It looks like we are going to have a good harvest this year at Domaine de Manion. This will be our 18th vintage. The weather cooperated this year which is a huge factor in a good vintage. The grape clusters have turned inky black in color. The brix (sugar percentage) of the grapes is over 20, and heading towards 23 or 24%, the range where we like to harvest. The yield looks good, maybe above average, but really can’t guesstimate how many pounds. We will have to wait until harvest.

Last year, if you recall, we had to drop all of the fruit. There was no vintage 2023. We are grateful to see the vineyard bounce back with a good grape crop. We don’t take anything for granted when it comes to our vineyard, and recognize each year is different, and what makes each vintage so different.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

A Dahlia Sentry Watches Over Vintage Water Cans

Just like that, exciting August summer rolled into reflective September fall and we have fall fortune to look forward to. What is your fall fortune? An abundance of vegetables from the garden. Savory new recipes using figs, root vegetables, persimmons, pumpkins, and squash. Beautiful jeweled golden, amber, and rust colors to wear and decorate your home. A subtle intensity change in sunlight. A tarte tatin baking in the oven. Your first sip of warm spiced cider. Crunching of leaves on your morning walk.

Take advantage of all the simple everyday riches that make up your fall. Fall is here, but for a few short weeks, and then gone for another year. That is one of the reasons that makes it so special.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Last Days of August at Domaine de Manion

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” —Marcel Proust*

That is the way I feel about all of you! I love sharing ideas, recipes, philosophy, tips, travel, styling, in other words, a “Taste of French Country Living” to live by, no matter where you are. A few pillars of this life is simplicity, awareness of living in the present, and embracing everyday simple richness.

I hope you all had a marvelous summer, full of excitement and everything you like to do with family and friends!

This is a post from a few years ago, I love as summer ends, to pause and be grateful and thankful for those in our lives, and especially to all of you. Merci!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

*Marcel Proust was a French author, literary critic, and essayist who is considered by critics and writers to be one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. He was born July 10, 1871, and died on November 18, 1922.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms from the Oven

As promised, I wanted to share the recipe for “Zucchini Blossoms with Goat Cheese, Fresh Mint, and Anise Seeds” after finding fresh zucchini blossoms recently at the Cardiff Farmers Market. The recipe is from the cookbook, Dinner Chez Moi by Elizabeth Bard. Please Note: if you buy your zucchini blossoms at the morning Farmers Market, store them in your refrigerator like a flower bouquet, with the stems in a glass of cold water, until you are ready to use.

If you are not familiar with Elizabeth Bard, she is a New Yorker who fell in love with a Frenchman, moved to Paris, married, and moved eventually to Provence with her husband and small son. She has written two previous memoirs, Lunch in Paris, and Picnic in Provence. All of her books have a culinary thread, with a dash of humor and a heaping of joie de vivre. Elizabeth is not a chef, but a good home cook. In Dinner Chez Moi, she shares 50 secrets French secrets of cooking, eating, and entertaining.

Zucchini Blossoms with Goat Cheese, Fresh Mint, and Anise Seeds

Lovingly Adapted from Dinner Chez Moi By Elizabeth Bard

Serves 4: As an Hors d’oeuvres or Light Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 egg

6 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon whole anise seeds

1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Pinch of coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 large zucchini blossoms

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the cheese, anise seeds, mint, salt, and pepper. Mash with a fork to combine. Gently rinse the blossoms and blot dry on a kitchen or paper towel.

When ready to stuff your blossoms, gently hold open each flower, no need to remove the stamen, but do check for any ants or insects. Stuff your blossoms with a heaping teaspoon or more of filling. Depending on your size of squash blossoms, you may have a bit of stuffing leftover. Twist the ends of the blossoms to close.

Place the olive oil in a 9” x 13” casserole dish and brush or shake the dish so it coats the entire bottom of the dish. Gently roll each zucchini blossom in the oil and retwist the ends to make sure they’re closed.

