"If you really want to make a
friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him…
the people who give you
their food give you their heart.”
-Cesar Chavez
Payenché de mon Coeur!
Laying in the sunny grass of the orchard, far from the
house, it is so quiet. I actually
hear a fly land on a dry leaf beside me and hear his tiny footsteps as he
explores the territory. Warm sun,
quiet October breeze. A huge
yellow and green dragonfly experiments with patterns in the air. If he lands on me, I have good
luck. That is what my
granddaughter says. A leaf flutters down and lands on my
chest. A heart-shaped golden leaf. Seriously. A heart.
It is Sunday afternoon and we prepare a classic French
family dinner. First, a choice of
aperitifs: either Floc, a
reinforced wine from the Les Landes region in extreme southwest corner of
France, or some of Vivi and Denis’ homemade walnut wine, made from the unripe
liquid part of a walnut that eventually becomes the nut itself, mixed with
alcohol and wine and aged for two years before being enjoyed.
Then the hearty country bread, cut from a large round loaf,
along with black sanglier sausage (wild boar) or a foie gras and pork paté
mix. When this is eaten and
followed by the wine, it creates a completely new flavor in your mouth – quite
different from each one alone.
Magic!
Now on to a 2008 local Bergerac red wine. Two years ago I could find some
Bergerac in Maine, but for nearly a year now they have disappeared. The vineyards are not huge so
exportation is less for these independents. Ah, well, there are Cahors wines – a close
region.
French law forbids wine to have less than 12% alcohol. Interesting. Also interesting is that it is illegal to water a vineyard
in France. This can be problematic
for young plants, but a 40 year old vine, after years of searching deeply for
water, can attain a depth of 30 meters underground. That’s 90 feet down for the roots. All the flavor of a wine comes from this soil, the minerals,
the rain and sun and air. This
delicious glass of wine needs to be well respected for its courage and history.
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| Traveling mini-mart |
Next up: rotisserie chicken (yes, Vivi’s oven does
rotisserie – she also has a combination gas and induction stove – cooking for
family is serious business), grilled potatoes with cheese and a fresh green
salad. Denis offers “un petit
fond” (just a bit) of wine which highlights breaks in the conversation. There is no rush. Talk of travel, food, politics, family
.. so relaxed and constantly changing.
Vivi and I pick up a bit, then return to the table with Basque country
cheeses: chevre and brebis (goat and sheep). More “pan de compagne” (the meaty country bread). It is so fresh that it is difficult to slice. We picked it up this morning in the
little van that comes into Périgueux from about twenty minutes away. Vivi knows exactly where to find the
good stuff.
A bit more wine as we finish the cheese and bread. More conversation. Then a wonderful, flaky pastry from
Bretagne. Amazing. And so simple. Denis and Vivi brought it back with
them the night before last after a visit there with her uncle. She warmed it just slightly in the oven.  |
| Walnut wine |
A strong, black, French-press
coffee. Denis prepares it just so
– he has a specific process and timing.
His sister-in-law reaches over to expedite, but he stops her. He will not allow the brewing be
rushed. One tiny cup is
enough. However, after a couple
more topics of conversation pass, and another taste of that pastry, I request
just one more tiny cup.
Ah, les français.
Facebook Photo Album: 2016 Périgueux, France. (#1)
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