Category Archives: The Food

Les Coqs

The wonderfully cuddly poussains that had hatched in spring were now all grown up. The chicken house which was built with only three chickens in mind was over crowded (we now had 17!). Anyone entering the backyard was greeting by … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, The Food, The Land | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Cerises Chez Jaques

June is Cherry month in La Creuse… for a few precious weeks the trees throughout the countryside are filled with beautiful pink blossoms. Then, almost all at once the cherries are ripe- and then are gone. For a few days … Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The Land | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Biggest Courgette

This year’s prize for the biggest courgette EVER goes to Sebastian who brought me this giant- just in time for our new visitors’ arrival! Lucky them. It took five people at least three meals to eat this whole monster! Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring in La Creuse

Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The Land, The Region, The Village | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Haricots Rouges

This doesn’t have so much specifically to do with Le Vignaud, but somehow I feel it’s appropriate. There have been so many struggles in the past year–the difficulty of Jason and I separating, his move to France and ongoing complications with the house, and my six month odyssey that, at first, orbited around him. It’s been a year now since that fateful trip to the desert. Jason is in Europe with a car and possibly a house. I’m back on Wilson Drive and preparing for my own Burning Man adventure. But through it all we’ve had redbeans. Continue reading

Posted in The Food | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dandewine

One day late in April we decided to drive up to Malval, where there is an old mill as well as ruins of a millennium-old castle. The fields on either side of the rural road were bright yellow, completely filled with dandelions. It was a beautiful sight: the sunny flowers are not really considered much of a weed in France and are allowed to grow sans herbicide. Penelope made a casual comment about making dandelion wine, but it really fired up Jason’s imagination. He’d never even heard of it before, but suddenly he had a new project. Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The Land | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

They Call Me “Bon Papa”

The cherry harvest only lasts for a few weeks in the spring when there are literally more cherries than anyone can or would care to eat. Then, winter comes and the trees are bare- not a cherry to be seen for a few months at least. So, in just about every French home you will find a cave or a cupboard literally packed with amazing confitures, sirops, jellies, and preserves. In this way the amazing variety and surplus of fruit projects from warm spring and summer days, stores over the winter. Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The Land | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Clafoutis!

Since late March when the cherry trees started blooming, I have been hearing about Clafoutis. Seems like every time the subject of cherries happens to come up (and often it is when the villages are all eying the multitude of cherry trees waiting for the fruit to ripen), a long conversation inevitably follows about how insanely delicious it is, how tasty it is, how fluffy it is, etc., etc., usually followed by a lot of lip smacking and drooling on the part of those in the know. Continue reading

Posted in The Food | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Cherry Pickin’

Since late March when the cherry trees around the village bust into an amazing display of white or pink blossoms, we have been waiting and watching for the payoff. Well, the time has finally come and we’ve been stuffed with cherries, filled buckets, pie pans, and jam jars and there’s no end in sight. Continue reading

Posted in The Food, The Land | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Le Creusois

For weeks after my first arrival to Le Creuse, way back in February, I had been hearing about the fabled Creusois cake (which shares its name with the region). The flour used is made of ground hazelnuts and the concoction is advertised with the momentous “Once upon a time, there was a cake…” The recipe was developed by monks and is kept secret, known only to about 30 local bakers. Continue reading

Posted in The Food | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments