This weekend we were at a delightful greengrocers in south of France in Valbonne, one of the lower villages in the mountains of les Alpes Maritimes.

Asparagus as thick as your big toe; early season figs from Spain. Soft fruit kept suitably cool – sadly it is not uncommon here, in other shops,  to see raspberries and blueberries already mouldy before they are sold.

I also saw the most expensive vegetable I’ve ever seen. Morilles (morels in English) are prized wild mushrooms known for their honeycomb-like caps and rich, earthy flavour. These were here in a jar to help yourself at 980 euros a kilo. 

We bought figs, asparagus, nectarines, kiwi fruit and an aubergine.