Chateau Perroterie

2012-03-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

Its that time again when French pork is on promotion, every supermarket at the moment has really cheap pork chops & pork roast joints. The French housewives eagerly awaits this season, they fill their freezers with bargain pork meat. Why I hear you say is pork suddenly so cheap, & the answer is simple, like Spain, France loves their dried cured hams such as Jambon Sec. The pigs are reared almost exclusively for the curing of their back legs, the rest of the animal is then sold at a really discounted price. A little factoid is that the left back leg is almost always more expensive, pigs tend to lie on their left side & this helps to tenderize this leg! Strolling around the supermarket I came across pork cheeks, a part of the animal I have never tried before, but having heard the celebratory chefs on TV raving about this cut I thought I would try them out. I wasn't to be disappointed. The secret as with any muscle meat that is well exercised & of course the cheeks are the main chewing area, you must cook it slowly.Recipe is as follows:-

PORK CHEEKS IN RED WINE

Heat a medium to large frying pan with olive oil, season cheeks with salt & pepper, I allowed 3 per person. Sauté till brown, remove from the pan & keep warm. Add a mix of julienne carrots, onion, & celery, dash more oil & cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile bring a 1/2 bottle of red wine & 250ml of chicken stock bubble away till reduced by 2/3rd In a casserole pot spoon in the vegetables place the cheeks on top, pour over the reduced liquid & season, place lid on top, bring to boil on the top of the cooker, then pop into a low oven 100-125c.or a slow cooker. Cook for 2-3 hours checking every hour, ensure there is plenty of liquid. Remove the cheeks & rest on a warm plate, return to the warm oven. Strain the juices & press the vegetables with the back of a ladle try to get as much juice out from the vegetables. Pour into a pan & reheat, add a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly if you like. I decided to fry some bacon rashers & add as a final piece of crunchy decoration. Serve with garlic mash & a selection of steamed root vegetables, cut each cheek on a diagonal (looks nice) then pour over the rich gravy. Et Viola!
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2012-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

Spring has almost sprung!
What a difference 2 weeks makes, from minus10 degrees daytime temperatures, to today's glorious 25 degrees full sunshine.

Its been a very busy week at Chateau Perroterie, we open for business in 5 weeks time & I have made a start with my "spring cleaning". John my amazing DIY husband has been very busy fitting panelling & boxing pipes, & meter boxes. I love living in a large old property, but boy does it require a huge commitment keeping up with all the day to day running repairs. The property looks even more beautiful this year than last, it just keeps maturing & blossoming.

Dwarf Hyacinth

In amongst the work we still make time to enjoy ourselves. I had my neighbour down for lunch on Friday, I decided I would make a chocolate mousse, I read recently that because chocolate melts at body temperature, it has been one of the deciding factors in chocolates success, we love the moment that it melts in our mouth releasing its seductive flavours. Chocolate mousse can be a tricky thing to make, but if you follow a few little rules I think its very easy.

Chocolate Mousse

Start with a pan of simmering water, place a bowl over the pan ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, break 100g chocolate into cubes & allow it to slowly melt, stirring from time to time. Meanwhile whisk 4 egg whites till stiff, add 2 tbsp castor sugar, continue to whisk till stiff & glossy. In a small pan slowly bring 6tbsp of heavy cream to the boil then remove from the heat. remove the bowl of chocolate & pour hot cream on top with a dash of rum if you like, now don't touch the mixture for 15 seconds, then swiftly stir the chocolate & cream together achieving a smooth glossy consistency. Then add a spoonful to the egg whites with a gentle turning action then add all the rest of the chocolate mix, never add the egg whites to the chocolate. Then simply spoon the mixture into 3 large glasses or 4 medium size, depending on how greedy you are feeling. Pop in the fridge immediately leave to chill for at least 2 hours. Naughty but nice.

2012-02-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

Today has many different names, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, a day we traditionally make pancakes for our family & friends. I have fond memories of one particular Year.

I had just started working as a classroom assistant at a special needs school in Petersham Surrey. I was the new member of staff & more than a little nervous of my abilities to work with mentally ill & disabled children. At the morning staff meeting there was a very distressed head teacher, she had forgotten the packets of pancake mix, and the children were expecting to make pancakes & eat them at lunchtime. Much to my surprise non of the teachers knew how to make pancake batter from scratch. I said how easy they were to make and if they liked I was happy to make a batch for them. Before I knew what had hit me I was whisked (pardon the pun) off to the kitchen & presented with an apron, and asked what I required, I said it was simple a bag of flour, salt, eggs, & milk. 10 minutes later the first class arrived & we had a great time making & tossing about 12 pancakes, the children had a great time, in fact so much so the other 6 classes asked if they could make them too. I spent the entire day in the kitchen working with every class, I made over a hundred, & yes one did end up on the ceiling much to the delight of the kids.

I walked home tired & smelling of sugar & treacle but elated, I had bonded with the kids & I loved this new job.

When my children & husband arrived home there were cries of you are making pancakes tonight. So once again I found myself in the kitchen making stacks of pancakes, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, caster sugar & bananas, what a day, and one I will never forget.

2012-02-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day is one of my favourite days of the year. Its a day where you make a special effort & tell the one you love how much they mean to you. Our 12 day of Arctic weather decided to thaw this morning, so I called one of my favourite restaurants Aux Fountaines in La Reole, they said they could fit us in. So booted & suited we ventured out & fortunately the roads were much better.

The Restaurant specialises in South West France cuisine, its delicacies are seasonal & hearty. I started with a Coupe of Champagne, while trying to decide what to choose from the fabulous menu. We were in for a very special lunch. My starter was a Seafood Bouillabaisse with a cognac & cream foam, a delicate little salad of seafood & rocket, absolutely yummy full of big flavours. To follow a Cabbage parcel stuffed with fresh salmon & a smoked salmon mousse poached in a white wine & stock broth which was made into a cream sauce, this was sitting on a bed of sautéed mixed vegetables. Light delicate & full of flavour but not heavy in any way. To finish a chocolate mousse with white chocolate ice cream, very rich but hey chocolate & Valentine Day go hand in hand. Espresso coffee with handmade macaroons & little chocolate cakes. Feeling full, thoroughly spoilt & full of love.

2012-01-29T02:16:00.000-08:00

Carrying onthe Lemon theme, I wanted to use up a few leftover goodies from this week. Idecided to make this simple but yummy frozen dessert.

I used a 1litre loaf tin, double lined it with Clingfilm making sure I had enough hanging over tofold over the top. I had some leftover Madeira cake, I sliced 3 1cm pieces& lined the base of the tin, I poured over some homemade Limoncello onto the sponge cake, you can of course use any liqueur you wish but I was lookingfor a lemon taste. I mixed 300ml of Mascarpone with 2 tablespoons of icingsugar in a bowl, you can use double cream whipped up with the icing sugar, butunfortunately I cannot get fresh double cream here in France. Please adjust thesweetness to your own preference. I added the juice of a lemon & its zestto keep the citrus theme going. Spread 2/3^rd of the cream over thesponge, on top of this I spread a generous layer of Lemon curd (look at my lastBlog for recipe). I had 2 meringue shells needing used up, so I crumbled themover the lemon curd. Finally top it all off with the remaining cream. Use a skewerto swirl through the mix then fold over the overlapping Clingfilm & placein the freezer for 24 hours.

