FOREWORD By Patricia Wells INTRODUCTION Seeking Out the Farmer COME HAVE A DRINK AND A BITE Venez Prende l''Apero On a French farm, families and friends gather at table to enjoy light little dishes before dinner. Begin your meal with Tapenade with Tuna, Pickled Eggplant, Warm Oysters with Balsamic Vinegar, or Little Cheese Puffs. Chestnuts in Gascony A Little Story About Oysters THE SOUP TERRINE La Soupiere Wild Greens Soup, Winter Potage, Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic, and Pacale''s Endive Soup-here are savory soups for all seasons and all occasions, some meant to start a meal, some a meal in themselves. Beauty Is in the Tasting THE SALAD BOWL Le Saladier Crisp green salads refresh your palate after a hearty main course and flavorful composed salads serve as inviting starters. Enjoy Dandelion Green Salad with Croutons, Curried Cauliflower Salad, and Warm Lentil and Bacon Salad. Of Baby, Icy, and Otherwise Unusual Greens The Aroma of Garlic THE DAIRY La Laiterie Fromage Blanc, Warm Camembert Tart, and Fried Egg Crepes are some of the easy cheese and egg dishes that are as much at home here as they are in France. The Last Vintage Cheese, Cheese, Cheese THE FARMYARD La Basse-Cour Luscious chicken and duck preparations reign supreme on the farm table and include simple roasts and stews, a savory Chicken Braised in Beer, and a Duck with Artichokes and Spring Onions. Why Sea Salt? Le Neubourg: A Voyage Back in Time THE PASTURE Le Paturage On the French farm, meat is reserved for special occasions and what delicious occasions they are.
Celebrate with Jacqueline Priaulet''s Daube, Roast Lamb with Sage, Roast Pork with Potatoes and Onions, and Rillettes Baked in Brioche. Eternal Olives On the Norman Salt Marsh The Tale of the Boudin Blanc Going Home THE SEA La Mer France is a seafood-loving country, and Poached Fish with Aioli, Basque-Style Cod, Pickled Mackerel, and Mussels Cooked in Cider are just a few of the farm favorites included here. The Salt Raker There''s a Future in Growing Mussels THE FIELD AND THE GARDEN Le Champ et le Jardin Fresh vegetables at their peak of flavor, are beautifully prepared in the farm kitchen. Savor Asparagus with Two Sauces, Broccoli with Snail Butter, Eggplant with Tomato Coulis, Noemie''s Leeks in Red Wine, and perfect French Fries. The Maraichers of Criqueboeuf The Pearl of the North Not Your Ordinary Lentil At Day''s End Wild Mushrooms in the Dordogne THE BREAD OVEN Le Tour a Pain The breads and tarts in this chapter are reminiscent of the time when most farms had their own bread ovens. Here crusty loaves and bubbling, savory tarts, quick brioche, and Tomato and Sweet Pepper Pizza emerge hot and fragrant and irresistible. TIME FOR A SNACK Le Gouter The four o''clock snack is a French institution, indulged in on farms and in cities, by adults and by children. When late afternoon hunger strikes, do as the French do: Serve up Walnut Butter Cookies, Crepes with Sugar, Alsatian Coffee Bread, or Hazelnut Pound Cake.
Golden Walnuts THE CELLAR AND THE PANTRY La Cave et l''Armoire Homemade wines and liqueurs and jars of jams and jellies line the shelves of the farm cellar and pantry. Brighten your morning toast with such favorites as Apricot and Red Currant Jam and Quince Jelly, and begin dinner with an aperitif of Cherry Wine or Lemon Verbena Liqueur. Quinces, Fabulous Quinces "Johnny Onions" Quality First The Vinegar Pot EVERYTHING SWEET Tous ce qui est Sucre No farm meal is complete without a sweet finale. Normandy Apple Tart, Lemon Cake with Strawberries, Sauteed Beignets with Sugared Plums, Cinnamon Rice Pudding, Floating Island, and Chocolate and Cheese Taluas are just a few perfect endings. Christmas Eve in Provence Biodynamic Farming The Riehles of Alsace The Shepard of the Pyrenees The Calvados King THE BASICS Les Bases Stocks, pastries, CrSme Fraice, and Vanilla Sugar-they''re all basics of a farm kitchen. VISITING THE FARM Here are some tips for planning an overnight stay on some of the farms featured in this book. INDEX.