As a small boy in Monmauraualt, I was wakened each Wednesday in the pink dawn by the barking of dogs and the bellowing of cattle as farmers drove their livestock through the streets to the market place, livery town in France, no matter how small, has at least one market place; in our town, there were two. One was le champ de foire, where livestock for sale was tied to the century-old iron railings that marked off the fairgrounds in the center of the town. The other was a covered market place, where the farmers rented stalls to show their dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, all arranged with the greatest care and precision. All the produce was fresh and crisp, at its peak of perfection, and the vegetables in each bunch or basket had been sorted and graded according to size. If Manan wanted small mushrooms for a stew, she could buy a whole basket full of tiny buttons. Or if she needed large mushrooms to stuff for a garniture, the giant caps were there, all together. Never a hodgepodge of all sizes and shapes in one basket or in one bunch!
Maman always went herself to the market, to select the handsomest bunch of water cress from the display of huge baskets, four feet high and as wide, packed in neat circular layers with bouquets of large-leafed cress fresh from the stream, to choose the bunch of golden, slender carrots with the most feathery green tops, or the rosiest young beets. To the French, good food is the very breath of life, and second-rate food cannot be tolerated. Despite her reputation for thrift, the French housewife supports to her last sou a magnificent food industry and takes in the business of marketing a personal interest that we in America could well emulate. I think that it is a healthy sign that American housewives tend more and more to eschew shopping for food by telephone and to find positive pleasure in going to market. After all, good cooking begins with good marketing, and I am pleased to observe that the pendulum is swinging back so that the mistress of the household, whether or not she docs the actual cooking, again makes herself responsible for the quality of the food on her table.
But to return to the market in Monmanrault. The first Wednesday of each month was the day of le grand marché, the great market. On the first Wednesday Grand-père and Uncle Jules came to town with livestock to sell, and if the weather was good. Grand-mère would ride along in the market wagon to deliver her butter, cheese, and eggs to the stall that sold them for her. On the day of to le grand marché, the customers included food merchants and restaurant men from all the neighboring cities, as well as our local people. Our school was also in the middle of town, and the bursts of Gallic temper we could hear through the windows as the men haggled over the prices of produce, poultry, and stock were stiff competition for our schoolmaster. Grand-mere usually spent the afternoon of le grand marchè with Mother, but the men, when they had completed the morning's business, repaired to the inn to talk farming and politics over good bourguignonne food and the fine Burgundy that has always been our countryside's pride.
Not all the market places in France are alike. In Vichy, which is a large town with scores of hotels and large shops that serve patrons of the health springs on the Allier River, there is no open market place, I was stationed at Vichy in 1907, during my military service, and when I visited the city again two years ago, the market had changed hardly at all. it was still housed in a huge, high-ceilinged building that looks very much like an American armory. Stalls, ranged against the walls and lined up in aisles, each as well equipped as any food shop, sell meats, poultry, dairy products, fish, breads, and pastries. I had almost forgotten how much time and thought and care are put into those displays. Sides of meat, tanks of swimming fish, dangling sausages of all kinds and sizes, white-skinned birds, exquisite pastries, crusty bread and rolls in dozens of shapes—all were displayed with infinite taste and artistry. The French food merchant is as proud of his wares as the Gutter salesman is of his, and the purchaser is accordingly appreciative and interested.
In Les Halles, the huge market in Paris, the stalls spill out of the great covered pavilion into the surrounding streets. You must go here very early in the morning. Soon after dawn, activity reaches its height. The bustle and excitement rises to a peak and the stalls arc something to see! I find it hard to believe that anyone who has ever visited Les Halles and seen the produce in its appetizing, colorful beauty could ever dislike vegetables.
Since this is the harvest season, and I hope that my little homily on the pleasures of marketing has been an inspiration. I have chosen two vegetables as the subject of this month's class in classic cuisine: cucumbers and eggplant. It is strange but true that two of our most common vegetables, potatoes and tomatoes, came into the cuisine of the Western World only recently, as gastronomical history counts time—within the last two centuries—while cucumbers and eggplant, which are natives of southern Asia and have been popular for several thousands of years in the countries that border the Mediterranean, have never been as enthusiastically received in this country. Cucumbers, particularly, are practically never cooked, although Americans enjoy them raw, in salads or marinated in vinaigrette sauce, or as pickles. But cucumbers arc very good indeed when they are cooked—and this is useful information if you have a patch of garden. Even one cucumber plant will produce dozens and dozens of cucumbers, but since your friends' gardens are equally prolific, you may find that you can't even give them away! I think that you will agree, once you have tried them, that cooked cucumbers are a delicious and different vegetable.