To serve turn the tin out onto a plate about 10 minutes before eating, removethe Clingfilm spoon over any fruit you have available – Bon Appetite

2012-01-24T01:27:00.000-08:00

One of myfavourite food ingredients is lemons, I love their zingy taste, and they helpliven almost any dish. I start my day with a glass of hot water 2 slices oflemon, its cleansing effect is very beneficial to the kidneys & aids as aflush through. When I have a cold I add a spoonful of honey, & during thewinter months a slice of root ginger along with the lemon is an additionaltonic for the liver.

Recently Icame across a brilliant recipe for a Microwave version of Lemon curd. Courtesyof a fellow Blogger Kirstin Bousing. At first I had my doubts, its so simple& very quick; however it proved to be a really great way to make this veryuseful conserve.

Method:

In a largePyrex bowl whisk 3 eggs & 2 egg yolks, add 160g caster sugar, the rind of 1lemon, 160ml lemon juice, 125g diced butter, microwave uncovered (7-10 minutes)50% power, whisk every minute, meanwhile warm 2 jam jars to sterilize. When theLemon curd has thickened pour it into the warm jars. Once the conserve is coldkeep it in the fridge. I promise you once you have tried this method you’llnever make it any other way.

2012-01-17T02:58:00.000-08:00

Finallywinter is arriving here at www.chateauperroterie.com.The days are shorter and the blue skies have disappeared. In my kitchen it iscosy and warm, time I think to make some soup.

A quicklook into my freezer and I spot some simple carrot soup – perfect. Once itdefrosts I can add to it, and today that will be garlic, ginger, honey, and adash of coconut cream. The colour is amazing, and the health properties of thisboth is awesome.

2012-01-13T02:07:00.000-08:00

New Yeargreetings to all our clients & friends from Chateau Perroterie.

This yearwe spent Christmas in the UKwith our family, we decided to drive over & make a few overnight stops enroute, breaking up the journey & giving us a chance to see parts of France wehaven’t yet visited. Our car was packed with so much wine & food goodies (2 particular cheeses could perhaps have been left behind - Pooo!) there was barely room for presents! Our two little grandsons are at the perfectage, & they really embraced the magic & excitement that only children can truly experience.

Now we arehome & enjoying the continued mild winter, so no excuse for putting off allthose outdoor jobs. This is our busiest time for enquiries & bookings,& they have been flooding in, 2012 is already a huge success & we can’twait to meet all our new clients & of course welcome back our clients whoare returning for a second & in some cases third time.

Whilst Johnis busy outdoors, I am busy in my lovely cosy kitchen cooking & testing outnew recipes for this year. My biggest challenge is to come up with new ideasespecially for our vegetarian guests.

France

has not grasped the conceptof vegetarian cuisine, so I am doing my best to be creative with what isavailable & more importantly in season between April – October. I hope myefforts will be enjoyed by all my non meat eaters, only time will tell.

Chocolate delights

2011-12-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

Today I made my annual Christmas visit to our local chocolate factory;it has to be my favorite part of Christmas shopping. Guinguet have been makingchocolates since 1950. This visit is very high up on our client’s wish listalong with visiting vineyards.

Guinguet specialize in prunes dipped in chocolate, picked anddried from their own nearby orchard, they are simply delicious. It’s reallydifficult to choose from the huge selection on offer, and to make it moredifficult, you can sample as many chocolates as you can eat! After a veryenjoyable 20 minutes I left with armfuls of lovely treats all beautifullywrapped. The French really know how to make the customers life easier.

And now for the history bit (could be useful for the pub quiz)!.Theancient Aztec and Maya civilizations were the first to recognize the potency ofchocolate and used it to celebrate the harvest of the cacao beans. They brewedit into a hot, spicy drink and believed it gave them wisdom, enlightenment andsexual prowess. Only men in the ruling and religious classes were allowed todrink the chocolate.

Cocoa beans were used as currencyby the Mayan and Aztec cultures. Perhaps this is where the saying "Moneygrows on trees" came from.

In the 16th century, the Spanish crushed the Aztec empire and tookhome the Aztec methods of extracting undiluted unsweetened liquor fromfermented cacao beans. They sweetened the drink with honey and sugar and foryears it remained a rich man’s drink. In the 17th century, chocolate becamepopular across Europe. It was still sold onlyas a drink and as it attracted high import duties, was enjoyed by the rich. Indue course, chocolate drinking houses opened and these became popular meetingplaces. Around 1700, the English started adding milk, so making the drink lessbitter.

A fewuseful factoids you may not know: -

* Forchocolate to be lethal, a person has to consume 22lb of chocolate.

* Thereare no allergies caused by chocolates.

* Eatinga chocolate before a meal will take the appetite away hence, it helps to keep abalance diet.

* Chocolatereleases the hormone, serotonin, which makes a person feel relaxed, calm, andhappy.

* Unlikethe common belief, chocolate is not high in caffeine as ten chocolate barswould equate to only one cup of coffee.

* Thereason why chocolate is good for humans is that cacao beans contain theobrominethat helps to enlarge blood vessels, which then treats high blood pressure.

* Normally,the shelf life of a bar of chocolate is a year, but it can be put in a freezerto be kept indefinitely.

* Darkchocolate has more antioxidants than green tea, and just as many asblueberries.

* Allowingchocolate to melt in your mouth produces the same or even stronger reactions aspassionately kissing.

As if you needed any convincing that a little chocolate isactually good for you!. I hope all you chocolate lovers out there enjoy yourshare of chocolate treats this Christmas, remember9 out of 10 people like chocolate, the10th person always lies!

2011-12-08T00:37:00.001-08:00

Winter has finally arrived here at Chateau Perroterie,strong winds and rain, its time for big roaring fires, and hearty salads……..yes you read right, salad, it’s fast approaching the period of excess, richfoods, and copious amounts of alcohol. So John & I have decided we would moveinto cruise control and eat large salads till the festival season arrives.

Tonight the salad I created was a bowl of baby gems& Mache leaves, salmon cooked in butter and olive oil, then flaked, slicedcooked new potatoes, slithers of Serrano ham, sliced green olives, juliennecarrots, the dressing was a blend of mayonnaise, crème fraiche or naturalyoghurt, sugar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, capers, thinned down with oliveoil. I whizzed it all in a blender, but you can use a clean jam jar, taste andadd seasonings if necessary. The dressing will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.Serve with crusty bread, and a glass of chilled white Sauvignon blanc, www.domainedelaulan.com . Yes just a simple salad!!!!!!

2011-12-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

We were invited to our English neighbour’s vineyardfor supper last night. Jacky & Iain Chater started up in business nearly 9 yearsago, with no previous experience in the wine business, let alone the cultivation& production of wine. Jacky & Iain come from an IT background and are passionateabout French wines. They now produce award winning wines, and recently theyreceived their organic certification. They deliver all over the world and are rapidlybecoming a serious “Tour de force”

Ourclients love visiting their vineyard; you are treated to a really interestingtour and of course, some great tastings at the end. View their website -

http://www.domainechater.com/vineyard.htm

Jackymade an amazing mushroom soup, followed by a rich Coq au Vin, a beautifulcheeseboard and finally a sweet mince Filo parcel with a yummy nutty ice cream.Sadly I forgot my camera so no lovely pictures, not that Jacky would’ve let metake any photos anyway!!.

New starts

2011-12-05T13:01:00.001-08:00

Chateau Perroterie

John and I have finally had time to focus on ourbusiness Blog-spot. Wewant our Blog to be interesting, helpful, and fun. The Blog will focus on ourhome/business, what's great about Franceand especially our area of France. We are bothpassionate about food, drink, the whole "terroir" thing.

