Truffle jar

Last night we had a wonderful dinner with friends.  They live in Paris most of the time but come to the "country" for a weekend break.    Food is their passion and although they had been in their weekend house for a couple of hours only - they had had time to grill a fish on the open fire and prepare these three vegetable dishes. 

Carrots, green beans and puree of courgette with garden sauge/sage.  The fish had a delicate flavour of smoke, the colours of the exquisite dinner service,  lovely wooden table and aromas of the wood fire made me immortalise this moment.

There was a present for Jean Marie.     Catherine who has been on truffle hunts with Jean Marie - had found this delightful truffle jar in a vide grenier.   Such a lovely shape - I have been looking on the web to find out the origin of the curved glass and why it would be called a truffle jar.    So far no luck - there are other truffle jars on ebay for instance but none quite like this one.    Can anyone enlighten me?   Would love to hear from you.

Prizegiving

It is the tradition on the 14th of July to play petanque or boules.   With the village of Viserny in the background the new school building has the most perfect flat sandy meeting place. 

Mimi waiting for others to arrive for the 7pm aperitif.

 This year we were invited by the municipality to decorate an useful object

in the patriotic colours.  There was an interesting selection of objects presented.   A ladder, basket, bicycle and

I made a little bag and decorated it in bleu blanc rouge of course.

Paris Match with the General de Gaulle and the Queen - this entry was brought by our newly arrived British couple in the village.   A prize was won

The children played games, while others chased the cochonet.

And we all enjoyed a great meal.  Vive la France et bon appetit.

A brand new workshop

What a week.   This time last Sunday Jean Marie and I were discussing what we could do with my "to be"

workroom downstairs.  A dirty old carpet - dampy smell and flaky paint would describe this room.       I wanted a wood floor as I think this is so warm and welcoming to any room - so went to the shop and bought what was needed.   Jean Marie worked non stop all week long taking up the carpet, putting down this floor and believe me it was hard work as none of the walls are straight.    So this is the result ...

Old shelves sanded down and put back to back with a large formica top make a superb working table.

The shelves are bare for the moment but won't be empty for long as I am eager to start organizing.   Bravo Jean Marie and thank you for doing this for me.    As soon as the shop has been sold and I have moved out this will be my new office/workshop.   

sardines at the café

The most incredibly busy day yesterday - Sunday usually my day off.   Had to get up at 5:30 am to start getting ready for the annual vide grenier in my village.    


Taking out all the rubbish from my garage took quite a while and to my amazement the village was already crawling with people - parking their cars, vans and trucks and unloading boxes and baskets and sofas, and chairs.    Interestingly enough baskets, lamps, fire guards, wood chest of drawers and tables are not à la mode anymore - but DVD's, '60s furniture and objets, toys and childrens clothes sell well.

 The organizers were putting up the tent for the buvette and overhearing their conversation one asked the other for a "sardine".   Well at 7am in the morning I thought it a bit odd and well a new one on me eating sardines with café   - anyway at he end of the day we had (yes another)  bottle of sparkling local wine and again the subject of these sardines came up.   

Turns out that this is a folklorique way of saying tent picks - there are three terms.  
"Piquets" which are metal stalks with a crochet loop at the end for firm ground.
"Sardines" - flat metal bars for hard soil or ground
"Marquereaux" -  large sardines or very large flat metal bars for very hard soil


Sardine obviously comes from the way these little fish are packed together so tightly but marquereaux ? well I'm open to discussion.   Have a good week everyone.

Walnut liqueur but don't be in a hurry to serve it.

Vincent's mother practically lives off the land.   Her larder is stacked high with jars and pots of liqueurs, terrines, truffles and confits all picked from her garden or in the surounding countryside.   I asked her what she was doing tomorrow.   Making walnut liqueur was her reply.   Green walnut picking time is very short as walnuts in June have special flavours and aromas which disappear in ripe hardened autumn walnuts.   Wow - intrigued she gave me her special recipe which I shall share with you.  First put on your rubber gloves as walnuts produce a stain which cannot be removed from fingers easily.
Take 25 thoroughly washed green walnuts picked directly off the tree or bought at the market and cut them in half.  Place in a jar with 500 grs of cristalized sugar. 





