Food – Locally Dipped

Living in Paris has been amazing especially for a city girl like me but sometimes you just need to escape the urban life for a day. La Ferme du Logis (the Farm of Logis) is the perfect place for this. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon La Ferme du Logis online after trying to find a pumpkin patch near Paris. I knew finding anything similar to pumpkin patches in the United States would be nearly impossible so we thought a farm would be a good alternative. Our biggest hurdle was transportation since neither of us had a car. But after calling every family member we knew and offering to bring them back some fruits and veggies, we were finally able to find a car to borrow.

The farm is only about an hour drive from Paris but unfortunately driving is the only way to reach it. We went during autumn which was breathtaking since the roads were lined with thousands of color changing trees on both sides. Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by rows and rows of apple trees, and in the distance we could see miles of fresh farmland. The farm offers seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers, all of which you can go and cut yourself straight from the garden! They have a list of everything that is allowed to be harvested on their website, so you can check before going.

What we liked most besides being able to pick our produce locally and organically, were the prices. I was absolutely shocked by how much cheaper everything was. In the end we went home with fresh cauliflower, broccoli, blackberries, onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, spinach, lettuce, apples, and pumpkins for around 20€!

We also left with a huge crate apples since I knew I wanted to make quite a few apple desserts. I came across a recipe for “apple brownies” which is honestly one of the best apple desserts I have ever had. There is no chocolate so I am not sure why it is called apple brownies. Its more of an extremely moist apple cake. None the less I extremely recommend the recipe and used the gala apples from La Ferme de Logis. I loved it so much I made it three times in one week…

We made a few rookie mistakes the first time we went and forgot some important items so here is a little list of what not to forget.

WHAT TO BRING:

Bags or boxes: (the farm provides some if needed)
Old shoes or rain boots: (I wore rain boots which were perfect for the super muddy areas)
Extra pair of shoes: if you do not want to get your car dirty
Knife or scissors :(you can borrow a knife for the farm by giving your car keys as collateral)
A tarp: or something to protect the inside of your car

La Ferme du Logis hours of operation will change depending on the season so be sure to check their official website for all important information.

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Moroccan mint tea is one of my absolute favorite drinks, so when a friend told me I could enjoy it at the Grand Mosque of Paris I was excited check it out. We decided to go on a Sunday which we ended up regretting because the restaurant was way too crowded. There was a constant line at the pastry counter, and it took awhile to be served tea as there was only one server for about fifty people.

The other downside, you could only order tea by the glass for 2€ each! I was shocked when I learned this; a tiny cup of tea for 2€. And as annoying as I may be, I really imagined my tea being served in a teapot. I had seen pictures online of small silver teapots, so I knew it was possible but just assumed they did not use them on weekends when the restaurant was crowded. I asked an employee for the least crowded time to come back, and he said any weekday at the beginning of lunch or dinner.

I told my boyfriend Julien about my experience and he was interested in going to the mosque; we went back the next day right before lunch. We arrived on Monday around noon and as I was told, there were only a few people. I picked the perfect table on the front terrance, under a fig tree, with a beautiful mosaic design behind it. But we soon learned that we had to order food in order to get a pot of tea. The restaurant only allows dining inside the restaurant or on the back terrance, so without hesitation I ran to the back terrance and found a table. I was determined to get my pot of tea.

Finally we were ready to order. One pot of tea, a chicken tajine with olives and lemon, another chicken tajine with almonds and prunes, and a side of couscous s’il te plaît! And of course some bread for the Frenchie. I am not extremely familiar with Moroccan food, and never tasted tajine before but we thought it was all delicious. And the tea was so good we ordered a second pot. Each tajine was 17.00€ which is a pretty normal price for Paris, but the pot of tea was 2.50€ and you could get about 3 glasses out of it. Way better deal than the 2€ per glass situation on Sunday.

After lunch Julien and I headed to the mosque. Tickets are 3€ and 2€ for discounted tickets. The mosque grounds were beautiful. You enter through two grand doors and are immediately greeted by the luscious green garden. Once inside you can walk around and visit the different rooms. It was not huge, but it was fun to explore and admire all the tiles and archways. I believe there are guided tours but I do not have much information on this. And just an extra piece of advice, if you’re not comfortable using squat toilets, use the restrooms at the restaurant first.

The Grand Mosque of Paris is located in the 5th arrondissement right next to Jardin des Plantes. A great afternoon could consist of first exploring the park, then heading to the mosque teahouse either for a quick snack or lunch, and finally exploring the mosque itself. I did not get a chance to check it out myself, but I know you can also enjoy hookah, an all women’s hammam, and a souk at the restaurant.

Restaurant la Mosque

39, rue Saint-Hilaire 75005 Paris

Grand Mosque of Paris

2bis Place du Puits de l’Ermite, 75005 Paris

Category: Food

Local Farm Near Paris

Tea Time at the Grand Mosque of Paris