France for life
Ever since the wooded 10 acres on top of a stony hill in VaisonlaRomaine became theirs in 1984, Patricia says that she and her husband Walter have looked differently at the world. Chanteduc turned what was to have been a Paris interlude into a permanent séjour in France.
Before, they had only read about this life, and finally they were participants; they were making it happen. Was it just the sun, or did this place have a magic way of magnifying ordinary pleasures? Before long, they could not go to town for a morsel of goat's cheese or a sack of nails without the errand turning into a social event. Conversation is central to a Provencal's life: so there was always talk of the sun (or lack of it); talk of the tourists (or lack of them); talk of the latest scandal in Paris.
When the halfdozen gnarled old cherry trees in the orchard began to bear fruit, they dropped everything to pick the shiny, purple-red fruits and set about putting that bounty to work, making clafoutis, ice creams, confitures, and homemade liqueurs.
The unfurling of every leaf lettuce, grapes, figs, and irises became the object of their weekly attention. They eagerly turned their attention to a fledgling vegetable garden, only to find that about all this parched, chalky soil could promise were vegetables that tasted of struggle. The growth of nearly every olive in their small grove of trees was followed throughout the season, though more than once they arrived at harvest time to find the trees picked nearly bare by passersby. Thankfully, the village farmers' market is overflowing with baskets of ripe, uncured olives at Christmas time, so their home-cured olives were generally of mixed origins!
They learned about spotting the property's edible wild mushrooms, but only after years of listening to the neighbours boast of discoveries on their land. An invitation to join them for a hunt, with the promise of a multi-mushroom feast to follow, was the key to uncovering the secret gardens hidden amid the pines. They also learned about unearthing the rare black truffles that hid beneath the soil of their vines.
And sometimes they came closer to certain flora and fauna than one would desire. They've fled wild boar at the compost pile, hunted wild pheasant from the vegetable garden, and know more about the night habits of the loir a squirrel-like rodent that loves the proximity of humans than could fill a book.
I first met Patricia Wells in Italy in 1980, when we were both in Bologna to take a cooking course from the doyenne of Italian cooking Marcella Hazan.
She is now a renowned international food writer who has sold over 750,000 copies of her books worldwide.
The new edition of Patricia's At Home In Provence is one of my favourites, packed with really tempting recipes delicious comfort food to transport us to Provence. Below are some recipes from the book.
Patricia Wells At Home in Provence, published by Kyle Cathie, €22.10.
PREPARE this with a good tangy cooking apple, and if possible, combine several varieties such as Granny Smith, McIntosh, and Fuji for a more complex depth of flavour and texture. This is a quick easy appealing and inexpensive dessert, and you don't have to make pastry!
Serves 8
45g (1½oz) unsalted butter for preparing the baking dish
1kg (2lb) cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into eight even wedges
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
75g (2½oz) sugar
250ml (8fl ozs) crème fraîche or double cream
1 x 27cm (10½ inch) baking dish
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Generously butter the bottom and sides of the baking dish, set aside.
In a large frying pan, combine the butter, apples, lemon juice and ¼ tsp cinnamon and cook until just soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Transfer the apples to the baking dish, evening them into a single layer with a spatula. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and whisk until well blended. Add the cream, the remaining vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk to blend and pour over the apples in the baking dish.
Place the baking dish in the centre of the oven and bake until the top is a deep golden brown, 30-45 minutes. Do not underbake, or the results will be soggy, rather than crisp.
Serve cut into wedges, accompanied by a dollop of crème fraîche. The dessert is best served the day it is made, as the delicate flavours will fade.
Serves 4-6
1 guinea fowl (about 1kg/2lb) or substitute chicken
2 shallots, peeled and halved
1 thin slice of smoked ham, finely chopped
Bouquet garni: a generous bunch of flat-leaf parsley, celery leaves, fresh bay leaves and sprigs of thyme, tied in a bundle with string
90g (3oz) unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
500ml (16 fl oz) chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 large green cabbage, quartered lengthwise
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Season the exterior and cavity of the bird with salt and pepper. Place the shallots, ham and bouquet garni inside the cavity and sew up the opening. Set aside.
In a large covered casserole, melt 15g (½oz) butter with the oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the guinea fowl and brown it carefully on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the bird to a platter and discard the fat in the pan.
