CHRIS RUNDLE

DON'T TURN UP YOUR NOSE AT TURNIPS, SAYS CHRIS, ENJOY THEM WITH LAMB

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I had been a week of gastronomic treats down in the Cévennes but Mathilde, the tourism officer from Montpelier who had been our guide, said she had one more in store for us.

We should, she said, be having Sunday lunch at a restaurant where they specialised in turnips.

As underwhelming statements go that took some beating. But Mathilde's statuesque presence testified to the fact that she was someone who knew and appreciated her food and since she had not once disappointed us with her choice of venue or menu since we arrived, we were happy to go along with the idea.

So, Mathilde performed the daily miracle of getting into her Fiat Cinquecento - in the manner of an octopus inserting itself into a milk bottle - while leaving enough space for the two of us to travel with her without being obliged to take it in turns to breathe, and off we set.