Scrumpy Cider

Where is your place?

The place your mind jumps to when every one of your senses seems to need a tender hug? 

Taste. Smell. Sight. Touch. Sound.

You know those weeks: when life is everything

 loud, dramatic, stressful, exhausting, too. much. stimulation...

Where is that place you dream of running off to? Your place to be soothed.

Mine is a little challenging to get to in a hot minute - it's actually an old English pub, "a local". Deep in the countryside.

One that serves scrumpy cider preferrably.

There is just something found there that ministers to all my HSPness.

They're dimly lit. There's nearly always a fire (or two) going. Often a dog (or 10) lounging at their master's feet. Quiet, interesting conversation to be had. Delicious, filling stew on the boil...

It's just everything calm and cozy and peaceful and intimate and flavorful and wonderful to me.

These English country pubs...

My tangible place - the place that soothes both body and soul the instant I walk under the low-framed stone doorways. They slow my heart rate. They calm my frazzled nerves. They let my inmost being breathe deep and slow.

And I'm curious: what's yours?

A French Cooking Class

Happy Weekend! Here's a post for the foodies ;-)

This afternoon here at Ingleside, I was in the kitchen enjoying some food prep for the coming week - including roasting up a batch of deconstructed Ratatouille... Which brought to mind the fact that I had never posted PICTURES about the most amazing cooking school we attended while last in the South of France (where I learned said unconventional Ratatouille preparation). Back on my old blog, Windy Poplars, I had written a couple of journal entry type posts while we were actually still in France (so I wouldn't forget a single detail!), and I had posted the one below sans pictures. - 

But today, I have the new-and-improved version. Might want to have a snack handy whilst you read...

_______________________

So here in France, what would you guess is the pervasive passion among the entirety of the population (young, old, rich, poor, well-educated or not, city folk, country folk...)?

Food and Wine

(Though for some, not in that order.) Being avid foodies ourselves, we knew we had to look into some local cultural experiences that included this, our most delectable hobby. Enter: Cooking By The Canal du Midi - a one day school with a classically trained culinary genius (Heather), and her fabulous husband David, in the lovely little hamlet (or nearly there) of Millepetit, right on the banks of the Canal.

Located just beyond an olive orchard, down a majestic, albeit bumpy, tree-lined lane, lies a full working farm from which was gathered the vast majority of our ingredients who, only the evening before, were still hanging happily on the vine as the warm sun caressed them gently into ripest perfection. Fresh locavore-ism at its finest! Besides the bowlful of gorgeous brimming veg (artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, courgettes, runner beans, spring onions, fresh garlic, sweet tomatoes...) there was olive oil from the grove next door, and wines from the vineyard just across the road to use as the star ingredients in our tasty adventure.

After a quick tour, we all reluctantly put down our cameras, excitedly fastened our aprons around our waists, and tucked our towels into place ready to begin! Heather was an absolute whiz at planning out how everything should go, and with our class, she had quite the extra challenge. Between us, we had: gluten allergies, dairy allergies, two vegetarians, and a lady on FODMAPS diet. But she saw it all as just a new mountain to be climbed, and my goodness, our menu was a smashing success - and it was all allergy-friendly!!!

As we dove into prep work: chopping, peeling, beating, scraping, separating, roasting, confit-ing, braising, stuffing, lolli-popping, we were busy every moment! But during it all, Heather kept us afloat with fantastic tips and great direction. Dave even gave us masterful instruction on preparing artichokes properly, a skill that has eluded me these many years!

Enjoying conversation with fellow students all the way, the day just FLEW by! By the end, we were tired and HUNGRY in the best way.

And can I just pause here:

Those of you with food allergies will very much understand what I mean when I say that social eating (i.e. having a meal anywhere but in your own home) can be a very sad, lonely, stressful experience. Especially for those of us who simply ADORE food. To have to watch other people eat something you'd kill for right in front of you, is oft akin to torture. To have a host prepare a meal that you can't partake of, and require you to bring your own grub, feels so alienating. To have to gamble with food at a restaurant, buffet, or picnic, can often cause as much gastric (di)stress and anxiety to your system as eating the off-limits food would have in the first place!

But when someone goes out of their way to show you kindness and consideration by researching your dietary needs (heaven knows we don't choose them!), and prepare safe foods for everyone to partake of together, is the. most. amazing feeling in the world! It makes you (me!) feel loved and included in all the best ways. And food prepped with that extra amount of heart just tastes 1,000x sweeter.