We have just returned from a visit to Carcassonne in the Languedoc region. The beautiful medieval city is of course full of history and a real honey pot for tourists, this didn't bother us, or the crazy tourist prices! The cuisine is legendary especially the Cassoulet, this is where we took issue. The restaurant menus were unimaginative very similar, expensive, and woefully poor in the taste department. So marks out of 10 - historical atmosphere 10/10, overpriced gifts 7/10, cuisine 2/10, local wines 8/10, friendliness 6/10 would we recommend a visit, yes but only a 1 night stay.

Carcassonne

On our return to Duras in Lot & Garonne, we were reassured that our region is far more beautiful, friendlier, cheaper, great value cuisine, our Cotes de Duras wines are delicious. So we unashamedly boast that we live in a great part of France, and it is our mission to promote our area's many qualities as honestly as we can, and yes we are biased!

Aux Fontaines

2011-11-13T05:01:00.001-08:00

Must tell you about our lovely meal last night. Some clients very kindly took us to a restaurant which John & I have wanted to try out for ages. The Restaurant is called Aux Fontaines & is situated in La Reole. http://www.restaurant-aux-fontaines.com/plan-restaurant.html It is a beautiful old town house the entire front has been converted into 2 dinning rooms. which takes about 50 covers. I have posted the restaurants link so you can see the whole menu. I had a stunning aubergine caviar which can be a bit boring but the addition of spice & refreshing lime with fresh crab & prawns mixed through, topped with rocket leaves, and there you have a very nice starter. The main was a supreme of Guinea fowl, slightly gamey taste, with braised red cabbage rosti & saute buttered vegetables. The dessert was a chocolate & fig delight, very very rich but at this point your at the point of no return. A very big thank you to Laraine & Robert.

2011-11-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

There's something about the weekend, its a time to catch your breath after a busy week, time to chill out. I thought it would be fun to make a few wishes as I slowly woke up on a grey wet morning. 1. A lie in bed with a cup of tea, 2. A lovely cooked breakfast, 3. Sitting by a roaring fire reading a good book, 4. A glass of wine watching a movie. 5. A Chicken & chorizo risotto, followed by a piece of sticky chocolate brownie. Now I can report that all of my wishes were granted, what a great day.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO RISOTTO

Melt 100g butter in a non stick frying pan, add a finely chopped shallot & 1 clove of garlic, sauté till golden, add 150g Arborio risotto rice stir till coated in the butter, let the rice slightly burst (2 mins) to allow the fluids to be absorbed & the starch from the rice is released. Add a good glug of either white wine or in my case some vermouth, wait till its absorbed. Have a pan with 750ml of chicken stock ready, add a ladle of stock to the pan, stir & let it be absorbed before adding the next ladle full, it may not need all the stock or it may need a little extra stock, its always different. Mean while fry 2 chicken breasts cubed, & some sliced chorizo. When the risotto is almost ready add the chicken & chorizo, stir in some chopped parsley.
Enjoy your weekend make lots of wishes - Angel Blogger

2011-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Really busy at the moment getting our property winterized, so a speedy easy supper needed. A quick look in my fridge where I found 2 chicken breasts, some jambon sec, jar of cranberry sauce, & a piece of blue cheese. Here's what I have done.

Between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper place a chicken breast then let all your stress of the day out by hammering the meat (tenderising more chefy term) till its flat & twice its size. Spread a good spoonful of cranberry sauce onto the chicken followed by some crumbled cheese. Gently roll the breast forming a parcel shape, then lay out a couple of stripes of dried ham, place the chicken parcel on the edge & again roll till the breast is encircled in the ham, place in a roasting tin, then drizzle over some olive oil & salt & pepper. Cook in a moderate hot oven 400f, for 20-25 minutes, leaving enough time to have a soak in the bath with a chilled glass of Rose wine. Very satisfying end to a very satisfying day. Hope you too enjoy this sometime.

Love Angel Blogger.

Canasta card night

2011-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well autumn is finally here & Brrh is it cold. With the cold evenings comes the ritual of beautiful log fires & cosy comfort food. Our good friend Jayne has invited us to an evening of cards or Canasta to be precise. I offered to supply supper & I decided it was time to drag out my autumn winter recipe book, this is a version of Delia Smith's Shepherd's Pie, I say version as I have tweaked it over the years.
2 Onions diced
2 Carrots diced
2 little white turnips
chopped fresh thyme & fresh parsley
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
280ml chicken stock
1Tbsp tomato paste
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
Salt & pepper
2 sliced leeks
Handful grated cheese.
Sauté onions in olive oil (5 mins) add carrots, turnips for a further 5 mins. Remove the vegetables, brown the pork & beef add the veggies, season, add cinnamon & herbs, the flour which will absorb any liquid left in the pan. Add tomato to the stock, add to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover & cook for 30 minutes or place in a warm oven 300F 1 hour. Mean while boil a pan of potatoes I like half potatoes half celeriac easier to digest. Mash them with lots of butter leave to cool. Heat a medium frying pan with butter add the sliced leeks & cook till golden, set aside. When the meat base is ready spoon into a casserole dish which will take it all, then top with the mash, then layer over the buttery leeks, & finally a scattering of cheese. Place in a moderate oven 350f till cheese is melted & the whole dish is hot through.

A further variation for vegetarians, omit meats & fry some cubed aubergine add to the other vegetables, you could also add a tin of chopped tomatoes or cooked lentils, substitute the stock for vegetable & follow the recipe as above.

2011-10-22T03:07:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are to be celebrated, and yesterday I was lucky enough to be thoroughly spoilt. We stayed at one of my favourite hotels www.chateaudesanse.com near to St Emilion. We know the restaurant manager Jennie who is a sweetheart & really looked after us. We dined in the restaurant I choose the Maigret de Canard (duck breast) which was just to die for, with a lovely ginger & lime sauce, washed down with a local Bordeaux red wine which is exclusive to the hotel purchased from a nearby vineyard Juillac. To follow a chocolate fondant with amaretto ice cream. I am one very happy girl.

2011-10-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

On days when I am really busy & time is against me, & I need a quick fix lunch I throw together a Pizza.A quick look in the fridge & I found salami, mozzarella, red pepper, tomatoes, anchovies, & parmesan cheese. A casual assembly of these ingredients on a ready made Pizza base, then place in a moderate oven about 350 F cook for 20-25 minutes.It was a very yummy combination, the down side was I realized my fridges needed sorting out & 2 hours later 3 sparkling clean fridge freezers.

2011-10-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

Its the most beautiful autumn morning the sun is continue to shine here at Chateau Perroterie, it makes me wonder if this Indian summer is ever going to end. Just in case we do have a sudden dip in temperature I am cultivating my delicate herbs, just a touch of ground frost & they are finished. All my herbs are in the ground as they grow so much better & of course I need a huge quantity, if your's are in pots great, just keep a watch & if frost is forecast bring them in doors. All I do is cut the herb to near the ground pull the leaves off if the stems are a bit tough otherwise include them, throw a large bunch into a food processor chop till fine then trickle some olive oil (not the good stuff) until it forms a paste. I line a baking tray with parchment paper & place a heaped teaspoon onto the paper, usually a spoonful is the equivalent of a stock cube measure. Then I pop the tray into the freezer for a few hours. I use Zip bags, label them, then I have a few weeks supple of frozen herbs. The good news is they are as flavoursome as if you had just picked it from the garden. I also did Tarragon, Parsley & Basil. Now my freezer is an exotic space full of tasty seasoning for the winter months. A tip I always add the frozen nugget straight into the pan or casserole no need to defrost because it does that pretty quickly on its own especially when you add it to a hot liquid. A golden rule with adding seasoning's whether they are fresh, frozen or dry, TASTE BEFORE YOU ADD ANY FORM OF FLAVOURING. You can adjust the flavour gradually but if you add too much its very difficult to correct. I hope you enjoy your frozen herbs if you choose to do the above. Love Angel Blogger.

