We always leave France in early September, just as the Chestnuts are thinking of falling.
I used to look forward to going to the woods mushrooming, and returning with a pocket-full of Chestnuts. They are very beautiful tactile things, as well as being delicious. The locally grown ones are particularly good.
My preferred way of eating them is to cut a cross into the pointed end, then boil for about 20 minutes. You can probably see in the photo below that they begin to open up at the cross, making it easier to get at the cooked nut inside. A little salt, and you have a delicious snack to accompany your evening glass of wine.
Some of the things I miss most about not being here through Autumn are the Chestnuts, certain wild mushrooms, and beautiful quiet misty mornings. Perhaps we should come a month later and stay until early October.
September is a beautiful month in Southern France; we shall miss it. It's already beginning to feel autumnal. A real mixed-bag of weather.
Little if anything I can say by way of comfort.
ReplyDeleteDo you have Christmas markets in Brighton? They tend to do roasted chestnuts. I know it's not the same as your own bounty but it's still something. Short of that, I recommend "Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts" (vac packed and shelled) to be added to an autumnal/wintery casserole.
Wild mushrooms? A bit of a holy grail these days.
U
I do buy those Marchant Gourmet Chestnuts; very handy! Chestnuts go off very quickly, they are best eaten within days of dropping, so I would never buy months old ones at Christmas. The roasting hides all sorts of blemishes and bugs inside.
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