Alpine Strawberries - {Fraises des Bois}

I'm starting a new gardening section in L'esprit Sud Magazine. After many years living in a condo, I now have a chance to have a garden. Although not as big and fabulous as the one from La Bonne Etape, it still allows me to get my hands dirty and experiment with gardening. In this post, I'm talking about the fragrant and delicious Alpine Strawberry a.k.a Fraises des Bois in French and Fragaria vesca sempervirens in the botanical field.

I buy all my plants from the local farmer's market because first of all, I want to be sure that they come from organic source. This is especially important as conventional strawberries can contain a lot of dangerous pesticides*. Also, nurseries selling at farmer's markets usually carry more rare & heirloom cultivars, which is always fun to experiment with.
* For more information, read the EWG's 2013 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Originating from the alpine mountains of Italy, Fraises des Bois are well-known in France and considered a gourmet delicacy. I was so happy to find a yellow-fruited cultivar called "Pineapple crush" a couple of months ago. At first, it mainly create leaves but now, it's really starting to produce a profusion of little succulent berries. Alpine strawberries bear fruits all year long, with particularly heavy crops in the spring and fall.



At the moment, I only have one plant in a pot, but I'm seriously considering creating a border of them now that I've know that a well cared for alpines plant will last from 4 to 6 years. To guide me on my quest, I came across a very nice book The Strawberry Story by Julie Bawden-Davis which gives a lot of good advices on how to avoid the challenges associated with growing this berries in Southern California.

Over the coming months, I will update that article with more pictures as well as my findings...

La Bonne Etape: Petit déjeuner in Haute-Provence

A stop at La Bonne Etape has become a custom for us when driving from our country house in Provence to the Northern part of France. So far, I only have stopped for a gastronomical lunch, but never had the chance to spend the night in that peaceful Relais & Châteaux. So while I was in France last summer, we decided to break that rule and sleep over at La Bonne Etape.

On our way back from Paris and back home, it was a well deserved break. First of all, the small village of Château-Arnoux where the hotel is located, is quite charming; almost lost in the dramatic backdrop of Haute-Provence. The other advantage of this stay was that it would allows us to take the Route Napoléon (known as the N85), the 96 miles (154 km) road that will bring us back home while enjoying the pittoresque countryside of Provence.

The 18 bedrooms and suites of La Bonne Etape are elegantly decorated with traditional Provençal furniture, and radiate a warm cozy feeling. It felt for me like if I was a child again, spending my summer holidays at my grand parents' home. Each room has a view on the countryside, some even have their own terrace. If you need to unwind from the hustle and bustle of big cities, you definitely would find happiness here.

No modern magnetic keys, but rather a traditional one with a silver olive branch keychain.


Junior suite with a patio


My bedroom


Local delicacies


My bedroom appointed with traditional Provençal furniture


The view from my bedroom

After a fabulous dinner and a peaceful night, what a treat to open the window and push the shutters, to see the glorious blue sky of Provence. The bright light, the fragrance of the nature, every element seemed to be conspiring to make sure I was starting the day on the right foot. For the petit déjeuner, we decided to go by the pool under the pergola to fully immerse in nature.

Homemade jams, freshly squeezed juices, apricots just picked up from the garden tree, and freshly made croissants and brioches... What else would I need?
Nothing ... I was having my Petit déjeuner in paradise.

The Main patio where guests can enjoy their breakfast


Homemade jams & Jellies with fruits from the Chef's organic garden


Elegant table setting


Viennoiseries basket


Expresso


Freshly squeezed fruits juice


Local and organic products


The hotel's pool

Another great moment of my morning was the visit of the Chef's Garden. Chef owner Jany Gleize knows the importance of good local ingredients, so he decided to grow its own organic garden with the help of Garden Master: François Tessari. The garden is English inspired but with strong Provençal accents.

Flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables all cohabit in an harmonious way. I wish I had so much space here in Southern California to create such a peaceful heaven. Well sometime wishes become reality, so I keep on dreaming...

Morning harvest by one of the cooks


Nature is thriving here in this organic garden


On my way to the garden


Apricot tree


Unknown blue flowers

I can't say enough how much I love this place as well as the generosity and kindness of its chef owner Jany Gleize. If you plan a travel to Haute-Provence, you owe to yourself a stay at La Bonne Etape!

For more information

La Bonne Etape****
Hotel - Restaurant
Chemin du Lac
04160 Château-Arnoux
France
Tel: +011 33 4 92 64 00 09
Three types of room available: Superior, Deluxe and Junior Suite.
Price range from 190 € to 250 € in the low season, to 235 € to 500 € in the high season.

For more information: Website and email

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Provence to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.

Happy Mother's Day - {Bonne fête des Mères}

Happy Valentines!!

