Paris Farmers Market, French Butter & Finding Home in Paris

Paris Farmers Markets, French Butter & Finding Home in Paris

We’ve arrived in Paris.
It feels a little surreal that this new chapter began once again by leaving Hawaii.
It wasn’t something we planned…

We’re staying in a place in the 16th arrondissement, and honestly, it’s much better than we expected—surprisingly clean, and with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The mattress is incredibly comfortable, and the pillows and sheets are soft and cozy. (As a nomad, I’ve come to learn that the quality of bedding is everything. But since we couldn’t verify in advance, sometimes we ended up disappointed.)

In the mornings, we do yoga on the spacious balcony. The apartment has plenty of windows, so sunlight pours in all day. At night, we watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the balcony.

The metro is close by, which makes getting around easy, and we’re not far from the Seine, which makes it easy to go for a walk.

The only downside is that there’s no bathtub for soaking, and the guest room feels a bit makeshift. I really enjoy unwinding with a hot soak when I’m feeling tired or mentally overwhelmed, so having only a shower is a bit disappointing.

I had hoped we’d have a proper space for when family comes to visit us in Paris, but the guest room only has a sofa bed and no separate bathroom—so guests would have to share the shower in our room. That’s definitely something I wish were better.

That’s why we’re spending a month here while looking for a place to stay for the remaining nine months.
Personally, I had my heart set on Saint-Germain-des-Prés or somewhere in the 1st arrondissement, but because of the distance to my school, we’ve been focusing more on the 15th and 16th.

Most of the trendy restaurants I want to try are scattered across other arrondissements… so sadly, I’ll be a bit far from all the hip spots in Paris.

But yesterday morning, we found out that our top-choice apartment in the 15th was just booked for a full year by someone else. I couldn’t believe it, such a disappointment. 🙁

It’s not easy to find a place in Paris that checks every box—everything we need and want. That apartment had all our must-haves except for just one thing, which made losing it even harder. We didn’t think our list of needs was that demanding, but finding a long-term place in Paris has turned out to be more challenging than we expected. And as our timeline tightens, we’re starting to feel the pressure.

Before arriving in Paris, one of the things I looked forward to most was the marché (Paris farmers market)—and as I expected, it’s been my absolute favorite part of being here. Like farmers’ markets, these marchés are everywhere, scattered throughout the city. I love the lively, bustling energy, and the stalls overflowing with fresh seasonal produce, flowers, and life.

After a few days in Paris, we’ve already visited three Paris farmer’s markets—and the one we explored yesterday, Marché Président Wilson, has an absolutely incredible crêperie. Their galette was truly a work of art. Before we started our grocery shopping, we shared their No. 9—filled with cheese, egg, and jambon—and oh my god, it was amazing!!

Crispy on the edges, soft and cheesy in the center, perfectly salty, buttery, and hot! We stood on the side of the crêperie, smiling between bites.

I think we’ll be heading there every Wednesday from now on, just for that galette, not to shop. Lol! 😂 It was truly one of the most delicious things we’ve had in France so far. (The crêperie doesn’t show up on Google Maps, but if you visit Marché Président Wilson, you’ll find the only crêperie inside. Hope this helps!)

I did study French a bit before arriving, but I’m still not at the level where I can comfortably understand conversations. So I walk around the marché repeating, “Bon jour! Je ne parle pas français, parlez-vous anglais?”—grateful that I at least know how to count from one to ten in French! (So I can tell the venders how many tomatoes I want, lol!) If you want to truly experience Paris—or even just stroll through the farmers markets—just a few basic French phrases can make all the difference!

You might find this hard to believe, but nearly every Parisian we’ve encountered so far has spoken English. (Including all the venders in the Paris farmers market!) Well, except one—a sales lady at the professional kitchen shoe store. But even then, with the help of Google Translate and a bit of body language, we managed perfectly fine.

We needed some bread, so we stopped by a random boulangerie (bakery) on the way home and picked up a baguette tradition and a pain de campagne. (the boulangerie review is pretty bad- 3.3 on Google. But their pain de campagne is amazing!)

I’ve heard about wild asparagus before but had never actually seen or tasted until now.

And the garlic, still moist and milky white, almost dewy in its freshness.

It’s been so long since I cooked a meal with truly seasonal ingredients, bought the same day at the farmer’s market, just hours before dinner. 

I blanched the wild asparagus briefly in salted water and finely chopped the garlic and shallots. From a fish stall overflowing with fresh seafood, (It was also in the farmer’s market.) I picked up a beautiful snapper fillets, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and pan-seared it in olive oil until golden on both sides.

Once the fish is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and keep it warm. Add butter, garlic, and shallots to the same pan—sautéing gently until fragrant, then deglazing with a splash of white wine. I adjusted the seasoning with a little more salt. Then, I tossed the blanched wild asparagus into the pan, just enough to warm it through.

I added the blanched wild asparagus back into the pan, gave it a quick stir—just enough to warm it through—then spooned everything over the fish. Dinner is ready! Squeezed a bit of lemon on top, and served it with a bottle of rosé I grabbed on sale for €7 at a wine shop around the corner. And seriously… how is a €7 rosé this good?!

🧈 I had seen it all over the internet—Le Beurre Bordier, often called the best butter in France. I was so curious! (I got this from Marché Couvert de Passy, the indoor farmers’ market in our neighborhood.) Even while living in the U.S., I always stuck with French cultured butter (the Irish-style sweet cream butter just isn’t for me), so I wondered… how different could it really be?

I scooped a small amount into a bowl, just enough for the day, and let it sit at room temperature to soften a bit. Since I bought the unsalted version, I sprinkled some salt over the top before spreading it onto a torn piece of pain de campagne. I took a bite, and Oh. My. God. 😳

I’ve had plenty of delicious French butter before—even in the U.S. and other countries—but this… this is on another level! 🧈✨

It’s richer, yet fresher. Deeply flavorful but still clean on the palate. The freshness of the butter is incredible! Where have you been all my life?! 😂
The freshness of this butter—I never thought I’d get to taste something like this.

The bread is incredible, too.

I never really understood the taste of wheat—until I had pain de campagne. As someone who’s always loved sourdough, I have to admit… I’m definitely more of a campagne girl than a baguette. It’s a little more moist, a little more flavorful. I forgot how much I missed the taste of good bread in Europe. 

After returning from my last trip (Road to Santiago), I searched for sourdough from specialty bakeries across Arizona, Chiang Mai, Korea, and Hawaii. But honestly, it was only once—at a small bakery in Chiang Mai (it’s called Bella Madre Pizza)—when I tasted something that came close. (Though to be fair… I just didn’t find the right places. Lol)

I’m excited for all the flavors France has to offer—not just French cuisine, but the ingredients themselves.
What kinds of dishes will I end up creating here?

What stories, what flavors will come to life at my fingertips?
My heart flutters a little just thinking about it.

Maybe there’s a version of my cooking waiting for me—one I haven’t even met yet.
Something about it all… just feels right. / It just feels like something good is coming. / I don’t know what it is, but it feels good.

Thank you so much for reading. If you missed the previous From My Table post, you can find it here. I’d love to have you back for the next story. ✨