Heather was just such an angel. Our menu would have rivaled that of a Michelin Star chef, and to think we actually had a hand in the prep, and didn't ruin a thing?! Each and every bite was sensational. Though the weather was threatening rain all week, we woke Thursday morning to blue skies and sunshine, under which we enjoyed our feast, picnic-style, right on the banks of the canal.

We enjoyed Apps of:

Canapes of duck ham and quince, truffle tartes, red pepper gazpacho, roasted tomatoes with creme fraiche, three different dips (sun dried tomato, brebi cheese, and artichoke)

First Course 

of souffles on a bed of caramelized onions and asparagus three ways

Second Course 

of roasted guinea fowl stuffed with a homemade spinach ricotta moussilline, fondant potatoes, and deconstructed ratatouille with an amazing pepper sauce and the plate was finished with a delicious gastrique and crisped sage leaves

Third Course 

was chocolate cakes with strawberries and creme fraiche sorbet

Let me just tell you. We left there fat and happy. :-)

So to anyone planning a holiday to the South of France, I would encourage you to consider including a day (or two) of cultural cooking school in your schedule. It was one of the highlights of our trip, and we just can't wait until we have the opportunity to do it again sometime!

Travel | Glacier Bay Alaska

Last summer, we enjoyed a family reunion trip with 20+ of the Esterly clan up to breathtaking Alaska! Yes, it's everything that people say it is: unspoiled, majestic, fresh, vast, new... Landscape that puts life (and your place in it) quickly into humble perspective. A destination that should be on you bucket list to be sure. Here is little a photo journal from our afternoon in Glacier Bay. 

Behold: The Last Frontier

Travel | A Tour of the Minervois in The South of France

You may have seen this "journal entry" back in the spring on my old blog, but I wanted to transfer it over here to Ingleside and finally add some pictures from our delightful day with Kate. We're typically not at all tour people (we typically like to do our own thing), but this day was one of our favorites we spent in The South of France. Just a beautiful time start to finish! Enjoy:

Today we had the delightful pleasure of joining an Vin en Vancances Epicurean tour of the Minervois region.

Though it threatened rain, we had dry weather and relatively warm temperatures right up until we stepped foot back on land ready to head for home, when the first few drops of the day began to fall. We were so thankful the clouds held back for us! But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Our day started at 9am when Kate picked us up just outside of our rental flat. Doesn't get much better than curbside service, eh?! Once we were properly settled in the van, off we went to pick up the remaining three tour members for the day in Le Cite: a dear Australian couple in the middle of a six week holiday, and the wife's mother, who was still getting along quite sprightly and was up for anything, even nearing 80!

The first stop on the tour was a fantastic open air market in Olonzac which seems to rotate towns in the area based on the day of the week. We hit on a Tuesday, and lucky for us, there was a wonderful offering to be had! Meats, cheeses, olives, eggs, honey, all kinds of regional produce, spices, Asian food trucks (!), clothing, housewares, you name it! Our guide took us around to each stall on the food street of the market, and chatted with the farmers and artisans while finding us the most delectable samples. She explained to us what things were, where they were from, and what was worth the buy, even stocking up on some favorites for herself and an upcoming dinner party she has planned for this weekend.

After maybe 20 minutes time to wander around on our own and make some purchases, we all rendezvoused at the pre-appointed cafe, trooped back to the van, and were on our way to stop #2: a tiny family run winery in Buaefort with Christoph the winemaker at the helm. He is a third generation winemaker, and becoming a truly natural vineyard producer with all organic practices (nothing at all added to his wines). The offerings were truly unique and special (we enjoyed the best oaked Rose' we'd ever had there!), and so enjoyed our time with him.

Time for lunch now, and we headed off to a little unassuming brasserie in a teensy little postage stamp of a town called Aigne. The two resident pugs greeted us at the door, and spent a good portion of the meal under our table hoping for scraps. By the looks of them, they had successfully induced many a customer to let a crumb or two (or ten) "drop" from their plates! Our selections did not disappoint: I enjoyed the smoked salmon with a delightful dill herbed lemon aoli and salad as a first course, and a nicely herbed meaty white fish risotto for my main. Jesse had a slow cooked sardine dip for firsts, and a juicy burger with a French twist for his main. Dessert consisted of poached pears with chocolate, ice cream, and whipped creme fraiche, and a small regional cheese selection, which we shared.