Romesco Sauce

2011-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger

In August we were very busy catering for a lovely Dutch Yoga group. I made a refreshing Spanish salad with roasted peppers which I then stuffed. They sat proudly on a mound of lettuce leaves which I decorated with herb croutons, toasted almond. The Romesco sauce was drizzled over the leaves & the peppers had a silky garlic cream sauce, & a shaving of Parmesan cheese to top it all off.

Really yummy if I don't say so myself. It was a balmy evening so they ate on the west facing terrace, watching the sun set, can't ask for more really. I thought I 'd share the Romesco sauce recipe as it is so handy. I use it on vegetarian dishes like the above, but it is equally great on fish pork or chicken. Hope you like it, always good to hear your comments.

Serves 4

Handful of ideally fresh garden tomatoes, I used our cherry toms. Wash them throw them into a roasting tin, add a sliced red onion, garlic clove, small red chilli, good gringing of salt & pepper, glug of olive oil, then into a hot oven for 20 minutes. Let them cool, then simply puree in either a blender or food processor, press through a chinese sieve then freeze or use immediately for the sauce. Whisk in 1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar depending on taste, a couple of Tbsp olive oil, anchovy paste to taste or omit if vegetarian. There you have it really gorgeous tomato sauce perfect for almost any occasion.

Sunday game of Canasta

2011-08-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger reporting.

Today is the start of a big French weekend, the last of the summer holidays. Traditionally its a long weekend visiting friends & family & lots of eating & drinking. The annual summer holidays come to an end next week.

The weather today was supposed to be a very hot 31 c & full sun, however nature decided to change its mind at the last moment. Thunder, rain sticky humid heat but not an outdoor day. Some of my wonderful friends spontaneously arranged a lunch & Canasta, we all as always chipped in. I rummaged in the fridge & made some puff pastry & goat cheese tartlets. We had a fab duck curry with quite a kick to it. Meringues & fresh fruit, & lots of wine which everyone brought along. I sadly did not win at Canasta but thoroughly enjoyed a fun afternoon with good friends.

Goats cheese tartlets.

ready made puff pastry mine was a circle piece, I cut out 12 discs & with an oiled tart tin lined the pastry in place. Prick each pastry case with a fork, then pop into a moderate oven for 10 minutes, remove the tin & then push down the centre to make a hollow, I previously had gently sautéed a red onion after 10 minutes add a sprinkle of brown sugar & a dash of balsamic vinegar, this will caramelize in about 10 minutes, cool. Mash about 60g of goats cheese add a dash of cream & a small beaten egg, this will be mixed till blended. Add a spoon of onions into the tartlets then a spoonful of goat cream, a sprig of thyme on top. Pop into the moderate oven for 7-10 minutes.

Duras night market

2011-08-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger

I love our evening markets in July & August, its a time to meet with friends & enjoy some lovely food & wine. Each town host's their night market & there is lots of competition between between.

We went to Duras with friends, it was a beautiful balmy night. We decided to eat & drink at Molhiere's, a business run by 2 the brothers Blancheton. Patrick is the vine grower & makes some fantastic wines, one of their white wines is the house wine for the famous French restaurant La Gavrouche in London a Michelin star establishment. We happily can buy it for a fraction of the cost.

François the elder brother runs a very classy little shop & bar in Duras, he is the salesman. His wife Yannick is a beautiful cook, & she was cooking outside the shop on her Plancha. amazing giant Gambas cooked in whisky & cream. You may be a little surprised to hear that she used whisky, in fact the French are passionate about their whisky, they have been close amies with Scotland for centuries. There was a great band playing popular French music & people were singing & dancing, the atmosphere was really fun.

We are looking forward to our biggest day of the year tomorrow, our local wine festival with all the top local wine producers present, a day of wine tasting & sampling lots of our local produce, all under the roof of the ancient medieval Chateau.Watch this space for pictures & news.

Concert at Chateau Perroterie

2011-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here!

Our singing group who were with us this week did a little concert last night for us & some of our friends. They came on a singing holiday to learn more about music & their voice. The week is to help them have more confidence in themselves climaxing in a performance. They really sang their hearts out, some were better than others but they all were so brave to get up & sing to a group of strangers. We wish them a safe journey back to the UK & thank them for bringing music & song to our space here in France.

Restoration of our ancient kitchen

2011-07-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here.

My husband & I recently finished creating a stone circle for ourselves & for our guests. It was only completed 2 weeks ago & already is a great success with our friends & clients, children are particularly attracted to it. Not content with this achievement, my husband John has just started work on trying to rescue our ancient outdoor kitchen which is perilously getting ready to collapse. Parts of it are 6th century & the oven ceiling is amazing, the idea is to first prop up the old lintels, repairing the crumbling stone work around the lintels with a view of removing the roof & eventually re roofing to protect the inner parts of the building. The end of the kitchen has a small circular space which was a monk's cell, I would love to convert this into a meditation star chamber with a small fire in the centre. One day we hope to have it working as an extension to our kitchen with a pizza oven BBQ & bar for eating & drinking al fresco style. I will keep you posted as to its recovery fingers crossed it will survive. Its also the height of our season & to be starting this type of venture is probably madness, but that's very much our style. Watch this space!

Quiche Lorraine

2011-07-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all Angel Blogger here.

Its been an intensive cooking period for me with lots of courses coming soon. The hardest part for me is getting confirmation of everyone's dietary requirements, not an easy ask, but the last thing I need is someone turning up with a peculiar diet or allergy. Here in France it is very difficult to get vegetarian alternatives, & as for Vegan well that is really tricky. I have slowly developed a great vegetarian collection of recipes tried & tested, even slowly getting my head around gluten free recipes. When I am in full culinary flight I even dream about cooking, in fact a lot of my best ideas come when I am asleep!

Today is a Quiche Lorraine event & is a real French favourite, with my guests. I hope you like this old favourite too.

Serves 6

250g Packet of good quality shortcrust pastry, unroll immediately from the fridge & line a large loose bottom flan tin. Cover with greaseproof paper, I don't bother weighting it down with rice, dried beans etc. Pop into a moderate oven 350, about 20 minutes then remove paper & bake another 5 minutes. Sprinkle 200g grated cheese of choice over the base, then top with 2 sliced tomatoes, a grinding of black pepper, then sprinkle200g of bacon lardons (which you have previously cooked) on top, if vegetarian leave out. whisk 6 eggs in a bowl, then in a jug measure 1/4 litre cream & 1/4 litre milk, add to the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, pour over the quiche, place back into the oven about 25-30 minutes till set. This quiche freezes well & is great for picnics or serve warm for a quick easy lunch with salad on the side. Bon Appetite!

Pavlova

2011-07-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Friends of ours who live in the grounds of Duras Chateau very kindly hosted a big charity lunch yesterday, my contribution was a raspberry Pavlova. The day raised hundred of Euros & the weather was perfect. There was over 130 guests attending & a fantastic jazz band.

