Today the kids go home and we will miss them all after such a great week 

We drop them off at Carcassonne airport and drive into town for lunch. One of our favourites is Longchamp Brassiere in Place Carnot, Carcassonne.

                                                               Ed at Le Longchamp  

We choose a light lunch of Roquefort salad and Tomato with mozzarella, both with a delicious dressing (see recipe below). We have a glass of wine and coffee to finish. A quick (very quick) look around the shops with no time to buy any of the lovely clothes and shoes!  Straight home, as tomorrow will be a busy day. Many of our friends will be arriving for the party and we’ll need to be up early to shop for all the fresh food we will cook. We have the first early night in a long time with Welsh Rarebit for supper (Sue’s Recipe see below).

DRESSING FOR SALAD

3 tbsp good olive oil

1 tbsp Marc de Champagne vinegar (most good supermarkets stock this) or Vinaigre de Noix by Maille is another good make.

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

Salt and pepper

Mix everything together, add salt and pepper to season and pour over salad – that easy!

SUE’S WELSH RAREBIT

2 slices of bread 

As much grated cheese as you wish

1 egg beaten 

dash of Worcestershire sauce

Put cheese and beaten egg in a bowl. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce.   Mix thoroughly and spread evenly on toast (no butter required).  Grill until golden brown and serve (really good with brown sauce).

yum😋

 Bon Appétit

This evening while the kids go off to see other friends, we host a party for Gerry and her family. We have known them since we first moved to France. I met Gerry in the local antique shop when she was struggling with the French language and I offered to help. I was drawn in by the Belfast accent as I was born in that great city. We started chatting and discovered that our parents had lived in the same street when we were all children. I was invited to their brother’s home, just a few hundred yards from our house in Chalabre, where I met Gerry’s husband Eddie, her brother Brian and her sister Ann. We have been friends ever since and often visit each other in Belfast, Carlingford, Suffolk and France. Gerry’s other brother Michael and his wife Linda, also have a house in Chalabre.

Tonight we cook some fresh fish on the griddle, and start with a curried egg sundae (see recipe) and for dessert a gateaux from the bakers, kindly provided by our guests. We have a very pleasant night catching up with news from Belfast and our respective families. We are also joined by Pierre – our French friend who lives in Mirepoix.

We say goodnight and arrange to see them at the weekend when we will be holding a party for our anniversary with lots of other friends.

MAGGIE’S CURRIED EGG SUNDAES

Serves 4

4 eggs hard boiled

4 medium tomatoes chopped finely

250gm Smoked salmon or crab chopped into small pieces (tuna would also be suitable)

Half tsp curry powder

1 tbs mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Chopped Coriander or parsley to garnish

4 glass dishes (I use wine glasses)

Worcestershire sauce

Separate the yolks from the white of the eggs and mash them. Add the mayonnaise along with the curry powder and salt and pepper.

Now chop the white of the egg and season.

Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the tomatoes

Start with a layer of tomato at the bottom of the glass, followed by the curried yolk, then add a layer of the egg white followed by the salmon or crab. Repeat the layers, ending with the white on top. Sprinkle a pinch of coriander or parsley on each glass and serve.

Bon appétit

Monday market in Mirepoix is always an enjoyable day. When I had my shop in the village (Abigail’s Boutique), I would arrive early after dropping Abi off at the St. Maurice primary school and then head to Llobet’s Restaurant, owned and run by Benedicte and Olivier. Olivier would make me a coffee and I would disappear to the kitchen and chat to Benedicte whilst she prepared the lunchtime dishes. It’s good to see them again and they make us very welcome.

Olivier makes us coffee and we sit outside to enjoy pastries from Diant’s Patissierie. It is perfectly acceptable in France to order coffee at a cafe and eat food bought from a boulangerie. Cedric Diant is one of the best bakers around and his bread is delicious. We buy tiny ficelle loaves, filled with cheese, fresh croissants and bread for later on.

We chat to the Llobets while the kids explore the market and visit the magnificent cathedral. Then Abi takes her friends to see her old school, where she still keeps in touch with her French pals.

The square is full of lovely fresh produce; juicy fat olives, local cheeses, huge tomatoes, fresh lettuce, just picked that morning. The smell of the paella and meat dishes waft through the market. One of the most mouth watering aromas comes from the rotisserie chicken stall, where the chicken juices run down onto the potatoes cooking in trays underneath. We buy a couple of chickens and potatoes for tonight’s dinner. (See recipe at end).

We finish shopping and drive back to Chalabre and sit in the cool of the house. The kids get out the table tennis set and play a few games, but in the heat, they soon stop and come indoors to get drinks and read, or watch something on their tablets.

By 6pm everybody is hungry again and we serve drinks, followed by the chicken, potatoes, salads, cheese and baguettes from the market. Coffee and patisseries follow. We clear up and walk to Chalabre village square where the locals are playing pétanque. We have a few games but none of us can beat the French at this game!

Bon nuit

MIREPOIX ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

First of all, you don’t need a rotisserie for this recipe but you can use one if you have it.

