Spring Market inspiration. Open your eyes!
Why go to the market? I mean the local farmer’s market, of course. Fresh, simple, direct- a bargain. Inspiring, colorful, nurturing- satisfaction. Diverse, diverting, fun- amused. All those words pop into my head when I think of the many very good markets I can throw a Gascon stone at from Camont. But versatility is reason I stay faithful to one of my first loves in this area, the little true producer’s market nestled under the unattractive... Read More
Can U Garden? The French Potager part 1.
My secrets to planting a successful French Potager or kitchen canning garden this year? Perfect Spring weather. Dense soil left dormant all winter as chickens did daily slug and poop patrols. Kitchen window fertilizer. The first two are easy to understand. This year a dry warm spring means the Garonne River Valley is awash in perfect pink and cream frosted orchards. From here, I can see a bumper crop of peches de vignes, those juicy red... Read More
MAGYC Pies at Camont
a MAGYC PIE... There are pies and there are PIES. There is magic and there is MAGYC. And yes, this is a bonafide, real, authentic MAGYC PIE. Over the years, I have dabbled in savoury pies as the visual and gustatory homage to Monsieur Monet’s painted pies here, here and here, of course! But this week as Fran and Ian from Melbourne, and Hilary from Sonoma, and Matt from Welbeck descend on the Chapolard home for lunch, we’ll be bringing... Read More
here chick, chick, chick… they’ve flown the coop!
The mother hen in me is clucking around the Internet, pecking over at Twitter, and flying over the Wire as my SAF chicklets leave their nest for the first time to work in real life farms and butcher shops across the UK and here in France. Here in France over at the Chapolard farm, Matt joins newly arrived AB&C student Hilary for an early 6 am call to start work butchering the newly arrived pig carcasses. Today they’ll be making saucisson,... Read More
What goes around comes around, again and again… New trends for 2012
It's just bacon. A couple of years ago someone, some too-clever-for-their-own-good someone, declared bacon was out… and that in the coming year pork belly was in. That set me off. It’s been cupcakes in and in and in and then- pies at last. In. Pickling came in and smoking went out. Butchery, charcuterie, and brewing are in, in, in. Potlucks, Pop-ups & Popsicles… all get their share of spin IN. Every January there is media... Read More
