Advent postcards, Villemain Deux-Sèvres

Advent postcard, Villemain, Deux-Sèvres

Advent day sixteen

Today’s cycling advent-ures postcard is from the tiny village of Villemain, a mere three kilometres from our home. It is neatly tucked into the French countryside, so it’s not even somewhere you would drive through on your way to somewhere else. 

 

We will often set off on one of our quick ten-kilometre bike ride loops that take us through Villemain. Sometimes the route finishes with Villemain and then a whizzing downhill back home. Other times it starts with a gentle incline past goat and cow farms before a real leg and lung stretcher as we climb into the woods on the ridge.

 

If you do find yourself there, I think there are a few reasons to stop and take a moment. The first is the village war memorial. Rather than a sculptured rectangular memorial depicting the names of those lost, Villemain's is a statue of a French soldier painted in the palest blue uniform. Set on a plinth behind iron railings, it is always bedecked with flags for Victory in Europe Day on 8^th May and for Remembrance Day on 11^th November.

 

The second reason to stop is the Georgelet goat cheese farm. Any award-winning cheese farm whose cheeses are shipped all over France is worth a detour in my book, and they win gold medals most years at the national agricultural shows. They make a variety of the local speciality goat cheeses including Le Mothais sur Feuille which comes wrapped in a chestnut leaf and the pyramid shaped Chabichou de Poitou. Twice a week the farm shop is open, selling local produce as well as their cheese, but we can also stock up at the Saturday morning market in Chef-Boutonne, which is exactly what we did today, so that’s one bit of my Christmas shopping finished.

 

My declutter challenge this Lent

A family meal out at N@APH79

Manic March

February left us with a shiver as the March winds arrived early. The last few mornings of the month were 0ºc with an icy easterly wind giving a real feel of -10ºc. It was the sort of weather that encouraged comfort eating and we don’t need much encouraging to stray from the healthy track. While chunky vegetable soups and lentil with sweet potato bakes ticked the box for healthy and comforting, we also indulged in one of our favourite cheesy mountain dishes, tartiflette. Even served with a side salad this oven baked potato and melted reblochon cheese dish can’t really be classed as healthy. When Ed and Pearl visit, a meal at the village restaurant is a must, the raclette cheese featuring on the pizzas and in the burgers.

Bugnes for Mardi Gras

 

As February drew to a close, Lent arrived, and here in France, it brought with it more tasty temptations. I know, traditionally, Lent is a time to do without, but it seems no one has told our local boulangerie that. In our area of France, Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is celebrated with bugnes, a light doughnut-type delicacy. The weekend before Lent, we treated ourselves to a bugne each when they were tantalisingly left on display at the till at the boulangerie. A week later when we cycled in for coffee and croissants at the market, despite Lent having started, the tempting bugnes were still there and so we treated ourselves once more. Would you believe it, but yesterday, for the third Saturday in a row, the same thing happened? In our defence, the March wind has made cycling quite hard work, and we’ve also taken on another challenge this Lent that has certainly been hard work, both physically and mentally.

My Lent declutter challenge, day 4

 

40 mins a day, for 40 days

Lent is a time to give something up and I have struck gold on an idea to tackle the clutter in a mega Spring clean this Lent. The plan is simple, spend 40 minutes a day, for the 40 days of Lent, and fill one bag of something every day, to be sold, recycled, or donated. By focussing on one cupboard, or set of drawers, or cluttered corner at a time, and setting a time limit, I won’t get too overwhelmed by the task in hand, something I know I’ve had a problem with in the past. I can’t be the only one who has emptied an entire wardrobe onto the bed and then run out of time and energy deciding what stays and what goes, resulting in more piles on the floor than there were before I started, and a job that never seems to get finished.

My Lent declutter challenge, day 8

 

We are now on day twelve and so far, so good. I’ve sorted through and reorganised all my clothes, shoes, cycling gear and handbags, plus the large wicker storage baskets on top of the wardrobes. I am ashamed to admit that these contained more scarves, gloves and shoes than I even remember owning. As each day’s bag has been filled, the contents have been sorted, and I’ve cycled 27km just going back and forth to the recycling point at the end of the village, occasionally adding in a loop around the allotments.

