June 2024 Gazette

Welcome to the 9th edition of my monthly newsletter! Each month, I intend to share a personal round up of the past weeks to give you a glimpse into my French life. I also share links I love, seasonal recipe inspirations and try to answer some of the questions I’ve received through social media as well.

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you enjoy this monthly gazette, and perhaps what you would like to read about next month!

May is a special month, when the weather finally starts to turn from the heavy rains, and the sun starts to shine a little more. There was still rain, no doubt, as France is still seeing near record amounts, but the sun has peeked its head in, and we got to enjoy some very beautiful days.

I definitly love this time of year, when days get warmer with the promise of Summer still to come! 

We’re seeing the return of beautiful strawberries on market stalls and the first summer produce like cherries, stone fruits and even cantaloupes! 

The first cherries at the market!

We started the month off with a trip down memory lane for my parents and I. We headed out to the neighboring town of Guidel and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Crêperie La Laïta, a crêperie that my parents, brother and I used to frequent when I was a young child. It’s been running for more than 50yrs, churning out classic crêpes, as well as some more unique and abundant crêpes, that my husband vowed to try the next time we’re there.

Savory buckwheat crêpe of ham, mushroom and egg

I started with a savory crêpe of ham, mushroom and egg and finished with a sweet crêpe of cooked strawberries and banana, while my husband, as always, opted for 2 savory crêpes instead. His first came with a whole pork sausage, cheese and egg and the second with andouillette and cheese. You may recall from a past gazette, andouillette in France is a smoked pork tripe sausage that is very, very popular in this region.

And, of course, we washed it all down with delicious and traditional local cider and a cup of lait ribot (a fermented cow milk beverage).

Crêpe complete with egg, cheese and sausage.

If you’re ever in France and want to try a crêperie, my best advice is to start with a Crêpe Complète: jambon, œuf, fromage (ham, egg and cheese). This is without doubt the pinnacle of savory crêpes in France. The “complète” part of the order always means a main ingredient plus egg and cheese.

My husband typically opts for the andouillette complète, while I opt for the jambon. Your server will also ask you how you like your egg, and my honest advice is to ask for it “au miroir” – which means lightly fried on the crêpe with a runny yolk. You can also ask for it “brouillé”, which means scrambled. 

The beach in Larmor-Plage, southern Brittany

We were also lucky enough to spend a long weekend at my parents’ home this month, while they were in Marrakech, on vacation. While we love our apartment in Lorient, the nearby town of Larmor Plage is where I was born, and where my parents still live. And despite it being right next door, it always feels good to be sitting right next to the beach.

Sophie particularly loves it at my parents’ as it was the first home she came to when we first moved to France. She loves frolicking in the garden, beachside walks, and of course visiting the Sunday market where she remains a bit of a local celebrity!

Sophie loves sunbathing on the patio

Sophie is a miniature golden doodle, and she happens to be even smaller than a typically mini. This breed is extremely rare to find in France, and so everyone loves to see her, and she is equally as happy to see them!

The local market vendors often slip Sophie a little sample of their offerings, and last weekend Sophie was spoiled with a slow-cooked piece of pork that she gobbled up quicker than lightening.

We couldn’t help but wait in line there and order a beautiful thick cut piece of local slow cooked ham and a small container of caramelized onions on the side. 

We were also lucky enough to get a ticket to La Filleule des Fées’ “la Fête du thé” (festival of tea), in the nearby city of Languidic, to visit their private 2-hectare tea farm.

This small piece of heaven is operated by a tea-passionate Franco-Chinese couple, Denis Mazerolle and his Chinese wife, Weizi. After years of living in and studying tea culture in China, they first planted this beautiful tea farm in 2006, alongside the beautiful and famous Blavet river. It’s actually not well known that Brittany has a perfectly humid and mild climate for growing tea.

We were taken on a very informative tour of the grounds, which explained how the farm came to be, how the tea is grown and the benefits of growing tea in this specific area. It was also wonderful to find out they grow all their tea trees without the use of pesticides, meaning wild plants and herbs grow freely around the tea trees.

The grounds were so peaceful, so calm and almost like stepping into another world. The sounds of the river, the birds, the insects and the smells of teas and herbs filled the air. We were lucky enough that the rain held off just until our tour finished, so we were able to really enjoy the grounds and sample some of their small-scale tea selections.

As for the tasting part, we weren’t fans of the black tea, but we appreciated the tastes and aromas of the white and green teas that they specialize in. If you’re ever visiting Morbihan, or happen to come across any teas from La Filleule des Fées, I highly recommend trying some!

The month of June is set to be a touch lowkey, as my husband Marc leaves for 2 weeks to visit his family in Canada, and I intend to work hard to complete as many projects as possible before taking some time off this Summer.

