The cordial art of French aperitifs
As Georgeanne Brennan speaks of tender young lettuce with morningdew still clinging to its leaves, and freshly picked pencil-thinasparagus destined for a savory bread pudding, her eyes begin tosparkle. She seems for a moment to have slipped away to anotherplace, and it’s a good bet it’s the French countryside.
That’s where she acquired her passionate appreciation of foodand gardening, and of a varied selection of fresh, high-qualitymeats, seafood, and, above all, produce. Her admiration for the potager – the traditional French kitchen garden that yieldsseasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, and cutting flowers – inspireda desire to see potager-style cooking catch on in this country.
In 1982 Brennan founded Le Marché Seeds with partnerCharlotte Glenn Kimball. The company imported seeds of European andAsian vegetables then considered rarities. Thanks to Le Marchéand similar companies, a wide range of greens – among themradicchio, heirloom lettuces, frisée, and mizuna – isavailable in the U.S. today.