 

I’m not sure who has been more traumatised by this unusual behaviour, Adrian or the dog. While he has embraced my madness and matched it, clearing a carload of old and obsolete electronics from the dumping ground we once called a dining room, he’s also rolled his eyes more than once at some of my mad ideas. Poor Mini, however is finding it all quite upsetting. Gone is the calm of inactivity she has grown accustomed to, and while she watches suspiciously as we sort through piles and shelves, the minute we start loading the car, or moving bags and boxes out, she is at our heals. “Are you going somewhere? You won’t move house and leave me, will you?”. Poor Mini.

 

Finding a treasure of memories from 2010

Some of our finds have included love letters from over 25yrs ago, an empty pink champagne bottle that neither of us can remember the occasion for which we drank the contents, and a folder full of holiday receipts, maps and the itinerary from our 2010 road trip for Adrian's 40th birthday. 

French Entrée Magazine article Mar/Apr 2012

I also found lots of magazine articles going back over ten years where the blog and our life in France were featured (including one about the 2010 road trip). Adrian managed to fill an entire bag with socks he never wears. 

A curious find in our curiosity's cabinet

Then there was the dead lizard in our curiosity’s cabinet, and while no one can claim that isn’t a curious thing to have, I’m not sure it’s something we need to hang on to.

 

Whilst I would love a place for everything and everything tidied away in its place, this exercise has made me realise that the things I put away in cupboards, storage boxes, drawers etc, I don’t use. I’ve always been a fan of the “Less is More” mantra and now I know that the less things I own, the better I function. 

 

As week three of Lent begins, it’s time to tackle the bookshelves, then the towels and bedding in the laundry room. Wish me luck and if you don’t hear from me, send help, I’m probably trapped under a heap of duvets, lost in a book. 

I’d love to know what is the weirdest thing you have found when having a clearout?

For the love of cheese

Tartiflette, comfort food at its best

Seeking comfort in cheese

All in all, it’s been a bit of a weird week. The weather has been miserably cold and wet, and finding out three local friends have been quite poorly, including our eighty-year-old neighbour Dominique, who is in hospital, did nothing to improve my mood. This coupled with the shocking news that two friends on Facebook lost their husbands this week, really has brought home how fragile life is.

 

Mini, cosy on the sofa

Even Mini the dog has been out of sorts. She is now thirteen and I know we can’t expect her to be immune to the aging process, but it was still quite a shock to have to deal with a soggy sofa and dog bedding on Tuesday morning. The older she has got, the more relaxed we’ve been with our rules, so as well as the sofas, she can often be found curled up on our bed or Ed’s. I guess I was therefore quite lucky as it could have been a much bigger clear-up, on a cold and wet day. Hopefully it was just one of those things, but being a super-hoarder, the sofas are now covered in washable cot protector sheets, bought in Mothercare twenty-one years ago, and the bedrooms are out of bounds once more.

 

Cyclocross by Brompton

Our cycling, along with the weather, has been extreme, although not in terms of kilometres covered. We’ve been out in cold winds and temperatures as low as -3º, that left our faces burning and gloved fingers numb and sore. Rides have been brief, rather than leisurely and enjoyable, but whatever the weather, it’s been good to get out. One afternoon, desperately seeking something a bit different, we decided to take the road less travelled and investigate some routes previously undiscovered by us. The road we chose wound up to an old vineyard, before becoming more of a track as it rolled gently towards the woods, where the gravel become a muddy path through the trees. Soggy soon became too wet to cycle, but the great thing about the Bromptons is they can easily be lifted up, the saddles resting on our shoulders, as we splashed through the puddles to drier land. It was certainly an adventure, although I think I was the only one having fun puddle splashing, as Adrian is far too sensible for that.