Refueled and rested, we were off to Minerve; an impromptu stop along the way to enjoy the splendid views and darling quintessential town. The stroll through the center and over the bridge was invigorating and lovely - just what we needed! Truly worth the slight trip out of the way, Minereve certainly lives up to it's booking as one of the most charming towns in the Languedoc. Even more spectacular though is the setting: situated straight over a stunning gorge, replete with a rushing river, and naturally carved tunnels in the rocks.

From there, we headed over to an olive oil factory in Bizes where Virginia the guide tried out her English on all of us non-French speakers - doing a really nice job of it too. We got a tour of the presses, a little lesson about how they grow, pick, and sort the olives, and then enjoyed a tasting of three of their distinctly different oils and fresh table olives. All unique and delicious in their own way. The crowd favorite was the locally famous Lucques.

Last stop was such a lovely way to end the day: a cruise on the Canal du Midi embarking in Le Somail. Lined with plane trees and yellow wild iris, this serene float down river was a fitting finale to our tour. We enjoyed learning even more from Kate about the region and its bounty, and talking and joking with our fellow tourees and the personable captain of the boat.

Back to Carcassonne we came to a restful early evening in, after a spectacularly full and memorable day.-

Jesse's ready to book another tour for tomorrow ;-)

On the Shores of Loch Fyne

When we realized it was going to be possible to head back to Europe again this year, first on our list was a tiny little fishing village in the west of Scotland, named Tarbert. Unassuming, yet dripping with charm, we spent a few short days there last fall. Perched upon the rocky coast of Loch Fyne sits Stonefield Castle. Throughout our many travels there are a few special places (I could count them on one hand) that have just nailed the art of true hospitality as we define it. Places that you instantly feel welcomed and at home...a part of the family. Yet at the same time, an honored guest for whom the staff will go out of their way to spoil as if you were royalty.

Stonefield Castle is just such a place.

We requested, and were granted our same room (#23) which has the best view in the castle over the loch and gardens, and our preferred queen sized bed. If you're the type that needs the real estate that a king affords, #24 right next door will oblige. The rooms have been recently renovated, but still maintain rich Highland charm with their plaid woolen chairs and bed scarves. The bathrooms are modern and well appointed, though as with much of Europe, you will not find washcloths as standard fare, so if you need one in order to feel actually clean (raising hand), bring a few along. #freetip

We spent the day today enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the dining room which overlooks the loch through a full wall of windows. A hybrid cook-to-order and buffet, it will fill you up for the first two-thirds of the day, easy. We recommend the Full Scottish, Haddock, and Kippers (with poached egg added). The fish are caught daily from the loch, and the eggs come from a farmer down the road. Can't beat the freshness! Our room rate had breakfast included in the tarrif.

After our repast, we went for a wee walk (because, Scotland) down to the shore, explored a positively enchanted forest complete with babbling brook, and then veered off to cross the causeway and hike around a nearby uninhabited island. Springtime has really been a lovely time to visit - the grounds are positively overflowing with blooms! Rhododendrons are the shrub du jour and not just any old rhododendrons, but 30 foot high specimens! Cedars, wood hyacinths, shamrocks, daffodils, candy tuft, daisies, moss, late blooming heather, and all manner of rock flowers pepper the path. A highlight of our walk was crawling out on a craggy rock just overlooking the loch and enjoying the afternoon tea we brought along (when in Rome...).

Back at the hotel, we spent some time reading, blogging, bird-watching, boat-watching, and chatting with other guests. The atmosphere among patrons and staff alike, is delightfully family-ish. It's so easy to strike up a conversation! Adding to the homey feel is the fact that it is a dog friendly hotel, complete with resident chocolate lab that greets you happily at the front door.

For dinner we opted for the bar menu, which carries some of the same five-star dishes as the dining room, but for a fraction of the price. Service has always been exemplary at Stonefield...with Sean being a special favorite standout who truly gives the whole establishment's staff a fantastic public face.

After a leisurely meal enjoyed overlooking the loch, we retired to our room and declared it a nearly perfect pleasure of a day here on the shores of Loch Fyne!

Can't wait to do it again tomorrow.