Our resident chef, Joshua, was commissioned to prepare a family feast as a highlight of the trip. How lucky to have a trained chef when visiting France!
He and Sylvia shopped at the Carmaux market on Friday and bought lapin
(rabbit), canard (duck), porc (pork loin), saucisse (sausages) in addition to assorted vegetables and local fromage (cheese) in preparation for the occasion. With numerous bottles of wine on hand everything appeared promising!
To allow the chef a quiet space, Betsy, Steve, Sylvia and I took the children to the Cordes market.
In our absence, Josh conjured up the feast. Upon our return from the market, he, Grandfather and Steve rearranged furniture and generally prepared the covered arbor of the garden for the evening repast.
With the children romping in the garden and swinging in the hammock, Josh treated himself to cooking in the ancient stove oven.
The evening chill was dissipated by the fire Steve made in a small fire pit and we dined on a sumptuous rabbit, duck, sausage stew; juicy roasted pork; a yummy cheese and potato casserole; crisp haricot vert and a fresh green salad accompanied by plenty of good red wine and crusty bread. No one was eating any finer in France that night.
It was easy to imagine how many lovely evenings the owners of this special house and their children have embraced this same sense of contentment. How extraordinary it was they had allowed our family to experience the beauty and solitude of the French countryside.
More pictures from the evening...
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