Artichokes : a French speciality from Brittany
Posted by LN, Monday 22 June 2009 at 21:59 - Faun and flora - Tags
The peak season for artichokes lasts several months : from May to November.
The artichoke is a domesticated thistle ... Have you seen it blooming ? The flower looks like the thistle’s one and it smells so good…
The reproduction of the artichoke is often done thanks to a rejection from an other artichoke that grows beside and must be replanted. The plant is almost a bush, which can reach 2 meters high and provides several artichokes (big ones) for 2 or 3 years.
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Its name comes from the Italian language which took it from Arabic. Originally, the plant is Mediterranean. Already known in Italy during the 9th century, the marriage of the French King Henry II with the Italian Catherine de Medici (1533) who loved it made him popular in France.
Even if it is a Mediterranean plant, it grows well in Brittany- the culture began early 19th century-, specially on the North coast, where the climate is quite mild. The famous golden belt around Roscoff is the coast for early vegetables and 75% of the artichokes produced in France come from the area.
In France the favorite one is the camus de Bretagne,the largest species (2 to 3 kg per head), the one eaten peeled. The southern one is much smaller and often eaten like in Spain or Italy, in oil.
Read it in French : Artichaut de Bretagne
The artichoke is a domesticated thistle ... Have you seen it blooming ? The flower looks like the thistle’s one and it smells so good…
The reproduction of the artichoke is often done thanks to a rejection from an other artichoke that grows beside and must be replanted. The plant is almost a bush, which can reach 2 meters high and provides several artichokes (big ones) for 2 or 3 years.
.
Its name comes from the Italian language which took it from Arabic. Originally, the plant is Mediterranean. Already known in Italy during the 9th century, the marriage of the French King Henry II with the Italian Catherine de Medici (1533) who loved it made him popular in France.
Even if it is a Mediterranean plant, it grows well in Brittany- the culture began early 19th century-, specially on the North coast, where the climate is quite mild. The famous golden belt around Roscoff is the coast for early vegetables and 75% of the artichokes produced in France come from the area.
In France the favorite one is the camus de Bretagne,the largest species (2 to 3 kg per head), the one eaten peeled. The southern one is much smaller and often eaten like in Spain or Italy, in oil.
Read it in French : Artichaut de Bretagne
Artichoke, Best season to eat an artichoke, Catherine de Medici and the artichoke, Difference between Italian Spain and France artichokes, Different breeds of artichokes in Europe, French production of artichokes in Brittany, Liqueur and tea made with artichokes, Origin of the artichokes, Production of artichokes in France, Vegetables produced in Brittany
Read also :
Italian recipes using cauliflowers
Posted by LN - Tags
Cauliflower is mainly Breton in France: 75% of the French production comes from the North coast of Brittany, also called the golden belt.
If you're touring by there, you'll see signs: Prince de Bretagne (the main supplier of cauliflowers here) has many partners that deals with their vegetables : restaurants, shops... And probably those you get over the Channel come from here and are send by the Brittany Ferries from Roscoff.
Caulyflower has a second name Cyprus cabbage... because... even if it was known during the Roman time, the culture of the vegetable declined and disapeared until the late Middle Ages... It was brought back probably from Cyprus and called then coleworts Cyprus.
West of France today dominates the French market ... There are also varieties of purple or orange.
Cauliflower can be eaten from September to January. It is a good autumn vegetable, ideal for weight watchers (full of water, low in calories and rich in vitamin C and B9, the famous folate for pregnant women).
Cooking
Cabbage is not appreciated by everybody ... Because some people don't supporter well, they suffer from flatulence ...
Well, you have two solutions:
- Growing it in the garden, collect and eat it the same day ... It won't bother you...
- The second, for almost anyone, is to cook your cabbage in two waters. It will be more digestible. And to keep it white, add lemon to the cooking water.
Conservation
You can eat the leaves of cauliflower. Cut them into small pieces for the same cooking time as the cabbage.
These recipes are possible with cabbage or broccoli Romanesco or both.
My great grand father was Italian... I do like these two ways of eating it but they're unusual... Italian cuisine...
Baked Italian meal with Cauliflower
It is a sort of gratin made with an olive oil bechamel with thyme.
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
Butter
Crumbs
100g grated cheese
For the sauce
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups cooking water
5 tablespoons olive oil
Thyme (1 tablespoon dried thyme or a little less fresh)
Salt
Cut leaves, wash the cabbage and separate the bunches. Let it boil in salted water. If you are cooking with two waters, the second (5 to 10 minutes depending on cabbage) for a cooking al dente.
Cook it in butter.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Warm the oil. Remove from heat, mix the flour, cooking water, a pinch of salt and thyme. It's a sort of bechamel sauce.
When the sauce is homogeneous, pour over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with grated cheese and some breadcrumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes at 6 (180 °) until a beautiful golden crust.
Italian cooking : cauliflower with olives and provolone
Ingredients
1 cauliflower (good size)
150 g provolone (Italian cheese)
100 grams of black olives
1 onion
1 glass red wine
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Toast
Wash and separate cauliflower parts.
Cut into thin slices provolone and onion.
Pit the olives and cut them into pieces.
Put in a saucepan with oil, onion, a layer of cabbage, some slices of provolone and pieces of olives. Spice with salt and pepper.
Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with oil and add the diluted wine with a glass of water.
Put the saucepan on the stove and cook over low heat for an hour. Avoid cooking too fast. If during the cooking liquid has evaporated add boiling water. Cauliflower should be tender.
Serve with toasted bread and a salad of beans and julienne carrots.
