How to | Brocante Successfully

Planning to hit the flea markets and vintage stalls this summer? We enjoyed a day trip to a French ‘brocante’ in our Home Tour pages in our May issue. If you’re inspired to try a bit of vintage market shopping yourself, here are a few tips to get you started, whether you’re mooching in Maroilles or pottering in Paignton

Be prepared

If you’re in France there’s a small book that you can get from a newsagent (tabac) which lists where all the local markets are, or see brocanciel.fr or brocabrac.fr. Wear comfy shoes, and bring a tape measure, bags and packaging to take any items home with you. In the UK try fleamapket.com.

Arrive early or late

The best items are often snapped up quickly, so arrive as sellers are unpacking to get the best finds – or at the end, as prices will drop because the sellers want to get rid of things. If something catches your eye, don’t hang around, items go quickly.

Don’t be afraid to dig

Check out the baskets and boxes alongside the stalls. This is where treasures are often found.

Take cash and negotiate gently

Make sure you’ve plenty of cash as many brocantes and flea markets are in the countryside with no cash machines or card purchases available. Always smile and ask a few questions about the item before negotiating. Only offer a little lower than what you would want to pay.

How to speak second-hand in France

Brocante: Open-air flea market or bricks-and-mortar antique shop Marché aux puces: Flea market Vide grenier: Loft clearances Foire à tout: Similar to a car boot sale Depôts vente: Buildings where second-hand goods are sold.

If the French country lifestyle appeals, don’t miss our feature The French Connection in our May issue, in which we meet Cathy and Peter Bullen and have a nose around their house and home town. The words are by Kay Prestney and photography by Brent Darby.

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Recipe | French apple tart

An orchard pudding with a bit of ooh la la!

This buttery French tart is a lovely way to round off an early autumn meal but a cold slice is also excellent with your morning coffee the following day.

Serves 6

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
2 tbsp plum jam (use greengage, apricot or rhubarb jam if you prefer)
5 small apples of your choice, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Double cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof parchment.
2 Put the pastry on the lined baking tray and, using a round-bladed knife, gently score a 2-3cm border around French apple tart Buttery pastry, sweet jam and fresh apples combine to create a classic dessert or teatime treat the edge – this will help to keep the sticky cooking juices from escaping. Inside the border, prick the pastry all over with a fork, then spread over a very thin layer of jam.
3 In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples with the lemon juice and sugar. Arrange the slices in overlapping rows over the pastry, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
4 Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 mins until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and, while still warm, slide the tart from the greaseproof paper to a serving plate.
5 In a small saucepan, gently heat the remaining jam with a splash of water, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the apples, then set the tart aside to cool.
6 Slice and serve with a jug of cream on the side.

This recipe is part of our Autumn Picnic gathering feature in our September issue., with recipes by Kay Prestney, including apple and parsnip soup, orchard salad, and pork and apple rissoles.

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