To prepare cucumbers as a hot vegetable, select medium to large ones. Peel them, split them, and if the seeds are large remove them, for large cucumber seeds are tough and will not soften in cooking. The vegetable itself, however, is very watery and must not be overcooked. It should be very well seasoned, since its own flavor is mild and delicate.
Sautéed Cucumbers
Peel large cucumbers and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut the halves into 1-inch lengths. Parboil the pieces in salted water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes and drain them thoroughly. Heat enough butter to cover the bottom of a skillet, sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and sugar, and cook them in the hot butter until they are light gold in color. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Cucumbers au Jus
Pour over sautéed cucumbers a little clear juice from roasted meat.
Stuffed Cucumbers
Peel large cucumbers, cut them in 2-inch slices, parboil them in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, and drain them. Cut the seeds from the center of each slice, to make thick rings. Line a heatproof platter with thin slices of fat salt pork and lay the cucumber rings on the pork. Stuff them with any of the following: duxelles — made of minced mushrooms — chopped meat stuffing, chopped fish stuffing, or duxelles combined either with rice or with meat or fish stuffing. Sprinkle the stuffed cucumber rings with fine bread crumbs and a little melted butter. Pour stock around the cucumbers to a depth of ½ inch and bake the rings in a very hot oven (450° F.) or put them under the broiler until they are heated through and browned. Stuffed cucumbers may also be made by cutting the cucumbers in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds, and filling the parboiled boatshaped shells.
Duxelles for Stuffing
Clean, dry, and chop finely½pound mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter with I tablespoon chopped shallot until the mixture is quite dry. Add½teaspoon salt and a little pepper, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons meat gravy or tomato sauce, and 2 or 3 tablespoons fine fresh bread crumbs. The mixture should be dry.
This duxelles may be combined with rice, in the proportion of ¼ Cup to each cup of cooked rice, and moistened with additional gravy or tomato sauce.
Meat Stuffing for Cucumbers
Chop finely 1½pounds cooked lamb, beef, veal, or chicken. In 1 tablespoon butter brown lightly 1 onion, finely chopped. Add 2/3 cup meat gravy and½cup tomato sauce—or 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with½cup beef consommé—1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and the chopped meat, Bring the mixture to the boiling point, turn down the heat, and cook it very slowly on top of the stove, or in a moderate oven (350° F.) for about 45 minutes, stirring it occasionally to prevent scorching. Correct the seasoning with salt and freshly ground' pepper. The mixture should be quite dry; if necessary add some fresh soft bread crumbs, since the stuffing will soften as it absorbs liquid from the cucumbers.
Fish Stuffing for Cucumbers
Combine finely chopped cooked fish or shellfish with half its volume of Mornay sauce (March, 1957) and enough fresh bread crumbs to make a firm, fairly dry mixture. Stuff cucumbers and sprinkle them with grated Parmesan. Brown the topping in a very hot oven (450° F.) or under the broiler.
Creamed Cucumbers
Peel 3 or 4 large cucumbers and an them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, cut the cucumbers in pieces about an inch long, and parboil them in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the cucumbers well, return them to the pan, and pour over them 2/3 cup cream. Cook the cucumbers for a few minutes until they are just tender and thicken the sauce with 1 tablespoon butter kneaded with the same amount of flour. Cook the sauce for a few minutes longer and add salt to taste and a little sugar. Serve the cucumbers hot. The cream may be thickened with ¼ cup cream sauce instead of with kneaded butter.
Concombres Marinés (Marinated Cucumbers)
Peel cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice them very thin. Spread the slices on a plate, sprinkle them with salt, and let them stand about 1 hour. Drain the cucumbers, wrap them in a towel, and press out all the surplus moisture. Combine them with enough sauce vinaigrette to cover them well. Thinly sliced radishes, sliced tomatoes, and water cress may be mixed with the marinated cucumbers just before serving. Or use the marinated cucumbers to stuff small tomatoes for garnishing cold fish dishes prepared for the buffet. Sprinkle the tomatoes with finely chopped parsley.