Read this post in French : Deux recettes à base de choux-fleurs au four ou à la casserole
If you're touring by there, you'll see signs: Prince de Bretagne (the main supplier of cauliflowers here) has many partners that deals with their vegetables : restaurants, shops... And probably those you get over the Channel come from here and are send by the Brittany Ferries from Roscoff.
Caulyflower has a second name Cyprus cabbage... because... even if it was known during the Roman time, the culture of the vegetable declined and disapeared until the late Middle Ages... It was brought back probably from Cyprus and called then coleworts Cyprus.
West of France today dominates the French market ... There are also varieties of purple or orange.
Cauliflower can be eaten from September to January. It is a good autumn vegetable, ideal for weight watchers (full of water, low in calories and rich in vitamin C and B9, the famous folate for pregnant women).
Cooking
Cabbage is not appreciated by everybody ... Because some people don't supporter well, they suffer from flatulence ...
Well, you have two solutions:
- Growing it in the garden, collect and eat it the same day ... It won't bother you...
- The second, for almost anyone, is to cook your cabbage in two waters. It will be more digestible. And to keep it white, add lemon to the cooking water.
Conservation
You can eat the leaves of cauliflower. Cut them into small pieces for the same cooking time as the cabbage.
These recipes are possible with cabbage or broccoli Romanesco or both.
My great grand father was Italian... I do like these two ways of eating it but they're unusual... Italian cuisine...
Baked Italian meal with Cauliflower
It is a sort of gratin made with an olive oil bechamel with thyme.
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
Butter
Crumbs
100g grated cheese
For the sauce
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups cooking water
5 tablespoons olive oil
Thyme (1 tablespoon dried thyme or a little less fresh)
Salt
Cut leaves, wash the cabbage and separate the bunches. Let it boil in salted water. If you are cooking with two waters, the second (5 to 10 minutes depending on cabbage) for a cooking al dente.
Cook it in butter.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Warm the oil. Remove from heat, mix the flour, cooking water, a pinch of salt and thyme. It's a sort of bechamel sauce.
When the sauce is homogeneous, pour over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with grated cheese and some breadcrumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes at 6 (180 °) until a beautiful golden crust.
Italian cooking : cauliflower with olives and provolone
Ingredients
1 cauliflower (good size)
150 g provolone (Italian cheese)
100 grams of black olives
1 onion
1 glass red wine
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Toast
Wash and separate cauliflower parts.
Cut into thin slices provolone and onion.
Pit the olives and cut them into pieces.
Put in a saucepan with oil, onion, a layer of cabbage, some slices of provolone and pieces of olives. Spice with salt and pepper.
Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with oil and add the diluted wine with a glass of water.
Put the saucepan on the stove and cook over low heat for an hour. Avoid cooking too fast. If during the cooking liquid has evaporated add boiling water. Cauliflower should be tender.
Serve with toasted bread and a salad of beans and julienne carrots.
Read this post in French : Deux recettes à base de choux-fleurs au four ou à la casserole
Italian cuisine with cabbage, Cauliflowers recipes, Italian gratin with cauliflower, Gratin with olive oil bechamel sauce, Italian recipes with romanesco, Italian recipe with broccoli, Italian vegetarian recipe with broccoli or romanesco and cauliflower, Italian vegetarian cooking, Italian cuisine with cauliflower or broccoli or romanesco, Cooking with cauliflowers romanesco broccoli or cabbage
Roscoff: gateway to Britain and Ireland
Posted by LN - Tags
You love questions! With no easy answers… And you’ve been to Roscoff ? Do you know why there is an expressway that runs from Roscoff, a small village of a bit more than 3000 habitants to Morlaix?
If you are regular customer of the ferry, you have already taken the fast lane along the Bay of Morlaix. Ok, Roscoff is the port to Plymouth and Cork. But is it the only reason why there is this highway ? Why Roscoff rather than another port on the coast of Brittany?
… Well for economic reasons ... due to climatic reasons ... : The whole area around Roscoff has two major advantages: - A very regular climate with a low difference between the highest temperatures and the lowest due to the Gulf Stream (warm water current that goes in front of Roscoff).
- And a really good land for agriculture.
Yes, and then ... it creates unique conditions for an exceptional agriculture.
If you take a walk on the coastal paths, you will see the agricultural wealth. Every parcel is cultivated.
And this production has to be sold. As the old port is depending on tides that empties it and impede commercial traffic, Roscoff had to find another way to sell its vegies.
The city needed a deep water port and the energy of a man, Alexis Gourvennec who, thanks to the capital of local farmers (and the help of the State that wanted to help economically this part of Brittany), created a ferry line to England to sell vegetables (1972). And then to develop tourism.... This is how the Brittany Ferries began cross-links.
2 - Or because Johnny Halliday the famous French singer is behind the Anglo-French friendship!
This connection with England is not new, and is not due to the fame of Johnny, the singer.
It is much more trivial…
Roscoff onions had already created the path. Yes, in 1828, one of the first Johnnie exported onions to England. They were called Johnnies because at the time they took with them their young children. And everybody knows (specially the British !!!) that all the Bretons sons then were called Yann (Jean in French).You nicknamed the youngs Johnnie…
Those Johnnies and fathers used to leave mid July, for 5 to 9 months with their bicycles covered of onions and were selling them across the sea. More than 1200 Johnnies made the crossing before the 2nd World War.
This breed of onion has been brought from Portugal by a monk (mid XVIth century) and was gradually introduced in the region. Indeed, it was a good product for the sailors fighting against scurvy (a disease caused by a lack of vitamins). Easy to preserve, the onion was useful for vessels, it could be taken on board and kept delaying the effects of the disease on the crews. Trade stopped after the war. A small museum in Roscoff commemorates this episode.
