The 'Wilde' Geese....part II

Et voilà......a new addition to the 'basse-cour'
Nicolas and Carla are settling in nicely, enjoying the sunshine....Carla's the bigger of the two, by the way!!

The 'Wilde' Geese....

Monday morning...That's it ... off to the market like the little piggy we went...(Remember, 'this litle piggy went to the market?.....')Our decision was final, we were going for geese this time..
Names..Nicolas and Carla....that way we'll have no problem eating them at Christmas.....
and guess what...?

They were all gone.. ...

we're too late for the geese from Toulouse....A bit like the Randy Travis song that ....'you've been too gone for too long...it's too late to come back now...'

Anyway, they're ordered for the Friday morning market in Les Pieux ..

Here is a song, that I learnt in secondary school,which I now sing to my girls to get them used to the idea of what we'll be eating at Christmas...




The Goslings - Frederick Bridge
===============================

She was a pretty little gosling, and a gay young gosling he:
And “I love you,” he said, “so dearly;” and “I love you too,” said she.
“But alas we must part,” he whispered, “I’m off to the world so wide;
but love, don’t fear, I’ll come next year, and make you, and make you my little bride.”

’T was Michaelmas day at morning, that he came home once more.
He met his true love’s mother, and oh!, she was weeping sore.
“Too late you’ve come,” she whispered, “They’ve taken your love away.
She never will be your bride, ah, me! For she’s going, she’s going to be cooked today!”

Then up he went to the farmhouse: “Where is my love?” he said.
But the farmer’s wife she took a knife and cut off his little head.
And she served him up with his true love, on a dish so deep and wide.
So though in life they were parted, in death they were side by side.

Tarte à la Rhubarbe

I recently spent a day with François in his boulangerie, at La Ferme Auberge de Bunehou, and came away laden with recipes and tips, and dying to try this one out on my loved ones in June, when one of our favourites... rhubarb, comes into season ... Tarte à la rhubarbe (with a Norman twist...Calva and crème fraîche !)

The result was definitely worth waiting for.....


Pâte Brisée
250g plain flour
125g butter, at room temp. cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
40g caster sugar
pinch of salt
50ml water

1 kilo Rhubarb, chopped
50g sugar


For the filling:
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablsp. crème fraîche
1 dessertsp. flour
80 – 100g brown sugar
Drop of Calvados


For the Pastry
Sieve flour and salt. Rub in butter until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in sugar and make a ‘well’ in the centre. Pour the egg yolk (beaten) and water in and mix in with a knife until a ball is formed....Leave to ‘rest’ in fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 180°C

Line a lightly buttered quiche tin with pastry. Bake ‘blind’* for about 15 minutes.
Place chopped rhubarb on top and sprinkle with sugar.

Mix all the filling ingred. together and pour over rhubarb. Sprinkle extra sugar on top.

Bake in a hot oven until nicely set.



*Baking ‘blind’ is simply pre-baking the pastry, to avoid a soggy base!
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Put some baking paper on top and a few dried beans/pasta so that the pastry won’t rise...
(I always do this for quiches and tarts.)

Happy Days !!

Merci les filles.....for being our first residential 3-day program guinea pigs.....Apart from some minor hiccups where EDF and their strike policy are concerned, things went very smoothly.....oh, and Janine's 'verrine' ......

Done and dusted!

We have now officially opened our holiday accomodation....We're exhausted and yet thrilled with the final result, and at the prospect of offering lots more here at La Blonderie....

Many thanks to our first clients who drove all the way here from Amsterdam - Andrea, Jacklyn and Glenn.....

Check it out at

http://www.wildegites.net/

A bientôt,

Sinéad

P.S More to come soon with the opening of 'La Chambre de Bonne' (what used to be the maid's quarters !!!!!!)

P.P.S We're not quite ready for the bicycle rentals as yet!!!

Cherry and Almond Tart

Fancy a real french tart? Check out this one!

One 23cm (9inch) fluted tart tin with removable base (buttered)
The pastry
125g (4oz) butter, melted and cooled
100g (3 1/2ozs) sugar
Pinch salt
Almond extract
Vanilla extract
2 tablsp. ground almonds
Flour

The filling:
5 tablespoons double cream
1 egg, beaten
Almond extract
Vanilla extract
60g (2ozs sugar)
1 tablsp. Flour
4 tablsp. Ground almonds
1 tablsp. Cherry eau-de-vie/Kirsch
500g/1lb cherries, stoned

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4
Mix together butter, sugar, salt, extracts, and almonds. Stir to blend. Incorporate enough flour, to form a smooth dough. (like biscuit dough)
Place dough in centre of tin and push out with a small spoon to cover bottom and sides of tin.
Bake ‘blind’ (10 minutes)
Meanwhile combine all filling ingredients and whisk to blend.
Sprinkle a little ground almond on pastry base. Place cherries on top and pour over filling. Sprinkle with a little more ground almonds.
Place in centre of oven and bake until golden-brown, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving.

I was on the telly!

http://www.5050.tv/au-quotidien/lexpatriation-made-in-france