Repas CG: The Aftermath... March 3

 Had a great meal Sunday! From an early a.m. hunt for blossomed branches to the last bit of "backyard lemon" tart, all fell very well into place. (Not just saying that because both entailed some neighborhood... "foraging".) The only thing to stray off line was the weather which burned off nicely from an early damp chill to a warm Spring afternoon; kept the fire I'd built from getting a match until long after guests had made their way home. Having offered an amuse to guests of the last repas, Katie once again slid in a surprise: black dates filled with fresh, young goat cheese, wrapped in lardon. Love the comment by one guest who stated matter-of-factly, "Doesn't everything taste better wrapped in bacon?!" Yes, yes it does! Short a wine because of this, I fished out an Alsatian pinot blanc from the cupboard, it's light fruit and acid filled in nicely.
 From there, plates of artichoke were passed out, each with their own little "pot" of aioli. (True to one of Katie's mottos, "You can't have enough mayonnaise!") The Meyer lemon used to steam was subtle, as was the mustcadet sur lie that was chosen.  Missing our Suzanne in Charmé, Katie used her as muse to inspire a savory crêpe of braised leeks and escarole with slices of blood orange and toasted hazelnuts. To be fair, Suzanne seldom fusses; a tall stack of crêpes dressed in butter and granulated sugar would suffice. Still, she was in mind and conversation as we tore into these, a 100% roussane from Domaine Alary(11th generation) in the glass. Tamed by a long "bath" of hearty red, the thick and tender short ribs were then stacked atop mounds of fork-mashed parsnips and celery root, whose earthy finish rose from the butter and cream. Chose a Cahors for this, wanting a real chewy, stain-your-teeth Malbec. Dirt, licorice, dark berries! No Argentinian elegance here. Bold and blue went the cheese(St. Agur), along with an... adolescent goat from the Loire. Rounded out just a bit for this with the usual Rhône Valley quartet, led mightily by Grenache. The weather still playing tricks meant tender hearts of romaine instead of the increasingly elusive little gems. (Katie just laughs, "They're in the market when there good and ready.")
 Having shouldered through several versions of the tart during the week(The burden!), must say Sunday's was just right. So fresh were the lemons, the resulting juice was really pronounced. Thus, Katie ended up cutting it a bit with a fold of whipped cream, easing the sharp hit below the ears without taking away from the fruit. Walking out later with guests, the late afternoon sun mocking my fire preparations, saw the first sprouts of green reaching from the rows of radish and carrots planted a few days before. With spinach and chard already well on their way, guess it's about that time. Not long before tables will line the garden.


Chez Gautier Cooking School: http://www.chez-gautier.com