3 - Or is it due to a love story between a Queen of Scotland and a French king?
The connections with England existed long before this onion story ... Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland ... You know her… The legend said she resided here.
The future wife of François II landed at Roscoff in 1548 to join the Court of France, where she had to continue her education before marrying the king 10 years later.
But it is a legend, because the houses where she lived did not exist at the time! The chapel of Saint Ninien or rather what remains of it
(close to the watchtower, a remnant of the old city walls) commemorates the Scottish episode.
4 – Or is it rather due to an history of shipowners, privateers and pirates!
The relations with the British have not always been as peaceful as they are today. In the Middle Ages and beyond, Roscoff was repeatedly attacked and destroyed by the English troops. The honor of both side is safe because the reverse is also true.
It is a hole for buccaneers and an old nest for privateers, the Breton poet Tristan Corbière described it in the 19th century.
It is also a port that trade with Flanders, Spain or Portugal (linen, cloth, salt ...). During the French Revolution period it became a place for smuggling brandy, tea and gin with English ... The Wines and Beers are the worthy successors of that time!
This wealth is still encarved in the walls of the houses : sculptures still decorate the granite.
Read it in French : Roscoff : porte vers l'Angleterre et l'Irlande
1 – This highway has been constructed because ferrys to England or Ireland leave from Roscoff ?1 – This highway has been constructed because ferrys to England or Ireland leave from Roscoff ?
2 - Or because Johnny Halliday the famous French singer is behind the Anglo-French friendship!
3 - Or is it due to a love story between a Queen of Scotland and a French king?
4 - Or rather a history of shipowners, privateers and pirates!
If you are regular customer of the ferry, you have already taken the fast lane along the Bay of Morlaix. Ok, Roscoff is the port to Plymouth and Cork. But is it the only reason why there is this highway ? Why Roscoff rather than another port on the coast of Brittany?
… Well for economic reasons ... due to climatic reasons ... : The whole area around Roscoff has two major advantages: - A very regular climate with a low difference between the highest temperatures and the lowest due to the Gulf Stream (warm water current that goes in front of Roscoff).
- And a really good land for agriculture.
Yes, and then ... it creates unique conditions for an exceptional agriculture.
We harvest almost uninterrupted even in winter ... Agricultural products are shipped from Roscoff to Paris, Brest, in the ports of Holland and England, and particularly on the English coast of Cornwal l: in 187,5 7 803 055 tons of potatoes were sent, 2 million kg of artichokes ... the pier of the port is full of carts that provide vegetables for vessels. (Joanne Guide 1884)It is not surprising that this stretch of coastline is known as the Golden Belt (ceinture dorée). Vegetables grow quicker than the rest of the Bay (3 weeks in advance) and the mildness of the weather allows a rapid succession of crops.More than 70% of French couliflower and artichokes are produced here.
If you take a walk on the coastal paths, you will see the agricultural wealth. Every parcel is cultivated.
And this production has to be sold. As the old port is depending on tides that empties it and impede commercial traffic, Roscoff had to find another way to sell its vegies.
The city needed a deep water port and the energy of a man, Alexis Gourvennec who, thanks to the capital of local farmers (and the help of the State that wanted to help economically this part of Brittany), created a ferry line to England to sell vegetables (1972). And then to develop tourism.... This is how the Brittany Ferries began cross-links.
2 - Or because Johnny Halliday the famous French singer is behind the Anglo-French friendship!
This connection with England is not new, and is not due to the fame of Johnny, the singer.
It is much more trivial…
Roscoff onions had already created the path. Yes, in 1828, one of the first Johnnie exported onions to England. They were called Johnnies because at the time they took with them their young children. And everybody knows (specially the British !!!) that all the Bretons sons then were called Yann (Jean in French).You nicknamed the youngs Johnnie…
Those Johnnies and fathers used to leave mid July, for 5 to 9 months with their bicycles covered of onions and were selling them across the sea. More than 1200 Johnnies made the crossing before the 2nd World War.
This breed of onion has been brought from Portugal by a monk (mid XVIth century) and was gradually introduced in the region. Indeed, it was a good product for the sailors fighting against scurvy (a disease caused by a lack of vitamins). Easy to preserve, the onion was useful for vessels, it could be taken on board and kept delaying the effects of the disease on the crews. Trade stopped after the war. A small museum in Roscoff commemorates this episode.
3 - Or is it due to a love story between a Queen of Scotland and a French king?
The connections with England existed long before this onion story ... Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland ... You know her… The legend said she resided here.
The future wife of François II landed at Roscoff in 1548 to join the Court of France, where she had to continue her education before marrying the king 10 years later.
But it is a legend, because the houses where she lived did not exist at the time! The chapel of Saint Ninien or rather what remains of it
(close to the watchtower, a remnant of the old city walls) commemorates the Scottish episode.
4 – Or is it rather due to an history of shipowners, privateers and pirates!
The relations with the British have not always been as peaceful as they are today. In the Middle Ages and beyond, Roscoff was repeatedly attacked and destroyed by the English troops. The honor of both side is safe because the reverse is also true.
It is a hole for buccaneers and an old nest for privateers, the Breton poet Tristan Corbière described it in the 19th century.
It is also a port that trade with Flanders, Spain or Portugal (linen, cloth, salt ...). During the French Revolution period it became a place for smuggling brandy, tea and gin with English ... The Wines and Beers are the worthy successors of that time!
This wealth is still encarved in the walls of the houses : sculptures still decorate the granite.
