45 degrees below... winter words in summer

Live from the 45th parallel.
Christchurch, New Zealand.

This busman's holiday in the southern hemisphere is as much about R&D as it is teaching and cooking. So the very first thing on my first morning with the Metcalfes was an chilly excursion to the Lyttleton Farmer's Market followed by a HOT flat white at the Lyttleton Coffee Company in front of the seriously roaring fire.



While the South Island was hit with unexpected snow flurries and some blustry winds which severly reduced the buyers, the serious and passionate vendors gathered in the somewhat sheltered lee in the grade school playground to sell their wares.



Anna of Gruff Junction farms with her goat's cheeses, organic farmer Chris with an extensive of vegetables from his Tuahiwi Market Gardens ,

and an extraordinary bacon sandwiches from local pork producers. Stay tuned for more Bacon news as we meat the Butcher Babe of Murchison (gold medal bacon!), find the french connection at the boucherie (unfortunately still closed on Sunday after Saturday's Rugby match!)

And even though I haven't been way long enough to get home sick, just the sight of these Frenchy signs in Arokua made me think of home ...


and those I've left behind...


Most of all as the Long Village stretches to meet the long white cloud (NZ to you), thanks to my good friends and hosts, Alison and Ian Metcalfe who are sharing their beloved home with me and extending the Gascon/Kiwi network.

For more information on cooking classes in New Zealand and
traveling with Ian and Ali to France
click on www.greatvillageholidays.com

A very happy Kris Moore acting as the kitchen bride...

This is a portrait of the most tender head of organic lettuce I ever met!

This green bridal bouquet is from Francoise at the Lavardac market, just harvested that morning and so fragile we carried it like a posy of exquisite flowers until we got back home.

Barely washed and I gently cut the core into 4,
then draped the tender greens on a bowl, drizzled a tablespoon of oil,
a sprinkle of salt and just a mist of vinaigre de Banyuls for a finish.

Oh, yeah. Add that little perfect stuffed tomato to make a september lunch starter.

Lunch at the French Kitchen at Camont

Photos by Wil Edwards...that 'cheese guy' at www.curdculture.com

Market=Table cooking classes: radish leaf soup to sabayon

What we bought:

Leeks
Potatoes
Radishes and their tops
Tenderloin of pork

Bacon

2 Apples
Parsley

Little pears

Hazelnuts

Mesclun

a slice of creamy Vacherin- the last of the season.

from the French Kitchen Pantry-
Egg yolks
Thyme
Rosemary
Breadcrumbs

Flour
Eggs
More eggs
White sugar
Sweet wine
Cream fraiche
Soft red wine from Elian Da Ros- cote de marmandais

Sweet Gascon white wine from Guy Arrouy 'gros manseng'

This is what we cooked:

Soupe Verte
A green spring version of a radish leaf and potato soup.

Porc
Pork tenderloin en croute (a fresh herb crust)

with a sauce vernal using aillets and poireaux de vigne
Galette de Pomme Squared
a potato & apple pancake cooked like a Spanish tortilla

L’Œuf
Sabayon classique aux Poires et Noisettes-

the most delicious thing you can do with a dozen eggs !

In exactly the time it took to eat the soup, marvel at it's green-ness and sip some wine, the pork tenderloin was out of the oven, it's crispy herbed crust served with a gentle garlic sauce. The pears lay on a bed of Sabayon, their ginger and tea poaching syrup making an dark puddle around the golden custard. Then the Bad Boy puppies had a walk, exhausted themselves and fell asleep in our arms. Next Wednesday I'm in San Sebastian at the Dialogos de Cocino. We'll make Bacalao pil-pil when I return with salt cod in tow.

Market=Table: a winter-to-spring menu

Ten a.m. and the Wednesday market in Agen is lively enough with turn of the season produce that begs winter to leave and spring to arrive. Plum trees are wearing new white frocks all across the Garonne River Valley, yet this morning I lit a fire in the cheminée to take the chill off of the old stone bones of Camont. By the time I return from the market, the doors are flung open as two young pups run road races through the open doors.

MARKET

Vegetables & Fruit
Aillets- young green garlic shoots
Poireaux de vignes- wild leeks with sweet little bulbs
Spring Leeks- as fat a finger

(Hmmm. I sense a theme coming- a spring soup of greens and young shoots)
Barbe de Capucine- pale slender dandelion leaves forced like endive
Panais or parnsips to puree
4 large Golden Delicious apples for a tarte
6 small Conference pears for later

Meat:
A slice of ventrêche or bacon
2 duck legs, 2 duck hearts & 4 wings (two ducks that can really fly!)

Dairy:
A round of fresh cheese wearing a persillade wrapping
Small tub of crème fraiche
250 gr of unsalted butter

TABLE

Dandelion salad with bacon & duck hearts
Civet du canard cooked with a Cote de Bruilhois wine
Puree of parsnips, celery root and apple
Sweet apple tart &

petite cafe