I wanted to share a few tips on how to make the perfect Pavlova. I am lucky enough to have a Aga cooker which makes fabulous meringues, however any oven will do the job almost as well.

Serves 8

I use room temperature eggs separate the whites & save the yolks ( use for lemon curd or creme brulee). Place 6 egg whites into a scrupulously clean bowl ( I use my Kenwood mixer for speed) add 2 Tbsp of caster sugar per egg white, here I used 12 Tbsp. Mix on a medium speed till the whites become stiff meringue & you can turn upside down & it won't move. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper or a silicon liner shape into a round, hollow the centre a little. Place in your oven on the lowest setting you can, leave for 3 hours till it is completely dry. You can switch the oven off & leave in the oven overnight. When the Pavlova is cool top with double cream & fruit of choice, decorate with mint leaves.

The perfect summer starter

2011-07-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

Today we were once again entertaining clients over lunch. A lovely Irish couple who have booked a Yoga week next June.

They had travelled from Near Biarritz so were really hungry. We had aperitifs & nibbles to start as is the French custom. Then a beautifully refreshing starter a Watermelon & crab tian. Followed by pan fried fillets of red mullet sitting on a bed of sautéed leeks, onions & fennel. Followed by Eton mess. Today I am sharing the recipe for the starter we enjoyed.

You ideally need a cook's ring, pack in thinly sliced watermelon 2 layers, then in a bowl mix 2 prepared crabs white & brown, you can substitute fresh for faux crab if you like. Mix in a little mayonnaise enough to bind the crab, add curry paste to taste, a dash of lemon juice. Pack the crab on top of the watermelon. Place in the fridge for a few hours ideal for dinner party all the work is done in advance. When you are ready press down gently & slip the ring off, decorate with cucumber & a prawn. I make some coriander oil & add to some mayonnaise & a pinch of cayenne pepper this wants to be a decorative drizzle on the plate, yummy. I know you will love this dish, all comments really welcome. Love Angel Blogger. Serves 4.

Fetes Des Madeleine

2011-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

My local town Duras is a really pretty little Medieval town. Every year at his time we celebrate a 3 day festival with night markets selling lovely local delicacies, there is lots of singing & dancing, of course the mandatory fireworks, its an excuse for the locals to have fun & let their hair down, it also commemorates the feast of Mary Magdalene on 22nd July. Mary Magdalene is a very important person in France, probably more so than any other country in the world. Poor old Mary has had a lot of bad press from the Catholic church in the past, she was portrayed as a prostitute, but this has subsequently been clarified & her importance is being rewritten. There are all kinds of legends & stories which have come to light in recent years, it has been suggested she may have been the wife of Jesus & that she fled to France with their children after the crucifixion. Thanks to the very popular Dan Brown novels, he inferred that she is buried under the Pyramid in the Louvre Museum. They also say that there are more statues of Mary Magdalene in France than Mother Mary. This area of France is alive with stories of her & The Knights Templar, hidden buried treasures, magical meridian Ley lines (energy lines in the earth) which connect important buildings & churches all over France, with secret esoteric messages waiting to be deciphered.

As this is a very busy time work wise for me I don't usually have the time to join in the festivities, but this morning I slipped down for breakfast with friends, something I love to do every Monday which is our weekly market. This morning it was particularly busy despite the gloomy weather. Our local boulangerie had a special table set up outside, with lots of yummy pastries & breads all available to taste free of charge. I just love the friendliness & the innocence which is still very alive here in my part of France. They certainly know how to enjoy themselves. Love to you all Angel Blogger.

Garlic prawn starter

2011-07-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

We are still in holiday mode here in sunny France. Yesterday was the famous Bastille Day & is celebrated all over France ending with spectacular firework displays. We went to Duras last night, it was the summer evening market with lots of food stalls & long communal tables where you eat & drink with friends & holiday makers.

Today we were lunching at our neighbours Chris & Natalie's & some family friends. Chris made a delicious garlic prawn starter. He heats some olive oil, garlic, a shallot, little chilli, heat through add prawns Coriander & a squeeze of lemon. Decorate a plate with pretty salad leaves, spoon the prawns onto the lettuce & pour over the pan juices, eat straight away. Angel Blogger x

Chicken pesto pasta

2011-07-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

We have had a group of 20 young people staying here at Chateau Perroterie this week. They left earlier today relaxed happy after a fun stay.

Its always a busy day when we have people leaving. So I like to cook something simple & quick for supper. Tonight I tried an experiment & we really liked the end result. Please let me know what you think!

Slice 2 chicken breasts into thin slithers, sprinkle over salt & pepper. I have a vegetable cutter which makes pasta, I made courgette pasta from 1 large courgette. Heat some olive oil into a frying pan & sauté the chicken pieces sprinkle over 2 chopped garlic & mix in. Meanwhile cook some Tagliatelle pasta (I freeze pasta slightly under cooked & simply pop it into the boiling water, when it returns to the boil switch off) drain reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta stock. Mix the courgette into the pasta stir in the pasta water. In a small saucepan spoon 4 tsps of pesto sauce warm through then add 1 large tbsp creme fraiche stirring till it is a smooth sauce. Season the pastas, add 1/2 the pesto sauce serve in a bowl place the chicken on top & drizzle over the rest of the sauce, scatter some basil leaves over eh Viola!

Serves 2

Courgette garlic brie soup

2011-07-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

I love this soup recipe & as my friend Natalie was coming for lunch today this is what I decided to make to kick off the meal.

Cut up a large onion 4 cloves of garlic, in a large pan warm some olive oil, add the onion & garlic gently sauté for a few minutes till golden. Add 4-5 large courgettes sliced a glass of white wine cook for 5 minutes add a litre of vegetable stock salt & pepper, bring gently to the boil reduce & simmer for 30 minutes. Blend the soup & allow to cool unless you want to eat it straight away.

At this stage allowing the soup to rest for a few hours or overnight will only improve the flavour, you can freeze the soup at this stage.

Reheat the soup slowly, crumble in 150g of Brie or any other soft or blue cheese. When the cheese has melted into the soup add a generous splash of cream. Serve & scatter on croutons.

Serves a generous 4

Enjoy love Angel Blogger x

Summer starter

2011-07-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Gosh can't believe it has been a week since my last Blog, its been a very busy exciting time. Now its time to take a breathe & relax for a few days.

Last night we did a 21st Birthday dinner party for 20. It was a beautiful evening & we set the table outside on the terrace. The sunset was just amazing & the dinner went really well.

The starter was a beautiful smoked salmon remoulade, filled with goats cheese & cream cheese. A very pretty dish & with a little preparation it can be done the day before. On the night it is a very simple case of setting on the plate quickly, perfect for a dinner party.

Lay a double layer of cling film on worktop. Lay 4 slices of smoked salmon overlapping. In a bowl mix 75g goat's cheese & 50g cream cheese, I use Boursin with garlic & herbs. chop a Tbsp of gherkins & 1 Tsp capers, add to the creamed cheese. spread along the centre of the salmon. Take edge of cling film & carefully roll up the salmon & then twist ends to tighten the whole roll. Put into the fridge for 24 hours. I like to use an oblong plate decorate the edges with scattered rocket leaves, cut the salmon roll into either 9 large or 12 smaller slices, the cling film will easily come off. Place 3 on each place in centre of the plate, I like to drizzle a nutty lemon vinaigrette around or you can add thin slices of strawberries. Crack some black pepper over serve immediately.