  Leave this in a dark cupboard for one year shaking or turning it upside down to let the sugar absorb the walnut juice.  Filter the juice and put back into the jar with 1 small glass of eau de vie or (alcohol fruit) let it mix thoroughly - leave for another couple of months and serve as an aperitif "fait maison" to your guests.  The real taste of walnuts is amazing and well worth the effort and wait.



 

Orgy in the garden

Now what on earth is this you might ask. 

My rhubarb in the early stages of growth.  Today beginning of June it has grown to full size and is more like this.  

 But the trouble with my rhubarb this year is that it has not turned red.  Usually  it grows prolifically in gorgeous greenish pink bouquets.  Although there is nothing technically wrong with the green variety, it just doesn’t look so appetizing.   No one relishes the thought of eating something green and slimy.  So I have solved the problem by cooking it with strawberries and redcurrants - compote - crumble - add a little cinammon and nutmeg  - delicious.

The trouble with living in the country is that at this time of the year there is so much work to do - having finished with the rhubarb - there are cherries to be eaten.

Then on our walk these tiny wild strawberries just waiting to be put in a bowl of fresh cream.

Now look what Jean Marie has brought - redcurrants.   Ummm - so excuse me while I rush to the supermarket to buy more sugar.  It will be gelée time tomorrow.

Medieval madness

§  There are knights in shining armor, with costumed musicians playing on shiny tin flutes – there are Kings,  Queens, Knights, Ladies in waiting and peasants, jesters and best of all the Gueux.     Yes I am talking about the street outside of my shop which has been transformed into Medieval madness on this Sunday morning.  

§  On this day folks from far and beyond flock to Semur en Auxois to down pints of “hypocras”  the alcoholic drink made with a “je ne sais pas quoi” and gobble fairy cakes mixed with herby smelly concoctions and swallow large gulps of bière.   Les Gueux are beggars dressed in potato sacks – while dragging their leg chains behind them they lock their children in cages made of sticks and hay and feed on left-over scraps.  They have blackened teeth smell to high heaven, fierce looking dogs with bloody bones in their mouths accompany them.

§  The town parking lots are cleared to house outdoor camps with open fires and the smell of sausages and chops can be smelt all over the town.  

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The parade in the main street

§  The annual Medieval Day precedes  the “La Bague” which Dates from the 17 Century –which this year will be held on Tuesday the 2^nd of  June.  The Bague  is the oldest horse race in France.    Contestants can win a gold ring – the race I love the most is with the work horses – strong hefty animals who pound rather than run - it is a pleasure is hear the sound of their hoofs heaving the turf.  The day is followed by a big marché of veg. fruit and clothes and lots and lots of  bars serving champagne, cremant, white wine and the traditional “Kir” . 

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§  Just for fun I was reading “The daily life of a Medieval Lady”

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§  and the program sounds good to me.

§  Her day starts at dawn when Mass would be heard and prayers would be made

§  A Medieval Lady would be served by her ladies in waiting. She would be assisted with her dress for the day

§  The first meal of the day for the Lady was breakfast

§  The daily life of the Lady would include discussions on tournaments, betrothals, marriages, poetry and courtly love

§  A Medieval Lady would be expected to oversee the education of the upper class girls who had sent to their households

§  A Medieval Lady had to be able to take their husbands places at all times. The daily life of a Medieval Lady would change if her husband was absent. She would be expected to look after the finances of the manor or estates including the collection of rents. Supervise the farming and settle all disputes

§  Mid morning prayers and a meal

§  In the afternoon the daily life of Noblewomen turned to housewifely duties including the supervision of meals and ensuring stores were sufficient

§  Leisure time was spent on embroidery and dance practise

§  Evening prayer and then supper in the Hall of the Castle or Manor House

§  After supper there might be some entertainment - music, dancing, jugglers, acrobats, Jesters, etc

§  Bedtime prayers