French with Nicole

There are many variations of this recipe but I recently enjoyed this particularly delicious savoury cake at my sister in law's and she has generously shared her recipe. Merci Francoise! 6 to 8 portions Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes  Ingredients 2 red onions diced 3 cloves of garlic crushed  2 tbsp of olive oil 3 courgettes cut in large dice 1 chicken stock cube 10 cl of white wine tsp of flour 4 eggs 1 tsp of chopped parsley  Salt and Pepper Preparation Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan oven) Warm the oil in a frying pan Sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned Add the courgettes Cook until lightly brown and nearly soft Crumble the stock cube Add the white wine Season, stir and take off the heat to cool In a mixing bowl beat the eggs, flour and parsley Add the cooled courgette mixture Butter and flour a rectangle cake tin Pour in the cake mixture Bake for 45 minutes Turn onto a serving platter, slice and enjoy My tips Can be eaten hot or...

Savoury cakes are a popular aperitif across France, served with drinks before a meal. They can either be baked as a loaf and sliced or as individual mini cakes, in a range of shapes. The concept of a savoury cake is becoming increasing popular here in the UK too, particularly as an 'on-the-go' breakfast or picnic dish. So why not give it a try? Ingredients 100ml  olive oil  , plus extra for greasing 250g  asparagus spears  , each cut into 3 pieces 200g  self-raising flour 1 tbsp  thyme leaves 3  large eggs  , lightly beaten 100ml  milk handful pitted black olives 100g sundried tomatoes , roughly chopped 100g  gruyère  or Beaufort, grated Method STEP 1 Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Oil and line the base of a loaf tin (approx 22 x 10 x 5cm) with baking paper. Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water for 2 mins, drain, then cool quickly under cold running water. Pat dry. STEP 2 Mix the flour and thyme with seasoni...

  A  French classic to be savoured as a side-dish or as a starter as part of a crudité platter and makes perfect use of an under-used vegetable. Choose from capers, parley or gherkins (or any combination of all there), to add flavour and a pretty hint of green.  Serve four as a side dish Ingredients: 1 celeriac Juice of one lemon For the remoulade sauce: 2 eggs yolks 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 120ml olive oil (good quality if you can) Salt and paper To serve (all optional – just choose your favourite (s)) 2 tsp capers, drained 2 tsp finely chopped flat parley 5 gherkins, drained and finely chopped 4 tsp of peanuts, finally chopped Method Use a sharp knife to carefully peel the celeriac and remove the knobbly outer surface. Put one litre of cold water and half the lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut the celeriac unto thin julienne strips (or use a blender) and put immediately into the lemon water to prevent discoloration. ...

  Barbeques are as popular in France as they are in the UK and one of the essential items on any French grill is the merguez sausage. Originating in North Africa, this long, thin sausage is usually made from lamb or beef mince (never pork) and is heavily spiced with cayenne, cumin and garlic. It is usually cooked over wood or coal, firstly to give it a distinctive smoky flavour but also to avoid making a mess of your oven due to the high fat content!  They are available to buy online or you could try making your own. Click on  homemade-merguez-sausage-recipe  

  Two French sisters who run the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte- Beuvron created the tarte Tatin accidentally. Stepanie Tatin was renowned locally for her beautiful crusty caramelised tarts. The legend says that during a very busy service, she placed the tart upside down in the oven and was surprised by the guest’s positive reaction as she served the strange dessert. The tart gained its popularity when it appeared on the famous Maxim’s Restaurant menu.   Serves 4 Cooking time: 1h10   Ingredients 900gr (about 6) Braeburn apples 100 g caster sugar 60 g unsalted chilled butter diced 30 g unsalted melted butter 300 g all butter puff pastry   Method On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 3 mm thickness and cut out a 25 cm circle (use a plate as a template). Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking tray, cover and freeze whilst preparing the apples Pre-heat the oven to 180 C Peel, core and cut the apples into quarters Place...

It is often said that wine and cheese go wonderfully well together but how about pairing gin with cheese? Try this slightly different version of a French 75 cocktail to accompany your cheese tray for a tasty alternative. As a quick reminder, the classic French 75 cocktail was named after the 75mm M1987 artillery gun used in the WW1 – the gun was not only known for its speed but also for its kick! Ingredients: 35 ml gin 15 ml lemon juice 10 ml honey syrup * 100 ml sparkling wine 2 dashes orange bitters (optional) Lemon or orange peel to garnish Method : Add the first 3 ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a champagne glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a large piece of lemon or orange peel and the optional orange bitters. *to make the honey syrup, add 50 ml of boiling water to 250 ml honey, stir to combine and store in the fridge  For the perfect cheese tray

  It is delicious, unique and French! What’s not to like? Having travelled far and wide, Justin and Anna-Carin Kandimaa Matterson fell in love with Provence and all it has to offer. The land of lavender fields, olive groves, historic villages and vineyards have inspired many writers and painters including Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. Caught up in the spirit of Provence, Anna and Justin decided to settle in the region. Having spent many years abroad and being keen gin and tonic fans, they soon discovered that gin was not available amongst the wide range of local spirits. The idea of opening a distillery using the local botanicals to capture the essence of the region in their own gin was born. After 5 years studying and researching the process of distillation, seeking advice from qualified professionals and   18 months developing their unique brand, QVT was born. What does QVT stand for? Quatre Vingt Trois (83 in English) is the answer. This is the department number (a ...