Category: Green Cuisine (Page 2 of 3)

By its name, Cordes-sur-Ciel is perched in the sky. The 800 year old village demonstrates the styles of pre-Renaissance architecture and city planning. The Gothic buildings compliment the narrow, winding cobblestone streets. As we drove into the village, I immediately noticed the old battlements nestled into the mountainside above the surrounding landscape. After a short hike up to the top of the old village, I was left with a perfect view of the countryside and village below. The streets are dotted with artisans, craftsmans, and small cafes. I was especially taken by the shop of a master watchsmith and jeweler (Simon-pierre Delord), who had intricate, one of a kind, pieces inspired by the village in the sky.

The village was one of the first “bastides” or fortified medieval towns of the 13th century. Founded by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, the village was fortified to defend the Count’s northern territory from Cathar Heretics. The bastide would replace the town of Saint-Marcel, which Simon de Montfort had destroyed. The village would bring artists who were attracted by the natural beauty of the region. While the village would be near forgotten during the middle ages, it would be revived following the Second World War through the work of painter Yves Brayer. 

After leaving Cordes-sur-Ciel, we stopped at Domaine Gayard, an organic and biodynamic winery in the Gaillac region of Languedoc. In pursuit of biodynamics, the vineyard lands also cultivate orchards, olives, grains, truffles, aromatics, and pasture. The Gaillac region is of the oldest French wine producing lands dating back to the 2nd century as the Romans brought amphora production to the region. Some of the grapes cultivated by Domaine Gayard are of the ancient varieties that were found during the early history of the region. Considering that these grapes are landrace crops, crops which are native to and evolved with the region, they are suited to the region and its changes. Ancient cultivars are demonstrating to be resistant to climate changes and are suited to grow with little water and irrigation making this region one to watch for climate change response within the wine industry. 

Following our walking tour of the vineyard, we were given a tasting of Gayard wines. The tasting consistedof two white wines, an orange wine, and two red wines. The Mauzacwas characterized by green notes, like green apple. The Loin de l’Oeil was characterized with a particular roundness from the one year of French oak casking. Gayard’s orange wine features standard maceration and is characterized by the fermented smell and taste. The red wines were acidic and fully bodied with one aged in amphora.

Harris, Vanessa. “Cordes-sur-Ciel: Dramatic and Timeless.” Life on La Lune, August 31, 2019. https://lifeonlalune.com/2019/08/31/cordes-sur-ciel-dramatic-and-timeless/.

Office de Tourisme La Toscane Occitane. “Cordes-sur-Ciel.” La Toscane Occitane. Accessed March 17, 2025. https://www.la-toscane-occitane.com/visiter/villes-villages/cordes-sur-ciel/.

Photos taken by Nathan Fedornak March 15, 2025

Roquefort

Image courtesy of Charlotte Minnick. Clean wool ready to be processed.

Nestled in the Aveyron region in the southwest corner of France, Roquefort is home to local products, proud farmers, and traditional ways. On our seventh day in France, we took a trip to visit three different locations in Roquefort to gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of the production of the cheese that makes it so famous. We started our day by visiting La Filature Colbert, a small wool processing center found in Camarès. There, we met with the individuals running the operation, and learned how they transform a byproduct with no value into a variety of different goods. Sheep farmers in the region work to collect milk from the Lacaune breed that can be used for Roquefort cheese. However, there was not anything being done with the wool that grows on the backs of the same sheep. La Filature Colbert collects the unused wool from nearby farms, sends it to Spain to be washed in a needed large-scale way, and then accepts it to their site in France again. Once there, we watched as machines filtered the wool from the dust, spread it into thin sheets, and then used needles to turn the wool into felt. They create products such as yoga mats, insulation, and garden felt. Through this process, La Filature Colbert takes wool that would previously go unused, and turns it into local products!

Image courtesy of Charlotte Minnick. Combalou caves.

