Wild Mushrooms

My sister in law was excited; she’d raced to her secret place in the woods, basket in hand hoping to find her favourite mushrooms.

She was lucky. Even though it was late in the season, the sudden rain, warm sunshine and wonderful nature had produced prestigious wild mushrooms – les girolles.

I was impressed with her pick especially as I’d seen girolles in the markets selling at 29 euros a kilogram.

And she, (clever lady) didn’t have to get them checked at the pharmacy as is the custom here; she knew these trumpet shaped mushrooms with their wrinkly  frilly hats well.

I raced round to help her clean the tender perfumed specimens. We carefully trimmed the ends, wiped them with a wet cloth brushing away any excess dirt. Only those that were really dirty got a squirt of tap water.

“Never ever wash mushrooms. It would make them soggy and they will loose all taste,” she warned.

She stored most of them in a perforated plastic bag for cooking later that week -- these mushrooms are best eaten fresh.

The rest we cooked; these beautiful girolles were too tempting to resist.

First we got rid of the water content by heating gently, and then we cooked them in some margarine in a frying pan for about 5 minutes stirring regularly and gently. We added shallots, chopped parsley, salt and pepper and a dollop of double cream.

They were perfect.

Why are they good for us?

These mushrooms are indeed healthy and nutritious.

They are low in calories – about 15 calories per 100 grams   with good amounts of iron, potassium, copper, selenium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.



Freshly picked girolles



Santon making is a Provencal Tradition

This is a picture of santons, clay figures depicting life in a Provence village – notice the costumes of the card players, the Provencal dresses of the women, the attention to detail in  the expressions and postures – a true work of art and a labour of love.

Santon comes from the Provencal word santoun which means little saints and the people who make them are called santonniers.

Santon history goes back to the time of Francis of Assisi when he created the first nativity scene.

 But 1789, during the revolution, churches had to be  closed; cribs and biblical characters of the churches were no longer allowed.  An artisan from Marseille, called Jean- Louis Lagnel, moved on to make santons of the people of the villages, portraying their lives, their trade, and their occupation.

Today, the making of santons is a thriving Provençal craft; there are many santon museums and fairs in the Provence, especially in Marseille, reputed to be the birthplace of santon culture. The Santon fair in Marseille, organized by the organization of Santon makers is held from the last Sunday in November to December 31.

 The little figurines have already appeared in our local market; many Provencal homes will have Nativity cribs with precious figures they've had for ages. The village church will soon display the crèche Provencal with the traditional biblical figures including the three wise kings, shepherds and angels.

 Particularly exciting also, is the imagination and talent of the young santonniers of today -- thanks to these artisans, this wonderful tradition of santon making is truly alive.

                                  

Buying Extra Virigin Olive Oil

Buying olive oil is such fun – I buy direct from the producer, one who has been making olive oil for years.

I discovered J. when I first started looking at AOC producers of olive oil in my region.

He grows six different types of olives and produces six different types of olive oil. There is no mixing and customers know they are getting pure, totally organic extra virgin olive oil.

Customers can’t be in a hurry when they visit the 17 acre plantation; J. encourages all his customers to taste before they buy.

The ‘tasting parlour’ as I like to call it is warm, inviting and full of bottles of the good stuff; he is proud of the certificates and press releases on the walls.

Thanks to J. I have learnt how to taste olive oil like a pro.

I have learnt how to smell before I taste.

I now know how to hold the container in one hand, cover with the other, swirl, then take a good whiff. Distinguishing the different aromas is still new to me but J. is patient and lets me get on with it.

“Do you remember the first time you came? You were coughing and spitting. Now you know what to look for,” he reminds me.

Do I?                                                                                                                                 

I have learnt to take a good mouthful of the oil; a little sip is not enough. I close my mouth and breathe through my nose and swallow.

I get the peppery taste at the back of the throat, but this is a positive characteristic of olive oil.

Connoisseurs call this pungency and say it’s an acquired taste.

I finally leave clutching three bottles of liquid gold against my chest. It’s a cold day but I feel warm instantly.

Two of these bottles are for me; one for cooking, the other for making salad dressings.

My good neighbour swears that drinking one table spoon of extra virgin a day helps soothe his rheumatoid arthritis – I will let him have a bottle this Christmas.

Three days in Carcassonne

A chance to meet up with some friends in Carcassonne was an occasion I could not resist.

Three days was not enough.

Tourists go to Carcassonne is for its historic canal, medieval fortified city, but equally exciting is visiting the Cathar castles in the area and checking out the new town of Carcassonne.

At one time the Canal du Midi stretched more than 240 kms; it took over 14 years to complete this engineering system of canals, locks and aqueducts. The canal was built to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea passing by way of the Pyrenees.

The Canal Du Midi used to have the royal title of the Canal Royale de Languedoc (named after the region) but after the revolution, of course the name had to be changed -- the royal connection was no longer appropriate.

Today, the canal is used purely for recreation. This is a good way to relax and take in the beautiful landscape while someone else navigates.

Visiting the medieval cité is like stepping back in time and you do need time to visit this popular tourist attraction – there’s much to see in the cité of Carcassonne.

The French word, Cité does not translate as city; it means a walled town.

The cité which overlooks the modern Carcassonne has a double row of fortified walls almost two miles long, 52 towers, numerous shops and restaurants with a population of 120 people.

We spent a day driving in the Corbières, south of Carcassonne. Our aim was to trace some of the Cathar castles and to discover the relatively wild mountainous region while checking out the vineyards.

Some thirty Cathar castles are open for visiting today. Most of them have been destroyed, some restored such as the castle of Carcassonne.

