New Colors, Always Beautiful - My Favorite Potter

 Following a path I know infinitely well, roads I've traveled more times than I count, I turn at the last roundabout and follow the hand-painted village signs towards bulls, the Petite Camargue and the Potter. This is the village of Le Cailar, and home to a pottering family. From mother to daughter, from daughter to husband. Creativity, strong family ties, joy, connections, unbelievable numbers of hours working. Radiant smiles whenever I see them. The world sends them their share of troubles, though this little back garden feels as close to Paradise as one could reach, and they weather them.

  

My memories overwhelm me, but the present takes precedence. I take Véronique in my arms - I've been away so long, and it's been multiple years that we've not seen each other. I can't only give her the classic bises as greeting, I must give her a hug, I must hold her. And, joyously, generously, she is willing. I love this woman and her family, and seeing them again, well, healthy, there, with a whole new surge of creativity and beauty pouring from their hearts and their hands. Tears well up.

No, this is not your normal: look at the lovely wares of my artisan article. I can't help but add my emotions into the mix. I lived 18 years in this world, now 3.5 years ago, and coming back, being so warmly received, everything is tinged in more than rose-colored glasses, more like deep, rich, roaring ochre from the clay beneath my feet here.

Véro has started playing with three dimensions in a way she'd not done before. And she's started creating characters in this new world. For years she made exquisite and personalized marriage plates (I've offered these to more than a few friends) and birth plates (Jonas has one) that have lovely personages on them, much like the little girl above on this plate. Now, however, she's taken this idea and run with it. She's started created exquisite plant and garden art.

And vases to be hung on your wall (these are reminiscent of a shape her mother used to work with).

 

 

 She's now making tall vases, and cooky jars and, simply beautiful - if fragile - dolls where the hair, the accessories, the dresses, the add-ons are all inspired by the flood of quirky and bewitching images that stream through her. Visiting mid-winter, her collection was much diminished by Christmas markets. But she's getting back to work, and I imagine by Easter, her shop will be full of marvelous new subjects. And, if you are lucky enough to visit, or to spy her at one of the many regional potters' markets, do give her my best!

I've likely brought quite a number of my readers to this little shop over the years. So, you will join with me in also appreciating (and coveting) some of the new colors that Véro has started working with. The designs are reminiscent of her classic style, but she has turned towards new pallets of colors, in particular a rich red base and a deep dark blue. Having recently visited Norway, I am struck that these have an almost Scandinavian feel to them. She's even playing with simply 2 colored pieces - something very unusual for this self-proclaimed over-decorator.

I do think I need to organize that special pottery tour like I'd always considered way back when. We would need to organize safe shipping, or come prepared for adding a second over-sized hard-sided box to the airplane allotment. What do you think? Tempted?

From mother to daughter: an inheritance of skill, creativity, joy and life.

A Chocolate Class

How a Fougasse is Cut

At the Baker's

I've been visiting my baker quite frequently this year. He truly is a favorite stop -- for the coffee (i.e. rocket fuel) for the chat about family, life, politics, the weather, for nibbles, picnic supplies and simply to watch and learn. 

One of the baker's specialties is Fougasse (I wrote a post on this a while back and included recipes). Here I put a super short video. I'll try to do a longer one next visit, including all the cuts as the baker makes them. It's definitely an interesting pastry recipe to adapt for your next party. 

Visiting Farmers

A convergence of my worlds and values. It is the rare visitor who truly connects with my artisans on the level of equal. But I had a couple the other day who were in this rank. They've an organic farm on the border of New York and Vermont. They raise pigs and chickens for meat, vegetables, fruit and bees. They are creative and concerned, devoted to their space and to working organically. They are hard-working and focused, curious and open. They came to learn and to share. They came bearing gifts -- home-made maple syrup.

And so we did a leisurely and extremely informative tour together. Sunday morning through lunch saw us with my friends at Long Mai, an organic farming cooperative and home to anywhere from 25 to 50 people from numerous European countries. Hannes, one of the founders in 1990 of this farm and deeply concerned and active in environmental politics since the 1970s, welcomed us warmly and patiently.


Over a very powerful cup of coffee and blown about by the even more powerful Mistral winds we took the time to share history, tales, ideas, and truly get a sense of each other. Passion was shared and conveyed. Respect was offered and received.

We toured the property, inspected the fields, met the animals, observed the projects coming up, passed by the chickens and the geese, strolled through the vegetable patches, admired the handmade bread oven, and were duly impressed by the conservatory of rare seeds.


Longo Mai is a place where any might go and see if it works for him/her. It is a way of life, and a life-choice. It is a community brought together to care for each other, work alongside each other, with the common goal of not polluting the world, and of maybe finding a better way to be. You come with what you have, and contribute what you are able. There are many jobs to be shared around and for each who is committed, a place can be found. All ages are welcome. The community feeds itself and strives to create a source of income from their activities to go further, build, create and plan for the future. The wool from their sheep, spun and knitted into finished sweaters is one such source, but also many delicious recipes for sauces and dips prepared and canned on-site. And, they orchestrate the preparing and delivering of farm crates with a rich array of products from neighboring organic farms.


In keeping with his never-ending projects Hannes just sent me a short translation concerning uranium mines in Mali. You never know what will come back after a visit!

