Two years ago this month I was on a trip of a lifetime. Four girlfriends in France, staying at the vacation home of one of the girls. Sally’s 15th century stone house is in the charming village of Villefranche de Lonchat, surrounded by vineyards in the Dordogne region of southwest France.
Our days started with Sally running to the boulangerie for fresh pastries. Lunch was fabulous restaurants and cafés while we were out touring. And dinner most evenings was in the garden, savoring the day, and enjoying charcuterie with amazing cheeses and fruits picked up at farmers markets, back to the boulangerie for fresh baguette, figs plucked from Sally’s tree, and wines from the vineyards we toured.
After a week in our bucolic setting Grisel, Megan and I were on the train to Paris where we sampled a variety of foods at the bustling sidewalk cafés. The farmers markets were amazing. The variety, and the beauty of the food. Even the simplest restaurant meals were so thought out, and beautifully presented with such care.
And I very much appreciated the feeling that dining was meant to be leisurely and enjoyed to the fullest. I am so grateful to have experienced a new to me part of France, to have basked in Sally’s hospitality and tour guide skills, and to have shared the experience with very special friends. Looking back on it inspired this month’s recipes.
This recipe is in honor of Sally, and her fig tree and our evening charcuteries.
■3 ounces (6 tablespoons) goat cheese
■5 tablespoons fig preserves
■3 tablespoons heavy cream
■1 sheet frozen puff pastry
■Flour for dusting
■Lemon zest from one whole lemon
■3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, lightly chopped
■Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Flour your work surface and roll puff pastry sheet to a 12×17 rectangle, cut in half lengthwise. Cut ¾ inch strips from all four edges. Lightly brush water on edges and “glue” strips to edges to make a raised border.
In a small bowl combine goat cheese and heavy cream blending with a fork. Spread the fig jam evenly over the base pastry. Spread the goat cheese on top of the preserves. Zest the lemon over the goat cheese. Sprinkle with the rosemary and pepper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Watch closely until the tart is puffed and golden brown. Cut into slices and serve warm.
The following recipes are from Sally and her life in France.
Pastry
■1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
■¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces
■1 egg
■2 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or fingertips until blended and butter is in pea size pieces. Add egg and water. Stir with a fork just until a ball forms. Flatten into a disc and wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Roll out to fit into an 8-inch pie plate. Place crust in plate and set aside.
Filling
■3 tablespoons butter or margarine
■6 medium onions, cut into thin rings
■¼ teaspoon salt
■Freshly ground black pepper to taste
■Dash of nutmeg
■3 egg yolks or 2 whole eggs*
⅔ cup heavy cream or 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded*
Sautée onions in butter over moderate heat until just wilted, about two minutes. Cover and simmer onions for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Combine egg yolks and cream with a fork (*or use the gruyere cheese and two whole eggs instead of cream). Add to onions and stir to combine. Pour into prepared shell and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
■1 pound whole mushrooms
■½ cup olive oil
■¼ teaspoon salt
■1 small clove garlic, crushed
■1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
■4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
Wash mushrooms and separate stems from caps. Finely chop the stems. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add mushroom caps, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer them to a plate. Add the stems to the skillet. Raise the heat and sautée for 3-4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove stems to a small bowl and add garlic, parsley. Place mixture on top of caps. Add bread crumb to skillet and sautée until golden. Sprinkle over the mushrooms. Cover plate and let stand one day before serving.
Haricots vert are longer, slender green beans cultivated and widely available in France, also known as French green beans. But regular green beans will work. They are often served with steamed new potatoes.
■2 pounds green beans, cleaned and trimmed
■2 tablespoons butter
■1 cup heavy cream
■½ teaspoon salt
■Dash of white pepper
■Fresh lemon juice to taste
Blanch the green beans by plunging them into rapidly boiling, salted water and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, until not quite tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Melt the butter in a large skillet, add beans and toss over high heat. Add cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, until cream is reduced slightly, and beans are tender. Season with lemon juice to taste.
The cherries and a drizzle of the juice can be served over ice cream, angel food, chocolate, pound, or cheesecake.
■3 pounds fresh cherries
■4 cups brandy
■2 cups sugar
■¼ cup water
Stem and pit cherries. Place cherries in glass jars. Crowd, but don’t smash the cherries. Pour in the brandy. Put lids on the jars and leave for 6 weeks in a warm, sunny place. Pour the brandy off the cherries and set liquid aside. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and boil uncovered for five minutes, until a clear syrup forms. Cool the syrup then add to the brandy. Pour back over the cherries. Close the jars again and place in warm place for 2 weeks. Refrigerate jars after opening.