Bake for 20 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Serve warm with a glass of chilled rosé. Yum!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Enjoying An Almond Croissant in Paris

Non, it is Encinitas. Last Saturday my husband, John, and I had a great day together. Later that evening I reflected on the day, and how it reminded me of what might be one of our typical days in South France. This reinforced my thinking that “Joie de Vivre” and a “Taste of French Country Living” is a wonderful attitude and a philosophy to adapt and can be lived, wherever you call home.

Follow me through our fun fabulous day together, and I will parallel it to a fabulous day in South France.

France Market Day Shopping For Fresh Produce In the Nearby Village. Translates in Encinitas, to going to the Cardiff Farmers Market on Saturday 10:00am to 2:00pm at Mira Costa College San Elijo Campus. I like this market a lot because it a nice size market consisting of three long rows of vendors. The first row is fresh produce, fruit, honey, and artisanal meats from friendly local farms. The second and third rows are specialty food items such as baked goods, hummus, pizza, greek food, coffee, crafts, clothing, art, jewelry, flowers, music, and more. Please note: the market is not held during the September Greek Festival weekend which is September 7-8, 2024 this year.

I was looking for heirloom tomatoes, as mine in my garden have not done that well this year. I was very pleased with the produce I bought consisting of beautiful tomatoes, fresh sweet corn, juicy peaches, and surprise fresh zucchini blossoms (which I don’t see very often here in Encinitas). Oh yes, I purchased for Sunday morning to share, a large incredible almond chocolate croissant filled with vanilla creme from a very talented bakery stall. He said it was one of his bestsellers.

Nice Leisurely Lunch At A Favorite Outdoor Cafe. Translates in Encinitas, to going to Blue Ribbon Pizza in the Lumberyard for a great salad and wood-fired pizza. Downtown Encinitas has many great cafes and restaurants offering outdoor seating, something positive from Covid. The hard part is making a decision on just one. In France, the whole country stops from noon to 2pm to enjoy their lunch. No fooling.

After Lunch, Stroll The Village For An Errand or Casual Shopping. Translates in Encinitas, to strolling the historic Coast Highway where there are many wonderful independent shops. I stopped into the crowded flagship Vuori store to browse their latest fitness clothing.

Afternoon Planned Event To Take In, Such As A Garden Tour, Hike, Museum, Winery Visit. Translates in Encinitas, to going to the Saturday, August 10, 2024 Open House for the new Pacific View Arts Center which was a decade in the making. The city purchased the long vacant, former elementary property totally overhauling it and transforming it into a stunning site to learn art, sculpture, multimedia, music, and a venue for performing arts. It occupies a full block of Third Street between E and F, and even has incorporated the historic Encinitas 1883 schoolhouse in its southwest corner. This is a great addition for the Encinitas community. During the Open House, artists, musicians, media teachers, and staff were on hand for questions and demonstrating. Classes started August 13, 2024.

Baked Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Once Home, Eager To Prep A New Recipe For Dinner With Market Ingredients. Translates in Encinitas, to coming home and excited to make “Zucchini Blossoms with Goat Cheese, Fresh Mint, and Anise Seeds” from the cookbook Dinner Chez Moi by Elizabeth Bard. The zucchini flowers you see in France are much larger in the markets than the ones I got today, that did not deter me. I have always wanted to make these zucchini blossoms, and I had this recipe in mind. The recipe was very simple and so tasty. The presentation is gorgeous and the blossoms so delicious. A perfect light appetizer for the summer. I will share this recipe in a future post.

After Dinner Relaxing On The Outdoor Terrace At Dusk. Translates in Encinitas, to after dinner relaxing on the deck watching the last of the beautiful sunset. In France, when I am in the countryside, night time is dark. France is so rural in our area, there is no light pollution, and in fact our little village borders a huge protected forest. So when dusk turns to night all the stars and planets are so vivid, and the constellations so clear. Stars to further dream upon.