Season the exterior generously with salt and pepper. Still over moderate heat, add another 15g (½oz) butter to the casserole, scraping up the browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Return the bird to the pan, add the stock, cover and simmer over a low heat until the chicken is cooked, about 50 minutes.
In a large pan, bring six litres (10 pints) of water to a rolling boil. Add three tablespoons of salt and the cabbage, and blanch, uncovered, for five minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large frying pan, melt the remaining butter over moderate heat. Add the vinegar, cabbage, seasoning, and cook, trying to keep the pieces of cabbage intact and well coated with sauce. Cover and cook over low heat until soft, about 20 minutes. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, carve the guinea fowl and arrange the pieces on a warmed serving platter.
Spoon the stuffing, sauce and warmed cabbage over the sliced poultry and serve at once.
Serves 4-6
Patricia uses the charlotte potato in France. Just be sure that the potatoes are nice and firm-fleshed and make sure the cheese is a good gruyère.
1 plump fresh garlic clove, peeled and halved
1kg (2lb) firm-fleshed potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
125g (4oz) freshly grated Gruyere cheese
500ml (16 fl oz) whole milk
125ml (4 fl oz) crème fraiche or double cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
One 2-litre (3½ pint) ovenproof dish
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Rub the inside of the baking dish with garlic.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, three-quarters of the cheese, the milk, crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish, pouring the liquid over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Place in the centre of the oven and bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the top is crisp and golden, about 1¼ hours.
Serves 4
Throughout the spring and summer, Patricia uses lemon verbena leaves liberally, preparing refreshing and lightly sedative herbal teas, or infusions, as well as this popular summer ice cream. It is also delicious prepared with fresh mint, or with less traditional 'sweet' herbs, such as thyme or rosemary.
500ml (16 fl oz) double cream
250ml (8 fl oz) whole milk
125g (4oz) sugar
60 fresh lemon verbena leaves
In a large saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and verbena leaves and place over moderate heat just until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan.
Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for one hour.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the verbena. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Serve with provencal almond cookies or other crisp biscuits.
Euro-toques Small Food Initiative Producer Showcase Events Monday, May 23,2005 Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Co Monaghan. Chefs/Restaurateurs book today 20 Spit Roast Pig BBQ, Gastro-Goody Bag. Chat with chefs and producers, sample best of local fare and enjoy a glass of wine in the sun or mingle in the marquee. Producers secure your place at the showcase. Contact Abigail or Ruth at Euro-Toques, 11 Bridge Court, City Gate, St Augustine St, Dublin 8. Tel 01-6753837, email: Abigail@goodfood.ie Funded through EU Interreg 111A programme, Ireland/Northern Ireland.
BIM have just launched the 2005 edition of the 2005 Seafood Circle Pub Lunch Guide.
The Guide is available in members' premises, on www.seafoodcirclepubs.com or by order on 01-2144250.
Cork Farmers' Market in conjunction with Munster Agricultural Society, will open at Cork Showgrounds on Saturday, May 14, and will run every Saturday from 10-2 featuring an array of organic and fresh produce to tempt the palate of Corkonians.
corkfarmersmarket@eircom.net; www.corkshowgrounds.com
Congratulations to Hurleys Super-Valu in Midleton Winners of the Super-Valu store of the year 2005.
Fork Biscuits
Makes 45-50 biscuits approx.
8ozs (225g) soft butter
4ozs (110g) castor sugar
10ozs (275g) self raising flour
Grated rind of one lemon or orange
Cream the butter, add in the castor sugar, sifted flour and grated lemon or orange rind and mix just until it all comes together. Alternatively, place all four ingredients in the bowl of a food mixer and mix slowly until all the ingredients come together. At this stage the dough can either be used right away or put in the deep freeze, or kept in the fridge for up to a week. When required, bring up to room temperature and form into small balls the size of a walnut. Flatten them out onto a baking sheet using the back of a fork dipped in cold water. Allow plenty of room for expansion.
Bake in a preheated oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 10 minutes approx.
Sprinkle with Vanilla sugar. When cold, store in air tight containers.
Variations: Freshly ground cinnamon, ginger or chocolate chips can be a delicious addition to these biscuits.
