A new project, a new program for the Gascon Kitchen. Lisa Maiklem, our neighborhood fleuriste grows all her own organic flowers that she weaves into magical bouquets and airy celebration of color and scent. Running out of space to fill the growing demand for her jewel-toned and naturally eccentric blossoms, we hatched a plan to turn a little used strip of park by the petanque court into a Gascon Kitchen floral annex.

Beginning with seedlings that Lisa mothers in March and armed with a pitchfork, we are fencing out the hens and ducks, and creating a colorful and organic cutting garden that will welcome students and visitors to Camont’s productive park. A mowed lawn is slowly and thoughtfully becoming a living work of art.

Lisa Maiklem of le Frechou tends her ephemeral crops and weaves daring tapestries of posies.

Color against the stone gravel terrace at the Gascon Kitchen at Camont.

Tea cakes in Franco-Anglais style.

From green to a riot of color- a lot of hard work and planning. New programs are available for those interested in apprenticing with Lisa on how to create and maintain an organic cutting garden and business, program runs from March-October.

Green fields will give way to color this summer! Come join our new Organic French Cutting Garden  program.

http://www.fleursdete.com/

The bees at Camont are going to love it!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain. I love honey. I use honey in many of my traditional recipes like pain d’épice, chevre, miel & armagnac tartine or a pan-seared foie gras aux 4-épice. Best of all, I love honey straight from the pot, drizzled over warm toasted bread that has been smeared with fresh salted butter. But I have never, ever had such delicious honey as that Miel de Ronces (bramble honey) from local beekeeper Narcisse Ferranoto.

This year I wished for a bee swarm and got one (see archives here), followed the #Tweehive happening on Twitter and have been planning to integrate more beekeeping in Camont’s resident programs. Only problem was WHO would be our King Bee?

While working on a chapter for my book of French food producers- “Butcher, Baker, Armagnac-maker’, I have long ‘stalked’ this honey man, this beekeeper, this sweet pillar of the market. This week Photographer Xtraordinaire Tim Clinch, fall intern Julia Leach, and I went across the Garonne River and through the woods to discover the sweet secret way of the beekeeper Narcisse Ferranoto at his Ferme de la Chateau Madaillan. After coffee with his smiling new bride, (they have lived together 30 years and just married 5 months ago!), Narcisse told me a few sweet secrets and, at last, I know the answer of just how he makes THE BEST HONEY IN GASCONY.

Want to know how? Then join us this spring in France for the inaugural Apiculture Internship at

La Ruche… outside the Kitchen-at-Camont.

April-June 2010.

Narcisse Ferranoto by Tim Clinch

French Beekeeper Teacher at Camont