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A Canadian's French Kitchen

or "A French Canadian Kitchen?"

On our annual return to France every spring, certain "rituals" must be observed. Among the most enjoyable rituals are those concerning the re-stocking of the pantry. Soon after arrival, homage must be paid to the weekly farmers market, where currently, local strawberries and asparagus are placed highest on the podium. But other local fare deserves to be respected as well.

Farm fresh butter and lavender honey are among the most celebrated embellishments for a warm from the oven (local Patisserie, not mine) baguette. I have been told that the confitures (jams) also work!

Even with the cool, wet weather that has been hanging on in the region, the "gariguettes" (first strawberries of the season) are sweet and flavourful. They make for a lovely dessert after a lunch of cheeses and olives.


Once the "gods of the market" have been appeased, respects must be paid to the makers of the olive oil. A few kilometers outside of St.Remy de Provence, is the perfectly charming provencal village of Maussane-les-Alpilles. Set in a region that is surrounded by olive groves, Maussane produces much of the olive oil in France. "Moulin Jean Cornille" is a local olive oil mill that produces a very fragrant, fresh olive oil that is worth every minute of the drive 2 hour drive to acquire. 


The entry to the olive mill, where at the right time of year, you can see the presses working their magic and coaxing the luscious elixir from the olives.

The shrine of olive oils and various "condimenty" things that are currently in this French Canadian (Canadian French?) kitchen.

Confiture d'oignons (a relish made with red onions and vinegar) is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of meats.

It's a staple in the refrigerator, like green relish is at home.

Paying respects to the "food gods" can leave one tired and hungry, so a lovely lunch out is very likely the best cure. (It usually works for me).

Pan seared "daurade" (sea bream) is served on a bed of crispy potato gratin alongside a rosemary infused vegetable ratatouille.

And then, just about when the initial French food rituals and cravings have been sufficiently recognized and satisfied, a little bit of North American comfort food seems to be the right thing. Hmmm.... !

Counter clockwise from the top: "Our Favourite Chocolate Chip Cookies" ( recipe from the Smitten Kitchen website; www.smittenkitchen.com ), along with my version of caramel chip cookies (adapted from the original recipe), as well as some cheesy puffy pastry snacky thingies, that go great with a glass of rose.

Comments

  1. Gosh, it's an hour after breakfast and I'm hungry again! It all looks fantastic.

    It seems like it's been a late spring everywhere!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The weather pattern seems to have changed over the weekend and we are finally experiencing seasonal temps and sunshine. Yeah ahd hurrah! Wishing the same for you very soon.

      Delete
  2. Oh my goodness. It is only 6 AM here and already my mouth is watering. How delicious! And what fun to explore the markets. That olive oil sounds divine and well as all the rest of it. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The food here is really all very fresh and delicious, and I have never tasted olive oil as fresh and flavourful as the one we buy in Maussane. Sometimes all I want for dinner is a fresh baguette dipped in olive oil, maybe a little salad, and washed down with a local rose. Simple can really be the best sometimes. (Unfortunately, my waistline can't tell the difference between that and something that took an hour to cook!)

      Delete
  3. Goodness, every single one of those items looks positively delicious. How fortunate you are to have easy access to such amazing foods!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The food here is wonderful, but I find that whatever is local to where we live, no matter where in the world it is, is usually the most fresh and flavourful of what is available. I love to cook and can find usually find amazing foods wherever I am.

      Delete
  4. Doubtlessly, Destiny Olives is one of the most viable companies to get in touch with for natural olive oil.
    Fresh olive oil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elina. Thanks for the recommendation. Is it available in other parts of the world?

      Delete
  5. Bonjour.... "French canadians"... canadiens français... tout ça est devenu folklorique

    J'adore vos dessins.

    ReplyDelete

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