Read it in French : Roscoff : porte vers l'Angleterre et l'Irlande
Healthy diet with a seasonal calendar of fruits and vegetables in summer
Posted by LN - Tags
It's summer ... the best season to enjoy veggies and fruits ... because they're plenty...because the fruits are sweet and juicy... And because you can prepare nice cold salad with so many different kinds of products.... because it's the best diet... to loose weight (Vegetables and fruits are low in calories) or to feel fit and healthy... Natural vitamins for a beautiful complexion and a nice skin. The best time to eat fresh food.
You can still eat Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions as they can be preserved all year long but try to enjoy some other ones...
As the weather is nice and warm, enjoy eating cold... outside...
You can also enjoy collecting what you would like to eat by going to farms where you can pick what you want to eat and savour... In Brittany, it's possible, in many places...
You can also when walking around, collect blackberries, sloes and other nuts and chestnuts ....
Remember that exotic fruits do not grow all year long....
Here is your monthly calendar... July, August and September. For free and full of nice local recipes...
Blue links are connected to vegetables and fruits produced in the region... and the culinary specialties...
You can still eat Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions as they can be preserved all year long but try to enjoy some other ones...
As the weather is nice and warm, enjoy eating cold... outside...
You can also enjoy collecting what you would like to eat by going to farms where you can pick what you want to eat and savour... In Brittany, it's possible, in many places...
You can also when walking around, collect blackberries, sloes and other nuts and chestnuts ....
Remember that exotic fruits do not grow all year long....
Here is your monthly calendar... July, August and September. For free and full of nice local recipes...
Blue links are connected to vegetables and fruits produced in the region... and the culinary specialties...
JULY
Vegetables
Asparagus, Artichokes, Batavia, Broccoli, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Garlic, Green beans, Lettuce, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Rockets, Salad, Spinach, Tomatoes, Zucchini
Fruits
Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Currants, Melons, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries
Exotics Bananas
AUGUST
Vegetables
Artichokes, Broccoli, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Green beans, Lettuce, Peas, Peppers, Rockets, Squash, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini
Fruits
Apricot, Blackberries, Blueberries, Currant, Gooseberries, Grapes, Figs, Melons, Mirabelle, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Sloes
SEPTEMBER
Vegetables
Artichokes, Cabbage, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Green beans, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Peppers, Pumpkins, Spinach, Radish, Salads, Tomatoes, Truffles, Zucchini
Fruits
Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries, Currants, Figs, Grapes, Melons, Mirabelle, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Quinces, Raspberries, Sloes, Strawberries
Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Bananas, Pineapples
Free calendar of fruit and vegetable, Monthly calendar of seasonal products, Seasonal summer fruits, Seasonal summer vegetables, Eating fruits in summertime, Cold salad with seasonal vegetables in summer, Health and fresh food, Natural vitamins, Health and vitamins eating fruits and vegetables, Loosing weight with a vegetable diet, Low calories diet with vegetables and fruits
Spring calendar for fruits and vegetables
Posted by LN - Tags
Spring time... Nature is waking up.... And you too.
There are so many reasons to enjoy fruits and vegetables in spring...Good vitamins and diversity of taste are back... Nicer and longer days too. Prepare your skin (fresh veggies and fruits are the best diet to have a wonderful complexion) and your body for the sunny days... and loose quietly the overweight of the wintertime.
Spring is the best excuse to go back to a nice healthy diet to be fit and nice looking for the -soon- sunny beaches... Cold is gone and it is easier to eat light....
Specially because the spring vegetables and fruits mature without being helped and that's much better for our palates, our health, our body and our wallet ...
The common Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions are still around as they are the basis, edible during the whole months of the year...
We do often forget that green salads are also related to the seasons ... The lettuce starts to appear on the shelves in April ... while the winter salad (chicory for example) disappears ...
Remember that exotic fruits don't grow all year long...
The links refer to vegetables and fruits produced in Britain or to recipes ...
APRIL
Vegetables
Vegetables
Vegetables
Read this article in French : calendrier de printemps des fruits et légumes de saison
There are so many reasons to enjoy fruits and vegetables in spring...Good vitamins and diversity of taste are back... Nicer and longer days too. Prepare your skin (fresh veggies and fruits are the best diet to have a wonderful complexion) and your body for the sunny days... and loose quietly the overweight of the wintertime.
Spring is the best excuse to go back to a nice healthy diet to be fit and nice looking for the -soon- sunny beaches... Cold is gone and it is easier to eat light....
Specially because the spring vegetables and fruits mature without being helped and that's much better for our palates, our health, our body and our wallet ...
The common Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions are still around as they are the basis, edible during the whole months of the year...
We do often forget that green salads are also related to the seasons ... The lettuce starts to appear on the shelves in April ... while the winter salad (chicory for example) disappears ...
Remember that exotic fruits don't grow all year long...
The links refer to vegetables and fruits produced in Britain or to recipes ...
APRIL
Vegetables
Asparagus, Avocados, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Chards, Celery, Cucumber, Garlic, Green beans, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rockets, Sorrel , Spinach, TurnipsFruits
Kiwi, Lemons, Oranges, RhubarbMAY
Exotics Bananas, Pineapples
Vegetables
Asparagus, Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Celery, Cabbage, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green beans, Lettuce, Leeks, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Spinach, Sorrels,Turnips, WatercressFruits
Apricots, Cherries, Currants, Kiwis, Lemon, Raspberries, Rhubarb, StrawberriesJUNE
Exotics Bananas, Passion fruit, Pineapples
Vegetables
Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chanterelle mushrooms, Cucumber, Eggplants, Fennel, Green beans, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Peppers, Radishes, Salads, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, ZucchiniFruits
Apricots, Currants, Cherries, Kiwi, Melons, Nectarines, Peaches, Strawberries, RaspberriesWell, this is easy when you have a life in harmony with nature, time, goodwill and principles .... Otherwise, you can also go on a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits, using canned ... or frozen products. Canned vegetables are full of vitamins and frozen fruits too as they are freshly collected and preserved in the same day.
