Asparagus season

France has been gripped by election fever, & we now have a new leader, Monsieur Hollande has deposed Sarkozy, my French neighbours assure me that nothing will change they are both useless! so back to the more important business of food & drink

France is a country which prides itself on eating seasonal foods. Each new fruit vegetable meat fish etc is eagerly anticipated. The asparagus season is all too short & probably the most popular vegetable with the French. Every cook has their preferences white or green, the white being much bigger & probably the most popular. Cooks have their favourite recipes, from steamed with butter, to hollandaise, quiches, wrapped with smoked salmon or Jambon sec, vinaigrette dressings, & on & on. the recipes are endless.

 I needed a really quick supper dish, I bought a bundle of asparagus from the market at St Foy la Grande, I lightly poached the asparagus in water with a spoonful of salt & sugar, (sugar is a must), meanwhile I grilled some bacon, sautéed mushrooms in a little butter,  I poached 2 eggs & then its a simple case of placing everything on a hot plate, make sure the egg sits on top of the asparagus so the yolk acts like a sauce. Simple but oh so yummy.

1893 wedding

2009 wedding

History lesson

In 1835 the Coustou family arrived at La Perroterie they were a very important family in the area. Monsieur Coustou was the Pastor of Duras for more than 40 years. In the 1850's his wife Elise was responsible for introducing into our region the American grapevine root stock, after the infestation of the disease Phylloxera which destroyed 90% of the European grapevines, this would prove to be a hugely significant exercise as it literally resurrected the production of wine throughout Europe. Elise became the chef de region pour de vin, which was no mean feat for a woman, in fact it would be quite a thing if a woman had this title in 2012!!


In 1893 the granddaughter of Elise was married in Duras & the wedding was celebrated at Chateau Perroterie & here is the official photograph. In 2009 we had a local family wedding, & a photo was taken in the same place. Next week we are fortunate to be hosting once again a local wedding. So fingers crossed the weather is perfect & love will once again be in the air at Chateau Perroterie.


I wanted to share this cocktail with you as it is a particular favorite with French weddings.It's a very pretty & popular wedding drink. You need a chilled Rose wine, pour 1/3 into a large wine glass, then fresh grapefruit again 1/3 juice, top up with sparkling water. Add crushed ice if your liquids aren't chilled.

For weddings its lovely to add rose petals into ice cube trays & freeze, they look amazing floating in punch bowls or in large wine glasses. 

Wedding cocktail

My new toy!

Thermomix

Thai green chicken curry

Creme Brulee

I recently became the proud owner of a Thermomix. As a self confessed foodie it was like winning the Lottery!  It arrived 2 weeks ago & as, I was in the throws of welcoming our first guests of 2012 it had to be kept in its box until I had a free day to read the instruction manual & properly begin to understand its workings. I set myself 2 days this week to play in the kitchen with my new toy, this was of course no hardship & I spent a very enjoyable time recreating dishes I love & experimenting with new ones with very satisfactory results. my husband has gained a few pounds as my number one guinea pig, but he has not been disappointed with anything I have made praise indeed!

We are both avid fans of spicy food so today I decided to make a Thai chicken curry with a creme brûlée as dessert. OMG where they delicious. To help folk who have never heard of Thermomix understand what I am raving about, it is nicknamed "the smallest kitchen" as it literally does the work of a processor, mixer, blender, juicer, steamer, sorbet ice maker, and so much more, but in seconds or minutes. it's expensive but a very worth while investment for any one who cooks a lot or is serious about food. I should be being paid for this plug, but to be honest I am so delighted with the results that I know I have made a wise purchase. I look forward to a summer of culinary fun which I am sure our clients will benefit from.

THE SKY AT NIGHT!


Here at Chateau Perroterie we are blessed with the most amazing skies. We have no light pollution so on cloudless nights the sky is spectacular. We used to live in London & star watching was impossible, it wasn't till we moved to France that we were privileged to experience the beauty of the night skies. This week a client showed me an APP she had on her IPAD, its called STARWALK & wow can I recommend it, for a small price of £2.99 it will amaze & delight you. I bought the APP on Friday & have not stopped playing with it. I have attached today's picture, a view over Moscow. 


The second week in August is a really special period, when we enjoy a feast of shooting stars & our clients love sitting outside & watching this special asteroid shower which lasts for hours & can go on for at least a week. So this week take time to look at the night sky & enjoy.

HAPPY EASTER.


We have been fortunate enough to share this Easter with a wonderful group of people. They have come together to enjoy an Easter retreat to embrace the true meaning of what Easter is all about. 

The course organizers arranged Easter bunnies & fluffy chicks around the table, with a personal card for everyone on the retreat. There was chocolate eggs & chickens & a real feeling of fun & friendship, personally it took me right back to my childhood with a treasure egg hunt & a celebratory meal with all our friends & family.

The reality for a lot of people is different, & just another work day, & its true that for John & I it is a working day, but some how it doesn't feel like work, lucky us.

Open for business!

This week we open our doors once again, I can't believe this will be our 5th season. We are all ready & looking forward to welcoming our guests. Our first retreat is Thai Chi, taught by Jason Chan, can't wait.

This week the weather has been glorious & the pools are nearly ready for the braver swimmers. Our area is famous for its plum trees which are blossoming it looks so beautiful everything is slowly waking up. We heard our first Cuckoo yesterday, & the Ho-pi is singing its head off, all is well with the world. 

Today being the 1st April is also a joke day here in France, French children try to attach a fish on the back of some unassuming person, though quite why I don't fully understand!  

Take cover!!!!!!

New Gazebo

Chateau Perroterie is proud to announce the completion of our new Gazebo. John & I spent most of the weekend putting the frame together, with a span of 6 metres by 3.5 metres we were stretched in all directions trying to hold it in position & then fix it. The icing on the cake, or rather the canvas covering for the Gazebo was really tricky & truth be known we could have done with another pair of hands, but we were not to be beaten, by mid afternoon mission accomplished. A well earned cold beer under our new sun cover, very satisfying weekend's work. I hope our clients will enjoy sitting in the shade, it will seat 20, so perfect for those al fresco meals, it also has curtains which can be positioned  to give additional shade.