Countdown to Christmas in Provence

The festive season is in full swing here in Provence - this weekend we have been celebrating so much that I almost feel I should skip the real holidays and go on a New Year's diet straight away. It all started Friday with a trip to Avignon - not to see the rather lacklustre Christmas Market but the huge Crèche (nativity scene) at the Hôtel de Ville (Lord Mayor's house). More than 600 santons (the traditional Provençal nativity figurines) are set into a valley depicting life in Provence as it used to be. (If you click on the photos to enlarge them you can see all the pretty details).

The big Crèche at the Lord Mayors house in Avignon

The on we went to the Palais du Roure just around the corner, where this delightful lady (below) was guarding another, much smaller but also very pretty crèche and explaining the "Treize desserts de Noël" and why the frist week of December we seed lentils or wheat to have the green sprouts on the table in time for Christmas (this is supposed to guarantee money all year round).

Night fell and on we went to the Hotel La Mirande just below the Pope's Palace to the grand opening of the hotel's Christmas market.

For me the main attraction there was this monsieur, the "Roi des Pois Chiches" (King of the Chickpeas), who, gifted with a fabulous personality and an unparalled gift of the gab sold chickpeas, chickpea flour and pots of poichichade, a delicious chickpea dip.

In the beautiful old kitchen of La Mirande I was more than delighted to meet Nathalie, whose blog Avignon in Photos I have been following for quite a while and who I admire for her creativity, her unique eye and sense of style. Can't wait to see this still life in her blog!

Cooking demonstration in the kitchen of La Mirande

After slaving in my kitchen all day long (more on that later) Saturday night found us at the

Cave la Vigneronne in the beautiful village of Villedieu where the new wines of 2011 where presented in the cellar of the Cave.  

Delighted with their find - guests at La Vigneronne

When in France you eat when you drink. On the menu: Oysters from Bretagne and walnuts and cheeses from Provence

Yum!

For dessert: fruit tarts

and cream filled choux 

We all left rather happy - thank you Alain for driving us!

Sunday we had our official Christmas picture taken and made our friends take a more or rather less orderly queue towards the kitchen stove where a big pot of Goulash was simmering.

I always serve this Ghoulash at what we call our "Countdown to Christmas" - a happy and informal get together of friends around the Christmas tree with Ghoulash, a cheese board, some desserts and lots of red wine.... 

Desserts this year: Mince pies made by my friend Nadira, also known as Queen of Confitures

Pecan Tart and

Tiramisu made by moi  

Dancing around the Christmas tree!

Cuisine de Provence wishes you all very

 Happy Holidays

and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful

NEW YEAR 2012!

A Magic Moment

On our way back from the oil mill in Mirabel-aux-Baronnies where we delivered the first big batch of our just harvested olives to be pressed into "the gold of Provence" as our wonderful olive oil is called we stopped for a quick coffee at our much beloved village square in Villedieu. The huge old plane trees had just been pruned and so you can see just how beautiful a day in Provence can be - at the end of November...



Wine Harvest in Villedieu

Arriving at the Wine Cooperative "Caveau des Templiers" in Villedieu today the first thing I noticed was the smell - sweet and almost intoxicating. The wine harvest has begun! A steady queue of agricultural pickups were waiting to unload the Côte du Rhone grapes that had been picked this afternoon and there were lots of happy faces. After a hot summer and just the right amount of rain the 2010 wine promises to be a real good vintage! I will keep you posted on the results!

Unloading the grapes

The grapes are weighed....

.... then crushed

Villedieu - A City of God and Culinary Pleasures

Villedieu's Village Square

Before we found, bought, ripped apart and renovated our house in Vaison la Romaine we rented a house in Villedieu. Ever since we have been firm friends of this little "City of God", participating in their village fêtes that somehow always tend to circle around wine or culinary themes. There is the big fête of the "Soupe au Pistou" (a vegetable soup made fragrant and delicious by adding a basil, garlic and olive oil pesto), the annual Church fête around a huge Paëlla, on Bastille Day the "Méchoui" a spit roasted lamb and of course "La Fête des Vignerons" right after the wine harvest when you get to taste the new wines. In Villedieu they know how to live!
The most popular food festival  in Villedieu however takes place every Sunday night between March and October in the shade under the plane trees of Villedieu's beautiful village square around a simple pizza van.

Mumu's Pizza Van

In order to take part you have to come well prepared. First step: get hold of Mumu's phone number. Second step: Phone him well in advance (best: already on Saturday) to place your order. Third: take a roll of kitchen paper and make your way to Villedieu by 6.30 pm latest if you want to find a place to park. If you want to come later, take your bike. Take a seat on one of the long benches opposite the "Café du Centre", order a bottle of wine, talk to the people around you and when Mumu is ready (he will have given you a time to collect your order) go and get the best pizza ever. This being a no frills extravaganza, everybody eats their pizza right out of the box, washes it down with the local red or rosé wine, wipes their hands on kitchen roll and a great time is had by all.

Pizza and wine - all you need to be happy

Funnily enough, there is another pizzeria on the other side of the square, but Mumu is where people go - even when, like last night, the Mistral blows full force we all prefer to sit outside to share Mumu's pizza. Mumu is where the action is, Mumu is summer in Provence.

Mumu's youngest fan (18 months)