Exotics Bananas, Mangoes, Papayas
Read this article in French : calendrier de printemps des fruits et légumes de saison
Vegetable and food diet before springtime, Fresh fruit and vegetables as a natural skin product, Healthy diet with fresh vegies and fruits, Vitamins and fresh fruits and veggies, Healthy food with fresh fruits and vegetables, Vegetables and seasonal fruits in springtime, Healthy food with fruits and seasonal vegetables, Healthy recipe with veggies from springtime, Recipes with fresh vegetables, Calendar of seasonal vegetables
Chocolate and chestnuts cake recipe without oven
Posted by LN - Tags
This cake is an easy one. You don’t need to bake it or to have an oven or a microwave. And it is also perfect for those who can’t have milk or dairy products… or for gluten allergies (chestnuts are gluten free).
Ingredients for 6 people
200g chestnuts (2/3)
100g dark chocolate (1/3)
1 tablespoon of sugar
4 hours in the fridge
Now that you know the difference between conkers and chestnuts (post last week), let’s prepare the cake.
Peel the chestnuts, look at this website if you don't know how to peel them.
Mash the cooked chestnuts.
Then melt chocolate with some water. Mix the chestnuts with chocolate.
Add the sugar and if it is too watery, add dry crushed biscuits. Is has to be thick. Then pour into the buttered cake tin and leave it in the fridge for 4 hours.
Read it in French : Recette sans cuisson d'un gâteau aux châtaignes et au chocolat
Ingredients for 6 people
200g chestnuts (2/3)
100g dark chocolate (1/3)
1 tablespoon of sugar
4 hours in the fridge
Now that you know the difference between conkers and chestnuts (post last week), let’s prepare the cake.
Peel the chestnuts, look at this website if you don't know how to peel them.
Mash the cooked chestnuts.
Then melt chocolate with some water. Mix the chestnuts with chocolate.
Add the sugar and if it is too watery, add dry crushed biscuits. Is has to be thick. Then pour into the buttered cake tin and leave it in the fridge for 4 hours.
Read it in French : Recette sans cuisson d'un gâteau aux châtaignes et au chocolat
Chocolate and chesnuts cake recipe without oven, Chocolate gluten free, Chocolate cake milk free, Chocolate cake dairy products free, Prepare a chocolate cake without oven or no microwave, Easy way to peel chesnuts, Chestnuts recipe gluten free, Chesnuts recipe milk or dairy products free, Chocolate cake recipe gluten free, Chestnuts cake recipe gluten free
Eating fruits and vegetables in Autumn : 5 a day at the right time
Posted by LN - Tags
Have you heard about the Copenhagen Summit... Of course... States and men have to act together to change the habbits we have for years...
One step can be simple : eat the right vegetable or fruit at the right time...
But as most of us don’t grow anymore vegies, we have forgotten when it is the right season to eat that kind of vegetables or this type of fruits…
And it is not just politically correct, it is also healthy (fresh vitamins) and wise (less expensive if you buy them when they're naturally mature.... cheaper...) to eat well and good (better taste)...
To help you through and to discover some of our regional products, I have done this calendar for the autumn production… October, November and December...
Some veggies can be kept through the year, if well preserved : beets, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions...
We often forget that exotic fruits are also related to the seasons.
Autumn is also the season to collect and enjoy fresh nuts (chestnuts,wallnuts...).
Enjoy the recipes and the local production clicking on links.
Vegetables
Artichokes, Beans, Beets, Horseradish, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Celery, Chicory, Cucumbers, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Romanesco cauliflower, Roquette Salad, Spinach, , Turnips, Zucchini
Fruits
Apples, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, Pears, Persimmons, Quinces
Almonds, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Pineapples
Vegetables
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Chicory, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Leeks, Lentils, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salad, Salsify, Spinach, Turnips Fruits
Apples, Grapes, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Chestnuts, Dates, Walnuts
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Horseradishes, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Almonds, Dates, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Bananas, Guavas, Lychees, Mangoes, Pineapples
Read it in French : Calendrier des fruits et légumes à consommer en saison d'automne
One step can be simple : eat the right vegetable or fruit at the right time...
But as most of us don’t grow anymore vegies, we have forgotten when it is the right season to eat that kind of vegetables or this type of fruits…
And it is not just politically correct, it is also healthy (fresh vitamins) and wise (less expensive if you buy them when they're naturally mature.... cheaper...) to eat well and good (better taste)...
To help you through and to discover some of our regional products, I have done this calendar for the autumn production… October, November and December...
Some veggies can be kept through the year, if well preserved : beets, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions...
We often forget that exotic fruits are also related to the seasons.
Autumn is also the season to collect and enjoy fresh nuts (chestnuts,wallnuts...).
Enjoy the recipes and the local production clicking on links.
