Meet Eva. She is a wild boar, sanglier, that was saved by a friend, during a hunt, chasse, bottle fed and cared for like a member of the family. Hunting wild boar dates back thousands of years to ancient Greece. I’m a vegetarian, so my abhorrence to any kind of hunting is palpable. During my last trip back to Gascony, I was delighted to learn that Eva, all 600 pounds of her, is still part of the family and will not be marinating in red wine and herbs any time soon.
French country style has influenced American and European design for centuries. Notice the sense of entry. It is public and at the same time private. The length of the curtains bespeak simplicity, attention to detail and balance. The soothing green color of the paint enhances the artful embrace of the vine around the doorway offering an invitation to comfort.
In the remote untraveled south western French countryside you will find gastronomie Gascon. It is good food, carefully prepared with the freshest ingredients available. It is rustic cuisine. To share a meal with family and friends is a graceful daily priority.
Crème de potage d’artichaut à la Gascogne
3/4 cup organic butter
1/4 cup organic white flour
1. Place the butter and flour in the bottom of a stock pot and create a roux which is a cooked mixture of flour and butter used to thicken sauces and soups. Cook until golden in color.
2. Add
1 cup chopped organic carrots
1/2 cup chopped organic celery
1 cup chopped organic onion
1 cup chopped organic mushrooms
3. Sauté for 10 minutes.
4. Add
8 cups organic chicken or organic vegetable broth
16 oounces of freshly cooked organic artichoke hearts or 2 – 8 1/2 cans of organic artichoke hearts
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup Scholarship Essay organic heavy cream
5. Bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook for 1 hour.
6. Season with fleur de sel to taste
