The country life
Last weekend was amazing! I had such an unforgettable quick weekend in Paris and I am still tasting the delectable hot chocolate from Andelina's. Paris is really n enchanting place. You never get to see it all in one weekend so you leave wanting more. I find myself thinking back and bursting out laughing, because some of the things that happened was just so hilarious. I love weekends like that! You'll remember them for the rest of your life. It's the silly moments that matter. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing! One day I'll sit on my porch with all my grandkids telling them about these memories.
This week I headed off to go house hunting in our new soon to be home. Looking for a house is a hard job. First of all my husband had a pretty hard time to find something worthwhile on Leboncion.
Some of the houses had pretty low quality to no photos's at all. Don't people know that photos are the selling point here. Maybe in this case it will work against their best interests, because we saw some horror's that's for sure. Secondly, hoarding like you have never seen before. I though we had a lot of suff accumulated over these last three years, but I feel a whole lot better now. Thank you!
Castres, it's about two to three times smaler than Montpellier. The beach is replaced by acres of green farm lands and many many cows. I think I am gonna love it there. That's where true south lifestyle is going to flourish. I do come from a very small South African town in the Freestate. There are copious amounts of dirtroads, farm life and hardly nothing to do. Well, from my one day experience I found that the people are very friendly, the food is petty good and there is hardly to no traffic!
I have had one bad opinion and that was from someone who lived there all her life. She said: " It's horrible". Uh what, come again. My face dropped, but I can understand that notion. I would feel exactly the same way if someone would choose to move to my home town.
A new adventure awaits. Hard as it may be, you grow in uncomfortable situations and moving is certainly one of them. Two a half years ago I moved to a foreign country. Nothing can come close to that. Getting lost, meeting new people and finding a balance to your surroundings is all part of it. Once you're nicely jiggled in and part of the furniture it's time to get up and move again.
Now they say that the region of Castres is known for good meat. This week I haven't put up any recipes due to the fact that I was just exhausted. I made brown sugar & balsamic roasted duck with roasted veggies and chestnuts as a main course and also for entreé or dessert rosemary puff pastry chips, Saint Marcellin cheese and honey infused fruit salad with pink peppercorns. Both I might add is deliciously easy to make!
Duck with Brown sugar and balsamic reduction
Ingredients:
2 duck breast
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Slice diagonal slices on the duck fat and set the two fillets aside.
2. Mix together the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic cloves.
3. Let the fillets marinade in this mixture for about 30-60 minutes.
4. Heat up a skillet and pour in the olive oil. Remove the fillets from the marinade and then place them on the fat side firs, add course salt.
5. Let them cook for 10 minutes on medium heat before flipping over to the meat side.
6. The fat should be reduced a whole bit and be nice & crispy.
7.Pour over the sauce for the last bit of cooking.
8. Slice a few baby corns, asparagus and peppers together. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes @180°C.
9. Serve with the duck and roasted chestnuts (place in the oven for 10 minutes on 180°C.)
Saint Marcellin, Rosemary Puff pastry chips and Honey infused fruit salad with pink pepper corns.
Ingredients:
Saint Marcellin cheese or any other soft cheese
1/2 cup sliced kiwi
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup gooseberries
1/2 blueberries
1 passionfruit
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp pink peppercorns
1 sheet puff pastry
1 tsp rosemary
1 whisked egg
Salt and pepper
Salted Macadamias
Method:
1. Mix all the fruit together. Pour over the honey and decorate with pink peppercorns.
2. Roll out the puff pastry. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Brush with the whisked egg and sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.
3. Let the chips bake for 10 minutes @180°C.
4. Place all your fruit salad in a glass jar. Decorate your cheese with a bit of the fruit salad alongside the puff pastry chippies. Add some extra salted macadamias on the side if you like.
Have a amazing weekend!
M*