OCTOBER
Vegetables
Artichokes, Beans, Beets, Horseradish, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Celery, Chicory, Cucumbers, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Romanesco cauliflower, Roquette Salad, Spinach, , Turnips, Zucchini
Fruits
Apples, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, Pears, Persimmons, Quinces
Almonds, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Pineapples
NOVEMBER
Vegetables
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Chicory, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Leeks, Lentils, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salad, Salsify, Spinach, Turnips Fruits
Apples, Grapes, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Chestnuts, Dates, Walnuts
DECEMBER
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Horseradishes, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Almonds, Dates, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Bananas, Guavas, Lychees, Mangoes, Pineapples
Read it in French : Calendrier des fruits et légumes à consommer en saison d'automne
Seasonal calendar for fresh fruits and veggies, Seasonal calendar for exotic fruits, Autumn calendar, Fresh fruits and season, Eating healthy food at the right price, Buy cheap and seasonal vegetables, Buy cheap fresh fruits at the right season, How to buy cheaper food, Fresh food and vitamins, Calendar for vegetables and fruits
Winter time : a calendar to eat fruits and vegetables
Posted by LN - Tags
Winter is the season for soups and stews, good simmered dishes and rich meals... Apple pies and roasted chestnuts are also part of the winter menu... and the excess of Christmas time...
It is also the season of cold, where diseases are more predictable ... Therefore vitamins of fresh produces and food are even more recommended ... to fight your bad cough... Fresh fruits or vegetables are the best natural source of vitamins... and the best way to loose weight after the plenty of New Year... Some days of a diet of fruits and veggies, that the best way to recover...
So let's see what we can eat... to enjoy the winter production without worrying ...
Some vegetables are edible all year long if they are well kept : Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions.
Same thing for nuts...
Exotic fruits, even if they are produced in warm lands, are also connected to seasons.
Better than eating food supplements in winter, try the natural vitamins and the right minerals...
Links are connected to recipes or specific vegetables and fruits produced here ...
JANUARY
Vegetables
Beet, Horseradish, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Crosne, Fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Salad, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Dates Nuts
Exotics Banana, Grapefruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Salads, Salsify, Turnips, Watercress
Fruits
Apples, Blood oranges, Clementines, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandarins, Pears
Nuts
Exotics Bananas, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Pineapples
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Leaves, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Salsify Spinach,Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwi, Mandarins, Oranges
Exotics Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples
If you want to eat the right products at the right time, the easiest way to do it is to go to the market next and buy the vegies and fruits produced in your area.
You'll discover vegies that we do not eat often anymore and you need just a bit of imagination to accommodate some vegetables! Bon appétit
Read this post in French : Fruits et légumes de saison : calendrier d'hiver
It is also the season of cold, where diseases are more predictable ... Therefore vitamins of fresh produces and food are even more recommended ... to fight your bad cough... Fresh fruits or vegetables are the best natural source of vitamins... and the best way to loose weight after the plenty of New Year... Some days of a diet of fruits and veggies, that the best way to recover...
So let's see what we can eat... to enjoy the winter production without worrying ...
Some vegetables are edible all year long if they are well kept : Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions.
Same thing for nuts...
Exotic fruits, even if they are produced in warm lands, are also connected to seasons.
Better than eating food supplements in winter, try the natural vitamins and the right minerals...
Links are connected to recipes or specific vegetables and fruits produced here ...
JANUARY
Vegetables
Beet, Horseradish, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Crosne, Fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Salad, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Dates Nuts
Exotics Banana, Grapefruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple
FEBRUARY
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Salads, Salsify, Turnips, Watercress
Fruits
Apples, Blood oranges, Clementines, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandarins, Pears
Nuts
Exotics Bananas, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Pineapples
MARCH
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Leaves, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Salsify Spinach,Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwi, Mandarins, Oranges
Exotics Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples
If you want to eat the right products at the right time, the easiest way to do it is to go to the market next and buy the vegies and fruits produced in your area.
You'll discover vegies that we do not eat often anymore and you need just a bit of imagination to accommodate some vegetables! Bon appétit
Read this post in French : Fruits et légumes de saison : calendrier d'hiver
Natural vitamins in winter, Vitamins and diet in winter time, Natural food supplements in fresh fruits and veggies, Calendar of vegetables and fruits to eat in winter, Natural food supplements in fresh food, Vitamins supplements in fresh vegetables and fruits, Winter recipes, Eating fresh fruits in winter, Winter calendar for fresh fruits and veggies, Cheap natural supplements
The cauliflower in Brittany (France)
Posted by LN - Tags
Even if China and India share 70% of the world production, three-quarters of the French production of cauliflower are grown in the North West of France, on the breton coast ... If you arrive with the ferry at Roscoff, you'll see fields of cauliflowers everywhere... Prince de Bretagne the main supplier of vegetables of the region...
Cauliflower belongs to the very, very, large cabbage family ... that have so many different colors, shapes and even sizes. Cabbage season never stops... all year long...
Origins
Asia Minor. Cabbage is a very old food already eaten by prehistoric people ... Cauliflower disappears however in Europe after the Roman time and reappeared in Italy in the late Middle Ages. In France, it is cultivated again in the 17th C. In England, a bit earlier...
Vitamins and co
This vegetable plant has many advantages: rich in vitamin C (good for healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums ... It also protects against infections, promotes the absorption of iron content in plants and accelerates healing. ) It was good for sailors wishing to fight against scurvy (No fresh food on boats for days...a lack of vitamin C makes you loose your teeth!).
Studies say that cauliflower is also appreciated against cancers (lung, ovary and kidney). And good for pregnant women (contents folate (vitamin B9 used for the growth and development of the fetus ...).
It is a low calorie vegetable (high content of water: 20 calories per 100 grams).
Culture and Consumption
It is an annual plant. Thanks to the mild climate of the region of Roscoff, we can eat them September to January.
