| Spring |
|
With the days
getting warmer, and the fields full of spring flowers visiting the Languedoc in
the spring is the ideal way to start your summer hiking early. With the added
bonus of avoiding the summer crowds, you can visit the markets and local towns
and villages, as well as enjoying the outdoors in more reasonable
temperatures.
The joys of walking
in the area in spring are well summed up by the visitors book entry from a
couple who lived in No. 5 during spring 2004.
"What a
wonderful place this is!! Physically beautiful, peaceful, gorgeous weather.
Although much of our time was taken up with work, we had ample opportunity to
explore the surrounding country, its culture and its people. The hill walking
in the Causse du Larzac and the Cévennes is splendid. We particularly
enjoyed walking in the valley of the Coudoulas around Aulas. The hike up to
Prenticastails provides some spectacular views and the flowers in spring and
early summer are gorgeous. We managed to photograph over fifty different
species. Another great hike is along the Ravin des Arcs (about 15 mins drive
from Brissac on the Montpellier road). The walk up to the Roc Blanc on the
Montagne de la Serrane (above the castle) is very agreeable up to Notre Dame du
Suc and on up to the ridge."
And a weeks stay in
early May 2006:
"The
wildlife is a major attraction for me and in the throws of spring has been
stunning. It is great to see the landscape which we knwo in summer - parched
and dry, green and coloured with wild flowers. The nightingales have been
beautiful: singing at night and all day. Walking in the hills it is often
possible to pick out 4 or 5 or more competing with their songs. The frogs were
less tuneful but you get used to them at night suprisingly quickly.
For those who wish
to know - there are three short toed eagles living around and about - one
morning we saw one fly past with his breakfast - a long long snake. A good
place to see them seems to be the walk up the Buèges valley near St Jean
de Buèges where we saw them twice. They look a ittle like pale buzzards
from a distance but have quite a distinctive sea-gull call the book describes
as "mee-ok"! There are also black kites nesting aplenty outnumbering
the buzzards and a pair of buzzards nesting in the château as well as the
cliffs beside the castle at St Jean.
Lastly - surely the
most beautiful European bird - bee eaters. We heard them many times, but they
often fly very high and are difficult to spot. One evening driving on the D1
from St Mathieu de Treviers to Notre Dame de Londres we saw a small flock
nesting on the telegraph wires beside the road - magical"
Lamb roasted
with new potatoes
A simple meal to
enjoy te first new fresh produce of the season.
Ingredients: Lamb
chops, rosmary sprigs, new potatoes.
Put the lamb into a
metal over tray, which can be used on the hob. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary
sprigs, and drizzle a light olive oli over. Heat the tray and sear the chops on
both sides on a high heat. If you don't have a dish which can go on the hob, do
this part in a frying pan. Then put the lamb in the oven on approximately 180
degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut lager ones into half. Cover them with water
in a saucepan, and put on the hob to boil. Prepare any other vegetable which
looked good in the market.
|
| Summer |
|
Sunshine galore!
Summer in the south
of France is well known - lazy days by the pool, beach or a local river
swimming to cool down, or reading in the shade of a tree. Produce is plentiful
and oh so fresh. When moved to do something there is a whole variety of options
from canoeing the Herault, to visiting a local town, or historic place of
interest, to going getting icecream from a street cafe and watching the world
go by.
Brissac itself
has its main annual event -in the Brissac festival; held on the last weekend of
July it runs from Friday to Tuesday, with local traditional events such as
competitive petanque, to an outdoor dance every night (which you can hear from
your cottages until the small hours).
Deep Fried
Courgette Balls
A recipe typical
to the local area.
Ingredients: 2
medium courgettes, 1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine, 2 medium eggs, 2 heaped
tablespoons flour, a good pinch of Herbes de Provence, salt & pepper,
Saucepan with oil for deep frying
Wash the
courgettes, then grate them using a grater with large holes. Leave in a sieve
or colander to drain for several hours, occasionally pressing the courgettes
with a spoon to extract more liquid. The resulting liquid, used fresh, can add
a delicious hint of courgette to a soup or other dish. If several hours are not
available, you may also place the grated courgettes in a clean tea towel and
sqeeeeeze to extract not more than ¾ of the liquid.
Mix the other
ingredients in a bowl, add the courgettes and mix well. While the oil heats,
form the courgette mixture into little balls 1 to 2 centimetres in diameter.
When the oil is
hot, fry the balls, turning frequently so they darken evenly and cook right
through, about 7 to 10 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel. Either serve
immediately as they come out of the pot, which is much the best option, or
allow to cool and serve cold.
|
| Autumn |
|
The summer crowds
thin out, leaving continued good weather. The grapes are being harvested, and
its mushroom season in the fields. Good hiking can lead to harvesting some of
the ingredients for your dinner that evening.
Wild Mushroom
Pasta
If you're not
confident of your mushroom identification ability, please use mushrooms bought
at market - there will be plenty of choice available.
Ingredients:
Selection of wild mushrooms, Onion, Garlic, Pine nuts, Double cream, Pasta,
Olive oil. Flat leafed parsely
Cook the pasta
according to the packet instructions. Chop an onion into cubes, and fry, gently
in olive oil, until it is translucent, but not yet turning brown. Towards the
end throw in some garlic cloves (peeled and crushed into small pieces). Empty
into a separate dish. Toss some pint nuts into the frying pan and toast lightly
on both sides. Add to the dish with the onions and garlic.
Roughly chop the
mushrooms, removing any dirt into even sized pieces (chunky is best), then fry
gently in the pan, stirring occasionally, to ensure they cook evenly. These
will take several minutes to cook down.
Meanwhile, check on
the pasta. When cooked remove from heat and drain. Return to the pan. When the
mushrooms have cooked pour in a reasonable amount of thick cream (double works
better than single), and add the onions, garlic and pine nuts back to the pan.
Stir to mix, then pour over the pasta. Ensure the creamy mushroom sauce
thoroughly coats the pasta and put into a serving dish. Sprinkle over some
finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve.
This can be
eaten on its own, or as an accompaniment to roast chicken breasts, with a
little salad on the side. There are endless variations to try out if you feel
like getting creative in your kitchen.
Vines and
wines
The other great joy
of the autumn harvest is the vines. The colours across the fields are changing
to hues of russets and golds. The pickers are in the fields, and you can visit
the vinyards for a tasting and to purchase wine 'En Primeur' - come back next
year to pick it up, or get them to send it home to you once it has been bottled
in the Spring. There are some fantastic vineyards in the area - several hitting
the International Press. So designate a driver, and make a tour (not forgetting
to buy some bottles so you driver can have a tase at the end of the day -
safely sat on the balcony watching the sun set over the hills). |
| Winter |
|
A great place to go
to relax for a short break, or longer. Take that stack of books you've been
meaning to read, and snuggle around the wood burning stove, or enjoy having the
time to cook as you always mean to with food fresh from the market, bought
earlier that day.
Although the
weather is less clement, the qualiy of light is still good, and for those of
you living in constantly warm and sunny climes, the windy, wet and chilly
weather can be a treat in itself. Bracing walks in the quiet countryside, with
a cozy home to retreat to - have a mug of hot mulled wine or steaming
chocolate.
|
Spring
Summer 
Autumn
Winter