Cauliflower and pasta cheesy bake

 

It has been one of those weeks where I have turned to the comforting and healing properties of cheese. Dinners have included a cauliflower and pasta cheese bake and tartiflette, one of my favourite comfort food meals where the Reblochon cheese melts into sliced potatoes, onions and lardons. There is just something about cooked cheese dishes in cold weather that make everything feel better. We even treated ourselves to a local goat cheese in this week’s vegetable basket, whose creaminess went down very well as an early Valentine’s treat with a glass of our homemade sloe port. Valentine’s Day certainly seems the perfect excuse to indulge in our love of cheese, so tonight, we will be celebrating with a slightly unusual Sunday evening meal of homemade pizzas, fully loaded with cheese. 

 

After a strange week, hopefully things have now turned a corner. The weather is forecast to get warmer and as if to prove it, this afternoon we’ve been treated to flocks of cranes flying low over the house, on their annual migration north. It is always a spectacular sight to see that never fails to make me feel better. Spring will be with us soon.

 

Sending you all lots of Valentine’s Day love from France. 

For Valentine's Day, a selection of books set in France, on the theme of love

Lockdown diaries day thirty-nine, Advent day seven, pairing cheese and wine

Advent day seven, Ice Edition sparkling white and Biere Ambrée

Day thirty-nine, Monday 7^th December 2020

 

Advent day seven

It has been cold today and even before the icy rain started to fall, I found myself needing to add extra layers in an attempt to keep warm. Our quick cycle to the recycling saw me wrapped up with my neck tube over my ears, nose and mouth, just to stop the freezing air burning my throat. Friends who spotted us mentioned we looked like robbers on our getaway bikes and it certainly wasn’t the most fashionable look. 

 

Homemade mincepies

Baking seemed the logical thing to do to keep warm, so the first batch of mince pies have been made and another batch of mini naan breads are in the freezer and ready for our lunchtime soups. In keeping with the ice theme, my advent calendar offering is a JP Chenet sparkling white, Ice Edition, but I think I’m craving a mulled wine with a mince pie or two.

 

Christmas risotto

The Christmas flavours risotto I invented last night was delicious and a superb way to cook parsnips and sprouts plus use some of the roasted chestnuts from the freezer. I will definitely be making this again and if we can’t picnic outside on Christmas Day, we’ll be having this, with turkey, for our Christmas lunch. Tonight, I need heat and warmth, so it will be something spicy served with couscous.

 

Larousse A la Française cheese and wine page

France Trivia advent calendar, day seven, pairing wines with cheeses

I have spoken already about cheese and wine etiquette, but do you know which wines to serve with which cheeses, as it’s not as simple as opening a nice bottle of red when you present your cheese board to your guests.

 

Blue cheeses often have a stronger flavour which means a full-bodied red wine is not ideal, as the cheese will cancel out the flavour of the wine. A sweet white dessert wine like a sauternes, however, goes very well with the strength and saltiness of a blue cheese.

 

Goat cheeses can be young and soft, or older and drier and the older they are, the stronger and saltier the flavour. A fruity and acidic white wine, like a sancerre blanc, will allow the flavours of the goat cheese to fully express themselves and unleash all their power.

 

Fondue or cooked cheese dishes need something that will balance out the richness and high fat content. A light, fruity and refreshing wine, like a Chateau-Chalon from the Jura would be ideal.

 

Soft cheeses like camembert and brie, that are milder in flavour are complimented by sparkling ciders or champagne.

 

Soft cheese with washed rinds, like munster, are often the most fragrant of the French cheeses and they will need the stronger wines to stand up to them, like a gewurztraminer. 

 

Medium hard cheeses like cantal are more than happy with a red wine like a côte-du-Rhone-villages or a Saint Emillion.

 

Hard, aged cheeses like comté tend to have quite a strong flavour and need something that offers a good contrast to their strength, and light, dry whites would work well here.

 

Please note, this is just a taster of the in-depth information that is available on this subject, even my trusty Larousse guide has an entire page dedicated to it. What I have noticed though, is in many cases wines and cheeses that come from the same area often seem to be paired together and this is certainly my experience of special meals we have enjoyed in the village. 

Lockdown diaries day thirty-six, Advent day four, the cheese board

My Chardonnay. Advent day four

Day thirty-six, Friday 4^th December 2020

 

Update from Jean Castex, Prime Minisiter

Here are the main points from last night’s address by the French Prime Minister which covered vaccines, the end of confinement and Christmas/New Year celebrations. He was quick to stress that although the vaccine gives us hope, we must also remain prudent as it is not something that will mean the pandemic is over.