1 large chicken between 1.5 to 1.8kg. In France we buy the Bresse chicken – more expensive but a delicious bird. Any good standard fresh chicken will do.

1 lemon cut in half

1 crushed clove of garlic

2 tbsp of olive oil

2tsp paprika

Half teaspoon cayenne

Half teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano,sage and basil)

50g butter softened

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150º FAN

Place the lemon and garlic inside the chicken

Mix the paprika, cayenne, mixed herbs and salt together and combine with the butter. Rub this herb butter all over the chicken.

Place the chicken in a roasting tin and drizzle the oil over it.

Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours and baste a couple of times.

I add parboiled potatoes and vegetables at the beginning and sit the chicken on top. They taste delicious cooked in the chicken juices. Alternatively, you can serve the chicken with pasta or rice.

Bon Appetit!

This morning we decide to take breakfast with us to the Lake. We pack up several picnic bags and stop en route to buy fresh bread, croissants and pastries from the boulangerie.

The lake is a short distance from home and we unload the cars. The sun is already scorching so we set up camp under the trees for some shade. Everyone leaps into the water to cool off.

Well most of us

Every Wednesday evening during July and August, Lake Montbel is transformed into a night market. Stall holders set up on the grass beside the lake and offer food to the hungry locals and holidaymakers. The choice is vast, paella, crevettes (see Ed’s sauce recipe to serve with these), slices of griddled duck breast, Chinese food, freshly made pizzas, Camembert cooked in their wooden box, over an open fire and served meltingly hot with fresh crusty baguettes to dip in. There is a huge choice of local wines available from ice cold rosés to full bodied reds. Desserts are crêpes, tarte tatin, ice-creams and sorbets. We take our own plates and cutlery and enjoy a lovely meal sitting at the wooden tables set out in the open air. There is live music with everyone joining in the singing and dancing. Most towns will have a night market on different evenings during the summer and they are very popular, with locals and tourists alike, so an early arrival is advised.

We enjoy another lovely evening and look forward to visiting Mirepoix market tomorrow.

ED’S SAUCE FOR CREVETTES (or meat, or veg or whatever!)

Two tbsp Mayonnaise

25g Butter

1 clove of Garlic crushed

1 tsp tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

Melt the butter and the crushed garlic in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and add the mayonnaise. This will look curdled at first but beat it quickly and thoroughly until it emulsifies. Then add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper. Especially good with crevettes but also good with bread, meat or vegetables.

Bon Appétit!

We awake to glorious sunshine and another lovely day in the Languedoc. After breakfast and sorting out sunglasses, sun cream, headache tablets, shorts, sandals and drinks, we leave for Carcassonne. The drive is about 50 minutes and we park at the foot of the castle, walk up to the ancient ramparts and stop to take photos. Every summer, artists paint temporary summer designs on the castle walls and this amazing sight can be seen from the main road.

Carcassonne was invaded by Charlemagne during the 8th century and the name derives from the Grand Dame of Carcas, the town’s moorish Queen, who alerted the townsfolk to the invasion by ringing the bells (Carcas a sonné les cloches).

After coffee and some exploring we meet up in the main square and find a place to eat. We choose Le ménestrel restaurant in the central square which has huge trees giving shade from the midday sun. They offer several menus and we choose a three course lunch for 15€, including a mixed salad or pâté starter, moules frites (see recipe below) or chicken for main course, and a chocolate mousse or crème brûlée dessert, plus a carafe of wine, bread and a bottle of water.

After lunch the kids wander off to explore the many other aspects of Le Cite, including the torture chamber, the museum and some shopping. I find a cool spot to have a cold drink and jot down some ideas for my writing. After a couple of hours, we head back down the hill to the cars and set off for home.

Tonight the kids cook for us and we sit back and enjoy the evening, whilst listening to their many stories. We play cards and music late into the night and get to bed around 2am. Tomorrow will be a trip to Lac Montbel which is a beautiful lake, perfect for swimming on these scorching days.

MOULES MARINIÈRE

Serves 4

2kg of fresh mussels scrubbed and beards removed

60g butter

1 clove of chopped garlic

1 medium onion, chopped finely

150ml dry white wine

3 tbs double cream

2 tbs Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

Melt 40g of the butter in a saucepan with a lid. Add the onion and garlic and cook on a low heat until they are soft. Pour in the white wine and when it comes to a boil, add the mussels. Cover with the lid and leave on a high heat for around 5 minutes. Remove the lid and take the mussels out as they open. Discard any that do not open. Place the mussels on a serving dish and keep warm in a low heated oven. Strain the liquid through a sieve back into the saucepan, discarding the onion. Simmer the juice to reduce by half, then add the remaining 20g of butter and the cream. Add salt and pepper and when the butter has melted and the cream is warm, pour over the mussels sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

You can serve the mussels with frites, but we prefer them with fresh crusty bread.

Bon appétit !

I awake early and head down to the boulangerie to pick up croissants for our breakfast. The shop smells lovely and is full of delicious bread, baguettes, anciennes(old recipe), épi(baguette dough, risen and then snipped with scissors to form a wheat sheaf effect) ficelles(very thin small baguettes, sometimes filled with Roquefort or cured sausage). I order loaves and patisseries for the evening and walk back home. Everyone is already up working and getting the house ready for our visitors later in the day. We finish the chores and sit out in the garden, enjoying our fresh pastries and coffee in the sunshine.

