The Little Paris Bookshop (30 page)

1.  

To make the vegetable soup:
Wash and cut the carrots, courgettes, leek, potatoes, onion and green beans into pieces, rounds or cubes. If using tomatoes, soak the tomatoes in hot water, peel them and dice (or if you prefer, use a tin of good-quality tomatoes). Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables, herbs and tomato purée (if using) and stir continuously for 10 minutes on a gentle heat. Season with salt to taste.

2.  

Rinse the beans in cold water and pat dry with paper towels, then add them to the pot with the other vegetables. Pour in 1½–2 litres of water, cover and leave to simmer for 30–45 minutes (or until the white beans are soft). Season with salt and pepper.

3.  

To make the paste:
Peel and chop the garlic and blend to a smooth paste. In a medium bowl, mix the garlic paste with the salt, basil leaves and Parmesan. Add the olive oil, and mix well.

4.  

Spoon the
pistou
into four soup bowls. Pour in the hot vegetable soup, and serve. Some people prefer to stir the paste into the soup afterwards. Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

1.  

To make the marinade:
Peel the garlic, chop finely and mix with the tomato juice, herbs, honey, pepper, olive oil and the optional ingredients, if desired. Pour the marinade into a 3-litre freezer bag with the lamb cutlets. Seal the bag, place in a bowl in the refrigerator and leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

2.  

To prepare the lamb cutlets:
Heat the oil in a griddle on high heat. Add the cutlets and cook them one minute per side. Take the pan off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool. The cutlets should be pink inside. (In case you’re interested, the author loves to fry them on a raclette grill – perfection!)

3.  

To make the garlic flan:
In a small pot over low heat, heat the oil. Add the freshly peeled cloves of garlic (see Note) and the milk and heat until they are soft. Press through a sieve and season with salt and pepper. Add the beaten eggs and a pinch of nutmeg to taste.

4.  

Serve with potatoes brushed with olive oil, oven-fried and sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt.

1.  

In a small bowl, blend the lavender with the sugar, and push through a sieve until you have a fine powder. Dissolve the lavender powder in the milk until the crystals no longer ‘crunch’ (you may need to heat the mixture slightly, but avoid boiling). In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks and cream (or yoghurt) until smooth. Stir the lavender milk into the egg cream and mix thoroughly. Purée the blueberries and add them to colour the mixture, if desired.

2.  

Place the mixture in an ice-cream maker, or leave to set in a freezer compartment, stirring occasionally.

3.  

Garnish with lavender flowers for decoration.

1.  

In a medium bowl, stir the lavender syrup into the yoghurt, add milk and cream, and stir until smooth.

2.  

Purée the blueberries and add them gradually to colour the mixture, if desired.

3.  

Place the mixture in an ice-cream maker or a freezer compartment. Garnish with syrup, flowers or lavender honey prior to serving.

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Raisins (home dried);

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Dried figs (homegrown);

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The obligatory nuts: almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts;

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Dates, to represent the regions where Christ lived and died;

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Four different types of fresh fruit, which may include plums (traditionally from Brignoles), winter pears, melons, apples, oranges, grapes and tangerines;

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Candied fruits;

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Light and dark Turkish honey, white and black nougat. The light variety is made from hazelnuts, pine nuts and pistachios, and symbolises goodness and purity; the dark or black nougat stands for evil and impurity;

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Fougasse (or fouace), a flat cake made with olive oil (which must be broken, not cut!);

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Oreillettes: light, thin waffles flavoured with lemon zest;

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Roulés: cinnamon-flavoured brioche rolls;

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Ratafia, a mixture of juice and brandy, or cartagène, a sweet fortified wine;

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Calissons d’Aix: sweets similar to marzipan made from almond paste and candied melon;

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Biscotins;

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Marinated goat’s cheese.