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.