Pickling Of The Bean

 Anyone who's spent 10 seconds with my wife during summer months knows that she's no fan of green beans. Just can't stand 'em. An anomaly? You bet, and something that has never failed to amaze me. In Charmé, bags(and I'm talking kilos) of green beans are offered freely and often this time of year, much to my pleasure as I can't eat enough of them. Friends, however, have taken to saying tongue-in-cheek, "Ça c'est pour Katie !" when handing me sacks full of the delicate haricot verts.

 So it caught my attention recently as she, deep into the pickling season, did a round of "flash" pickled... green beans! Baby carrots I could understand. Zucchini spears, beets, chillies, assorted summer squash? Sure. Different variations of cucumber, of course. But green beans?! As this shot implies, garlic and chili played a large role, as did tarragon. The result... Well, I'm biased. She will be doing plates of assorted pickled veg on the table to go with her French take on the picnic for the next pop-up(a.k.a. repas). Got a little sting below the ear for just writing that. Vinegar on the brain.

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

Repas CG: The Aftermath... July 19

 It's a bad news-good news situation. The bad: The foie gras has all been eaten. The good: Octopus will soon hit an open fire. More about that later, for  now a few words on the pots-o-foie that followed us home form France. Not buyin' it? Yeah, probably the biggest reach since that puppy trailed my path homeward from a school carnival at 10 years old. (Sorry Mom and Dad.) However it came to being, plated with shallot jam and fresh apricots, the aforementioned duck(from Maison de Charente in neighboring Tusson)was... good. Really good. Throwing caution to the vascular wind, Katie included toast slathered with a creamy smear of rillette that she'd rendered all day in herbs. Answering the call of duty, a 1er cru Sauturnes from Bommes was called on. Rich, thick, and sweet meet fatty, luscious, and salty. Buddies from the go! (Disclaimer: This course was designated as "gift". No money changed hands in the consuming of this dish.)

 Crêpes of confit of hen legs and local grown shiitakes(too beautiful to pass up) kept pace, deep in flavor and texture, just a bit easier on the pump. Jumped into the red zone here with a mostly Grenache(a hint of Syrah) from the three sisters of Mas de Libian(Rhône). Very tender was the pork, white wine braised,  plump pieces set beside a gratin of sweet corn and summer squash, little roasted tomatoes of various shapes and types littered  about. (Kate has turned to this dish a couple of times lately, for good reason; the markets bursting with all elements.) Stayed in the Rhône for 100 year vine Grenache, with a splash of Syrah and Mourvedre. A great glass in of itself, each grape clear in its role, but even better when considering it comes from a reluctant vintner; only leaving his psychiatrist profession when the property fell to his wife in family succession. (We should all have this burden/good fortune!)
 Dessert was simple, rustic, and true: a plum tart, done with deep purple fruit with no added sugar. Didn't need it. Well, didn't need the whipped cream either, but that didn't stop me. Coffee and cognac had no sooner hit the table before talk turned to next week's meal, all seafood done in a friends backyard, wood fired oven. Always amazes me how full bellies allow for such conversation. But, on it went, and on it will be... To the fire, the octopus, roasted peaches...

Recipes and Wine Notes available on request.
Chez Gautier Cooking Scool: http://www.chez-gautier.com

Le 14 Juillet...

 Not sure why it is, but tend to find myself more geeked about somebody else's "party". Don't get me wrong, July 4th will always find me cold beer-ing, b-b-q wolfing, and spitting out the requisite ooooh's and ahhhh's as the sky is mapped out in explosive streaks and color. But stateside for yesterday's Bastille Day found us with two dozen assembled for the Sunday supper, an abundance of food and wines, along with the chance to raise a glass or two to a good guy celebrating a special birthday. The blowing out of the candle marked a fine feast, but also offered a bit of a symbolic salute several thousand miles east to a France more than likely already asleep.

Roasted wild salmon with a sweet corn and
summer squash gratin

 Funny thing is, our experience in the French countryside has been that of... Well, not indifference to the holiday, but not a fervent celebration either. There are no doubt observances, barbecues are fired up, tables line gardens, and people gather as you might expect. But, there's also a... calm. Perhaps the most notable fête marking independence we've experienced in our years in the Poitou-Charente was one thrown in our honor, the first year we took possession of the property. Neighbors invited us, served a menu relatively american in its flair: potato salad, merguez in place of hot dogs, fruit gallettte in place of pies, and, testing a shaky mind, I believe there were even deviled eggs as well.
 Might be as simple as having more interest in celebrating someone else's special day than your own. In the case of  hours spent with tables full, food and wine flowing, and French music in the air, we had the pleasure of raising glasses to a friend who was present, and those back in Charmé.


Recipes and Wine Notes available on request.
Chez Gautier Cooking School: http://www.chez-gautier.com

Repas CG: The Aftermath... June 21

  We weren't sure what to expect from the first evening repas, but as we all tramped out to the yard, cognacs and coffees in hand to toast a "super moon" and the Summer Solstice, the answer was clear. Evening meals we've done, yet this was the first departure from what have become our regular Sunday afternoon gatherings. Except for the change in time and light, though, little else differed.

