27 Aug A French Escape
We have been enjoying a very special ‘Tour de (un petit peu de) France’ en Vélo in the Dordogne region. Cycling beside walnut groves, through beautiful villages where cottages, chateaux and village houses are built from the local golden limestone, along the canals and rivers of the Dordogne and the Lot rivers shaded by oak and plane trees. This region is famous for its duck and walnut production, and also many fine wines, notably the Cahors and Bergerac appellations. It doesn’t take too much imagination to guess the meals we have been enjoying along the way!
Cycling is very popular here and there are plenty of excellent cycling routes, enjoyed by passionate amateurs, families and tourists alike. Most town centres now have limited access for cars; the streets are teeming with people walking and cycling, and of course space available for the ubiquitous ‘Marchés des Producteurs‘ in each village.
One of the many culinary joys here are the wonderful breads and cheeses – after a disappointing day arriving to find Rocamadour restaurants overwhelmed by tourists (like us!), we opted to picnic… and had such a marvellous feast of local fruits, produce and cheeses, we continued with this delightful lunch solution for the rest of our cycling journey.
We have now arrived in Toulouse, a city with about the same population as Auckland. Again the central city streets are ‘Priorité aux Piétons‘ (priority to pedestrians), and the centre is alive with people promenading, shopping and enjoying sidewalk cafes & restaurants. It’s such a pleasure to enjoy a city in this leisurely way, without the dangerous, noisy and polluting addition of cars. This allows plenty of space to admire the unique architecture or this region, where the buildings are primarily red brick, giving the city its name, ‘La Ville Rose‘, as light changes throughout the day, the buildings create an ambience of diffused soft pink light.
In Toulouse we have found some excellent restaurants from around the Mediterranean, including Lebanese, Moroccan and Spanish, these places have all had significant cultural, linguistic, culinary and architectural influences here. It’s great to explore all these food traditions in one place!
Thinking about the local foods we have been enjoying on our trip, I am reflecting on our own gorgeous Central Otago – also a wonderful nut growing region and known for its excellent stone fruits. Our local wines that reflect some of the flavours here are the Bordeaux style wines from Waiheke and Hawkes Bay regions for example, made with grapes such as Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
Here is a classic French recipe for a Gateau aux Noix. Try making it with local NZ walnuts – you can purchase Uncle Joe’s walnuts from the store – I buy the 1kg pack and keep half in the freezer. In France this cake is served with Crème Chantilly (whipped cream with icing sugar and vanilla) and/or Crème Anglais (a chilled runny vanilla custard).
Gateau aux Noix
Ingredients
175 gr finely chopped walnuts
150 gr sugar
1 pinch of salt
100 gr gently melted butter (unsalted)
4 eggs
½ tsp Vanilla extract (the Heilala vanilla from Scarecrow is excellent)
50 gr flour (you can substitute a gluten free flour)
Icing sugar
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180C
Butter a 25cm cake tin.
Put finely chopped nuts in a large bowl and add salt and ½ the sugar. Mix well.
Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks and add the melted butter add the rest of the sugar, beat very well until creamy. Pour this into the nut mix. Gently add in the flour. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold gently into nut mix until they are well incorporated.
Pour your mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out dry.
When cool remove from cake mould. sprinkle with icing sugar.
Serve with your choice of vanilla ice-cream, Chantilly cream or runny vanilla custard.
Bon Appetit,
Alison
Uncle Joe’s Walnuts
We are lucky in New Zealand to have access to locally grown walnuts & hazelnuts, from one of our favourite producers, Uncle Joe’s. Based in Marlborough, Uncle Joe’s source and produce the most delicious of nuts, pure nut spreads, cold-pressed nut and seed oils and gluten free flours.
Walnut Oil makes a stunning salad dressing oil, fabulous combined with fruits such as pears, apples and soft yellow cheeses such as Over The Moon’s Galactic Gold, or Gin Washed Rind from Moody Cow. (See more on our cheeses below.) All of these fabulous products we are delighted to stock at Scarecrow. Browse our grocery section online, or pop into Scarecrow at 33 Victoria St East or 811 Mt Eden Road to full the view range.
Lavender Heat Packs by Frances Nation
Close your eyes and transport yourself to the lavender fields of France with a calming and therapeutic lavender heat pack. New to Scarecrow, these reusable lavender heat packs are made in Christchurch by Frances Nation, and contain only organic wheat, lavender and lavender oil, covered in soft cotton velvet for extra luxury. To soothe aching muscles and busy minds, find a quiet spot and apply this relaxing treat wherever it hurts. You may not be in the fragrant lavender fields of France right now, but you can certainly imagine yourself there! Find Frances Nation Lavender Heat Packs in store now, at Scarecrow.
Market Totes
For shopping basket chic Scarecrow has fabulous options! A French style market tote, as seen here as part of our Grounded Hamper, is large enough to fit your morning shopping, and happily doubles as a picnic basket, beach bag or carry-all for a spring soiree. For a splash of colour, choose a handwoven Penan bag. As durable as they are gorgeous, we love the fact that profits from sales go directly to support the women of Penan. Winning on all fronts! Come into Scarecrow and ask about our range of quality totes.
Un peu du fromage? Mais oui!
Did someone say fromage? Yes, France may be the original home of cheese, but New Zealand produces some serious contenders to rival the world’s best – and come out on top in our opinion! Scarecrow is proud to stock NZ’s finest artisan cheeses from the length and breadth of the country. Producers like Over the Moon, Grinning Gecko, Mahoe Farmhouse, Little River, Moody Cow and more all fill our fridges. For a selection of our favourites, why not order a Scarecrow Cheese Platter containing all you need for an evening with friends. You can shop our full range of artisan NZ cheeses in store or online.
Our very own Cave à Vin at 811 Mt Eden Road
C’est fantastique! The Scarecrow Cellar, that is. In it, you’ll discover NZ made wines of all styles. In keeping with the theme, here are a couple of our favourite French-inspired offerings. First up, Millton Viognier 2016. Harvested by hand in French oak barrels from complementary white grapes varietals of the Rhone Valley in France, this wine is delicious and aromatic, with notes of peach and citrus and a long mouthwatering finish.
Or sample an elegant Peacock Sky Pure Malbec. Native to South West France, but grown and produced here from the high hills overlooking Onetangi Beach, this fruity red has been matured for over a year in French oak barrels. It has strong plum and spice flavours, and matches brilliantly with a spicy meal. Find these beauties and much more, including NZ made craft beers and ciders, in the Scarecrow Cellar, 811 Mt Eden Road. Or shop online for Auckland wide delivery to your door.
Restaurant Month until 31 August
A final August reminder of Restaurant Month at Scarecrow. Devised by our talented French Head Chef, our 2022 menu continues to be heartily enjoyed by you, our wonderful customers. Sitting down to your two or three course meal from a cosy table at Scarecrow, you’d be forgiven for thinking you actually were in France! Restaurant Month runs until 31 August, so do call us on 09 377 1333 to reserve your table while there’s still time.
Father’s Day incoming!
Finally, a note that Father’s Day is just around the corner. The team is busy putting together an array of fabulous gifts for Dad, so keep an eye on our social media channels where we’ll share more detail.