Shopping for Dinner in Aix-en-Provence

Seasonal Produce

Going to the market is always a delight in France, and it's never that difficult deciding what to cook for dinner.  I often have an idea in mind, but sometimes I just let myself be inspired by the produce on offer.  It's asparagus and strawberry season in the south of France at the moment, so they both had to figure on the menu that evening. As always, I was tempted by the local goat's cheese - I chose a 'mi-sec' cheese  which translates as 'half dry'- it would have been left to mature for 8 - 15 days.  This cheese is delicious  with fresh crusty bread or use it  to make a goat's cheese salad for lunch.

Goat's Cheese

So dinner consisted of; a roast chicken (look for a label  that says 'élevé en plein air' - ie. free-range) with a gratin dauphinoise  served with asparagus and spring carrots; followed by the goat's cheese and then some rather delicious if naughty cakes served with the strawberries.

Just a small selection from Riederer, Aix-en-Provence

Gratin Dauphinoise Allégé


This version uses half stock and half cream, so is less calorific than the traditional version and makes a good summer accompaniment to a barbecue as it is not too rich.  It is also wonderful with roast chicken (you can buy very good roasted chicken from the market in France or buy a chicken to roast at home.

1kg waxy potatoes  

150ml hot chicken or vegetable stock

150ml cream (in France buy the Crème de Fleurette – red carton but otherwise use single cream)

Butter

1 clove of garlic

Gruyere cheese 

Salt & pepper

Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes ( parboil the slices for 4 minutes and drain).  Butter a gratin dish and make layers of potatoes, seasoning each layer with crushed garlic and salt & pepper.  Pour over the stock and cream.  Dot the top of the gratin with small bits of butter and some gruyere cheese.

Bake in the oven for at least 1 hour.  Test with a knife to make sure the potatoes are cooked.  The top should be a lovely golden colour.

Variation - Use only chicken stock to cook the dish and add half a sliced onion to the layers of potato and garlic


Serves 4.

Gratin Dauphinoise

Bon appétit et à bientôt,

Rebecca.

Lemon Tart Recipe

Following on from my last blog post about La Fête du Citron in Menton, and the abundance of wonderful citrus fruits available at this time of year, I decided to make a lemon tart and share the recipe with you.  I have tried numerous recipes over the years, but this is my favourite. It comes from a Josceline Dimbleby cook book and is meant to be made with a chocolate shortcrust pastry.  A step too far in my opinion (I did try it) but I prefer it with a simple shortcrust pastry.

For the pastry
220g plain flour
110g cold butter cut into cubes
pinch of salt
Cold water

For the filling
3 lemons preferably unwaxed and well scrubbed.
4 large eggs beaten
150g caster sugar
150ml double cream
Icing sugar to decorate


Place flour into a bowl and stir in the salt, rub in the butter quickly until it resembles breadcrumbs, then using a metal knife stir in enough water (start with 2 tablespoons of water and add more if necessary) to form a dough. wrap in cling film and chill for 30-45minutes.


Pre-heat oven to 200C/gas 6.  Roll out the pastry and and place in a  lightly greased 23cm/9in loose bottomed quiche tin. Trim the edges leaving a slight overlap and line the pastry case with parchment/greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, chill for 10minutes then bake blind for 12-15minutes. Leave to cool if you have time.

Reduce the oven to 175C/gas mark 3.  To make the filling, grate the lemon zest into a bowl, then squeeze the juice and add to the zest.  Add the beaten eggs, sugar and cream and beat until thoroughly combined.  Pour into the pastry case and carefully place in the oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is just set.  You may need to protect the pastry from becoming too brown - I use strips of foil to cover the pastry if this happens.  Leave the tart to cool and simply sift over a thin layer of icing sugar to serve.  Serves 6-8.

This recipe can also be used to make individual tarts, as per my photo.

Lemon Tart 

Sicilian Oranges on a Market Stall in Aix-en-Provence

Bon appétit  et à bientôt,

Rebecca.

La Fête du Citron, Menton ,France

A Carnival Float

Every year in  February, the town of Menton on the French Riveria hosts 'La Fête du Citron' during the period of Mardi Gras.   This year the Fête runs from the 17th of February to the 7th of March, it  attracts around 230,000 visitors and uses 145 tonnes of citrus fruits. http://www.fete-du-citron.com

Attractions include a garden filled with  giant sculptures decorated with oranges and lemons, some of these can reach 10 metres high and are based around an annual theme.  When we went in 2010, the theme was '100 years of  cinema' and  scenes from various films were decorated entirely with citrus fruits, this year, the theme is the 'Regions of France'.

Another attraction is the 'corso' or carnival which takes place each Sunday afternoon and Thursday evening during the Fête.  The carnival floats are decorated with  citrus fruits and dancers and bands come from around the world to participate in this noisy and colourful event.

Scene from The Gladiator.