The second location we stopped at was, of course, the Roquefort Société caves. There we took a guided tour of the caves and cellars, ending the visit with a tasting of three different Roquefort cheeses. In order to make the cheese, a series of very specific steps must be followed. After the milk is made into curds, the powdered bacteria penicillium roqueforti is added to the mixture in order to create the blue-green veins after ripening. This bacteria first grows on rye or whole wheat bread in the caves, and exists only in Roquefort. Once the penicillium roqueforti is integrated, the small wheels are left to ripen in the cellars for fourteen days. Master ripeners frequently test and check the cheeses, and decide when the process is complete. While all of these steps are crucial to the outcome, circulation and airflow within the caves is one of the most important aspects. Humid air must come through the fleurines, fissures in the rock, and allow for the cheese and bacteria to ripen properly.

Image courtesy of Charlotte Minnick. Ewes with their lambs.

The last stop we made for the day was at a small sheep farm not far from Société. Run by just four individuals, this farm cares for eight hundred ewes, as well as rams and lambs. Once it was time for the sheep to be milked for the second time in the day, we observed as they were walked onto an automatic milker, with each being milked in three minutes. After being collected, this milk will go to make Roquefort! 

Although we went to three different operations, there was an underlying theme to all. Everyone involved in the production of these goods had a strong sense of pride surrounding their work, and the emphasis on locality. They spoke about the ties of community and how their morals drive what they do. The final product may be a delicious cheese, it is also many people’s care, knowledge, and passion. 

Today’s research stops in Montpellier were centered on the ways social solidarity and cooperation are practiced in short circuit (in the city of Montpellier) food systems (SCFSs). The sites are all powered by a shared political motivation: food democracy, citizen autonomy, and dignified access to quality food are necessary characteristics of transforming the food landscape. Today’s sites were all guided by the acknowledgement that food is a tool of political power, and that providing food through a variety of access points is a provision of human rights and social solidarity. I found it inspiring that these missions were carried out by a combination of actors: La Caisse alimentaire Commune: La Cagette (private business), l’Esperluette (social project, government funding) and VRAC (city project).

Our first stop took us to BioCoop (an organic grocery store) to discuss Montpellier’s common food fund. This BioCoop location participates in the project and accepts MonA, and the store owner acknowledged that stores like BioCoop have an air of privilege to them, so MonA helps to diversify clientele and expand access to organic products that could be hard to come by. The MonA system is a sociological research project that provides money (MonA currency) monthly, funded by 50% member and 50% city contribution. MonA is for anyone: participants represent diverse ages and incomes to highlight that food security programs are not poor people programs- food funds benefit the well-being of everyone. 

Next we visited La Caisse alimentaire Commune: La Cagette, a grocery cooperative. Members pay a one-time fee of €10 (decreased from €100 based on feedback and economic ability/profitability) and work 3 hours a week for the cooperative. Our guide explained that the 3 hours working a month obligation is more “collectively doing your part”, not “volunteering to something you’re external to”. The members can participate in the organization of the cooperative via committees and weekly, open assemblies. Increasing access to food is a priority for them, but I noticed a nearly all-white membership. Our point-person said that membership is primarily white and educated and that this privilege is a barrier to expanding food access, but targeting underprivileged folks is not a current priority of the cooperative. 

We then visited L’Esperuette, a food option representing social solidarity and food access in a neighborhood of high precarity and low quality food options. It is a way social behavior around food can change. The site was created with guidance by neighborhood residents, Pauline Scherer (sociologist with food systems solidarity expertise), and funding from the Metropole of Montpellier. It features a kitchen for communal cooking, a cafe/restaurant, and a grocery with bulk and organic options. The grocery did not seem to have sufficient supply for it to be a one-stop food source, so it’s more of a supplemental option. However, the 5 new food hubs like this in construction will be larger to provide more to more people. 

(Eliette Whittaker, March 13th, 2025) Photo of available products at l’Esperluette.

Our last research point was VRAC. This is a location for providing quality food with dignity at a lowered cost. It represents a common form of increasing access- using the capacity of social groups to purchase large quantities at low costs, ie bulk purchasing. There are over 100 diverse products available, ~50% locally (Montpellier) sourced and ~50% imported. I noticed that the shoppers were primarily people of color and the employees/volunteers were primarily white, which touches on the whiteness of 3rd places. VRAC members are encouraged to share time working there too, which works to instill participative democracy into the mission. Through discussing with VRAC leaders and observing the space, it was evident that this mission is fueled by social solidarity and using food as a political tool towards social change. 

(Eliette Whittaker, March 13th, 2025) Photo of the distribution set-up and products available at VRAC.