From Longo Mai I took my visiting farmers to see Aurelie at the goat farm, then Sophie in her beehives.

It's very special for me to meet the people who are transforming the world back in the US along these lines. People who understand my own intensity and desire to nourish my children as well as possible. People who are committed to organic, who are going back to the earth, who are choosing to produce a maximum of their own food, and to collaborate with neighbors. Apparently the movement is as much a mother's/women's movement as a family affair. I suppose we are all readers of Michael Pollan, concerned and curious, over-educated, making choices about quality of life that jeopardize finances, but enrich differently.

And just the other day I had another client who's spent a life as a photographer, and is now training to be a veterinary technician at the age of 50! He too had a very personal and powerful moment at the goat cheese farm. This world is the one he is aiming towards.

Come my friends. I and my artisans will share with you what we may.

A pastry class anyone?

Oh yum. There's definitely something to being the resident food translator/orchestrator of cooking classes with my local artisans. Good meals, new techniques and yes delectable pastries.

Last week my week-long class included hikes, feasts, visits and a pastry class with my maître-pâtissier Guy LeBlanc. We kept the class to a reasonable two hours rather than the marathon four hours we might have done (hey, we'd hiked that morning). However, it was duly noted that we could program a week's intensive of afternoon pastry classes in the future during the months of May or October. Ahhhh future projects. But I get ahead of myself.

Thus we arrived, well-nourished, laundry dropped off at the local laundromat, a shoe repaired next door, ready to master a few tricks of the trade. With one client with a cast on her wrist, her husband took over at the helm.

We had two desserts before us: a relatively simple chocolate ganâche tart and a multi-step chocolate mousse cake filled with hazelnut caramel. Neither was truly difficult, both divine to eat, but the latter took more preparation by far.

Guy is one of those superbly prepared individuals. He'd done ahead of time what needed to rest overnight, measured out all the ingredients, etc., so we were able to clean our heads and get right to melting the sugar and making the caramel.

the ingredients for the caramel (to be prepared the night before):

- 205 grams sugar
- 68 grams glucose (optional, for the pros)
- 1.5 grams salt
- 360 grams whipped cream
- 200 grams hazelnut paste
- 32 grams gelatin powder diluted in 180 grams cold water.



He melted the sugar in the sauce pan, little by little to avoid lumps, added the glucose and salt, and stirred till it colored nicely, and got to that "petit fumé" state of just smoking. Then he took it off the burner and slowly added the whipped cream, the gelatin and the hazelnut paste. Let cool overnight before using.

This was to go into a gorgeous and rich chocolate mousse:

the ingredients for the mousse:

- 300 grams heavy cream
- 40 grams glucose (optional for the pros)
- 250 grams dark chocolate (60%)
- 40 grams milk chocolate
- 375 whipped cream, not too stiff


Very simply, the heavy cream was brought to a boil with the glucose, this was poured over the softened chopped chocolate and blended till smooth. This was allowed to cool to 35/40Celsius (95F) (Guy tabled it) before the whipped cream was added. This mixture is very smooth when first made and must set overnight before serving. We then dolloped a bit of this mixture into the silicon molds, smoothing it against the sides with the ladle. Into this a spoonful of the caramel was put, then covered with the mousse, then covered with a simple chocolate biscuit. They are then frozen, popped out and topped off with a chocolate glaze.

ingredients for the chocolate biscuit sacher (to be prepared ahead):

150 grams warmed almond paste (50%)
55 grams icing sugar
95 grams egg yolks
50 grams whole eggs
50 grams flour
50 grams cocoa powder
50 grams butter melted
140 grams egg whites whipped stiff
55 grams sugar (blended with the egg whites)


Mix the almond paste and the icing sugar together, slowly add the yolks and eggs. Mix together and add the sifted flour and cocoa, then the melted butter. Fold in the egg whites and sugar. Spread on a baking sheet (ideally on a silpat or baking paper) to 1 centimeter thickness. Bake at 180C (365F) in a convection oven for 12 minutes till just firm, but still very flexible.

We popped out the frozen mousses and put them upon a cake rack and poured our lovely chocolate glaze atop them. Oh how beautiful! Unfortunately, the glaze is the one recipe I wasn't able to obtain. Something about it being quite complicated, or simply his own? However, you might be able to come up with something a bit similar, or just melted dark chocolate, which would give you a crunchy exterior rather than this glimmering soft one. But hey, it would still taste heavenly! You might also sprinkle it with dark cocoa powder... the possibilities are many.

Sylvie's Scarves

What wonderful news! Sylvie has a wonderful range of scarves for sale. And as I've already four in my wardrobe, and though I sincerely tempted... it's likely better than I leave these for others to enjoy.

Remember her? I wrote an earlier blogpost on her: The Felting Lady. She is a gifted artist of felting and silk. I've put images here, both close-up of the details and distant to show the whole scarve/shawl. If you find any of them to your liking, she would be delighted to sell it (them) to you. They are 60E(for a small one around the neck) to 120E (large and enveloping) plus shipping (which is minimal as they are so light). Her email is femmeenrouge@hotmail.fr. Her English is superb (she lived nearly ten years in Australia), and who knows, maybe you'll enjoy exchanging with her as much as receiving a gorgeous and unique shawl?