Sauce Vinaigrette
Mix together½cup good vinegar —wine, cider, or malt—and ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, the yolk of 1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped, and 1 teaspoon each of green olives, capers, chives, parsley, and gherkins, all finely chopped. Stir well with a fork and add 1½cups olive oil. Beat with the fork until thick.
Concombres à la Dijonnaise
Peel 3 or 4 cucumbers, cut them in quarters lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut each wedge in four pieces. Trim the pieces into olive shapes. Add salted water and the juice of a lemon to cover and cook the cucumbers for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain them, cover them with cold water, and drain them again. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar, and simmer the cucumbers for 10 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon each of salt and paprika. Cool, mix well with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. and chill thoroughly. Serve as a relish with cold meat or fish.
Eggplant contains a large percentage of water, and this characteristic often creates trouble for the unwary cook. The water content is not obvious when the eggplant is cut or peeled, but it is there nevertheless, and can become a problem. If sliced eggplant is to be sautéed, the oil must be very, very hot, otherwise it is impossible to achieve a crisp surface. When the eggplant is browned, it should be quickly drained and served at once; even if the slices are deep fried and very crusty they become unpleasantly limp and soggy if they are allowed to stand. Some cooks sprinkle eggplant slices with salt, pile them up on a plate, and weight them down with a heavy plate to draw out some of the water.
Many of the best eggplant recipes include tomato, onion, garlic, and parsley. As a matter of record, I might add that eggplant orientale, which I originated at the old Ritz-Carlton, was as popular with our guests as another of my creations,vichyssoise, although it never was as widely publicized!
Probably the most popular ways to cook eggplant are deep frying and saucing: the crisp crust is a pleasant contrast to the melting tenderness of the vegetable.
Sautéed Eggplant
Peel an eggplant, cut it into slices 1/3 to ½ inch thick, and season it with salt. Dip the slices in milk and in Hour and sauté them in hot oil for 2 or 3 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides. There should be enough oil almost to cover the eggplant and the oil must be very hot. Drain the slices well, put them in a serving dish, and sprinkle them generously with butter cooked to a hazel nut brown and with chopped parsley. A clove or two of garlic, crushed, may be added to the browned butter if desired.
French-Fried Eggplant
Peel an eggplant and cut it into finger-sized pieces. Dip the sticks in milk, drain them, and dip them in flour. Shake them to remove any surplus flour and brown them quickly in deep hot fat (390° F.). Drain the French-fried eggplant sticks on paper towels and sprinkle them with salt. Serve at once, on a heated platter.
Eggplant au Gratin
Cut an eggplant in quarters lengthwise and score the flesh well. Fry the quarters in deep hot far (390° F.) for 5 to 6 minutes and drain them on paper towels. Carefully scrape the pulp from the skin, chop it fine, and mix it with half its volume of duxelles. Season the mixture with salt and a little pepper and pile it into the reserved skins. Sprinkle the scuffed eggplant with fine bread crumbs and melted butter and brown the topping in a hot oven or under the broiler.
Eggplant Catalans
Prepare eggplant au gratin, as above, but add to the stuffing mixture 1 tablespoon chopped onion cooked in a little salad oil, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, 1 chopped hard-Cooked egg, and 1 tablespoon fresh bread crumbs.
Eggplant Provençale
Peel an eggplant and cut it into medium dice. There should be about 2 cups. Season the dice with salt and pepper, sprinkle them with flour, and brown them in deep hot fat or nil (390°F). Peel, seed, and cut into quarters 4 medium tomatoes. Cook them for a few minutes in 3 tablespoons hot oil in a shallow pan. Add 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, the cooked eggplant, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Eggplant à l'Orientale
Peel an eggplant and cur it into slices 1/3 inch thick. Dip the slices in milk and in flour, shake off the surplus, and brown the eggplant quickly in deep hot fat (390°F.). Drain the slices on paper towels and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Fill a shallow heatproof dish with alternate layers of sauce portugaise (page 64) and slices of eggplant, finishing with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and brown the topping under the broiler or in a hot oven.
Eggplant Métiagère
Peel a medium eggplant, cut it in large dice, and sprinkle the dice with flour. Brown the eggplant quickly in a skillet in 1/3 cup very hot salnd oil. Add 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped,½teaspoon salt, a little pepper, and a faggot made by tying together 1 stalk of celery, 3 Sprigs of parsley, half a bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer it slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes cook down to a thick sauce. Discard the faggot and serve the eggplant sprinkled with chopped parsley.