 

Vaccines

200 million doses have been ordered, enough to vaccinate 100 million people. This is more than is needed in France, but they didn’t want to end up with too few.

1.5 million euros has been budgeted for the vaccination programme, and only the vaccines actually used will need to be paid for. 

There will be a three-phase roll out of vaccinations, beginning in January with the elderly who live in care homes, their carers and those deemed to be at most risk. This is expected to be around one million people.

Phase two will cover around fourteen million people and include those deemed at risk, as well as healthcare professionals.

Phase three will begin in spring 2021 when the vaccination will be offered to the general public. It will be free to everyone in the French health system to ensure as many people as possible are vaccinated, but it will not be made compulsory.

The majority of the vaccines used in France will be made in France at Pfizer-BioNTech based in the Eure-et-Loire or Moderna based in the Indre-et-Loire.

 

Confinement

The current period of confinement will end on 15^th December, assuming the Covid-19 numbers continue to improve. He is hopeful to reach the point where the average contamination rates are less than 10,000 new cases per day (this still seems to be a scarily high number to me!).

An overnight curfew will come in on 15^th December from nine o’clock in the evening until six o’clock in the morning. This will be relaxed for the nights of 24^th and 31^st December.

 

Christmas and New Year

There are no firm rules in place for year-end celebrations, but the government are urging everyone to limit gatherings to a maximum of six adults. In addition, should you wish, any number of children can join you.

 

Adrian's IPA

Advent Day four

Adrian’s ruby beer from the advent calendar yesterday didn’t go down too well. I thought it had a lovely bouquet and was bursting with flavours of cherry and raspberry, he said real men don’t drink fruity beers. He is much happier with today’s offering, an IPA, which will be a real treat for him this evening. My sparkling rosé was OK and today I have my first white wine, a Chardonnay. 

 

Ed will be cooking tonight, something to accompany my Chardonnay, with chicken and his selection of vegetables. I did a quick stock take as although we’ve always included a good selection of veggies in our diet, I’m not sure we’ve ever had as much choice in the house as we have today. Thanks to a combination of our garden, Pearls parents, the local veggie pannier and some recent great deals at the supermarkets, we have, onions, shallots, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, celeriac, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, mushrooms, parsnips, peppers, flat beans and courgettes, plus what is in the freezer. I am sure he can come up with something tasty from that list.

 

We had a few errands to run today and managed to get out early, before the rain began, and again late afternoon when although cold, it was dry, and the sky was showing a hint of a sunset. Enough with the horrid weather December, please. It would appear the first of the month heralded a massive shift in our weather, and it just seems to be getting worse. Gone are the blue skies and crisp, clear days, replaced with cold, icy rain, gloom, wind and cloud. Adrian has a theory that the weather on the first day of the month gives an accurate idea about what the rest of the month will bring. So far, he seems to be right and today ended up being a three-coffee day just to try and brighten our moods.

 

French cheese

France Trivia advent calendar, day four, the cheese course (fromage)

Is a cheese course necessary? It is according to food gourmet Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) who is quoted as saying “un repas sans fromage est une belle à qui il manque un oeil” (a meal without cheese is like a beauty who is missing an eye). Today, however, Larousse says that although the cheese course enables us to prolong a lovely meal, it is not totally necessary, something Ed would agree with 100%.

 

The cheese board itself should be a small wooden tray or a large plate and must either contain a minimum of three varieties, or one whole cheese. The perfect mix is a soft cheese, a hard cheese and either a sheep (brebis) or goat (chèvre) cheese. Only ever bring the cheese to the table as you are about to serve, so as not to inconvenience your guests with its odour. Ed would agree with that 100% as well.

 

Cutting French cheese. Always cut the cheese to match its shape, this will ensure you don’t leave just the rind for the next person, and always take some of the rind with your piece. Before putting down the cheese knife either clean it against the side of your plate, or a small piece of bread, after all, no one wants to mix the tastes of Brie or Roquefort when they make the next cut. Although we only have chèvre and a hard cheese, I still think I will put together a small cheeseboard for us tonight. 

