After the euphoria… strawberries (7 Nov)

The only problem with euphoria is that everything that goes up has to come down. Am I the only one feeling flat today? The rain and grey skies don’t help. There’s only one thing for it—a brisk walk to the market.

The ubiquity of markets is one of my favourite things about Paris. I never tire of buying my fresh produce this way. It’s a supremely soothing experience. Perhaps because markets are one of the few things still existing in which humans have participated since time immemorial. Better than any ‘social networking’ on the computer, the touch and smell of all that lovely organic matter, the banter of the marchands and occasional offers of ‘buvons un café ensemble?’ (always politely declined), the experience never fails to cheer me up.

Today strawberries are on special. I buy half a kilo and decide to make compote to go with my Saturday baguette.

Compote aux Fraises à Carolyne

500g strawberries (can be ‘cooking’ quality), hulled, washed and halved

A little wine or sherry

Sugar to taste

Cinnamon

Juice of one lemon (optional)

4 teaspoons of gelatine

Throw everything except the gelatine and sugar into a heavy bottomed pan and simmer gently until the strawberries are as cooked as you want them to be (I don’t cook them for very long). Add just the amount of sugar to make it sweet enough. When the strawberries are cooked to your liking (I prefer them to be still whole, and not too mushy), take saucepan off the heat, and spoon out about a third of a cup of the syrup. Add the teaspoons of gelatine to this hot liquid, and whisk to dissolve it thoroughly. Stir this mixture back into the stawberries and mix gently but thoroughly. Pour into jars or containers and keep in fridge. This does not keep for long (scarecely a week, even in the fridge) so I pour it into containers of a size that will last me for a few days, and freeze all but one (the amount in this recipe makes only about two medium-sized jars—enough for two people for a few days, depending on how thickly you ladle it onto your baguette).