Although, the Olympic flame is coming to and passing thru our city next week, so that’s something to look forward to!

Typical Gâteaux Bretons at the market

New articles added to the blog in May:

• Classic French Salad Recipes (recipe round-up)
• Strawberry Oat Bars (Carrés aux fraises)
• Eggplant Caviar Dip (Caviar d’aubergines)
• French-style Rice and Tuna Salad

It’s peak artichoke season in Brittany.

10 recipes to make in June:

• Watercress Soup (Soupe de Cresson)
• Cucumber Salad with Crème Fraiche 
• French Grated Carrot Salad (Carottes Rapées)
• Olive Ham Cheese Bread (Cake Salé)
• Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives
• Classic French Tomato Mustard Tart (Tarte à la tomate)
• Classic French Fruit Tart 
• Fresh Strawberry Moelleux Cake
• Strawberry Flaugnarde
• Almond Blanc-Manger with Strawberries

Links I am liking: 

• The Guardian launched FEAST, a new recipe app with over a thousand recipes from a great line-up of chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigel Slater. You can browse recipes by categories or ingredients, and it features a nifty cook mode which prevents your screen from always locking while you cook (I love that!). The app isn’t free, but you can try it for free for the first 14 days if you would like.
• I have been following Brooklyn-based cook Justine Doiron on Instagram (@justine_snacks) for a while. I love her plant-forward cooking with a very seasonal and fun, approachable style. She will be releasing a cookbook “Justine Cooks” in October 2024, which is already available for pre-order!
• We booked our next vacation in Basque Country for August (so exciting!). So I have been completely enthralled by Caroline Chamber’s “So into Northern Spain” article, sharing her itinerary and recommendations for what to do in San Sebastian, a city I cannot wait to discover. Have you ever been to Basque Country? Let us know if the comments if you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them.
• A Fruity Almond Cake to Make Before Rhubarb Season Ends.
• Will you be visiting Paris soon? Here are a few links you might like: Finding the best cheese in Paris, the best baguette of 2024 and 8 best wine-tasting in Paris.

Ready to make strawberry jam!

Favorite Questions of the Month

Hi Audrey, I’ve always wondered… On average, from start to finish, how long would you say each recipe takes to develop, test and then post online?

This is a great, but very difficult question to answer. But I’ll try! Some recipes I have been making for nearly my entire adult life, so they were easier for me to complete. That being said, even an “easy” recipe could take anywhere from 10-15hrs of intense worktime, between photographs, photo editing, writing the article, uploading everything onto the blog and ensuring all the coding is correct, generating the newsletter etc. Some of the more difficult recipes, or recipes that I haven’t cooked quite as often and have to remake a few times, can take anywhere from 3-5 days.

It’s definitely a labor of love!

Does your family have any traditions that they celebrate?

Aside from having family gatherings for the usual “big” holidays, such as Christmas, Easter and New Year’s, we tend to gather and either have a meal or just apero (drinks and finger foods) on days such as the Ascension, or Bastille Day.

One “tradition” that I found to be quite different between when I lived in Canada and here in Europe, is that here on your birthday it is typically YOU who invites friends and family out for a meal (or over for a meal), as opposed to your friends/family taking you out. The reversal of roles threw me for a loop the first few years abroad!

Is there one kitchen item that you wish you had? What is it?

Oh, this one is a bit easy for me now…

The first, is a Vitamix. We had one in Canada, and due to its weight (they are really heavy!) and the electrical component difference, we didn’t bring it with us. I really miss my Vitamix, and finding them in France isn’t so easy and they’re very, very expensive! But my husband and I really miss our super smooth shakes, and making our own nut butters and dips with them. It’s a convenient device, but not so much at the price point around these parts.

The second is a KitchenAid mixer. Yes, believe it or not, I do every recipe on the blog by hand! I do have a hand mixer that I’ll sometimes use if I have to beat egg-whites to a stiff peak, or for whipped cream… But for everything else, I use good old elbow grease! While I’m still young, I’m starting the feel the burn more than I used to, and so getting a mixer might be something to look at sooner than later. I know Marc would really appreciate one for making his pizza doughs too.

I love seeing you share photos of Sophie occasionally, she’s adorable! Do you have any other animals?

Thank you so much, I couldn’t agree more about how cute she is! Sophie is our one and only… For now! Marc and I have discussed on occasion getting her a little sister, of the same or similar breed. Problem is, her breed (Miniature Golden Doodle) is quite rare in France, but similar breeds exist and aren’t as tricky to locate. Getting a rescue dog would be great too. 

That said, we’re still a bit undecided. Sophie is so loving, but also quite timid and we worry another dog, especially a puppy, might really amplify her nerves. I think in a few more years, when she’s nearing the 10yr mark, we might get her a little friend.

Happy Sophie playing in the park