Book review of A Winter Retreat at the Paris Cheese Shop by Victoria Brownlee

A Winter Retreat at the Paris Cheese Shop

My review today is for A Winter Retreat at the Paris Cheese Shop by Victoria Brownlee, the first part of her debut novel that is being released as a series by Quercus. Part two, A Summer of Love at the Paris Cheese Shop was released today.

In addition to the gorgeous cover, what initially attracted me to this series was the challenge main character Ella sets herself when she discovers her local cheese shop in Paris. Newly arrived, lonely and in need of someone to talk to, she makes a point of returning to visit and sample a different cheese every time. This is so me and those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may see the similarities to my patisserie challenge.

A Winter Retreat at the Paris Cheese Shop is just the first part and sets the scene well. We meet Ella and find out why an Aussie who had hopes and dreams of marriage suddenly finds herself alone in Paris, looking for work and stumbling around in a cheese shop. It tickled my taste buds, but ended far too soon, with merely a hint of the cheese selection promised. However, this is to be expected as although the book will be available in full later in the year, it is currently being released in four parts and this first taste certainly left me hungry for more. While I do love the anticipation, I was also a little frustrated I couldn’t carry straight on.

Part two was released today and parts three and four can be pre-ordered from Amazon, links can be found below. I can’t wait to get back to Paris with Ella.

You can read how author Victoria Brownlee likes to enjoy a LazySundayinFrance here and you can follow Victoria at her website, on Twitter and Instagram.

Tourteaux Baubeau Club Ambassadeurs 79

Tourteaux Baubeau, Lezay 79 fresh from the oven

Last week, on a cold and foggy morning (and we’ve had more than our fair share of those so far this winter) I set off on an adventure. I like adventures and this one ticked many boxes. It involved food, it was local and it was free. 

Here in the Deux-Sèvres department we have a kind of loyalty card scheme run by the tourist office called Club Ambassadeur 79. The scheme is free to join for residents of the Deux-Sèvres and as well as offering reduced price entry to local attractions they also organise group tours to local producers. I wrote briefly about this scheme when I signed up in 2014, (see here) but last week was the fist time I’d actually got around to using it. As my legs and I know from my cycle ride around the Deux-Sèvres, it is a long department and things that happen in the north are not really on my doorstep.

One of our local specialities is the Tourteau Fromager, a baked cheesecake I wrote about in 2013, (see here) which is traditionally served for celebrations like weddings, christenings and retirements. I was rather excited to see the Ambassadeurs were being offered a tour around the patisserie where they are made, Tourteaux Baubeau, near Lezay and I couldn’t put my name down quick enough.

Mini galette fresh from the oven

Our group, that was mostly made up of retired French couples (yes, I was the only non-French person there) arrived in the morning just as a batch of little galettes came out of the oven and just in time to watch the start of the day’s production of Tourteaux. It was cold and dull outside, but inside it was warm and with a welcoming smell of baking and the seven members of staff didn’t seem at all bothered with us getting in their way. Tasters were of course offered and enjoyed.

The Tourteaux making process

The Tourteau has a pastry base and is filled with a light and airy batter that contains fromage frais, which can be made with goat milk or cow. The first part of the process is separating the eggs, all 350 of them that are required to make just over 200 tourteaux. The actual number will vary as the volume of the beaten egg white varies depending on the external temperature. They have a pretty cool machine that separates the eggs, where the whites fall through the holes leaving the yolks to plop into the basin. Any rogue yolk has to be removed from the whites, which are beaten to soft peaks before being folded into the yolk, flour and sugar batter.

Hand mixing the egg whites into the batter

We were told at the beginning of the tour that the flour, eggs, fromage frais and butter all come from the local area and much of the process is still carried out by hand. They weren’t lying, but I’m not sure any of us were expecting to see the hand (or should I say arm) mixing in of the beaten eggs to the batter.

