How many hours of Olympics coverage did you log this weekend? Are you taking cookbook author Dorie Greenspan’s advice on “How to Eat Like You’re in Paris for the Olympics” or did you go out this weekend to check out Boston Globe restaurant critic Devra First’s suggestion — or ten — of local places to eat to “transport your tastebuds to France?”
We’re just at the tip of the Olympics iceberg — with twelve more jam-packed days of events, there is still plenty of time to catch some of the greatest sports stories unfold with friends and family at a watch party. Whether you shop like the French at your local marché or hand the catering over to the pros, may it all look as effortless as Simone Biles does as she lands her Yurchenko double pike with a mild calf injury.
Charcuterie boards took over Instagram a few years ago and will always be a great option for a crowd of any size. Local favorite Via Lago and Acton-based charcuterie specialist and Instagram sensation The Charcuterie Mama will arrange a charcuterie board for a group of any size. If you’d prefer to select exactly what makes it onto the board, order online from Kured and head into Boston to pick up at their Beacon Hill shop, opened in 2021 by a young BC alum.
Via Lago, vialagocatering.com, 781-861-8276, events@vialagocatering.com.
The Charcuterie Mama, www.thecharcuteriemama.com. Instagram @thecharcuteriemama.
Kured, www.kured.co. 83 Charles Street, Boston; Open Tu-Sa 10am-6pm, Su 10am-5pm.
***
Purists will note that classic French charcuterie presentations do not include cheese – fromage has earned its own course in a French meal, served just before (or with, or instead of!) dessert. Also, whereas Instagram might have you believe that charcuterie refers to thinly sliced cured meat, the heart of French charcuterie is in the technique-rich preparations of pâté, terrine, savory mousse, and rillettes. Typical garnishes are mustard, cornichons (or other pickled vegetables), and crusty bread — sometimes a fruit preserve.
To compose a classical French charcuterie platter — or platter of anything that’s French and edible — visit MA-France. Shopkeepers François and Cécile Attard immigrated to the Boston area from Périgord, the region of France known for foie gras. In addition to carrying a selection of imported sausages, pork and duck pâtès, duck rillettes, duck foie gras, cornichons, and mustard, MA-France also slices two types of French ham to order: jambon de Bayonne which is salt-cured and jambon de Paris which is cooked. Should you find yourself distracted at this heaven for French expats and Francophiles, fear not: anything else you pick out from this shop will only bring more authenticity to your Olympic-themed watch party, so go all in — refresh your powder room with Le Petit Marseillais soaps. Stock up on quiches for tomorrow. Indulge in les éclairs!
For newcomers to eating pork liver, pâté de campagne — or country pâté — is a great gateway dish; spread it on a baguette with whole grain or dijon mustard and top with a cornichon or two and you’ll never be iron deficient again. Wilson Farms carries New York-based Three Little Pigs’ pâté as well as three of their more labor-intensive pork charcuterie: mousse truffée, which adds in chicken liver, mousse de foie de canard au porto, which adds in duck liver and pork wine, and mousse royale au Sauternes, which adds in duck liver, goose liver, and the elegant Bordeaux dessert wine, Sauternes.
For locally prepared seafood rillettes, save yourself a trip to Wellesley and visit longtime seafood purveyor Captain Marden’s Seafood at the Lexington Farmer’s Market; to ensure you leave with one of the three fish pates they bring in from Rhode Island — bluefish, smoked salmon, or tuna — preorder by phone or on their website.
MA-France, www.mafrancegourmet.com. 46 Massachusetts Avenue; open Tu-Fr 7:30am-6pm, Sa 8am-6pm, Su 8am-4pm.
Wilson Farm, www.wilsonfarm.com. 10 Pleasant Street; open Mo-Fr 9am-7pm, Sa-Su 8am-7pm.
Captain Marden’s Seafood, www.captainmardens.com. At the LFM weekly. Retail store at 279 Linden Street in Wellesley is open M-F 8am-6pm, Sa 8am-5:30pm, Su 10am-5pm.
***
Vichyssoise — leek and potato soup – may be France’s best known cold soup, but given that many Lexington gardeners and farmers are drowning in a bumper cucumber crop right now, we offer this refreshing cold cucumber soup; mix in a blender and serve chilled.
