Every season, everywhere, has its high points; although I'm still trying to find some for our Winters.
We are still having quite pleasant weather, but the mornings are cool. The leaves are beginning to change colour, and they are beginning to fall.
This morning I went to see my wine makers to fill-up a couple of 5 litre plastic containers, and as is their wont, they presented me with a free 1.5 litre sample of their new wine.
On returning home I went to find a few more mushrooms, and picked the above. I also put a few straggler Chestnuts into my pocket.
On the menu tonight will be a Cèpe omelet, followed by a few roasted Chestnuts, all washed down with some of the delicious new wine. Of course.
Autumn is also time for Paté making. I'm no longer making ordinary Paté (I can buy better than I can make). I'm now concentrating on my more luxurious Paté, with a big lump of foie gras in the middle. Just ten 350 gm jars for the moment. I may do a few more later. The jars are being sterilised as I write. Three hours at a rolling boil. Above is the finished job.
Does life get any better?
35 comments:
Sounds good - here it will be an asparagus omelette (it is in season now) with some freshly picked salad greens, avocado and tomato with a sauvignon blanc. When we went to buy paint the other day we bought a dozen oysters from a van on the side of the road. They were the largest tastiest we have eaten. Delicious. As you say, each season brings its own rewards.
We now have an Oyster man at our Saturday market. I must buy some!
'C'est la vie ' at it's very best.
What did you think of this year's wine? Hopefully Vaso will bring us a bottle of hers very soon.
As usual it was very thick, with a taste somewhere between a light wine vinegar and Ribena. It does, of course mellow into a good ordinary quaffable wine. (Ribena is a concentrate of Blackcurrant juice))
By the way, we are doing our Olives at the moment. Still a few days before they go into their brine, so any help with proportions (salt to water) would be very helpful.
Why is a self confessed "connaisseur" of the finer things in life slumming it with red wine in PLASTIC 5 litre containers?
U
Looks very good. My new idea is to get some plant growing LED lights and grow some fresh herbs indoors through the winter. This means that the plants do not have to be placed on window sills, where they get in the way.
The only problem so far is avoiding all the equipment on the internet designed for the covert cultivation of controlled herbs. Many companies promise low key packaging and covert delivery! There is a whole world of hydroponics, growing tents and sealed units out there.
I never knew I could have so much fun researching lettuce growing.
I am very lucky to have a local supplier of natural, Bio, wine, which never sees the inside of a bottle. It is sold 'loose' at €1.10 per litre. I am no wine snob, but I do like my wine to be sulphite free. If YOU are happy with adulteration; so be it!
Pate! I haven't had it for years. I do like but does foie gras involve some animal cruelty?
Oh, it's for lettuce; I thought you were talking about 'medicinal' Cannabis. Just beware of all those heat searching helicopters.
It involves them being fed quite a lot of dried Maize each day, but they form a queue for it. It's not an ideal practice, but it plays a huge part in our local gastronomy.
Did Lady M write the post this morning? It doesn't sound like you. Or you were in a short stanza poetic hurry?
It would involve cruelty if their throats were like ours. As it happens their throats aren't. They are a tube to the stomach without valves.
That's right, the Maize goes directly to their stomachs. The anti-brigade (as usual) rarely study any subject they protest about.
I was trying to do ten things at once. Making my paté is always a tense moment.
Good point. Hadn't thought about adulteration. I particularly "like" the sound of sulphite. Better not think about it.
My problem is the "plastic" bit of your amazing deal. Glass only for me. Blame my father who put the living fear of plastic into me when I was a youngster and most had not yet woken up to plastic's potential perils.
Cheers,
U
Wine, mushrooms, chestnuts...that all sounds wonderful to me. You live a charmed life there in France!
The wine is decanted into glass bottles. It's only in there for a very short voyage.
So Autumnal and delicious...... I’m so pleased that I live to eat ...... I think my Dad was responsible for our family’s love of food ( and drink ) .... he loved to try everything and introduced us to delicious food ( and drink !!! ) Your Winter larder is filling up. XXXX
As comme d'hab. we shall do the 11th hour (12 here), wine et nibbles after thanks to the Village and then four of our friends will return to 'ours' for Raclette. Two will bring the wine and the others a 'pud' we will enjoy the Rememberance Day. I have yet to decide what meat will go with the Pots. and cheese. An Anglofrench meal.
The delights of Autumn. Raining today!
Good food and drink played an important part in my early life too. Thank goodness!
I'd never thought of having a special Remembrance Day meal. I've got my Poppy, but that's as far as it goes.
Jacqueline, hi. Glad to hear you are following in your father's footsteps; or should I say "gastric juices".
Of interest, do you enjoy cooking as much as eating?
U
We just had some Leclerc pate for lunch. We brought a whole load of tins back with us.
Sounds about the right speed for me. Local wine from the old boys, toddle out to the woods and get some mushrooms, few eggs, a little pate, the simple foods of life. What more do you want?
I probably won't taste my new lot until 2019; my fingers will remained crossed.
That's it, old codger's life out in the wilds of France. I love it.
I do like cooking Ursula ...... I always cook from scratch ..... a lot of fish, pasta and chicken and other things. I have been cooking for a long while now so have a few recipes up my sleeve but, if I fancy something new for a change, I find lots of recipes on Pinterest and I like Jamie Oliver ( amongst other chefs ).... his recipes always work and are quick and easy. XXXX
It all looks so good but the work getting it like that is not my cup of tea these days sadly and as I have no comparison I am happy with the pates I buy.
I have some favourite makes of commercial paté that are so good that it's pointless making my own. The paté above, though, is for special occasions.
What a wonderful post. Now I would like some pate good bread and a mushroom omelette.
cheers, parsnip and badger
I spent my fall evening canning the sauerkraut that has been fermenting in my kitchen the last six weeks. Soon it will accompany one of our Red Wattle Hoh shoulder roasts. Food tastes so GOOD in cold weather!
Sounds good to me. That's what we live on at the moment.
Our Sauerkraut season has just started (bought, not homemade). I love it; Lady M doesn't, so my consumption is limited.
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