A delicious slice of tourteau fromager

Once the batter is spooned into the shells they are cooked at 300° for about 20 mins. The volume of egg white in the mix means they rise, but also that they brown very quickly hence the black top. The cooking process is watched very carefully, by shining a torch through the glass door of the oven, but as they looked black very quickly how they knew when they were cooked was a mystery to me. Once done, the oven was switched off and the door was opened allowing a cloud of smoke and smell of burning to escape, but the tourteaux stayed put for four minutes. It wasn’t quite the nice smell of baking we had arrived to, however, don’t be put off by their burned appearance as it hides a delicious, moist, light and airy cake within.

If you live in the Deux-Sèvres and would like more information on the Ambassadors scheme, click here.

This post has been linked to #AllAboutFrance over at the Lou Messugo blog. Click here to read more.

Tartiflette Recipe for Cheese Lover's Day

Tartiflette

It is January 20^th and according to the oracle that is the Internet, it’s Cheese Lover’s Day. I am a cheese lover. Cheese made from cow’s milk, ewe’s milk and goat’s milk; I love it. Soft cheese, hard cheese, young cheese, mature cheese, I love it; it’s cheese and it's delicious. Warm it up or bake it and then I'm in heaven.

One of the questions I always ask on my France et Moi interviews is “What cheese are you”, because it’s so much more interesting than “What is your favourite cheese”, but not an easy one to answer. After a bit of thought I have decided I am a Tartiflette cheese. By myself, when I’m somewhere new, I’m nothing special, even a little bit dull. But, warmed up and in the right company, I come into my own. Tartiflette cheese served from the fridge is nothing much flavour wise, but mix it with potatoes, onions, lardons and bake in the oven and it becomes the perfect winter comfort food.

It has been too long since I shared a recipe with you, so today seems the perfect day to share my recipe for tartiflette.

For Four or Five People:

1 kg of potatoes

1 large onion

1 packet of lardons (200g)

1 clove of garlic (optional, but I love it)

1 glass of dry white wine

1 Tartiflette cheese (500g)

Wash and slice (but don't peel) the potatoes and then boil until just beginning to feel tender.

In a large frying pan, sauté the lardons but don’t let them brown, remove them from the pan and fry off the onions in the lardon fat until soft, and then remove from pan.

Add some butter to the frying pan (if necessary) and add the cooked, drained potatoes and sauté for five minutes add the onions, lardons, crushed garlic and glass of wine and continue cooking for about five minutes (until the wine has evaporated).

Pour everything into an oven dish. Cut the round of tartiflette cheese into two disks the same thickness, and then place on top of potato mixture. Bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Serve and enjoy it’s melty deliciousness.

This post has been linked to Dreaming of France, click here to read more.

Fete de la Chevre 2015 Celles-sur-Belle

Fête de la Chèvre 2015

Today was a tasty day.

Today was the day the local town of Celles-sur-Belle held an all day event celebrating the deliciousness that is goats cheese, the Fête de la Chèvre.

The tasting table

We carefully planned our arrival for the opening of Le Grand Plateau or the big platter where a 1€ ticket gave you access to one of the largest and heavily laden tables of assorted goats cheese in the world. Last time we went to this event, a few years ago, the tasting table was free and I have a feeling that our gluttony at being presented with a free-for-all chèvre feast has necessitated the 1€ charge this year.

Clever cheese displays

The producers were there to chat and explain the differences between the cheeses and every cheese was different, trust me I tried them all. In terms of texture there was everything from runny, to soft, to hard. The flavours ranged from mild, creamy and subtle, to strong and very strong. The cheeses came in all shapes and sizes and were displayed with real attention to detail and arty flair.

Fromages de Chèvre

We also visited the Maison des Fromages de Chèvres, a small museum dedicated to all things goat, where we watched a demonstration of how to make goats cheese.

Artistic cheese displays

My eyes were certainly bigger than my belly when it came to cruising the table, filling my plate, pausing to nibble and taste before filling it up some more. Interestingly, our French friends from the village who were also there confirmed the French have the same saying, but at least I got to bring some cheese home to enjoy this evening with a glass of wine.

My leftover cheese

This post has been linked to Paulita'a Ponderings Dreaming of France blog link up. Click here to read more.