For the more horticulturally minded there is also an Orchid Festival and the citrus collection  of the Palais Carnolès to visit.  This pretty little town has streets lined with citrus trees and at this time of the year they are heavily laden with fruit.  Wherever you go, people set up stalls to sell their own fruits, marmelade and of course Limoncello - a lemon based liqueur .

Menton has a  few other attractions to recommend it.  The recently opened Museum Jean Cocteau which houses the collection of Severin Wunderman is worth visiting for its  dramatic architecture as well as the art housed inside.  There are also several notable mediterranean gardens,  including La Serre de la Madone created in 1924  by Major Lawrence Johnston  the owner of the famous Hidcote Manor gardens in England. http://www.jardins-menton.fr/Route-des-jardins-de-la-Riviera.html

A Citrus King Kong

To round off this blog, I just  wanted to mention that I still have a few items left in my winter sale http://www.etsy.com/shop/rebeccasaix?section_id=10887865  - there are some good reductions plus free shipping in the UK on sale items.

A bientôt, Rebecca.

Paris Confidential Part 2

Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without discovering a new museum.  A friend had recommended that we visit 'Le Musée Nissim de Camondo' located in the 8th arrondissement on the edge of the Parc Monceau, part of the collection of museums that house France's collection of 'les arts decoratifs'. The house was built on the site of the old family home that Moise Camondo inherited from his parents in 1910 and was specifically designed to  house his growing collection of 18th century European art and decor. The architect must have been tearing his hair out as Monsieur Camondo would buy complete panelled rooms from chateaux around France that would then have to be accommodated into the design of the new house.

This was a family home but also a treasure trove of French art, furniture and decorative objects.  Moise's only son Nissim died in battle during the first World War and so Moise dedicated the rest of his life to establishing the museum in his son's memory.  Moise bequeathed the house to the French nation on his death in 1935.  The tragic story continues with  the death of Moise's daughter, her husband and children who all perished in the Nazi death camps during the second World War.
 http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/francais/nissim-de-camondo/l-hotel-et-les-collections/

A new restaurant is also in order and I heartily recommend 'le Vin de Bellechasse' at 20 rue de Bellechasse in the 7th arrondissement (not far from Le Musée d'Orsay) for good hearty French food. Actually the same friend recommended the restaurant (practically her local) and we had a very simple steak, frites and green salad - all cooked to perfection accompanied by their house wine - a good bordeaux.  Tel: 01 47 05 11 11

The Courtyard at Merci

Having covered culture and food, I think I should be allowed to mention another shop.  I was intent on this trip to visit 'Merci' a concept store (whatever that means) that sells lovely stuff in the 3rd arrondissement.  The idea behind Merci was for owners Bernard and Marie-France Cohen who founded Bonpoint to give something back to the people of Madagascar - where Bonpoint  manufactured their clothes.  Profits from the store go to a foundation in Madagascar that helps mothers to support their children through working as seamstresses.  Merci has also teamed up with famous designers who design pieces specifically for the store and who forgo their margin in order to benefit the foundation. Clothes, books, homewares and accessories are beautifully laid out in a charming loft style building complete with a café and friendly staff .


merci 111 boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris tel: 01 42 77 00 33 Métro Saint Sébastien-Froissart (ligne 8)

www.merci-merci.com

The winter sales start a little later in France than the UK, so if you are planning a shopping trip to Paris, and want to take advantage of the sales they start on the 11th January 2012.


A bientôt, Rebecca.

Paris Confidential - Part 1

Jardins du Palais Royal

After a wonderful visit to Paris last week, I though it only fair to share some of my finds with you.

We stayed at the Relais Madeleine, a lovely little hotel in the 9th arrondisement just round the corner from the Place Madeleine  http://hotel-relais-madeleine.com/hotel-charme-paris/en . Friendly staff, charming decor and that Parisian essential - the compact bathroom.

This area is chock-full  of shops, large stores such as Fauchon , Hediard and Ralph Lauren on the Place Madeleine, and  some interesting little shops in the back streets.  One of my favourites was Scarlett, 29 Rue Godot de Mauroy (the same street as our hotel) - it sold watch straps - but not any old straps - their straps come in all sorts of beautiful leathers, colours and styles and can made to order to fit any watch. http://www.scarlett-bracelets-paris.com/

Also in this area you will find the private museum Pinacotheque http://www.pinacotheque.com/, this museum challenges the normal way of hanging art according to the period or the style of work - instead it relies on the dialogue between works of art .  It also hosts exhibitions of  interesting private collections that might otherwise never see the light of day.

Back to shopping and moving to the area near  the Louvre, the galleries around the Jardins du Palais Royal house  an eclectic mix of jewellery, clothes and art as well as military memorabilia - it's also the place where mothers/nannies come after school with their young children/charges  to let them run around and let off steam.   I really loved the scarves in Epice, 27-28 Galerie Montpensier, Bess Nielsen a Danish designer works with Indian craftsmen to create  these beautiful scarves.  Floral, stripes, dots, you name it - available in London  from  Liberty and Fenwicks.

