A delicious taste of Italy in the French countryside

J

enny’s Paesenella might be an Italian dish but yesterday’s old baquettes soaked in the juices of the best red tomatoes with olives, gherkins and red onion added tastes equally as good here in the chateau in the French countryside.
 

Pam with the lunchtime Paesanella salad

 

Authentic ‘French’ touches are added with the rustic pate de vignerons, local cow-milk cheeses, and cheese choux pastry from the Wednesday Market in La Fleche. The longest queue at the market was for the ‘cheval’, but none of us are up for horsemeat.
 

So French - in a field outside the next village

 

Edmundo chooses to have a ‘rest day’ in the bucolic surrounds of the chateau, so I brave the unfamiliar ‘right hand side of the road’, and with Juanita as navigator, drive our rented car for the first time. We fly around corners and through roundabouts to the Market without hitting the kerb, or even one Frenchman.
 

Edmundo greeting the neighbours who come across to ride our horses

 
David is on ‘kitchen duty’ in the evening, and Edmundo eats hungrily of what he thinks is chicken and no one has the heart to tell him it’s rabbit!

4 Responses to A delicious taste of Italy in the French countryside

  • catherine allchin
    Hi Team Michael, The Chateau is every bit the stuff of fairytales, with all the elements in place: crypt, ghosts, walled gardens, romantic pathways and aristocratic looking French visitors arriving on horseback. (no doubt to whisk away fair maidens! Hmmm maybe a shortage of maidens at the this Inn!) The fields of poppies take my breath away, the herb and lavender gardens are beautiful, and your day at the local produce market so reminiscent of being in Avignon with Jim, so many years ago.
    Reply
  • Marianne A
    Ah , I really suffered , am so glad though , that you are enjoying wonderful France , and their """fatty food""" cheeses( that wonderful whole brie or camembert) at the luncheon table , pastries all made and cooked with wonderful ""BUTTER"" , so cholesterol will go up, maybe , but all the yums yums will not be forgotten , I also noted that in one of the collective photos , in front of the entrance of the chateau , the tall gentleman has eaten the corner of one of the baguettes, this is the most delicious morsel ever And the wonderful flowers and fresh herbs , Michael you brave thing, taking up driving., Rico always refused to drive in Europe although he had his brother's Peugeot You all look wonderful and having a lot of fun and AM GREEN WITH ENVY, so there Lots of hugs MA
    Reply
  • Andrew S
    It would seem that you are having a lousy time…… as for me have been in bed , this time with bronchitis , I just don”t get it , why me ?
    Reply
  • Lee C
    Father, We must go again Some place with looks of colour and good food The Kid
    Reply

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