Taken by Nathan Fedornak (3-10)

St. Pierre Tarbouriech sits in the heart of the Mediterranean oyster producing region. This region in France is famous for the Bouzigue oyster, which I find to be quite salty; to a non oyster enjoyer, they might taste like the time you accidentally swallowed salt water at the beach. However, the draw to this oyster farm and tasting room is the trademarked Tarbouriech oyster. Even if you’re not a fan of oysters, the addition of fresh lemon and cracked pepper compliment the Tarbouriech oyster nicely. The tasting room also offers wine pairings from local vineyards; the citrus notes in sparkling wine we were given paired well with the Tarbouriech oysters.

Taken by Nathan Fedornak (3-10)

The St. Pierre Tarbouriech oyster producers created a revolutionary technique to use a solar powered system to raise and lower the Tarbouriech oyster tables into the water. This process simulates the churning tides and gives the producers complete control of the oyster growth. While this does extend the production time, it produces more complex flavors and larger oysters favored by chefs throughout France and Europe. 

We experienced a wine tasting with the exceptional Hôtel Pinard. The wine bar specializes in natural wines, which are produced with either no or low sulfates (what gives headaches when you drink wine). There is a crisis of marketing and labeling surrounding natural wines; many miseducation consumers see the “Natural Wine” on a label and assume that the product will be a high quality. However, in truth it appears that many vineyards that claim to produce natural wines are actually putting a poor quality product into the market, thus lowering the consumer preference for the quality wines.

We tried six different wines: one sparkling white, two still whites, two reds, and one fortified red wine. From what I’ve gathered, the fan favorite wine was the “Domaine Peter Sichel – Montanha 2024”; for a red wine, it was very fresh with strong notes of juicy red fruit. I appreciate Hôtel Pinard’s goal to promote quality wines that the average consumer has not been exposed to. Their belief that ‘good wine is good wine’ is refreshing for an industry dominated by, and in my opinion held back by tradition. Our Sommelier described the importance of caring about local wines in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as they are some of the true innovators in the wine industry. Despite the fact that Languedoc is the oldest wine region in France, its history has been characterized by cheap bulk wines. At the present, producers in Languedoc are on the forefront of the wine industry response to climate change as they research and implement new hybrid grapes and irrigation techniques.

Taken by Nathan Fedornak (3-11)

Attending tasting events with the field’s experts, whether that be the oyster producers or sommeliers, is a great way to grow your appreciation for new foods. Even if you have never tried raw oysters or drank much wine, learning from the experts is the best way to learn about the significance of regional foods.  

Link to Marché Gare website.

Marché Gare is an economic site of the food landscape transition. It’s a public service of the Metropole of Montpellier, and a representation of the strengths and capabilities of short circuit/chain food systems (SCFSs) and agro-ecological policies. Marché Gare promotes collective dynamism and diversification of the food chain. They share resources, costs, and risks amongst the players in the food chain, and involve diverse products, sellers, resources, and prices, which strengthens the resilience of the local food system and its key players. It serves as a central location for folks selling at markets (re-sellers) to buy food in bulk at lower prices, which can sometimes be locally sourced, (Charlotte Minnicks’ field notes 3/12) and for businesses to use resources, like the test kitchens, to try new practices at a lower, shared risk.

Gwenaëlle Rolland (left) and Professor Soldin (right) discussing Marché Gare. Pictured in the background is the set-up, featuring the distribution sites and refrigerator storage site. (Eliette Whittaker, March 13th, 2025)

We began our tour of Marché Gare with Olivier Lauro, the location director, and Gwenaëlle Rolland, the head of supply structuring. They provided us with a background and personal insight on the industry. Lauro commented on the political mission of Marché Gare, critiquing the current food industry that wedges profits inbetween food and people, the environment, and the entire food system. He emphasized that Marché Gare works to combat this, and that they want to instill the values of a SCFS into Montpellier to provide sustainability and well-being for its people, economy, and environment. He highlighted the political characteristics of food– that transforming food landscapes is inherently political and has the ability to make massive political, social, and economic change.

