Voilà the second installment of my favorite things! A little bit of this and a bit of that, what made my days a bit brighter in February.
Forcing Spring Bulbs
The month of February has been a mix of wintry days, when it seemed that the day never started and went straight to dusk. Some days we didn't see the hills and fields around the village for all the fog. But there were also brilliant sunny afternoons which I took advantage of to go out into the garden and complete some winter tasks.
But to bring some color and hope of spring indoors in the middle of winter, I love forcing spring bulbs, which is extremely easy. I wrote a little blog post about it a while ago - "Winter Gardening (For the Impatient)". I have done it in many ways, from lifting clumps of sprouting spring flowers from the garden and replanting them in pots, or planting bulbs in cachepots in a planting medium, to using specially shaped vases to force hyacinth bulbs in water. Give them warmth, light, and water, and after a few weeks they will reward you with fragrant blooms.
Vezelay
When visitors come to France, they rarely venture beyond Paris and Provence. And they rarely come to the center of the country, "la France profonde". This is where we live now, in the middle, among the forests, vineyards, and medieval villages. If you love hilltop towns and old churches, and want to get to know "real" France, come to Vezelay. The town and its 11th-century Romanesque Basilica of St Magdalene are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On a dark-ish winter day we spent a day wandering around the winding streets, had a good country meal, and saw the unforgettable sites in this charming little town. I highly recommend.
Maille Dijon Mustard
I am not a ketchup girl. Occasionally there may be a jar of mayonnaise in my "frigo", but there is always a jar of mustard. And it needs to be the original Dijon mustard by Maille.
Creamy texture, spicy taste, smooth finish - can't go wrong! An obvious addition to any charcuterie, as well as an irreplaceable ingredient in a vinaigrette, and a tasty addition to meat sauces.
I remember when a few years ago there was a shortage of mustard in France. I went to my neighbourhood's Monoprix in Lyon, where we lived before, and managed to find two forgotten jars in the depths of the mustard section at the store. I will not accept a substitute!
For a tasty vinaigrette I follow Ina Garten's recipe.
Ina Garten's Creamy Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp minced shallot
Next edition of "My Favorite Things" is coming next month!
***I am not affiliated nor do I get compensated by the brands I mention***
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