A Year of French Kitchen Adventures in Southwest France

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916033288588226056.post-92049123613635244942007-10-10T22:07:00.000+02:002007-11-24T17:35:17.210+01:00A Year of French Kitchen Adventures in Southwest France<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6Te9jfI/AAAAAAAAAcs/7thmYUhelSw/s1600-h/asperges+vertes.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6Te9jfI/AAAAAAAAAcs/7thmYUhelSw/s200/asperges+vertes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122582794517450226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6je9jgI/AAAAAAAAAc0/P-t0qVazJ6I/s1600-h/toms4kate-e.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6je9jgI/AAAAAAAAAc0/P-t0qVazJ6I/s200/toms4kate-e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122582798812417538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6je9jhI/AAAAAAAAAc8/0X0lnHTuhro/s1600-h/soupe+du+citrouille-email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6je9jhI/AAAAAAAAAc8/0X0lnHTuhro/s200/soupe+du+citrouille-email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122582798812417554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6ze9jiI/AAAAAAAAAdE/df19_Sc6YM0/s1600-h/Dux4Kate-email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcR6ze9jiI/AAAAAAAAAdE/df19_Sc6YM0/s200/Dux4Kate-email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122582803107384866" border="0" /></a> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Discover the Four Delicious Seasons of Gascony! </div> Winter Truffles, Spring Greens, Summer Fruit & Fall Wild Foods beckon you into my French Kitchen all year long in Southwest France. Join me here as I travel over the poetic and lush Gascon countryside searching out the best artisan food producers, the most colorful farmer’s markets, special gastronomic museums and delicious off-the-beaten paths to a hidden winery that only an insider would know where to find! I invite you to indulge in the tranquil setting of my 18th-century guesthouse-<a href="http://camontfrenchfarmhouse.blogspot.com/"> Relais de Camont </a>along the quiet canal towpath, explore the walking and bike trails at hand or help the 'master digger' tend Camont’s fertile organic potager and heritage fruit orchard. Friends join me to help teach you the basics of good simple French cuisine-- local cooks, talented French housewives and professional chefs. Our cooking classes are fun and informal yet feature the best artisan food produced locally by passionate friends and neighbors. <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbTze9jjI/AAAAAAAAAdM/H0XQXp6DJdM/s1600-h/LV-Denis+%26+Naomi-email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 236px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbTze9jjI/AAAAAAAAAdM/H0XQXp6DJdM/s320/LV-Denis+%26+Naomi-email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122593128208764466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUTe9jlI/AAAAAAAAAdc/aO_o5OguoAs/s1600-h/LV-farm-1-email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 238px;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUTe9jlI/AAAAAAAAAdc/aO_o5OguoAs/s320/LV-farm-1-email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122593136798699090" border="0" /></a> </div> The Butcher, Baker & Armagnac-Maker open their farms and own kitchen doors for you to discover the secrets of good cooking as practiced for centuries in these country kitchens of Gascony. We cook and eat locally-- very locally! A day's outing to an armagnac cellar yields the golden brandy we use to prepare a guinea fowl roasting in it's own juices. A visit to a goat's farm supplies the chevre which we'll bake into little savory 'cheesecakes' served with an onion confiture. This fertile countryside is a four-season Super Market where you meet "the people who turn dirt into food". <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUTe9jkI/AAAAAAAAAdU/eCT_yDhCA3s/s1600-h/LV-ducks-1-+email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 252px;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUTe9jkI/AAAAAAAAAdU/eCT_yDhCA3s/s320/LV-ducks-1-+email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122593136798699074" border="0" /></a> </div> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Winter: January and February offers special Truffle weekends devoted to discovery the art and soul of truffle hunting in <st1:place st="on">Southwest France</st1:place> including the world famous truffle market at Lalbenque. </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Spring: March-May are busy cooking weeks (6-day programs featuring workshops with artisan food producers, colorful markets and cooking classes.)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Summer: June- mid <st1:placename st="on">September</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">French</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Canal</st1:placetype> Cruises on the Julia Hoyt (Kate's flaoting home!) with gourmet cruising afloat as well as other European Culinary Adventures with <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Kate- Italy</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1:place> and Beyond.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Fall: Sept- end of Nov. the French Kitchen warms up Taste Gascony! Weekends with autumn fires, armagnac distillation and cooking weeks devoted to game, mushrooms and other wild things!</li></ul> #1- French Kitchen Adventures Six-Day Programs begin on Saturday afternoon and depart on Thursday after lunch. They include: daily cooking classes, all meals and local transportation for market & tasting excursions, as well as five nights accommodation at the Relais de Camont. For More information on dates & rates <a href="http://frenchkitchenadventures.blogspot.com/2007/10/1-french-kitchen-adventures-six-day.html">click here- Six Days French Kitchen Adventures.</a> <o:p></o:p>#2- Taste <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Gascony</st1:place></st1:state>! Weekend Cooking Breaks run from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon and includes two cooking classes, one market excursion, two dinners and one lunch and three nights’ accommodation at the Relais de Camont. Local transportation not included. For more information on dates & rates <a href="http://www.frenchkitchenadventures.com/2007/11/taste-gascony-cooking-weekends-in.html">click here- Taste Gascony! Weekend Breaks in Southwest France.</a>Come Join me for a French Kitchen Adventure in Gascony, Kate Hill <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUje9jmI/AAAAAAAAAdk/TQT7aICV22c/s1600-h/LV+kateportrait-email.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 187px;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUje9jmI/AAAAAAAAAdk/TQT7aICV22c/s320/LV+kateportrait-email.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122593141093666402" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_5RmE4UmkLcw/RxcbUje9jmI/AAAAAAAAAdk/TQT7aICV22c/s1600-h/LV+kateportrait-email.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.timclinchphotography.com/">www.timclinchphotography.com</a> Kate Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820363700663730384noreply@blogger.com