Our next stop of our tour took us into the sellers market of Marché Gare. We visited on a slow, off day: only 1 seller was there since their operation days (pre-market days) are Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays and are normally full of businesses selling and purchasing. Per their website, Marché Gare involves 220 businesses. We walked around another section of Marché Gare where refrigerated produce is held. Observing the products gave interesting insight to some products: about 40-50% of products sold at Marché Gare are local, and 50-60% are imported (Isabella Heckerts’ field notes 3/12). I noticed the great diversity of products offered, like melons, citrus, nuts, and leafy greens, but noticed that the majority were imports and only a few I saw were grown in France. We visited the test kitchen area as well, which was inspiring as a place for businesses to share resources and risks to find new business practices that could work for them.

Produce in the refrigerator storage room. (Eliette Whittaker, March 13th, 2025)

Upon walking around Marché Gare, I noticed bins of moldy oranges in undesignated bins, prompting me to ask about their food waste diversion. Gwenaëlle Rolland was proud to reply that all businesses that are part of Marché Gare need to have their own waste and food waste diversion plan in place before they can participate in the program. On site, they offer a compost site and anaerobic digester, and a nonprofit organization comes to take food waste to a 3rd place of distribution, all of which are incentivized for the businesses via tax breaks for diversion.

Marché Gare seemed to be a promising example of the ways the government can literally facilitate the food landscape transformation and shortening of food systems. The Metropole of Montpellier funded the project with 4 million Euros, and Lauro seemed thankful for the cities support, although mentioned that the importance of food systems can sometimes be lost in the weeds of politics. To me, this commentary nodded that short chain food systems are best implemented via a combination of supports: both governmental and non-governmental. Alas, Marché Gare proved to be a site of the shortened food landscape that prioritizes economic viability, social solidarity, and environmental sustainablitity.

Link to Écolothèque website. 

        Montpellier has positioned itself as a leader of the ecological and agricultural transition within France. Isabelle Terrasson, Head of Agroecology and Food for the city of metropole, sat down in a meeting with us to discuss how Montpellier plans to balance urban expansion with agricultural preservation and food accessibility. Given her position, she plays a vital role in shaping the city’s approach to food systems and agro-ecology through public policy.  

         Terrasson explained to us that Montpellier’s agricultural landscape is under extreme pressure to expanding urbanization, coupled with the prediction that 40% of farmers will retire within the next 3 years. To lessen the pressure, the city has implemented strategies to preserve farmlands and natural landscapes, support ecological transitions, and support food democracy. Examples of

initiatives include mobile slaughterhouses, developing local food systems, public contracts for supplying school canteens, and creating agro-ecological reference systems for farmers to test innovations. Terrasson went into great detail describing the city’s wholesale food hub (MIN), which ensures that locally produced products reach markets efficiently. I also found the public contracts to be interesting; they prioritize providing high-quality and nutritious foods to school canteens, which reinforces the city’s commitment to food democracy.

         Terrasson highlighted food insecurity to be a pressing issue within Montpellier, where 26% of the population lives in. Food aid programs provide the equivalent of 1.1 million meals per year to residents but concerns of self-dignity and access to high-quality foods surround their distribution. The city’s strategy against food insecurity is to improve knowledge on healthy habits, expand current networks sustainable shopping and increase access to local produce. Terrasson emphasized that the city is not dealing with “food deserts” but rather faces food “mirages” and “swamps”, where food is available but not nutritious. What I took away from this experience is that addressing the agro-ecological challenges within Montpellier requires coordination between local governments and residents at large.  

        Education is also a major part of Montpellier’s agro-ecological transition, as exemplified by Ecolotheque. This is a recreation center which introduces children to biodiversity, sustainable

(Landon Davis, March 12th, 2025)

agriculture and ecological responsibility; no other place like this exists in all of France. It’s not a fully working farm, but rather an interactive space which aims to engage children aged 4-12 in

hands on experiences (bread-making, composting, animal care, art). There’s an insistence upon using low-impact and organic cultivation methods, and I was impressed by the wide array of crops being grown. There were also various bird species (some being endangered), we had a very interesting run-in with a turkey!  

        Ecolotheque primarily funded through the city of Montpellier,

(Landon Davis, March 12th, 2025)

alongside private donations and parent contributions. They charge between €3-45 euros per day depending on parent income, with an average cost of €29. It’s expensive compared to other recreation centers, but it provides significant developmental benefits, particularly for children for hyperactivity and other disabilities.