Hummus, Tahini and the Bio shop in Tulle

Thank you to those who told me about the Bio shop in Tulle (opposite the station), as we finally managed a trip there yesterday. It made my day as they sell Tahini which meant I came home, put some chick peas to soak and took great delight in making Hummus today - hurrah!

The Bio shop is an aladdin's cave. It has wonderful dispensers on the wall with a range of seeds, grains and the like. You just pop your paper bag (supplied) under the shoot and pull the lever dispensing as much or as little of what you want. Needless to say I got a bit carried away.

Now all I need to find is somewhere that sells smoked cod roe so that I can make Taramasalata (not the pink fluffy gunge you can buy) and my life will be complete.................or at least our "Friday Night" will as traditionally we sat down to home made hummus, taramasalata, pitta and piles of salad. Scrummy.

Glad you're happy with the bio-shop. They do organic wholemeal rice also "en vrac" (= without packaging) for approx. Euro 2,- per kilo and very good it is too.

Cannot help with the smoked cod roe or in fact fresh cod roe. Being so far from the sea, the corréziens do not eat a lot of fresh fish. In what form did you buy it in the UK, freshly smoked or in a tin? If you find any, I would be interested. There's a fish mongers at Tulle market on Saturdays, but I find him incredibly expensive.

There's another bio store on the road to Limoges in Tulle (after the roundabout at the market crossing the river Corrèze with the parking garage going uphill for a bit). Haven't been there yet, so don't know if it is any good.

not sure about cod roe ,but the sunday market in panazol has the biggest fresh fish stall i have seen so you may be lucky its the freshest i have seen and seems to have everything ,good hunting .The limoge BIO near the limoge station is very good too ,if you are over this way .

Bit far for Blakevine perhaps, they're in my nick of the woods...

aha! By chance had to take our Nissan to dealer in Brive to get its "coussinets" checked as had a letter from Nissan.....anyhow.....drove back and had a mosey around Brive centre and came across fish shop at top of rue Farro (near Thiers parking) and he had fresh smoked cod roe (in its sack). Bought two (200g approx) for 12 euros so not cheap, but,by the time the oils, lemon juice etc have been added, makes a good quantity of Taramasalata! Am thinking that Brive is a long way to go for roe so will check out the mobile fish man who comes to market ..........K

For anyone who is closer to Limoges than to Tulle... I can recommend the supermarket Thoune Asia in Place Beaubreuil, just behind Conforama. Tahini and practically every foreign food you can think of is available there: fresh, tinned or frozen. Prices are very reasonable too. I tend to go in and get lost for an hour just browsing the shelves!

    Hi Peirol ,yes we go there a lot ,bit of a hike now we live in the creuse and not in St Leo De Noblat in the Haute Vienne but they have so much as you say at least an hour browsing ,the char su sauce mixed with the chilli garlic sauce 'marinade or stir fry ,mmmm to die for .

Went to the market in Marcillac for the first time yesterday morning and discovered a fish monger's there to my surprise. Is that what you mean with "the mobile fish man", Blakevine? Have you tried him and if so, is he any good (his fish, that is)?

12 Euros for smoked cod roe not cheap? Was that for 2 x 200 grams? Must taste very nice though, homemade tarama...

From what the locals tell me he is very good but have not tried yet .

I believe if you want a fruit de mer plate for a special occasion he will make to order if you tell him what you like and give him a price to work to .

Hi Myriam and Spitfire - yes - he is the mobile man and we have tried his fish a few times now. He always seems to park in the same place by the way. He even turned up at last December's marche de Noel! We have only tried his smoked fish so far (mackerel and haddock) and it has all been good and he is a jolly chap which makes a difference! We were also at the market on Tuesday so I asked him about smoked cod roe and he is going to try and get me some....the 12 euros in Brive was for 2 x 200g of smoked cod roe. Tara tastes yummy! K.

No cod roe I'm afraid......Le Goéland is the name on the van by the way. K.

Ok, thanks, K.

Sounds worth giving a go. The local vegetables at the market in Marcillac are very good, a nice little market really.

Havn't seen smoked mackerel here apart from pre-packaged. Hope his fish is fresh enough. Don't always trust it at the supermarkets in Argentat.

It may be of no use to anyone, but smoked Cod roe is regularly available on several of the fish stall at Les Halles in Limoges. Our local Carrefour has recently had fresh [sic] Smoked Haddock (labelled Haddock), Kippers & Bloaters for sale.

Thanks Le Dolly, but 240 km. return journey is a bit far to get some smoked cod roe...  for Blakevine, Spitfire and myself, as we're in the south Corrèze.