French rolls eggplant goat cheese

Ingredients :

- 3 big eggplants

- 6 slices of jambon de Bayonne (french prosciutto)

- 1 Stick of goat cheese

- Fresh herbs (I like basil very much)

- Olive oil

- Herbs of Provence

Preparation :

Let's cook the eggplants ! Put some oil inside a baking pan. Salt and pepper, and add some herbs of Provence. Place the eggplants cut into 2 halves (back facing up). Pour a little bit of olive oil on top.

Bake in an oven preheated at 160ºC during an hour and turn the eggplants from time to time. When done, place the eggplants in the fridge for the night.

The day after, spread the goat cheese on the faces of the eggplants. 

Don't salt, just put some pepper and some fresh herbs. Roll each pieces into the prosciutto, cut each one of them into 2 pieces.

Dress them with a nice salad.

Soup of Raviole de Royan with Truffles and Cèpes

Ingredients :

- 1/2 litter of duck stock

- 200 gr of Cèpes (mushroom used a lot for french cooking) 

- 100 gr of fresh Truffles (luxirious mushroom in French Gastronomy)

- 150 gr of Ravioles du Royans

- 40 gr of butter

- 2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil from Nyons (if you can have some from this city)

- Salt Pepper

Preparation :

Prepare a duck stock with the bones of one whole, 2 onions , 2 carrots, 1 bouquet garni. Add 2 litters of water and bring it to boil, then reduce and let it cook slowly for 2 hours with a lid on. When done, pass it all in a sieve. 

Cut the Cèpes and brown them inside of some olive oil during 3 minutes.

Add he duck stock and let it all cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Add the butter, salt and pepper.

Add the Ravioles de Royan and let it cook during a minute with 2 big tablespoon of Olive Oil of Nyons. 

Dress the soup inside of the bowls, add 3 little slices of truffle on top of each one.

Delicious !

Zucchini Tian

Ingredients :

- 600 gr of zucchinis

- 50 gr of rice

- 3 Eggs

- 50 gr of Parmesan

- 1 Onion

- 1 Garlic clove

- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

- Parsley, basil

- Salt pepper

Preparation :

Wash the zucchinis and cut them into slices.

Cook them during 5 minutes with steam and mash them.

Brown the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Cook the rice into salted boiling water.

Whist the egg just like if you wanted to make an omelet.

Mix all the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper, the herbs, and the Parmesan. Mix well.

Pour the mixture onto an oiled baking pan and bake for 45 minutes at 200º C / 390º F

Eat this preparation with a red meat and red wine. It is deliciously refreshing.

Quiche zucchini goat cheese

Ingredients for the flavored Brisé dough :

- 250 gr of flour

- 125 gr of butter

- 1 yolk

- 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped chives

- salt

Ingredients for the mixture :

- 2 zucchinis

- 100 gr of fresh goat cheese

- 10 cl of whipping cream

- 2 eggs

- 1 log of goat cheese (you can replace it by an aged goat cheese, the taste will be stronger)

- 1 Tablespoon of basil

- Salt and Pepper

- Black Provencal Olives (if you want)

Preparation of the Brisé dough :

Make a well in the center of the flour. Put in the center the butter (cut and soften), the chives, a pinch of salt and knead with your fingers.

Add the yolk, continue to knead as you add little by little some water until you obtain a ball of dough. Set aside in the fridge.

Preparation of the Quiche :

Spread the dough and place it inside of a baking pan (buttered). Pick the dough with a fork and set the pan aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Cut the zucchinis into slices, keep the peel and cook them with steam either in the microwave or in a pan.

Mix the eggs with the whipping cream, the fresh goat cheese and the basil. Add salt and pepper. 

Pour a third of this mixture on to the dough inside the pan. Spread evenly the slices of the zucchinis and pour the rest of the mixture on top of it. Cut the aged goat cheese (or the log) and place them on the tart.

Now you can add a little bit of your favorite cheese (shredded Swiss cheese or mozzarella) on top of the tart. 

Bake it for 25 minutes at 180 ºC / 355º F

Watch the cooking closely, you may let it cook longer or shorter.

Note : You can eat the Quiche alone as a main dish with a Salad, you can just cut the Quiche into little pieces for Aperitif or appetizers.

It is delicious ! Bon Appetit !

Mussel Soup

Ingredients :

- 1,5 kg of mussels

- 2 Onions

- 80 gr of sour cream

- 20 cl of white wine (to cook)

- 4 cl of olive oil

- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch

- A little bit of parsley

- saffron

- Salt and pepper

Preparation :

Wash well the mussels and scratch them well (to take the sea dust away).