 Oh, the hour did allow Katie to go a bit deeper with flavors. The warm day had cooled just enough to welcome her choice to start, a soup of slow roasted heirloom tomatoes, topped with basil oil, and crème fraîche. Summer in a bowl. Chose a Mâcon-Charnay(100% Chardonnay) for this, which would be the sole white served. Normally even handed between whites and reds, this meal would lean more towards the latter. So it was that next poured was a Château Peyros from the Madiran of the southwest, a meeting of Cabernet and Tannat, an intense, hearty varietal. Roasted bone marrow was plated along with toasts, and caper-parsley salad. Variations of this dish have crossed my path a lot recently, from here to Paris and back. Not sure who's following who, but gratitude is in play at each serving. Moans and sighs carried the conversation for the next while, broken only by clinking of spoon to bone or plate.
 As Katie seared off thick cuts of tri-tip, the wine slid over to Bordeaux(Château Beaulieu). Paraphrasing advice once given about the region, "Find 'em young, or let 'em sit." With only a few years in the bottle, this Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc offered the fruit wanted for the ragoût of sweet peppers and the baked fromage frais that Katie had made that morning, while still holding soft tannins to match up with the beef; served thinly sliced and very, very pink. An initial thought of going with a deep Rhône was easily forgotten. In fact, stayed in the southwest for all three reds, dropping back down to Cahors for an eclectic blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Gamay, and, of course, Malbec, for the cheese and salad. While the cows milk offering was firm and subtle, found my palate drawn to the Petit Gris goat from the Lorraine. Sharp and dense, it lingered, waiting for the wine.
 Although a gratin is normally thought of as a savory dish, Kate's raspberry version hit home. The fruit was blanketed by vanilla custard, then dusted in sugar, and set under the broiler for a light charring. Fresh, rich, and gorgeous. No sooner had coffee and cognac been served, when we were drawn outside by the moon. With the focus and aide of friend Righter, our digital telescope was put into play. Candles in large bell jars sat lit about the garden, although the moon needed no help. Glasses were topped off, turns taken viewing. It wasn't until the last guest left not long before midnight that the reality hit of a too early flight south to family and Newport Beach. So be it! The first night was a good night, one to be repeated.

Recipes and Wine Notes available on request.

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

Repas Road Trip... Nashville

 June promised to be a busy one, and hasn't disappointed. Meals and travel have been mixed with weddings and family celebrations, but it's time to slow down and send some love down south where a  short while back we spent the week doing a series of French country meals in Nashville. Not sure what to expect, either from markets, the burgeoning artisan producers, or the people, we came out very content for having made the trek from the west coast. The air was thick , the days heat increasing during our stay, yet always we found it welcoming, smiles offered easily in that gentle southern way.
 A challenge when going into a new town is the "where". As in where the hell do you buy anything around here? After arriving at 5:30 a.m. early in the week, we found ourselves in the central Nashville Farmers Market by about 7:30. While we would expand our scope around the city, the love and quality we found at Smiley's Farm, Barnes Produce, and the others made it easy to return daily. Warm crusty loaves of sour dough pulled each weekend morning from the wood fired oven, stacked along the counter at Bella Nashville, were an excellent find there as well. Normally known for their quality Napolitano pizza, the bread goes quickly. Emma was always kind to save enough for our needs.
 Fine craft was on display at Porter Road Butcher, where Jim and crew made it easy to find the quality and cuts we wanted. Doing it right with whole animals, and old school slow-it-down-and-listen service. The fact that the best cheese vendor in town(The Bloomy Rind) actually shares the same space made it a regular stop also. Kathleen patiently heard out our wants, and married us up to some pretty damn good local producers, of which there are many emerging from the area.
 Cooking for others has never stopped us from feeding ourselves, and strolling the neighborhood of our German Town digs provided some very good options, whether it was cocktails and coppa di testa under the strung lights on the terrace at Rolf and Daughters or tearing into wood fired gulf octopus bar side at City House. Yeah, barbecue figured prominently in the mix, from Edley's in the 12 South district to Martin's out in... Well, damn far out in the country, lets just say. Ate too much at both places, and don't feel bad about it at all! Perhaps the best "feed" we put on while there came via friend Hazem, who snagged us our first night in, taking us over to East Nashville and Lockland Table. In an otherwise quiet residential area of stately elegant homes sits this outpost, where we ate long and we ate well. From corn fritters, chicken paté and roasted bone marrow to trout and hanger steak frîtes, we had many reasons to not order the cheese plate nor the re-worked Bananas Foster. But... We did, all of which contributed to the "waddle" to our walk out to the car.

 Cooking on the road can be challenging, but the kitchen time was made better and our meals flowed more smoothly in large part to the hosts who accepted us into their homes. To all of you(Nancy, Mary, Paris, Kate, and, of course, the Bloomfields) our thanks, for the graciousness of your welcome, eagerness to the process, and good vibes. None of this would have happened, had it not been for the insistence of my sister Susan, who doggedly aligned the stars to make it happen. All without us choking each other, a test to the delicate balance that is family.
 Unveiling the French countryside for guests is our distinct pleasure. When back stateside, however, we're always willing to bring some of that magic with us to what ever local might want to share a table. Doing them in the San Francisco Bay Area is a given, and when we can spread the love to such places as Nashville, it just gets that much better.

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