Fish and seafood | Recipes

Pan-seared scallops with creamed fennel and leeks

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Coquilles St.-Jacques, or sea scallops, are one of the delicious pleasures of the late fall French table. The season  for their fishery opens on October 1st and continues through the holidays, when they feature on many menus, especially for New Years Eve.  Careful management of the fisheries has meant an abundant supply (Monterrey Bay Seafood […]

Pan-seared scallops with creamed fennel and leeks Read More »

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Coquilles St.-Jacques, or sea scallops, are one of the delicious pleasures of the late fall French table. The season  for their fishery opens on October 1st and continues through the holidays, when they feature on many menus, especially for New Years Eve.  Careful management of the fisheries has meant an abundant supply (Monterrey Bay Seafood

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Stuff

Oysters and bubbles!

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Wow, its oyster season and still warm enough to enjoy them outside on the terrace!  Fall has been unusually warm in the SW of France (the new normal?) so I have waited to try my first oysters of the season until the water is cooler – usually I start thinking of oysters in early October. 

Oysters and bubbles! Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Wow, its oyster season and still warm enough to enjoy them outside on the terrace!  Fall has been unusually warm in the SW of France (the new normal?) so I have waited to try my first oysters of the season until the water is cooler – usually I start thinking of oysters in early October. 

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Recipes | Savory Dishes

Pan roasted duck breast with roasted quince and cabbage

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The arrival of quince is a landmark of late fall:  quince are traditionally the last tree fruit of the year to show up on the farm stands, usually in mid to late November. So they have for me an association with the holidays of the end of the year.  This may be, in part, because

Pan roasted duck breast with roasted quince and cabbage Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

The arrival of quince is a landmark of late fall:  quince are traditionally the last tree fruit of the year to show up on the farm stands, usually in mid to late November. So they have for me an association with the holidays of the end of the year.  This may be, in part, because

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France

Sare, France

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A beautiful fall day in the lovely little village of Sare.  Located in the heart of the French Basque Countries, perched on a hill overlooking rolling green countryside and facing the Pyrenees, Sare is considered on the of most beautiful and most typical of Basque villages.  On a crisp day in November, the town is

Sare, France Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

A beautiful fall day in the lovely little village of Sare.  Located in the heart of the French Basque Countries, perched on a hill overlooking rolling green countryside and facing the Pyrenees, Sare is considered on the of most beautiful and most typical of Basque villages.  On a crisp day in November, the town is

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Pantry | Recipes

Apple Chutney

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In 2018, we planted a little apple tree in a sunny SE corner of our yard.  These days, it has grown to important size and yields a lot more lovely eating apples than we can possibly eat.  So after having given bags to all our friends and neighbors, and eaten apples everyday for a month,

Apple Chutney Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

In 2018, we planted a little apple tree in a sunny SE corner of our yard.  These days, it has grown to important size and yields a lot more lovely eating apples than we can possibly eat.  So after having given bags to all our friends and neighbors, and eaten apples everyday for a month,

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Stuff

October, terrace of Bar Tabac “Chez Lamiche”, Orthez

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In general, a Bar-Tabac in France does not serve any food, so bringing your own snacks is welcomed.  Taking advantage of that fact. This sausage is a “chipo sèche” meaning a dry chipolata, from the excellent Basque artisan pork producer and charcutier La Ferme Elizaldia, who have a truck at the Tuesday market here.

October, terrace of Bar Tabac “Chez Lamiche”, Orthez Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

In general, a Bar-Tabac in France does not serve any food, so bringing your own snacks is welcomed.  Taking advantage of that fact. This sausage is a “chipo sèche” meaning a dry chipolata, from the excellent Basque artisan pork producer and charcutier La Ferme Elizaldia, who have a truck at the Tuesday market here.

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Stuff

Fall radishes

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Wow, it has been a warm start to the fall here in the Southwest of France.  Record breaking even.  On Saturday, it hit 32 C, and last week it hit 37 C, which broke the record for October high temperature in the area. As the summer heat tempered in September, we planted a fall crop

Fall radishes Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Wow, it has been a warm start to the fall here in the Southwest of France.  Record breaking even.  On Saturday, it hit 32 C, and last week it hit 37 C, which broke the record for October high temperature in the area. As the summer heat tempered in September, we planted a fall crop

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Events

Fête des Bergers, Aramits, France

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In the Pyrenees, fall means the end of the summer mountain grazing season that began in the spring with the depart of the herds toward higher altitudes, known as the transhumance. The shepherds and their flocks, aided by their herding and guard dogs, have spent the summer in the rich, high mountain pastures, getting fat

Fête des Bergers, Aramits, France Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

In the Pyrenees, fall means the end of the summer mountain grazing season that began in the spring with the depart of the herds toward higher altitudes, known as the transhumance. The shepherds and their flocks, aided by their herding and guard dogs, have spent the summer in the rich, high mountain pastures, getting fat

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Markets and Sources

O Panier Local celebrates its first anniversary

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O Panier Local is an organic local farmer’s co-op here on Orthez, which opened in September 2022.  The people who run it describe the store as “Associatif, Non-lucratif, Participatif”, meaning it was conceived and founded by a charitable association, it is non-profit and everyone is encouraged to participate in the life of the store. That

O Panier Local celebrates its first anniversary Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

O Panier Local is an organic local farmer’s co-op here on Orthez, which opened in September 2022.  The people who run it describe the store as “Associatif, Non-lucratif, Participatif”, meaning it was conceived and founded by a charitable association, it is non-profit and everyone is encouraged to participate in the life of the store. That

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