La Raffine
As the temperature becomes more temperate, it may be tempting to join a match and there are good courts nearby in Goult. The fee is €60 for a week of access and Veronique +33682888404 will give you a key with which you can book a court. There is also a coach Max+33664663778 although he can get quite booked. .
Alternatively there is a tennis coach in Bonnieux, named Sandrine+33661546487.
Read MoreFinely chopped chives add freshness and flavour to your summer recipes. Always added at the last moment, try them in green salads, creamy dressings and cheeses. La ciboulette also goes very well with eggs, as one of the “fine herbs” used to create an omelette aux fines herbes, along with parsley, tarragon and chervil. You can also add a little chopped chives to the scrambled eggs just before serving.
No one could do without la ciboulette to make a green sauce, one of my all time favourite side dishes as a dip as a fresh sauce for fish or pork or together with just about anything from the BQ.
Read MoreWe have 5 heritage cherry trees on the property: 2 trees (Bigarreau Coeur de Pigeon) with bright red cherries which I eat straight from the trees and 3 trees (Bigarreau Napoleon) with rosy yellow cherries, which are delicious to cook with (and don’t stain your fingers when you have to pit them).
We had a bumper crop of cherries this year. We just couldn’t pick them fast enough. To extend the season, and prolong our enjoyment I make a quick and easy compote which I then enjoy into the autumn on ice cream, yogurt. etc.
Read MoreThe first artichokes from our garden!. As is the tradition in Provence, I picked these young before the choke develops and was able to eat them whole prepared in one of Provence’s most iconic spring time dishes: artichauts a la barigoule, braising them in white wine and olive oil along with with onions, carrots and a bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaves. . Fresh yet satisfyingly rich with flavour. .From herein it will feature on our spring menu
Read MoreMy first restaurant meal post lock-down was a bouillabaisse: the famous fish stew from Marseille. The ingredients of a traditional Marseille bouillabaisse vary depending upon what fish are available that day and the taste of the chef leading to many disputes about which is la vraie bouillabaisse, but I have yet to be disappointed by our regular pilgrimage to the coast for the delicious signature dish of Marseille.
Read MoreWhen thyme begins to flower in early spring, it is at its most aromatic. This versatile herb is delicious in chicken broth or marinades for fish, lamb, veal; Thyme also goes well with potatoes or cheese and works well in butter. As an infusion, you can use fresh or dried thyme. To add flavour to a salad consider flavouring your vegetable oil. .
Read MoreIt is mid February and the almond trees on the property are blossoming. The sight of their graceful beauty fills me with joy. The white-pink petals are scattering through the garden, a clear sign that spring is on its way. After flowering in late winter and pollination by bees, the fruits develop and can be eaten green and fresh between May and July, or in shell in September and October.
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