Catharism was a religion started up in the twelfth century in Europe but it was in this region of France where the religion flourished. The Cathars saw themselves as Christians but rejected the idea of priesthood and did not worship in churches.

Many of these castles are perched on spectacular hill tops, not always easy to drive to.

Chateau D’ Arques in my photo  is an exception – it was built on flat land.

A Passion for Pears

My guest had an unusual request.

“I’d like to check out the different types of pears in your market-- see which ones are used for eating and for cooking and perhaps try making something for you,” he enthused.

I knew he was a foodie but had no idea he had a passion for pears.

The Sunday market seemed a good place to start.

 We were lucky – the stallholders allowed us to chat, taste and shared their enthusiasm.

We learnt that France is the third largest producer of pears in Europe, the most common being the Poire William available from August to October. 

These are two categories of pears depending on the season.

  Poires d’été (summer pears)

  Poires d’automne- hiver (autumn and winter pears)

We discovered

Le Beurré hardy: available from September—November, the fruit is olive green, has a thick  skin, very fine flesh, and is sweet and juicy.

Le Conference: October – April, this is a juicy pear. The one we tasted was slightly elongated  and  exceptionally sweet and juicy. This is everyone’s choice for desserts, tartes and jams. This is ideal also for cooking whole in wine.

Le Comice: October -- February. This pear is slightly yellow in colour with a very fine white flesh, and seemed a little more fragile than the other varieties.

We settled for six Conference pears and I was treated to a most delicious tarte aux poires. This is  a simple recipe -- easy to make and no crust.

Tarte aux Poires

6 Conference pears

1 lemon

175 gms of butter

200 gms of flour

3 eggs

175 gms sugar

I/2 sachet of baking powder (one teaspoon)

150 gms of chocolate

2 tablespoons of cream

--Peel, remove the seeds and cut the pears into quarters. Mix with the juice of the lemon.

-  Grease a small tarte tin with a little butter and flour.

Turn on the oven to 180° C.

In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until creamy, then gently add flour and baking powder using a wooden spatula. Pour in the melted butter and mix again, very gently and allow to cool.  Pour the mixture into the tin then place the pears on top. Bake for about thirty minutes making sure the pears don’t burn. Cool. Just before serving melt the chocolate and crème.

Cut and serve the tarte with warm chocolate sauce on top.

I served my special eau de vie Poire William that evening after dinner --  the perfect digestif.

Now, that's a recipe I'd like to get my hands on.

Use Cork and Save the Planet

This is the International Year of Forests, a perfect time to look at the cork oak tree which supplies us with natural bio degradable fire resistant cork.

Cork oak trees thrive on the Mediterranean climate -- lots of sunlight, low rainfall and high humidity. The Cork oak tree (Chêne-liège) is fairly easy to recognize in our forests here – the trunk is thick, the branches knotted, it is a sturdy tree.

To obtain cork, the oak tree must be over 20 years old.

Using a special hatchet, the cork is cut from the thick rugged tree in late spring, or early summer. The outer bark is carefully peeled away leaving the inner bark completely intact.

The tree has an amazing ability; it quickly forms new layers of cork to protect itself. Even though it might have been stripped 16 times at 9 year intervals the tree is still valuable for 170 years or more.

This ability to renew itself means we don’t have to cut the tree.

Also, cork trees absorb 30% more CO2 than other trees.  And, according to CRPR, Regional Centre of Forested Properties in France, one ton of cork can absorb two tons of CO2.

Who first started using cork?

It appears the Greeks were the first to seal wine jugs with cork followed closely by the Romans who also used it for fishing floats and shoes. Today, we too, appreciate our comfortable, healthy cork footwear.

But that’s not all. 

Soft but durable cork has so many other uses: cork flooring and wall panelling, everyday products such as handbags and watches, cork furniture and accessories for the home, to name a few.  Even NASA recognised the heat insulating properties of the versatile cork and used it in the construction of rockets.

With the environmental and ecological obligations that we face today is it not important that we protect this natural heritage? Cork harvesting not only sustains the livelihood of many but also protects our precious woodland forest.

Le Thoronet Abbey

The cloisters

The lavabo

Church interior

Nested in amongst the cork oak tree forest of Le Thoronet village is the remains of a fine old Cistercian monastery, a place of quiet beauty and one I like to share with visitors to the Provence.

There are only few abbeys in the Provence; Le Thoronet, situated between Draguignan and Brignolles is one of three Cistercian abbeys known collectively as the “The Three Sisters of Provence.”

Built between 1160 and 1230, the monastery originally housed 20 monks and many lay brothers. These lay brothers, mostly of peasant class were not bound by religious duties but  were responsible for all the manual labor on the estate especially in the making of olive oil and wine, the main source of income for the abbey.

The screw operated olive oil press and some eighteenth century wine vats that the laymen used to make wines are still housed in the cellar.

The abbey was built according to the rule of Saint Benedict -- an abbey must be situated far from economic centers and should have everything necessary – water, a mill, a garden, a bakery so the monks have no need to roam outside which is in no way beneficial to their souls.

The architecture at Thoronet Abbey is a fine example Roman Provencal art. It also reflects simplicity, strength and sobriety.

The walls of the church, dormitories and cloisters are made of dry pressed stone blocks cut and assembled by hand using ancient techniques.

Most impressive though, especially to musicians, is the acoustic property of the church – approximately 12 seconds of reverberations (second after the Taj Mahal) Often the tour  would end  in the church with the tour guides singing – quite  spectacular for visitors.

Concerts are held in the church during the summer.

I attended a concert here one September evening. The sun poured into this simple but majestic church without decoration, without distraction as I listened to the choir perform the Gregorian Requiem – a moving and uplifting experience.