La Maison des Mots - July 2024
Summertime in my Cool Stone House of Words…
Summertime in Minette’s Garden. The rains have stimulated growth, and Minette creeps about her jungle like a lioness. I find the task of managing the creatures fascinating. Yesterday I observed ants fighting - a first for me. One ant scurried over to help her struggling friend, the murdering ant insisted on dragging his prey away until the ending moments finalized. Part of the never-ending cycle of life: Death and Rebirth in the Garden.
Not until the bees have had their way with the blooms, do I begin to snip the fading beauties. Those bees like to buzz ever so close if they espy me with my secateurs – I can feel their anxiety thinking I may snip before nécessaire. In my ethereal mood, I slink about the garden too, albeit in a different mode than Minette. I chat with the hummingbird moths, the butterflies, the lizards and the lady bugs - we are all grateful for what is on offer. Usually, Spring finds the gardener working long hours to ensure all is in place to please, and Summer is for gazing. This year, all that rain presented a different canvas, but each moving moment is appreciated.
Summertime in my kitchen. I enjoy mostly vegetarian menus in the Summer. Yogurt Cakes made with either Rice Flour or Wheat Flour, Almond Powder and Blueberries or Rhubarb. Cherry Clafoutis. Apricot Compote made with Butter and Cognac, served with Glace Vanille, Yaourt, or Crème Fraiche. Salad Compose. So many ideas to layer…
And there is always The Flan. A few ideas are Courgette and Mint Flan, or Potato & Fennel Flan, or another idea is Cherry Tomato & Fennel Flan – My basic recipe is to lightly cook your vegetables before putting them into a buttered casserole. Sprinkle with lots of Parsley and other desired herbs. Grate lots of lemon zest over the vegetables. Crumble a crottin of fresh chèvre (goat’s cheese) into the casserole. Whisk together 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, lots of pepper and salt. Pour over and then grate Parmesan Cheese over the melange to finish. Into a 180 Celsius oven for 30 minutes.
Summertime Reading with Soothing Beverages French Language Graphic Novel – Philippe Girard. Leonard Cohen, Sur un fil. Water cooled with Cucumber or Lemon.
After Five O’Clock: A Rhubarb Gimlet
My recipe is: One Part Rhubarb Juice, ½ Part Lime Syrup, Three Parts Gin. Shake with Ice. Serve in a beautiful glass with a thin slice of Lime.
Summertime Guests. My last guests have been very happy to aid moi in the garden. DL from Vancouver brought her boundless knowledge to my aid, arriving here in the heat of the Escargot crisis. Great suggestions about what I should plant to co-habit peacefully with these adorable looking sliding shells. Then Magee, a woman from Victoria who took roost in the Atelier for 3 weeks. Most of her moments were in the garden, other than those noisy days of thunderstorms and downpours. She found great comfort in this intimate self-catering quiet abode - the gardens reach within seconds from her stoop. She encourages me to advertise the Atelier as a retreat. Then a friend from my high school days came for a week. She stayed in the big house, but spent many hours in the garden. Our lives after those carefree days at school have been lived very differently. She has a husband and children and embraced the garden as well as a relationship with Yoga. I so appreciated her knowledge of gardens acquired from all those years labouring in her own garden with calm and thoughtful comportment.
And After Summertime? Well, it will be Falling Leaves Time, and the house will be busy with more guests and there will be more work in the garden.
I am planning to perfect the decoration in the Owners Suite, the 3rd floor flat. This two-bedroom apartment complete with a kitchenette, petit salon, bathroom with a bath and handheld shower, large bedroom with a Queen bed, and the dressing room with a single bed will be available to rent. Minimum stay is one week. Maximum? Well, it could be much longer as your stay dictates.
If you wish to rent the Owners Suite, the cost is 1225 euros per week. You will have access to the Canadian Salon, Cook’s Library, Courtyard and Garden.
I am also offering the Owners Suite in the form of a Time Share. If you are amenable to this idea, and purchase before October this year, for a price of 4500 euros you are entitled to 30 days in the Owners Suite. This can be used all at once, or in weekly or bi-weekly stays. Or, a week can be gifted to another. The Time Share can be utilised over a 2-year period, beginning November 15th, 2024 to November 15th, 2026. I share a few photos of the Owners Suite; more images will follow once the decorating is complete.
So, I leave you now, on this lovely summers’ evening in La Charité-sur-Loire. The river is flowing with joy, the town is bursting with colourful blooms. The Escargot Farm is a delightful walk away, and waiting for you to try their fat juicy Helix Pomatia. I somewhat wish I was brave enough to farm the hundreds of Snails who call Minette’s Garden home.
Moi et Minette wish You all a Very pleasing Summer!
July, 2024
