking about one of the labeled I have printed in a full page size to hang around my stand. Well this was my opportunity. I offered her a spoon and the jar and she tasted , really a little. But she said "My god! it is good!!" ( she said it in French, and I wouldn't be able to translate her words better than that... And What are the uses of this jam? Well, you can have it on toast for breakfast, and because the garlic is present but not dominant, you can go to work without RE-brushing your teeth. you can kiss whoever it is that would kiss you back, and no harm done. For aperitif, the peach & garlic jam will be great with all kinds of sausages and patés, it would be great with blood sausage too. I'd suggest you try some with sprawns.... My N° 1 fav is with a slice of old goat cheese or sheep cheese ( even Roquefort would be great here).... And if YOU have any ideas or comments....

In the market on a rainy day

Got up a little after six AM. It was raining hard, very hard but I had to go to Belvès market anyway. I cannot only creat jams, but have to sell them too. And selling is also letting people taste my jams, my jems. I don't like to sell any jam unless the person tastes. This gives me the opportunity to talk, to give advice, to recommend and suggest jams....
I love Belvès, a small medieval town 15 Kms from my door. The market is every saturday around the medieval marketplace, where in the underground you can visit the first, 11th century Troglodyte site of Belvès....
and I had, in this beautiful place, made an old local lady discover one of my favorite jellies, The mint tea jelly. And you must know, it is a very tough job, trying to make an old rural french lady try something that is not part of traditional food, and the traditional jams made around here are straberry jam, apricot jam, orange jam and mirabelle ( small yellow rounded varaiety of plums) jam. Everybody makes them. During the season, they buy second rate fruit to make jams and if they grow fruit, the don't waste, it all goes to make jams or otyherwise preserve them. And this old lady rluctantly stopped at my stand, to hide from the rain. And after having given a look full of suspition at the 40 different jams( none of them traditional) she asked me what can she possibly do with mint tea jelly and i replied

I have tried it myself on a crepe/pancake and on sponge cake too. How refreshing. Wakes you up from your siesta with a smile. In itself, a spoonful is one of my favs. Only make sure you don't get addicted....Aaaaand, watch out that the kids or grandchildren don't eat it all...