Cheese tray

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Pear Almondine

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This recipe is from one of my favourite chefs, Raymond Blanc, and was demonstrated live last Saturday on his ITV programme  "Simply Raymond". "Tarte aux poires et aux amandes" translates into English as "Pear Frangipane tart or Pear Almondine".   Frangipane,  an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream, is widely used in France in various desserts, pastries and cakes. Serves 6 to 8 people Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes + 10 minutes cooling time. Ingredients 100 g unsalted butter, room temperature 100 g caster sugar 100 g ground almonds 1 teaspoon cornflour 1 egg, medium, organic/free-range 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 pear halves, tinned or from a jar 80 g melted butter to brush the inside of the tart ring or use spray oil To serve A handful flaked almonds (for extra flavour, first toast them in a dry pan) Icing sugar, for dusting Method Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place a tart ring, about 18cm x 2cm, on a lined baking tray...
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La vache qui rit celebrates its 100th birthday

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  The iconic “ Vache qui Rit ” (Laughing Cow cheese) celebrates its 100 th birthday in 2021. One of my favourite snack as a little girl was a slice of fresh baguette ( Baguette put forward as France cultural status at UNESCO )   and a triangle of “V ache qui Rit!”    “La Vache qui Rit” is a brand of processed cheese famous for its spreadable texture and wedge shaped portions. The cheese consists of a blend of cream, milk and fresh and aged cheeses, particularly Comté, which is then pasteurized. Leon Bel, a cheese maker based in the Jura, originally created the famous cheese triangle in 1921. The product was revolutionary, both for its wrapped individual portions and the special formula (still a secret to this day) which enables the cheese to stay fresh for a longer period.   Initially, “ La Vache qui Rit ” (Laughing Cow) was sold in a round metal tin featuring an image of a white cow on a red background behind a black gate. In 1924, Benjamin Rabier...
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Les vendanges

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Vendanges is the term used in France to identify the grape-picking season. Nearly every region in France produces wine, ranging from small local personal holdings to some of the world’s most acclaimed labels. In French, les vendanges is an activity that gets the entire community involved, particularly in areas where it is still carried out entirely by hand. Some harvests have introduced some machinery, but it still requires a reasonable-sized workforce. Harvesting is physically demanding, back- breaking and often done in challenging weather. Despite this, it is hugely rewarding. Every year, thousands of people across France volunteer to participate in the wine harvest, often in return for a meal and a place to sleep rather than a wage. Depending on the size of the vignoble (the vineyard), it can take up to two weeks to handpick all the grapes.  I still vividly remember the happy days spent grape picking at my father's smallholding. The day was punctuated by sociable pauses ...
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