Market Day!

Market Day in Aulnay on Sunday Morning is full of bright colours, tantalising smells and the hum of shoppers filling their baskets and bags with lovely local produce for the week ahead..... However, if you wish to eat on market day book ahead.....the eateries are always heaving. Panniers are definitely required for cycling into market...you will be tempted!

Blueberry and Almond Tart

OK, I know this does not count as being of French origin (recipe thanks to Waitrose's free summer recipe book) but as we are in England, thinking of our guests in France, it seems quite a French style recipe to me. Ameretto is Italian, but substitute apricots or even blackberries and I think it would be just as good. Whatever fruit looks best at the market that day, wherever you are (even better from your garden, but I am no gardener!) Besides the big tart I made a little individual sized one from the leftover pastry (pictured), very greedy for one, a bit mean for 2...so eat it all yourself, the small one that is, not the big one that feeds 10 easily!

Blueberry and Almond Tart (thank you Waitrose)

Serves: 10
Ingredients
375g pack Jus-Rol Sweet Dessert Pastry (or make your own!)

3 tbsp Bonne Maman Mandarin Marmalade (I used fine cut orange marmalade, absolutely fine!)

Almond filling

200g whole blanched almonds

150g golden caster sugar

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp Amaretto Disaronno liqueur (I didn't have any so used quality almond essence and a spoonful of brandy!)

225g fresh blueberries

2 tbsp apricot jam

Method

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use to line a 23cm fluted tart tin. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. Preheat oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6 with a flat baking sheet on the middle shelf.

Place the almonds in a food processor with the golden caster sugar and blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the butter, eggs, plain flour and the Amaretto liqueur. Blitz until combined.

Remove the lined tart tin from the fridge,then spread the base with a thin layer of the marmalade, followed by the almond mixture. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top before placing in the oven on the preheated baking sheet to bake for 10 mintues.

Reduce the oven to 180C, gas mark 4 for a further 30 minutes and cook until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, warm the apricot jam until liquid, pass through a sieve and brush on to the warm tart to glaze. Serve with creme fraiche.

Yum.

Perfect Holiday - Cheap Flights 20th June-4th July

We have just two weeks availability at White Shutters before September, book White Shutters for 20th June-4th July and if you are quick the Birmingham - Poitiers flights with Ryanair are coming up at £5 each way inc taxes for the Saturday flights (until midnight Thurs 4th June) We may be open to sensible offers..... big pool, beach less than an hour, second sunniest bit of France, easy drive from Channel ports....perfect for families with small children (2 cots, 2 highchairs, stair gates) What are you waiting for? Long lazy lunches....tempted?! Euro strengthening....

Look what we had to leave yesterday.....

We have just spent the May Half term week finishing off White Shutters for our first guests......I do hope they like it as much as we do. This is the house now with the pool protection all finished (to French AFNOR standards), some geraniums planted and new sun loungers. We didn't spend as much time sitting under the gazebo as we hope our guests do, busy busy!!

We got home last night as a certain middle daughter is in the middle of GCSEs, she was allowed to spend time in the pool beween revision sessions!

Floorplans Updated

We have been updating White-Shutters website and the floorplans now show the current furniture arrangement. We are working on a "click to view photos" feature on the floorplans, so our that our lovely guests and visitors can get a feel for the house, and if it suits them! I have also just realised we still havn't labelled the rooms.White Shutters Downstairs.White Shutters Upstairs!!

Eating out.............

We have been busy working on updating the website White-Shutters with the new images and floor plans, still a work in progress but we're getting there!

I have been meaning to do a little summary of some of the restaurants we have enjoyed both last year when on holiday and house hunting trips, and our Easter trip to White Shutters.

I have already mentioned the children's favourite in Matha, Le Pinocchio which has a good value set meal and a la carte, pizzas how they should be cooked, pasta, steaks and salads with extensive inside and outside tables.

We also discovered a very good seafood restaurant in St Jean d'Angeley called Le Mareyeur. We just love seafood and this restaurant is very family friendly and not at all fancy or formal, with great tasty cooking, especially if you love seafood! A 2 course evening meal with plenty of choice was around 12E, and even better a 50cl carafe of very passable wine for E5, a great find. A huge dish of moules is just an essential requirement for our holidays, and they serve up a lovely bowlful here.

A bit further afield in Melle (30 minutes) are two lovely restaurants (well there are more, but we have tried these two!)

First of all, another wallet friendly restaurant, Thai this time. This was our celebratory meal after buying White Shutters in January, without breaking the bank any further. I can't find a website but it is the Delices d'Orient, 5 rue des halles, 79500 Melle P: 05 49 29 26 48 Very friendly owners, and great value at 15E for 3 delicious courses, the soup was especially good.

Also in Melle is Les Glycines, a great setting for a celebratory French meal for two or a large table full of family and/or friends. We had a delayed 70th birthday, actual 44th Birthday, early 67th birthday and a very early 13th birthday to celebrate! A Logis de France award winner, Les Glycines is more formal than the previous eateries, but still very family friendly. Our teenage girls enjoyed their "proper" French restaurant meal with good service, and the Menu Terroir varies from 18E for two courses to E26.50 for four courses, so you know the budget before you start. I really want to go back and sample the Menu Decouverte, it looks a delicious experience.

Finally, another more gourmet offering is 10 minutes away on the Aulnay-St Jean d'Angely road, Le Moulin des Saules , the setting looks delightful, with menus from 25E, we can't wait to sample it, perhaps just the two of us!

We hope to discover many more delightful eateries on our future holidays..... and will start a restaurant section on the website very soon, at least I have some notes here now!

Cuisine-Kitchen

The electric oven is under the gas hob on the island unit.

The large cafe style fridge is in addition to the fridge freezer on the other side of the kitchen. Perfect for loading with cool drinks and salad/fruit. We are still in the process of sorting out a larger table, so up to 12 can sit down in the kitchen. Washing machine and dishwasher are to the right of the microwave, well the dishwasher will join the washing machine once the new one arrives.Back door to terrace for outside dining.

..and on our final morning I got up early and made a last French Breakfast. It was hard keeping the hungry masses from their food until I had taken a few pictures!