Brown the chopped onions in olive oil and add the mussels, and the white wine.

Let it cook until the mussels open. Take the shells away. Filter the cooking juice in a pan aside.

In a little bowl, prepare the cornstarch; in a little bowl, have your cornstarch, then, pour a little bit of the cooking juice. Stir well until it forms a dough, add juice if necessary (this is to avoid lumps).

Little by little, pour the cooking juice on the cornstarch preparation, and when it is well liquid, pour the cornstarch mixture in the cooking juice on the pan. Boil the preparation. add the saffron, salt and pepper.

It is almost done, add the mussels, and onions and cook on low heat to warm the preparation up and mix the flavor together one last time.

Put some of the parsley to decorate (and add some taste too).

Bon Appetit !!

Onion Tart

Ingredients :

- 1 brisé dough

- 600 gr of onions

- 2 Tablespoon of flour

- 3 yolks

- 1/4 liter of milk

- Salt, pepper, nutmeg

- Olive oil

Preparation :

Chop the onions and brown them in olive oil, in a pan.

Spackle with the flour while stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the Milk, the yolk, and stir well.

Add salt pepper and a little bit of nutmeg.

Put the heat on low. 

Spread the dough, pick it with a fork

Pour the mixture on to the dough. 

Put the tart in the oven for 30 minutes at 220 ºC / 430º F

Note : This dish, can be served as a main dish with a salad, or you can cut it in little pieces to serve it to your guests during l'Apéritif.

Caviar d'Aubergine (Eggplant Caviar)

L'Aperitif is a sacred moment for all the Mediterranean.
Today throughout all France, this special moment is widespread, and it is not surprising to see families on their baloney or gardens,  around 7 PM in a nice and warm summer day, taking their Aperitif.

It is a very refreshing moment and it's a true mediteraneen tradition. We can observe it in Spain too with the Tapas.

There are several type of dishes but all of them are refreshing to savor.
There are Ratatouille, or dishes based on pepper or olives. The dishes are generally based with vegetables as they are known as very refreshing food.

One of the most fantastic dishes is The Caviar d'Aubergine.


Preparation :      15 min
Cooking     :       60 min
Rest            :      20 Min

Ingredients for 4 people :

- 2 big eggplants
- 2 little oignons or shallot
- 10 cl of olive oil
- 1 Table spoon of finely chopped parsley or basil (like you prefer)
- 6 Garlic clove
- Salt and pepper



Preparation :

- Wash the eggplants and cut the tips.

- Cut the eggplant in two half and slash inside of the two parts. Add salt and pepper.

- Introduce the garlic cloves that you had cut in quarter just before. Moisten the eggplant with the olive oil and envelop them inside of aluminum foil like if you wanna cook them en Papillote.
Bake for 60 minutes at 170 º C / 340º F

- Take the Papillotes out of the oven.
Extract the pulp of the eggplants and stir it to mash them. Add salt and pepper as you need and let the mixture cool down.

- When it has cooled down, put them in the fridge for 20 minutes.

- Savor it well cool on toast or crackers.



You can eat it with a nice refreshing salad (roquette, mâche), or with a tasty cheese on toast like goat cheese.

Ratatouille

La ratatouille is a vegetable stew which have existed in France for centurys.
One of the most healthy dish, it is also one of the most tasty and the most refreshing by a nice summer afternoon in Provence. It is the city of Nice in the blue coast of France, who first introduce Ratatouille in 1778.

Ratatouille is generally a side dish it can be served with some meat but it can also be served by itself and be eaten with a nice slice of toasted bread.
Today, it exists some variations of this dish, but most of them were bord around the Mediterranean.

Ratatouille is perfect when served with a rosé or white wine during nice warm summers afternoon, and can be very refreshing dish.
A red wine can be perfect during evenings and along with some Ratatouille and some nice well aged and tasty cheese.


Ingredients :

- 1 Big Eggplant
- 2 Big Zucchini (one yellow, one green)
- 1 Big green pepper and 1 red
- 3 Tomatoes
- 2 Big Oignons
- 2 Ground garlic cloves
- 1 Bouquet garni (Thyme, rosemary and bay leaves)
- 1 botte de parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper


Preparation :

It exists 2 different ways to make a fantastic Ratatouille.
For today, I'll let's cover the recipe whose cooking is made on the stove. 