How to choose a cauliflower
A fresh one will have still green water-soaked leaves and a white heart...
But ... very often, unfortunatly, the cauliflower arriving in our plates has done a long journey before ending in a saucepan of boiling water... Leaves are all dried, the white is often spotted (these are signs of decay).
However ... It is a very good food that I recommend as a dipping appetizer
a cauliflower 800 g
Chopped parsley
Anchovies thinly cut
Juice of half a lemon
100g butter
Salt
For this recipe, the ideal is to have a cauliflower extremely fresh, white, with no trace of passing time ...
Remove leaves, divide the clumps of cabbage and soak in salted water.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add anchovies that you've previously cut into thin slices and parsley. After a few minutes, remove from heat.
Drain the cauliflower florets and arrange in a dish, pour sauce and lemon juice.
Serve as appetizer ...
Read this article in French : Le chou-fleur de Bretagne
Cauliflower belongs to the very, very, large cabbage family ... that have so many different colors, shapes and even sizes. Cabbage season never stops... all year long...
Origins
Asia Minor. Cabbage is a very old food already eaten by prehistoric people ... Cauliflower disappears however in Europe after the Roman time and reappeared in Italy in the late Middle Ages. In France, it is cultivated again in the 17th C. In England, a bit earlier...
Vitamins and co
This vegetable plant has many advantages: rich in vitamin C (good for healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums ... It also protects against infections, promotes the absorption of iron content in plants and accelerates healing. ) It was good for sailors wishing to fight against scurvy (No fresh food on boats for days...a lack of vitamin C makes you loose your teeth!).
Studies say that cauliflower is also appreciated against cancers (lung, ovary and kidney). And good for pregnant women (contents folate (vitamin B9 used for the growth and development of the fetus ...).
It is a low calorie vegetable (high content of water: 20 calories per 100 grams).
Culture and Consumption
It is an annual plant. Thanks to the mild climate of the region of Roscoff, we can eat them September to January.
How to choose a cauliflower
A fresh one will have still green water-soaked leaves and a white heart...
But ... very often, unfortunatly, the cauliflower arriving in our plates has done a long journey before ending in a saucepan of boiling water... Leaves are all dried, the white is often spotted (these are signs of decay).
However ... It is a very good food that I recommend as a dipping appetizer
Italian raw cauliflower recipe in spicy sauceIngredients
a cauliflower 800 g
Chopped parsley
Anchovies thinly cut
Juice of half a lemon
100g butter
Salt
For this recipe, the ideal is to have a cauliflower extremely fresh, white, with no trace of passing time ...
Remove leaves, divide the clumps of cabbage and soak in salted water.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add anchovies that you've previously cut into thin slices and parsley. After a few minutes, remove from heat.
Drain the cauliflower florets and arrange in a dish, pour sauce and lemon juice.
Serve as appetizer ...
Read this article in French : Le chou-fleur de Bretagne
Tidal mills in Brittany (France)
Posted by LN - Tags
What are the tides for? To grind the flour !
Brittany is a land of abers ... And these estuaries (aber) are very valuable for mills. At each tide, the sea invaded the estuaries and then abandoned them. This tidal movement is at the origin of energy mills.
- Do they exist somewhere else?
In Portugal, Spain, UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United States.
- Since when do they work ?
In Britain, the first ones were done in the Middle Ages. There were up to a hundred in the region.
- How does it work, a tidal mill ?
The tides are used as energy. It is quite simple: they let the tides fill in a basin closed by a dam.
Once the low tide, the miller had to open the door and let escape the water that will move a wheel. This type of mill needed an investment : a dam.
Then, the miller was living at the time of the tides and could work at night… and sleep during the day. He had therefore a bad reputation…
Disadvantages of this system : because of the energy source, the production of the mill is like variable. With periods of deep-water (high tidal amplitude) and dead-water ... Important tide, good work, small tidal coefficient, low movement ...
Advantages : It is a renewable energy ... … The tide comes every 6 hours ... This is not the same with the wind ...
Those flour mills could be supplied with grain by land and by boats. Carriages and ships left loaded with flour ... The use of tidal mills ends with the Second World War.
If you want to understand this phenomenon, la maison de la Rance in Dinan explains, using a model, operations of the mill. The river Rance had lots of mills because the tidal amplitude is particularly important.
- Where can you see them?
In Britain, some mills have been restored : in the South of Bretagne, the mill Pen Castel in Rhuys peninsula. North Brittany, on the island of Brehat the mill of Birlot (moulin de Birlot) and of the mill of Prat (le moulin du Prat). You can visit it every day in season and on Sundays and public holidays off season ....
Read it in French : Moulins à marées en Bretagne
- Why were there so many tidal mills in Brittany?- Why were there so many tidal mills in Brittany?
- Do they exist somewhere else?
- Since when do they work ?
- How does it work, a tidal mill ?
- Where can you see them ?
- Why were there so many tidal mills in Brittany?
Brittany is a land of abers ... And these estuaries (aber) are very valuable for mills. At each tide, the sea invaded the estuaries and then abandoned them. This tidal movement is at the origin of energy mills.
- Do they exist somewhere else?
In Portugal, Spain, UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United States.
- Since when do they work ?
In Britain, the first ones were done in the Middle Ages. There were up to a hundred in the region.
- How does it work, a tidal mill ?
The tides are used as energy. It is quite simple: they let the tides fill in a basin closed by a dam.
Once the low tide, the miller had to open the door and let escape the water that will move a wheel. This type of mill needed an investment : a dam.