- 1.5 pounds cucumbers, roughly peeled and with seeds removed. I love the pickling cukes from Farmer Dave’s right now
- 2 cups light chicken broth or water
- ¼-⅓ cup cashews: less if you’re using broth, more if you’re using water
- For a nut-free version, substitute ⅓ cup plain yogurt and reduce broth/water to 1 ¾ cups
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ⅓ cup of fresh herbs from the garden; a mix of basil or mint, parsley, and chives pair well
- 1 teaspoon Japanese plum vinegar; rice vinegar works well too
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel; Le Saunier De Camargue is a favorite French source
Blend and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, add a teaspoon of mixed olive tapenade — Olive World mixes theirs at a kitchen in Charlestown (and is at the Lexington Farmer’s Market every other week) or serve alongside your favorite tin of fish. Captain Marden’s Seafood and Berman’s Wine and Spirits both carry a broad selection of tinned fish — octopus is a personal favorite.
For cucumbers and herbs: Farmer Dave’s, farmerdaves.net. At the LFM weekly. To preorder, call 978-349-1952 from (9am-6pm) by Sunday 6pm.
Busa Farm, www.facebook.com/p/Busa-Farm-and-Markets-100057407742554. At the LFM weekly.
For garlic: Kelley Organic Farm, kelleyfarmorganics.com. At the LFM weekly. To preorder, text or call Hsiu-Li Kelley at 413-687-3059 by Monday 6pm.
For olive tapenade: Olive World, olivewrld.com. At the LFM August 6, 20, September 3, 17, October 1, 15, 29.
For fleur de sel: Berman’s Wine and Spirits. www.bermansfinewines.com. 55 Massachusetts Ave; open Mo-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-6pm.
***
Longtime residents still mourning Macaron Sweeterie’s too-short run, rejoice! Magdalane Bakery is here — for two more weeks. Estabrook and Diamond alum Lindsay Mingolla and her boyfriend Nolan Schlessman have been baking macarons at a certified gluten-free kitchen in Concord and selling them at the Lexington Farmer’s Market this summer. Featuring a collar that would make any French patissier proud and a thoughtful flavor selection — look for raspberry (DF) and dark chocolate this week — these entrepreneurs have delighted LFM crowds all summer. Catch Magdalane Bakery at their last two markets before they trade in their toques for college textbooks; Lindsay returns to Princeton University and Nolan heads back to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for their sophomore year of study.
Magdalane Bakery, www.instagram.com/magdalane.bakery. At the LFM August 6, 13.
***
Flowers are an important part of French culture; no need for a fancy vase — a simple mason jar will do. If you want to DIY but your garden is not ready to support your flower arranging endeavors, sign up for a pick-your-own session at Wright-Locke Farm — 20 stems for $20. If you’d prefer to leave it to the pros, Triple Allium Flower Farm visits the Lexington Farmer’s Market every other week with organically grown flowers wrapped in butcher paper and a selection of vintage bud vase arrangements that will bring a certain je ne sais quoi to any space.
Triple Allium Farm, www.instagram.com/triplealliumflowerfarm. At the LFM August 6, 20, September 3, 17, October 1, 15, 29.
Wright-Locke Farm, www.wlfarm.org. 82 Ridge Street, Winchester, MA 01890.
***
France may be the world’s largest wine producer, but in terms of popularity among drinkers, it is in a tight race with beer according to the 2024 SoWine Barometer. For a taste of French history, try Kronenbourg 1664, France’s favorite beer – a golden pale lager named for the year in which its founders began brewing beer commercially. Still brewed in Alsace today, but conveniently sold at Berman’s Wine and Spirits and available in a 4-pack of cans. For a fruitier witbier, try the Kronenboug Blanc which has mildly sweet and spicy lemony/orange notes and pairs well with food.
Twenty-five summers ago, I returned home from a three-week summer homestay in the south of France with a bottle of grenadine syrup in my luggage — and thus began my favorite international souvenir shopping habit: at the local grocery store. Thanks to MA-France, I now need only cross Mass. Ave. for a selection of Teisseire syrups that are designed to be mixed with still or sparkling water for a sweet treat that all ages can enjoy.
Berman’s Wine and Spirits. www.bermansfinewines.com. 55 Massachusetts Ave; open Mo-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-6pm.