Abi and friends arrive in the afternoon, tired and excited after a long, hot journey. Joe, Jan and Dot greet them just before they head off to Barcelona for a few days. We show everyone to their rooms and sort out drinks and snacks while they unpack and have a rest. In the meantime, we get the barbecue ready for the evening meal and prepare a selection of meats for the grill – Toulouse sausage, steak haché, entrecôte, chicken and huge crevettes. We make up various salads from the produce bought at the village shop – very fresh and delivered that morning.

One by one, everyone comes down to the garden and we start the evening with various aperitifs. Blanquette de Limoux, Rosé, beers, gin and tonics and Ed’s famous Bloody Marys (see his recipe at end of blog).

After the meal, we serve up cheese, followed by patisseries and finish with more drinks and coffees. We stay for a while, listening to music, then leave the younger crowd to clear up and head up to bed after a wonderful, busy and enjoyable day. Tomorrow we will drive to La Cite in Carcassonne and soak up the atmosphere of that fascinating ancient town.

Bon nuit à tous

ED’S BLOODY MARY

Tomato juice – a good make

Vodka (amount to your liking)

I measure of Muscat (or Sweet Sherry)

Lemon

Celery

Salt and Pepper

Tabasco Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce

Ice

Two large glasses

Put lemon slice and ice in glass, add Muscat or Sherry, and the vodka (1 or 2 or more measures according to taste!) Top up the glass with tomato juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce and salt and pepper. Mix and taste – adjust as necessary and serve with celery stick.

À Votre santé

We leave Vierzon and head down the A20 via Toulouse to Mirepoix. The French toll roads are easy to drive with very little traffic and plenty of Aires (rest areas) The Aires are plentiful and convenient. They have petrol, shops, cafes and loos. We stop at the Aire Jardin des Causses de Lot. This Aire is near to the Grotte du Pêche Merle, with cave paintings from 30,000 years ago. We have a great picnic provided by Jan, including a large and delicious quiche lorraine.

We arrive in Mirepoix around 5pm and head to our maison de maître in Chalabre. We quickly unload the cars and open all the shutters to get the air through the house. The view of the Pyrénées is stunning.

We unpack and return to Mirepoix for an apéro in the medieval square.

Later, we meet up with other friends at Le Commerce (the oldest hotel and restaurant in Mirepoix). We choose one of several menus, ranging from 12€ to 40€. We order several bottles of Malpère wine from the Languedoc, which are soon brought to the table with water and fresh bread. After a short while, we are served a large platter of charcuterie, including cured meats, sausage and pâté, with grated celeriac, carrot, beetroot and green salad. We eat with gusto.

The plates are cleared and the next course arrives. Coquelet du moutarde – a delicious roasted poussin smothered in Dijon mustard and served with tiny new potatoes. Coquilles St Jacques – scallops in butter over a bed of finely sliced vegetables. Magret du canard – Duck breast pan fried and sliced, served with Dauphinoise potatoes. One of the local specialities is Cassoulet – a delicious stew of sausage, meat and beans. It is a very filling dish but my recipe below is a lighter version (with apologies to the Languedoc!)

A huge cheeseboard is left on the table for us to help ourselves. This includes a cheese made by the chef consisting of a garlic flavoured soft cheese, dipped in finely ground black pepper and shaped into a roll. When we came back to England for a celebration party, he made up a huge amount of the cheese and gave it to us as an anniversary present. Delicious! Puddings are served next – chocolate mousse, tarte tatin, riz au lait and cafe gourmand (a selection of three miniature desserts, a pink macaron, a chocolate eclair and an apple pastry, served with coffee).

Continue reading “MIREPOIX” →

Today we head off to Europe – follow us on our journey through the places and countries we love. We start in Suffolk and head to the Eurotunnel for France. First stop Calais to pick up some wonderful French wines and delicious bread and cheeses. Vive La Belle France!

From Calais, we head to Bony, where we arrive at a quaint little Ferme. We’ve booked a two bedroom suite but when we arrive, Dot’s bedroom is in the dining/kitchen/hall off our bedroom where the only way to the bathroom was through our bedroom. We are saved by the excellent food served that night and first class wines.

Next day we head to Vierzon, and the Chalet Du Foret, where we look forward to meeting up with brother Joe and his wife Jan, who often join us on our journeys through Europe.

Chalet du Foret is a delightful stopover, with cabins in the grounds of the hotel. They are pet friendly, so our little dog Polly is always welcome, both in the hotel and restaurant. Ed and Joe start with beers and Jan, Dot and I share a bottle of ice cold rosé. The boys deserve a drink after a long drive, and particularly for braving Paris and avoiding the drivers from hell. We sit outside and enjoy the evening air.

The meal is delicious, Courgette timbale, Steak frites, followed by Île Flottante, coffee and chocolates. (See recipe at end of this blog). We have a few more drinks and head to our chalet, ready for our onward journey next day.