EASTER TRAVELS in France

Spring in France: Easter Travels, Market Baskets & Coastal Breezes

This Easter, I was lucky enough to return to France for a season I cherish deeply—spring. I spent time in Paris and along the Atlantic coast, both humming with signs of renewal. The blossoms were out, café chairs turned to face the streets once more, long lunches in the sun, and bustling markets brimming with the season’s first delights and a sense of joy after a long French dark winter.

The Paris markets were a symphony of spring: white asparagus—plump and sweet—alongside earthy morels, araignée de mer crabs, and strawberries you could smell before seeing. Blanched white asparagus served with mayonnaise moussiline, morels folded into soft omelettes, strawberries simply with spoonfuls of crème fraîche—each meal reminded me of how the French table celebrates seasonality with such reverence.

We spent lazy mornings at brocantes, wandering between old linen, enamelware, and timeworn treasures—always hoping to stumble upon something special for the kitchen and the evenings discovering new restaurants and catch up with life time friends.

Later, along the Atlantic coast, I breathed in the salty air and browsed sleepy village markets for seafood, more white asparagus, and farmhouse cheeses. Enjoyed quiet lunches of shared fruits de mer in rustic cabins surrounded by salt marshes and wild yellow angelica flowers—fresh oysters, prawns, and langoustines served simply with lemon, baguette, salted butter and chilled white wine.

Our Easter feast was a true highlight. At its heart: confit spiced lamb shoulder, slow-cooked with warming spices until it fell apart with a spoon. It was served with my maman’s braised jardinière of baby vegetables—fresh peas, young asparagus tips, baby carrots, fennel, and tender lettuce hearts, gently cooked in butter and stock until just yielding. The combination was deeply comforting but light—a perfect expression of spring.

We started with blanch thick white asparagus and crab - served with the Acker family homemade mayonnaise and finished with a stunning strawberry and crème Chantilly tart, baked by my beau-frère Ed. The pastry was perfectly short and buttery, joyful centrepiece to finish our Easter family feast.

Back in Melbourne, I’m already thinking of how to bring some of that French springtime magic to your kitchen. Perhaps a new recipe, or a seasonal addition to the Préparation Artisanale range—something that captures that same spirit of simplicity, beauty, and generosity.

À très bientôt,
Josephine