Nearby, the jewellery on display in Pellini is an eye-catching combination of glass and synthetic resin pieces.  Designed by Donatella Pellini the granddaughter of the famous costume jewellery designer Emma Pellini, this family-run business is based in Milan and creates truly stunning pieces.

Pellini, 30 Galerie Montpensier, Jardins du Palais Royal. http://www.pellini.it/

Pellini Jewellery

Also in this area, I came across the intriguing 'Astier de Villate,  a beautiful little shop that hasn't been renovated or modernised I imagine for over a hundred years (just ignore the smell of damp) .  Old display cases house an incredible collection of quirky contemporary white china and interesting collectable items - this shop must be listed in a 'Japanese Shopping Guide to Paris' as it seemed very popular with the Japanese ladies.  173 rue Saint-Honore 75001 Paris. www.astierdevillate.com

La Vitrine (shop window)  - Astier de Villatte

Did you know that the French for window shopping is 'leche-vitrine', which literally translates as window-licking - something that's very easy to do in Paris.

Do you have any favourite haunts or tucked away gems that you love in  Paris? Share them by leaving a comment.

I thought I would also mention my Christmas shopping promotion for 'Black Friday through to Cyber Monday'  - 25/11/11 to  28/11/11 - essentially an American Thanksgiving Weekend promotion but open to all my customers worldwide.  Use the discount code HOLIDAY10 at the checkout of my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/rebeccasaix  to receive 10% off your order.

A bientôt, Rebecca.

Shopping London

One of my favourite shops in London is  Liberty situated just off  Regent Street in Great Marlborough Street. Established in  1875 by Arthur Liberty, the current building dates from 1924 and was built at the height of the 1920's Tudor revival. It is full of  beautiful and unusual items from all over the world, from the latest fashions to design classics.  The stationery department is paper heaven and packed with wonderful ideas for Christmas gifts.  I always head straight  to the third floor  - the fabric and haberdashery department,  where I  buy the Liberty Art Fabric tana lawn  that I use to line some of my bags.

Black Stripe Rebecca Bag

Liberty Art Fabric  'Edenham E' has been used to line this bag

The flower stall at the entrance is always inspiring and smells wonderful.

There are lots of great places to shop in this area, Liberty backs onto Carnaby Street and the little streets around here host a wide selection of small shops. Kingly Court an open air courtyard at the bottom of Carnaby Street houses 30 independent fashion and lifestyle boutiques:  shop for vintage fashion at 'Fur Coat No Knickers', sewing and knitting supplies and quirky hand made accessories at 'All the Fun of the Fair', hats and millinery supplies at 'Atelier'.

Follow this link to register for the shopping party 
http://www.carnaby.co.uk/events/events_item.cfm?id=331

Do you have any favourite shops in this area or a Liberty equivalent in your home town/country?

A bientôt, Rebecca.

Asparagus - Seasonal Produce

I came across this sign recently on an old building in the Luberon in the south of France and it, along with all the wonderful asparagus available at this time of year, has inspired my latest blog post.  Asparagus is plentiful in Provence and starts to become available in April (you might find it earlier but it is probably Spanish – often still good) through to the end of May.  The English season usually starts in mid-May and lasts about a month, but this year started earlier due to the warm weather. Asparagus should really only be eaten in season and as soon after cutting as possible, that's why  local asparagus always tastes so much better than the asparagus that has been flown half way round the world to meet consumer demand.

White or green asparagus?  In Northern Europe, white asparagus is the preferred choice but in the UK, green is the favourite and you rarely see the  white on sale.  The white asparagus is blanched by depriving the plant of light, a  mound of sand and compost covers the plant.  This makes harvesting more difficult and time consuming, so the white asparagus is always more expensive than the green. I  find the white can be rather woody and takes a lot more cooking.  The photo above shows violet asparagus on a market stall in Aix-en-Provence, the white stems break through the soil and the light turns the stems violet - a French favourite.

To prepare asparagus, snap off the woody end and then use the vegetable peeler on the lower end of the stalks to remove any tough bits.  Steam for a few minutes depending on the thickness - it should be al-dente when you test it with a knife.

Serving ideas

In Holland, white asparagus is served with a slice of ham, a chopped boiled egg, some boiled potatoes sprinkled with parsley and melted butter.

Another idea is to serve it with a soft-boiled egg and melted butter, you can dip the asparagus spears into the egg.   Or, use thin asparagus spears (steamed then refreshed in a bowl of cold water with some ice-cubes) in a salad with a quartered boiled egg and parma ham, toss with a vinaigrette dressing and add some parmesan shavings.

Let me know your favourite way of serving asparagus.

A bientôt, Rebecca.