Lots of love Angel Blogger

2011-06-24T02:52:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here - I hope everyone is nicely gearing up for the weekend, Friday has a special energy no matter where you are in the world. My son Gareth & 9 friends arrived late last night, they are currently sunbathing around the pool deciding what to have for lunch, no decisions made so another cold beer seems to be the answer. My neighbour has an organic goat farm & makes the most amazing cheese. She has just arrived with a small selection of what she produces. Now we have some crusty bread, ripe tomatoes & fresh goats cheeses, that's lunch sorted. Enjoy the weekend.

Filo & feta tart

2011-06-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here.

I made one of my favourite lunchtime dishes today. I find that Filo pastry is much easier to digest & not as heavy as shortcrust pastry. My clients love it, we have a corporate group this week from Danone, Evian & Badoit. They have travelled from all over the world to be here & I am so glad that they have found our little heaven on earth. So if you fancy a little heavenly tart try this one out.

Line a flan tin with greaseproof paper then take a sheet of filo pastry brush with olive oil & cayenne powder, repeat with another 3 sheets placing on a different angle. Then in a large bowl crack 4/5 eggs depends how big the tin is! whisk add a block of feta cheese crumbled, a handful of grated cheddar or any hard cheese, a handful of cooked frozen spinach (defrosted) a dollop of creme fraiche, a small handful of pine nuts or sunflower seed. salt & pepper, finally a glug of olive oil. Go back to the pastry & smear over some pesto pour over the egg mix - gentle roll over the overlapping edges of filo to make a pretty edge. Place in a very hot oven 220 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175 degrees for about 20 minutes. the tart should looked firm & cooked. Rest for a few minutes before serving. Tastes great cold too.

2011-06-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here!

Been another really busy day, but as promised I am Blogging a recipe I prepared today. I made a Onion & Garlic Soup this is everyone's favourite Amuse bouche which we serve at the start of dinner. Its incredibly tasty for such a simple recipe & it has very few ingredients.

Serves 20 as a demi coffee cup portion:

75g butter

2 large onion sliced

5 (yes 5) garlic finely chopped

1 Litre stock Vegetable or Chicken

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Grating of nutmeg

2 Tbsp sherry

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add onions & garlic, sauté till golden but not brown. Then add all the other ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce & simmer for 15 minutes. Cool & liquidise. Then either freeze (improves flavour) or pop in the fridge till ready. Reheat add a dash of cream if you wish. Serve in Amuse Bouche tureens or small coffee cups, add a crouton - use teaspoons to eat. This recipe of course can be doubled or trebled to make a proper soup bowl portion. I really recommend this soup. Bon appetite!

2011-06-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

Angel Blogger here.

Very busy couple of days. My sister in law & her partner left on Wednesday & its been a mad scramble to get everything in place for our Corporate retreat. Danone & Evian are coming to brainstorm, they are travelling from all over the world, this is quite a feather in our cap & really looking forward to the challenge. I hope to have the time to show you some of the yummy dishes we are serving during their stay. No time to cook today my lovely hubby made a lovely Cheddar & tomato sandwich on wholemeal. I was so hungry I ate it before I thought to take a photo! Sorry!

Tomorrow I promise to have a lovely picture & a recipe. Sweet dreams to all my FB friends.

2011-06-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had an amazing day with some members of our family.

We started with a trip to Duras for Cafe cremes & pastries in Regine's. Then a wander through the market tasting lovely cheeses & sauccisons.

Then we drove to Chateau de Sanse for a beautiful 3 course lunch, regardez the pictures! A leisurely 3 hour lunch, love the civilised way the French take an age to eat their food.

So what to do after a lovely lunch. Ah some shopping, groans from the men but we women won. Off to St Emilion a beautiful medieval town, they say its the most famous wine region in the world. So a bit of wine tasting with our friend Benoit, he has this private wine tasting room & because we have known him for 5 years he always spoils us with his kindness & generosity.

My sister in law & I bought some beautiful jewellery ( Girls this really was a great day). After a steep walk to the top of the Town, then of course its all downhill. At the bottom is the lovely restaurant The Medieval, we had chilled beers in the late afternoon sunshine.

Then home to open a Double Magnum bottle of red wine on the front terrace watching the sunset. Just a great day, good food, good wine, good company, what else could we wish for?

Roast pepper salad

2011-06-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a great weekend with some family from the UK. We have really enjoyed a chilax Sunday lots of catch up chatter, lovely nibbles, icy beers, buffet style dinner which we are slowly wadding our way through. The popular dish tonight is definitely my Italian grandmother's roast pepper dish. The flavours are so much more intense in summer when the peppers have been kissed by the sun. This dish ideally needs to be prepared in the morning & left to marinate for 5 - 6 hours. You need lots of lovely crusty bread to soak up the amazing juices. Enjoy.

Serves 6

4 medium peppers red & green, cut in half length wise, remove seeds. Place on a roasting tray sprinkle over some olive oil. Roast in a very hot oven for about 30 minutes till blistered & charred. Take out immediately & place in a big bowl & cling film immediately. After 20 minutes peel off the skin, cut in long slithers Add 2 chopped garlic cloves, salt pepper & olive oil. cover & chill till your ready. Love Angel Blogger x

Spaghetti Puttanesca

2011-06-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here.

Tonight I have some friends coming over to take part in our first Reiki share. They were attuned to Reiki 1 just over a month ago, it will be lovely to see them all again & share their thoughts on how the first month has gone. Today was going to be busy so I decided to simplify what we would have to eat. I always look to make things tasty, if possible look nice, & when busy take as little time as possible to prepare. I love pasta dishes, my mother is from Italian extract & my life has revolved around Italian & Mediterranean food. When we moved to France it was a very easy progression to incorporate French food along with my Italian. The dish I decided to cook was Spaghetti Puttanesca, a family favourite. We were lucky enough to live in Italy for 9 months & travelling around the different regions was amazing. This pasta dish is supposed to be from Naples & translates as "Whore pasta or prostitute pasta", the reason being its quick & easy to prepare between clients!

In a medium size saucepan pour in a good glug of olive oil, add 2 chopped garlic a chopped chilli red or green, some fresh basil, cook for 5 minutes. Add 5-10 anchovy fillets, 12 black olives stoned, 2 teaspoons capers, watch the anchovies simply melt away & make the sauce lovely & salty but not fishy. Add 5 medium chopped tomatoes or a tin of tomatoes. 1 tablespoon tomato purée. Simmer for 40 minutes allowing the flavours to penetrate each other. Cook some thin pasta in salty water. When its ready drain reserving a ladle of the starchy water, add to the sauce to thin it a little. Grate over some fresh parmesan cheese & there you have a very tasty but quick meal. Its even nicer the next day.

Le Petit dejeuner

2011-06-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in France is usually a small affair but as always tasty. The love affair with croissants, delicious puff pastry crescents rich in butter is a relatively new thing. It is thought to have originated in Egypt or Turkey. It’s portable & is delicious dipped in coffee. The choice is either a croissant, pain au raisin, or a pain au chocolate. Our local town Duras although small has 3 Boulangerie. Our favourite is the Pains des Ducs, we take our pastries to Regine’s at the Café Paix where we order Grande café crèmes I love the fact that you bring your own food into the cafes & quite openly eat them along of course with a hot or cold drink purchased from the establishment, all very civilized.

