Just after we got our Aix apartment, I remember going to the local market one very warm May day, flinging off my cardi and remembering NOT to say ‘Je suis chaude’. The lady at our veg stall told me in no uncertain terms not to take any good weather for granted until the feasts of the saints de glace had passed. These turned out to be Saints Mamert (11th May), Pancrace (12th) and Servais (13th). Apparently there is some meteorological backing for this phenomenon of a cold-snap mid-May …so hopefully we are now set for sunny days.
And I need to thank the same veg lady for her advice on cooking the new garlic which also arrives on the stalls at this time of year. I had never seen it before.
She told me to put the whole bulb into the microwave for a minute (more if it is very large) and then extract all the milky white cloves which by now are steaming hot. You mash them with a fork and mix them into creme fraiche and chopped parsley – eh voila! A wonderful sauce for meat or grilled vegetables.
Now a firm family favourite.
aixcentric 
Sounds great. I will try tonight with our lamb chops
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Good- watch your fingers when skinning those hot cloves!
ah, that explains what the shepherd told me! As for the garlic, we got rid of the microwave … the old fashioned way? which is? …
Hi Lynne, thanks for that background on the saint days in May, I had not heard of that before.
Take care.
C
They have different dates in the north of France due to the climate!