Taste Gascony- a weekend feast

Discover the rural gastronomy of Southwest France, from foie gras to armagnac and all the delicious fresh produce in between—a perfect weekend cooking break.

I remember well the weekend when Becs and Lucy came for a Gascon weekend- a cooking break away from city jobs. November clouds hid the sun and chilled the air that Friday evening, so  we cranked up the giant fireplace a notch and talked long into the night over armagnac. Next morning after a shopping spree at the Saturday market at Nerac, baskets full of colorful seasonal produce- apples, pumpkins, peppers, ducks and bacon,  we returned to that Kitchen-at-Camont and cooked, and cooked and …cooked! On Sunday afternoon as they were tossing overnight cases in the car, when we looked at everything we had prepared in just TWO days, we all collapsed laughing. Like a Cook-a-Thon- we had just made (and eaten!) some of the best seasonal Gascon dishes–over 50 different good products!

In a note to her Friends, Becs said,

“Just wanted to give you a quick summary of the fantastic cooking weekend away in the south of France with my friend Lucy. Lucy and I had the most amazing long weekend of cooking, chatting, eating and relaxing with Kate and would HIGHLY recommend it if you feel like something a bit different. Kate lives just outside Agen (closest airport is Toulouse) in a beautiful old farmhouse surrounded by kitchen gardens, an orchard and a canal – where Kate lives on her houseboat.”

So when people ask me if a weekend is long enough, I nod and start counting off how many wonderful things we can prepare. Come. Taste Gascony!

Here’s a sample of a weekend in Gascony at the Kitchen-at-Camont.

Friday: Afternoon arrival in Agen by TGV from Paris or from near by Toulouse or Bordeaux airports. This adventure in good cooking begins at Kate Hill’s Kitchen-at-Camont. The 18^th-century farmhouse fills with the fragrant perfume of good food cooking with a traditional Gascon dinner—a Poule-au-Pot or Gascon pot-au-feu. Discover the taste of Gascony from Aperitifs to Armagnac!

Saturday: Kate escorts you to the bustling weekly farmers market at Nerac, a haven of artisan food producers in Gascony. Artisan food producers sell their own wares and offer samples to their favorite visitors- like us! Kate’s been shopping here for 20 years and the locals spoil her with samples and tastes as well as the best artisan food they produce- cheese, charcuterie and chocolate. After the market, we enjoy lunch in a local café or a perhaps a shady pique-nique by the river. By mid-afternoon, we return to the Kitchen-at-Camont for a fun and easy cooking class #1- ‘Gascon Traditions’—introducing you to foie gras, magret de canard and other regional and seasonal specialties. Aperitifs to Digestives accompany our dinner and feature a wine tasting of very local regional wines from Madiran, Cahors, Buzet, & Cote de Gascogne- the best of the Southwest.

Sunday: After a lazy morning over cafe-au-lait and fresh croissants, Cooking Class #2—‘French Basix’ begins and is influenced by the organic potager and herb gardens at Camont- what’s fresh, in season and out the kitchen door. How to make fresh herb sauces for braised poultry using parsley, lovage, rosemary and thyme; elegant vinaigrettes for startling good salads and French soups; a potager primer creating simply elegant soups from fresh garden ingredients like shallots, watercress, and celery root. A long Sunday lunch awaits with departure around 4 pm.

This all-inclusive gourmet package for the Weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun- available year round) includes:

• Two nights accommodation at the Relais de Camont,
• two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, including wine and beverages accompanying meals,
• 2 hands-on and demonstration cooking classes and
• market and shopping tour in Nerac or Agen

Sample Weekend Program

• Day 1: Welcome Dinner and accommodation
• Day 2: accommodation, breakfast, market visit, and lunch out. Evening cooking class #1, dinner, wine and armagnac tasting with cheese and dessert.
• Day 3: breakfast, cooking class #2 followed by Sunday lunch.

Price: 750€ (euro) per person based on double occupancy in a superior double room at the Relais de Camont.

Single supplement 250€.

*Optional third night (Sunday) stay including buffet supper + 200€

Note: Does not include air fare or transportation to and from France and Camont exclusive of local transport for market shopping and outing. Pick up from Agen train station is available by request.