Then, the miller was living at the time of the tides and could work at night… and sleep during the day. He had therefore a bad reputation…
Disadvantages of this system : because of the energy source, the production of the mill is like variable. With periods of deep-water (high tidal amplitude) and dead-water ... Important tide, good work, small tidal coefficient, low movement ...
Advantages : It is a renewable energy ... … The tide comes every 6 hours ... This is not the same with the wind ...
Those flour mills could be supplied with grain by land and by boats. Carriages and ships left loaded with flour ... The use of tidal mills ends with the Second World War.
If you want to understand this phenomenon, la maison de la Rance in Dinan explains, using a model, operations of the mill. The river Rance had lots of mills because the tidal amplitude is particularly important.
- Where can you see them?
In Britain, some mills have been restored : in the South of Bretagne, the mill Pen Castel in Rhuys peninsula. North Brittany, on the island of Brehat the mill of Birlot (moulin de Birlot) and of the mill of Prat (le moulin du Prat). You can visit it every day in season and on Sundays and public holidays off season ....
Read it in French : Moulins à marées en Bretagne
Ornamental, decorative, aromatic and edible nasturtium
Posted by LN - Tags
Origine
The nasturtium is native from South America. According to sources, it comes from Peru or neighboring Andean countries (Colombia, Bolivia and even Brazil). Jesuits, during the 16th C imported it into Spain. It then conquered Europe as an edible and medicinal plant.
Description
Linné, a famous swedish botanist fixed his name in 1753 Tropaeolum majus. In Europe, the plant exists in many varieties. Annual, it is sensitive to frost. Its flower (five petals) 3 to 5 centimeters varies from yellow or red.
Its size is adaptable to your garden: dwarf (30-50 cm) for your flower pots or climbing varities (several meters) on your walls ... or creeping as ground covers ...
It has another peculiarity ... it is waterproof, water do not wet the plant but it forms drops that slide ... It is called the lotus effect ...
The growth : seedlings or cuttings
Plant indoor in February and replant in April when the weather is ok. The nasturtium likes sunny places. The plant is fragile (the stem snaps easily ... avoid windy areas). If despite your good care, it breaks, put the cuttings in sheltered soil. In a few days you will have roots. The seeds are done in July, after flowering ... Let dry until next year.
Utility ... in gardens
Aphids: Organic gardeners love them .... Very useful for gardening, flowers attract aphids .... You will just burn have to burn the blackened flowers with insects.
In the kitchen
This plant is edible, everything is (from bud to flower, seeds and leaves ....). The leaves and flowers are considered as a stimulant, they taste like watercress. They are used as flavorings in salads ( peppery flavor). In Italy, they are used to decorate dishes of fish or meat. The fruit or soft buttons can be soaked in vinegar. It tastes like capers. Spanish people aromatize their vinegar with the flowers. They often add the tarragon and pepper.
Medicinal Properties
Essential oil has antibiotic effects .. It is also used against urinary infections or flu. Or to treat bruises: crush the leaves until you get an oil. Brush the blue. It itches a little.
Sources : Wikipédia Allemagne, Espagne, France, Grande Bretagne, Italie et Portugal. Sources: Wikipedia Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Portugal.
Read it in French : Plante ornementale et décorative, aromatique et comestible : la capucine
The nasturtium is native from South America. According to sources, it comes from Peru or neighboring Andean countries (Colombia, Bolivia and even Brazil). Jesuits, during the 16th C imported it into Spain. It then conquered Europe as an edible and medicinal plant.
Description
Linné, a famous swedish botanist fixed his name in 1753 Tropaeolum majus. In Europe, the plant exists in many varieties. Annual, it is sensitive to frost. Its flower (five petals) 3 to 5 centimeters varies from yellow or red.
Its size is adaptable to your garden: dwarf (30-50 cm) for your flower pots or climbing varities (several meters) on your walls ... or creeping as ground covers ...
It has another peculiarity ... it is waterproof, water do not wet the plant but it forms drops that slide ... It is called the lotus effect ...
The growth : seedlings or cuttings
Plant indoor in February and replant in April when the weather is ok. The nasturtium likes sunny places. The plant is fragile (the stem snaps easily ... avoid windy areas). If despite your good care, it breaks, put the cuttings in sheltered soil. In a few days you will have roots. The seeds are done in July, after flowering ... Let dry until next year.
Utility ... in gardens
Aphids: Organic gardeners love them .... Very useful for gardening, flowers attract aphids .... You will just burn have to burn the blackened flowers with insects.
In the kitchen
This plant is edible, everything is (from bud to flower, seeds and leaves ....). The leaves and flowers are considered as a stimulant, they taste like watercress. They are used as flavorings in salads ( peppery flavor). In Italy, they are used to decorate dishes of fish or meat. The fruit or soft buttons can be soaked in vinegar. It tastes like capers. Spanish people aromatize their vinegar with the flowers. They often add the tarragon and pepper.
Medicinal Properties
Essential oil has antibiotic effects .. It is also used against urinary infections or flu. Or to treat bruises: crush the leaves until you get an oil. Brush the blue. It itches a little.
Sources : Wikipédia Allemagne, Espagne, France, Grande Bretagne, Italie et Portugal. Sources: Wikipedia Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Portugal.
Read it in French : Plante ornementale et décorative, aromatique et comestible : la capucine
Anti aphids natural killers recipe, Hunt aphids in garden, Salads with nasturtium capers, Getting rid of aphids, How to plant nasturtiums, Edible Flower to grow in garden, Eating flowers in salads, Recipe vinegar flavored with nasturtiums, Definition lotus effect, Aphids on plant solutions, Original vinegar recipe
French