- Wash and cut the zucchinis, eggplant and red and green pepper, into dices of medium size. Cut the tomatoes into quarter and finely mince the oignon.

- Into a pan, pour some olive oil and sear the vegetable ones after the others during 5 minutes each for them to take a nice color.
It is preferable to not mix the vegetable during the first cooking to keep their different taste.
Begin by cooking the pepper, then the eggplants and the zucchinis. 

- After the cooking of the vegetable, in one of the pan that you had rinced, brown the oignons with some salt and pepper. When they begin to take a nice coloration, add the tomatoes, reduce the temperature on low heat and gently stir.

- Add the bouquet garni, salt and pepper, cover and let it cook gently for 40 minutes while stiring regularly.

- 10 minutes before the end of the cooking, add the two garlic cloves that you ground just before. Then, cover again and let cook on low heat.


You can eat this Ratatouille warm or cold (cold is very refreshing and the vegetable are more tasty) with some toasted bread slices or as a side dish.

You can keep it 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

Gratin d'Auphinois

One of the grand classique of French Gastronomy, it is a little star in every french home. More than a fine dish, it can be an indispensable in the heart of every french family. It is a big Champion.
Gratin d'Auphinois is what we can call a basic dish. It is easy to find it in all the families throughout all regions of France even though it has its origins in a mountain region of France in the heart of a city well known for its abundance with milk and its delicious taste.

This gratin is very famous because very tasty, it is perfectly served with all kinds of meat, it can be eating alone or with a delicious refreshing salad.

Children are big fans of this dish and it is always very welcome during a meal.


Ingredients :

- 1kg of potatoes (Russet, Idahoor white potatoes)
- 1 ou 2 ground garlic cloves
- 50 gr of butter
- 50 cl of whole milk (preferably raw)
- 160 gr of gruyere (swiss cheese)
- 40 cl of sour cream
- 50 cl of liquid cream
- 1 ground nutmeg
- Salt and peper


Preparation :

Peal the potatoes and cut them into thin slices (0,5 cm).
Rince them well with cold water, and then, drain them well inside of a cleaned dishcloth.
Place the potatoes inside of a cooking pan and fill with the milk. Pour the liquid cream and add salt and pepper. Carefully stir. Boil the mixture and then reduce the temperature at low heat and let it cook until it is easy to put the tip of a knife inside of the potatoes.

Preheat the oven 220º C / 430º F

Rub the garlic inside of an oven pan, butter it well. Put half of the potatoes inside of the pan, add some cheese on top, half of the sour cream, salt and pepper and half of the ground nutmeg.
Add the second half of the potatoes and fill with the rest of the cheese, the sour cream the nutmeg. Add salt and pepper again.
Place the pan inside of the oven and let the preparation cook during an hour at 180º C / 350º F
Take the pan out when the gratin has a nice golden color.

Tarte Tatin with tomatoes glacé, honey and goat cheese

Like I promised, it is time to revisit a French Grand Classique; the Tart Tatin.

And this time, let's set up for a little trip in Provence !
I let you discover this great recipe.

Ingredients for the crust :

-  90 gr of butter

- 25 ml of milk

- 1 level teaspoonful of salt

- 1 level teaspoonful of sugar

- 125 gr of flour

- 1 Tablespoon of dried thyme

- 1egg yolk

Ingredients for the filling :

- 800 gr of cherry tomatoes

- 1 goat cheese stick

- 100 gr of honey

Preparation :

- Cut the butter into pieces and put them in a large bowl. Soften the butter with a fork. 

- In a large bowl, mix the milk, the sugar, and the salt. Mix them well. Pour the mixture very slowly on the butter while stirring.

- Mix the thyme and the flour. Add the milk mixture into the flour / thyme very gently and carefully to avoid lumps.

- Knead the dough very fast and well with the egg yolk.

- Put the dough on the floured work surface.

- Crush the dough with your hand. make a ball and do it again. When done, put it in a plastic wrap and leave aside for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

- Wash and wipe the tomatoes. Cut them in half and stab them with a fork.

- Cook the honey on low heat in a pan, add the tomatoes and let them caramelize while stirring them regularly.

- Drain the tomatoes well for the crust not to be too moist and place them on the bottom of a baking pan.

- Cut the goat cheese stick into slices and put them on top of the tomatoes.

- Add salt and pepper.

- Spread the crust. Put it on top of the mixture tightly.

- Bake it for 40 minutes.

- Let it cool down before turning it out.