Croissants are very versatile & are equally tasty as a savoury brunch or light snack. Sliced & filled with a thin slice of smoked ham & cheese, or sun dried tomatoes with aubergine slices, or Artichoke slices which have been marinated in oil, along with garlic mushrooms, in fact anything your heart desires, be imaginative, sprinkle some cheese on top & pop into the oven or under the grill for a few moments, the filling melts a touch & the pastry puffs.

Asparagus & Avocado salad

2011-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

We went to market today & I saw this amazing asparagus stall. This vegetable is so delicate & beautiful it deserves to be handled with care & eaten tout suite!

acts about Asparagus
Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of asparagus, thick ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove, rinse under cold water, and drain.
Combine asparagus, avocados, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, parsley, coriander, mint, vinegars, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over asparagus mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or chill for 2 hours. OR simply pour over melted butter or olive oil, enjoy!

Pork spare ribs.

2011-05-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here - just finished some yummy sticky pork ribs, talk about finger licking. A good friend of ours Peter May a famous crime writer www.petermay.co.uk , did 2 writing courses here at Chateau Perroterie. Peter is an avid cook, he found this recipe in China when he was researching the plot for his Chinese trilogy. It has 3 parts to the method but don't let that put you off, & don't be tempted to cut corners.

8 Large pork ribs in tack don't chop at this stage into individual ribs.

625ml water

5thsp brown sugar

2tbsp sliced ginger

2 minced garlic

275ml soya sauce

2tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp chilli flakes

Place the piece of rib meat in a large roasting tin, pour over enough water to cover. place on a hotplate & slowly bring to a slow boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the water & rest the pork.

Clean the roasting tin & put the pork back in, add the 625ml of water & ginger, bring to the boil on the hotplate then add brown sugar, garlic,, soya sauce, sesame oil, chilli flakes, cover with foil & place in the oven 400 f after 10 minutes turn the meat over & leave the foil off. Cook for another 30 minutes baste, check the tenderness, at this stage allow to cool.

30 minutes before you want to eat, boil up the juices Then pour over the ribs & grill for a few minutes.

Mothers day linch

2011-05-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today was Mothers day here in France, and as my mother is staying with me, we decided to go to our favourite restaurant "Ma Maison" to celebrate.

We drank champagne & ate savoury cake made with prawns salmon & nuts. We had pate foie gras & veal sweetbreads in a rich cream & tarragon sauce. Chilled rose to wash it all down. Finally a selection of miniature desserts. Followed by espressos in the courtyard. Ah what a meal what memories.

Beer & Pizza

2011-05-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here

After a busy week Friday night is beer & pizza no cooking. A drive down to Duras, a table in the sun opposite the beautiful Chateau of Duras. 2 icy cold beers, catching up on all the local chat. Raphael parks her Pizza van opposite the cafe bar & all evening she cooks amazing pizzas. Tonight we choose a Volponi & a Margherita, delicious.

2011-05-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger

The weather is cooler today, a very welcome relief from our heatwave.

We went to the lovely Bastide town of Eymet, their Thursday market & pretty little shops are very popular with the tourists. Following my last Blog on Marmande tomatoes I thought I would continue the theme. The market stalls were full of Marmande tomatoes, so big bright & juicy. So I hope you enjoy these 2 new recipes, both are very French so maybe not everyone's cuppa tea.

Tomates A La Coque, Mouillettes de Concombre

4 Tomatoes

1 cucumber

125g Guacamole

100g Tuna fish in spring water

Pinch of cumin powder

Juice of 1 lemon

1 sprig of tarragon (6-7 leaves)

Serves 4

METHOD

Cut the base of each tomato so they sit well on a plate. Then cut a slice off the top, with a small sharp knife, carefully loosen & empty the inside of the tomato into a bowl along with the drained tuna. Add the lemon juice, cumin, salt & pepper to taste, fill 2 of the tomatoes. Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Cut one half of cucumber into batons (minimum of 4). Dice the other half of the cucumber, mix into the Guacamole along with the chopped tarragon leaves, season with salt to taste. Fill the other two tomatoes with this filling. Decorate each stuffed tomato with a cucumber baton.

These tomatoes make a lovely starter with a rocket salad. If you want to make them as a canapé, simply use cherry or olive baby tomatoes, they look really cute on a plate & are a delicious one mouth bite. Bon appetite.

2011-05-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here, I hope I find you all in rude health & enjoying life.

Today I took my mum, to the Gascon town of Marmande the "Tomato capital" of France, only 20 minutes from Chateau Perroterie. Every summer the town has a 3 day tomato festival & people come from miles around to join in the fun.

A very hot spring has meant the tomato season has begun very early & the tomatoes have been exceptionally good. Tomatoes are one of my favourite vegetables although in fact they are a fruit. I love eating them straight from the vine, while they still have the warmth of the sun on them. Sliced with mozzarella cheese & basil & a glug of olive oil is the quickest & tastiest dish, all soaked up with fresh bread yum! When the season is really at its height its a case of making, sauces, purées & of course drying them in the oven, then conserving them in oil in jars. It is always such a treat in the winter when tomatoes are pale & tasteless, to pull out the freezer a tub of rich tomato sauce, perfect for soup, or a spaghetti topping, it has summer written through it.

In this region of France a tart made from Marmande tomatoes is cooked in every household. Its so quick & easy too, so today this is my sharing recipe for you. Bon appetite.

Marmande Tomato Tart

500g puff pastry

450g Marmande tomatoes

2tsp Pesto sauce

1 small chopped garlic

2 tsp olive oil

8 fresh basil leaves

Salt & pepper

Method

I line a tart tin (slightly smaller than the pastry disc) with grease proof paper. Then unroll the pastry onto the paper, press around the tin lightly. Place onto a baking sheet, prick base chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius/ gas 6. Bake pastry case for 20 minutes, remove & allow to rest a few minutes. Spread the pesto over the base thinly, arrange the sliced tomatoes in an overlapping fashion on top, (you can skin the tomatoes if you wish). Sprinkle over garlic, salt & pepper, drizzle over the olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven, add torn basil leaves, then bake a further 5 minutes till the tomatoes are just cooked - Viola. Serve warm.

OOPS

2011-05-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger has made a faux pas! forgot my photo of my lovely kitchen where we enjoy many a yummy meal. Have a great Sunday evening - Karen x

Hoorah my mum is here on holiday!

2011-05-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here.

[Image]
Collected my mum from Toulouse airport today, she is spending 2 weeks here at Chateau Perroterie, what fun we are going to have. She was really hungry as she had a very early 4am start from her house. We sat around our big kitchen table & munched our way through roasted garlic chicken, Melon & parma ham, tomato basil & mozzarella, new potatoes, freshly baked bread, green salad with a yummy with a great lemony vinaigrette, all washed down with chilled rose & red wine. A wonderful simple but very tasty start to a 2 week feast of gastronomic delights.

2011-05-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

Good evening Angel blogger here. Wow what a hot day, hottest day so far. The clients are loving it & making good use of the pool.

I'm sitting here in my kitchen just putting the finishing touches to the evening meal. Menu tonight is as follows: Amuse bouche which is a crostini with tapenade & stuffed olive, followed by home made hummus with vegetable crudités, the main is an Aubergine tower with courgettes tomatoes pesto goats cheese & a tomato & sherry sauce, this is nicely finished off with a delicious creme brulee. Of course wine & coffee is also on the table.

Amuse Bouche!