Crêpes Suzettes

As you may know, crêpe is a traditional French dish that originated from Bretagne, or Brittany, a cultural region in the north-west of France. In the past, crêpes were exclusively served on Candlemas {la Chandeleur as we call it in France}, celebrated every February 2nd. Nowadays, no specific occasion is required to enjoy these little delights whose popularity has greatly exceed the French border. Believe it or not, most crêperies are in France what fast food restaurants are for America. In Bretagne however, traditional crêperies are still around and more glamorous versions are also showing up.

The crêpe gender can be divided in two distinct groups. The salty version also known as crêpes salées or galettes, is made with buckwheat flour and can be accommodated with a variety of savory fillings. The galettes are served as an entrée and are traditionally enjoyed with a glass of Cidre, a traditional alcoholic drink made with apples. The sweet crêpes, or crêpes Suzettes, are served for dessert or as an afternoon snack. Unlike most recipes which are made with water, these crepes Suzettes are prepared with milk and heavy cream giving them a rich and silky texture. I hope you’ll enjoy them!

Crêpes Suzettes
{Yield: 24 crêpes}.

2 cups (250g) sifted flour
4 eggs
2 ¾ cup (650ml) cold boiled milk
¾ cup (200g) heavy cream
2 ½ tbsp (30g) sugar
1 tbsp of finally grated lemon rind
½ vanilla bean, split in 2
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp (30g) butter
Sugar and lemon zest for serving

Pour the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Let it cool down completely, letting the vanilla bean infuses its delicate flavor.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing them well with a spatula. Strain one third of the cold milk and mixed until smooth and homogenous. Finally, whisk in the heavy cream, the lemon zest and the rest of the milk. Let the crepe batter rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature, which will allow it to thicken. Well covered, the batter can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Heat a small non-stick pan and add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon zest.

{Antique french plate from GDA Limoges - Circa 1941 - 1953, and my great grand-mother linen}

Nature's Wisdom

Within the seed of your desire is everything necessary for it to blossom to fulfillment.

Heavenly winter desserts ... 100% pears

For the holidays, we were really happy to receive a a box filled of goodies from our family. This shipment from Harry and David included a box of Royal Riviera pears, an heirloom Comice pear that originated in Anjou. {A region in the lower Loire Valley of western France.} As soon as I saw these gorgeous fruits, I knew I had to bake them into something heavenly. After some research through my baking binders, I found 2 recipes that would suit that delicious Comice pear, which also happen to be my favorite.

The first one is a caramelized pears tart with a mascarpone cream. I was interested in trying this recipe because of its unusual crust: a typical shortbread from Brittany. Usually made with salted butter, this shortbread dough also include baking powder to give it a flaky texture. The contrast of a salty and flaky crust with the smoothness of the mascarpone cream, and the melting caramelized pears is simply out of this world .... Needless to say to say that this recipe has become a keeper.!!



The second recipe is a light winter delight ... poached pears in a vanilla syrup, a recipe from Pierre Hermé. Les poires au sirop vanillé as we call them in French, is a refreshing way to end a meal. Rich in flavor but still respecting the integrity of the fruit, this desert is to be enjoyed without {almost} no moderation.

I had some extra dough from the caramelized pears tart, so I baked some shortbread cookies that worked really well with these poached pears.

Caramelized pears tart with a mascarpone cream
(Recipe for 6 persons)

Shortbread crust
200 gr flour
150 gr soften butter
130 gr sugar
2 egg yolks
13 gr baking powder
6 gr Kosher salt or sea salt

Filling
3 pears
2 tbs butter
1 tbs Honey
50 gr pistachios
50 ml Rhum or Brandi
250 gr mascarpone
100 gr sugar

Preparing the shortbread crust
On a standmixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the egg yolk and sugar. Them add the butter, flour, baking powder and salt. Finish working with your hands to make sure the dough is homogenous. Do not overwork. Let it rest for at least one hour in the fridge covered with a plastic film. Roll the dough and fill a 22cm / 9 inch pastry ring or pie pan. {I like my crust to be rather thick to mimic a shortbread.}
Cook at 160°C / 320°F until golden, about 20 minutes. Let it cool down.

Preparing the caramelized pears
Sear the pears, cut in halves with the butter and honey. Once melted, added the Rhum or Brandi and pistachios. Let it reduce and caramelized.

Finishing the tart
Mix the mascarpone and sugar, and spread on the tart crust. Top with the caramelized pear.

Poached pears with a vanilla syrup from Pierre Hermé
(Recipe for 4 to 6 pears - From the cookbook Le Larousse des Desserts)

4 - 6 pears
500 ml water
250 gr sugar
2 lemons
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)

Peel and core the pears to remove all the seeds. Rub them with the juice of 1 lemon.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla bean and the juice of a half lemon. Add the pears and bring to a boil. Cook on a gentle boil for 10 - 15 minutes. Test the readiness with a knife, the pears still need to be slightly firm. Let them cool down, and keep in the fridge for at least 3 hours, overnight is better. Enjoy!