2011-05-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

Angel Blogger here – I thought today I would look at how the French start a special meal. You may have heard the word “Amuse Bouche” or “Mis en Bouche” the translation is to amuse, delight, or to put in the mouth. It is literally something to tease & prepare your mouth for what is about to be served.

Because it is the first food your eyes & mouth receives, the taste should be good but not too overpowering.

As we are enjoying a very warm spring I choose to do a chilled Beetroot & apple Gazpacho last night. Now normally I am not the biggest fan of beetroot, but this recipe is softened with the addition of apple juice. If you are a fan of beetroot by all means use less apple juice. This is very easy to make as well as being refreshing & nutritious. It is suitable for vegetarians & vegans too, so every one is happy.

RECIPE SERVES 8-10

450g cooked beetroot not pickled.

½ cucumber seeded & diced

2 Tbsp water

250ml Apple juice

! Shallot

4 mint leaves

1Tbsp lemon juice

METHOD

Put the cooked beets in a liquidiser, along with all the other ingredients. Liquidize till smooth. I prefer to now strain the juice through a Chinese sieve (large holes) you get a better texture, but if you prefer it pulpy don’t bother. Pour into a measuring jug, you need ½ litre juice, if necessary add more apple juice. Chill for at least 2 hours. Pour into small glasses or black coffee cups, garnish with a slice of apple.

Variations: if you want this as a health drink then it’s the perfect quantity, double or treble ingredients for a large bowl portion. It is an extremely healthy soup & perfect for the summer.

Note – I have gone to the trouble in the past to roast my beetroot, but to be honest the taste wasn’t any different & this way is so quick & easy.

Warning Beetroot stains everything so wear disposable gloves or be very careful.

2011-05-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

I love cooking & that is why it is my pleasure to do this Blog.

My philosophy in the kitchen is, keep it simple but tasty. I appreciate cooking is not everyone’s thing, but it is something that can grow on you, relax remember it isn’t the end of the world if it doesn’t work out, just try again. I love a bit of music going on so I can be found singing while stirring. I do strongly believe you have to cook with love; it is without doubt the magic ingredient.

How many times have you cooked a meal with little or no enthusiasm, but purely through necessity? I think its better when you really can’t be bothered or just too tired, to raid the freezer or get a take away.

So in keeping with the simple theme, I have done a very easy quick dessert, always a good stand by & always popular ETON MESS

Students from Eton College were said to of created this.

Serves 4. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001723.html This link is for weight conversion.

500ml Crème Fraiche

Small Punnet of strawberries

2 meringue nests

Sugar to taste.

To a large bowl add the crème fraiche or if you prefer double cream & whip till thick. Add a dash of sugar to taste. Slice the strawberries, reserve 4 whole for decoration. Add the fruit to the cream & gently fold in. Break the meringues into small pieces add to the bowl. Fold into the cream. Spoon into 4 large wine glasses, top with a strawberry & a mint leaf. Place in the fridge to chill. VARIATIONS : sliced bananas, add a liqueur of choice to the sliced strawberries let them marinate in the alcohol for an hour, add to the crème. Enjoy.

2011-05-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

PERIGOURDINE SALAD

Yesterday’s was such a mile stone for me completing my first ever Blog was such a thrill, I hope to regularly post recipes as well as chat.

The weather is unexpectedly hot & sunny after a forecast for rain & thunderstorms, just as well, as I had an unexpected call from some German friends who have arrived for their annual 2 month stay in the area.

You know when you’re really busy & the last thing you need is visitors let alone having to prepare an impromptu lunch. Well after a quick look in the fridge I decided on doing a lovely Perigourdine Salad, followed by cheeseboard & bread, & of course lots of lovely wine, which they very kindly brought.

Talking about wine we went to friends for dinner last night, the food was lovely & it’s always nice to have someone else do the cooking. I was sat next to this guy who really fancied himself as a bit of a wine connoisseur (bore). What is it with people who think that wine has to cost a fortune, come from a very smart vineyard before its worth quaffing? As far as I am concerned if I am enjoying a good local wine which by the way our local wines are & very reasonably priced then I am happy. Now I’m not saying that it’s not nice to drink a vintage wine from time to time, but some people do take it a bit far. http://www.cotesdeduras.com/uk/appellation.html I hope you get a chance to try this salad it really is yummy.

PERIGOURDINE SALAD – serves 4

1 oak leaf lettuce
1 packet of bacon lardons
1 Duck breast. Can substitute duck for chicken
12 slices smoked duck breast
4 boiled eggs quail ideally but hens eggs are OK
12 walnuts
1 handful of garlic or herb croutons
1 Tbsp mustard (preferably grain mustard)
60ml of peanut oil
60ml of walnut oil
60ml of sherry vinegar or raspberry vinegar
salt, pepper

Preparation

Score the duck skin in a criss cross fashion (helps release the duck fat) Heat a griddle pan without any oil, when it’s hot add the duck skin side down. Turn after 5 minutes, the skin should be lovely & brown, then another 5 minutes on this side. Test to see if the duck is cooked how you like it; this will be pink, cook a little longer if you want it more cooked. Then let the duck rest a few minutes to relax.

Wash the lettuce, Mix the peanut oil, walnut oil and vinegar in a bowl
Add the mustard and stir in thoroughly
Add salt and pepper to taste, you will have left over dressing depending on how much you like. Keeps great in a screw top jar in the fridge for a few days.

I personally like to serve the salad on plates; I put the lettuce in a bowl big enough to toss, add half the dressing, and toss the leaves. Dish a generous portion on each plate, followed by egg wedges, croutons, walnuts, smoked duck, finally thinly slice the cooked duck breast & place on top. Drizzle a spoonful of vinaigrette over the top of each salad. VARIATIONS You can spread pate foie gras or a duck pate on triangles of toast place 2 or 3 around the plate, also apple slices can be mixed in. BON APPETITE

My very first Blog

2011-05-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Ooh how exciting is this my very first Blog. My intention is to regularly post interesting recipes & photos, along with any helpful tips & info I come across. I live in a beautiful part of SW France near a little town called Duras. The region is famous for its wine & food. & remains unspoilt. My Husband & I run a Retreat Centre which we opened in 2008.We facilitate workshops & courses, from Yoga, Art, Creative writing, Singing, Sacred dance, Reiki, Personal development etc. My interests are varied and cover cookery, wine, Massage, Reiki, reading, music, dancing, and many more. I am constantly evolving & learning, & my hope is that this will be a reciprocal Blog & be of interest to you & to me. Please feel free to tell me what you think & if you like what I post. As I am a"Blog virgin" please excuse my early postings, Any advice will always be welcome. I look forward to some interesting interaction in the near future..

Chateau Perroterie

Method:

Chocolate delights

New starts

Aux Fontaines

Canasta card night

Romesco Sauce

Sunday game of Canasta

Duras night market

Concert at Chateau Perroterie

Restoration of our ancient kitchen

Quiche Lorraine

Pavlova

The perfect summer starter

Fetes Des Madeleine

Garlic prawn starter

Chicken pesto pasta

Courgette garlic brie soup

Summer starter

Filo & feta tart

Roast pepper salad

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Le Petit dejeuner

Asparagus & Avocado salad

We went to market today & I saw this amazing asparagus stall. This vegetable is so delicate & beautiful it deserves to be handled with care & eaten tout suite!

acts about AsparagusAsparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Pork spare ribs.

Mothers day linch

Beer & Pizza

OOPS

Hoorah my mum is here on holiday!

Amuse Bouche!

My very first Blog

acts about Asparagus
Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.