I hope you enjoyed this recap of our recent fabulous fun day in Encinitas, paralleling it to a fabulous fun day in South France. May it give you ideas, inspiration, and tips to create your own heartfelt “Joie de Vivre” wherever you call home.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

All Ingredients Except the Pasta Ready for the Oven

I am so excited to share this recipe with you, for many reasons. It is prime tomato time, and if you are fortunate to have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden, this is a fabulous recipe to use them. It is how I love to cook, from the garden, simplicity in ingredients, and letting the flavors shine.

This recipe is so easy to prep, and to make for a weeknight luscious dinner. It has an unusual flavor mix utilizing cinnamon sticks, lemon zest strips (not grated), a whole head of garlic, and ancho chiles. This tasty pasta delivers flavor without onions, butter, and the usual addition of cheese. It is very versatile, and you can easily swap dried ancho chiles for one long red chile and a teaspoon of smoked paprika or if you don’t have dried ancho chiles in the pantry, use two teaspoons of ground dried ancho chiles. Any fresh tomato will work in this recipe. Fresh oregano is used in the recipe and as a garnish. If you don’t have fresh oregano, use dried. It is close to a “one pot” recipe. The second time I made this recipe I added a sliced zucchini to the roasting mixture, which was a nice addition. It is a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi who has written several distinguished cookbooks with tasty recipes. Yum!

Smoky Confit Tomato and Lemon Pasta Ready to Serve

Smoky confit Tomato and lemon Pasta

Published in The New York Times, Recipe Lovingly Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces, or left whole, if bite-size

1-1/4 cups olive oil (I recommend using 3/4 cup olive oil instead)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 lemons, zest peeled into strips, avoiding the white pith

2 cinnamon sticks

2 small dried ancho chiles (I used 2 teaspoons ground dried ancho chile)

1 head garlic, top 1/2 inch of the buld removed

10 fresh oregano sprigs, plus 1 extra to serve as garnish

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound rigatoni pasta (or another similar shape)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. I suggest using the Convection Roast setting, if you have that on your oven.

In a large about 11-by-15 inch (I used a 9-by-13 inch pan and it was fine) roasting pan, add all the ingredients except for the pasta, and season with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread into an even layer, wth the head of garlic facing cut-side down. Nestle the ancho chiles under the tomatoes, tearing them in half if necessary to immerse them, then roast the mixture for 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and lightly charred. Use tongs to squeeze the garlic cloves into the pan, discarding the papery skins. remove and finely chop the ancho chiles, then return to the pan, discarding the stems.

While the tomato confit roasts, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to boiling water before the tomatoes have finished cooking, cook pasta as recommended on the package. r

Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water, then strain the pasta. Add the pasta to the roasting pan and gently stir to combine until the pasta has absorbed any cooking liquid from the pan. Add some pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce clings nicely to the pasta.

Discard the cinnamon sticks and serve straight from the pan, with the extra oregano sprinkled on top.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Happy Blue Agapanthas

Ironically, for a Mediterranean garden, I have a lot of color mid summer. It is as if the garden is humming and singing and soaking up all the summer sunshine. It is happy! I thought I would share with you a a few of my bluish plants that are so pretty now.

Whenever the agapanthas bloom, they always make such a statement. I have a few different varieties, some are standard, and some are dwarf. Some are French Blue, and some lean towards dark blue. All are spectacular. I also have and recommend especially for containers, The Sunset Collection Everblooming White Agapanthas.

Imperial Blue Plumbago

You can’t go wrong growing plumbago in your garden, either the Imperial Blue or the Alba. It grows quickly, can be shaped easily, blooms summer to fall, and is very drought tolerant.

Blooming Vitex Chasteberry Hedge

I just did an Instagram post on this Vitex Chasteberry shrub. A deciduous Mediterranean shrub which explodes mid-summer with stunning, spikey, blue/purple blooms. It is usually used in a garden as a single focal shrub or groomed tree. I thought it had all of the characteristics for a great hedge, another experiment that worked out. It is very low maintenance, drought tolerant, and attracts a lot of bees and butterflies for your garden.

Lobelia Riviera In A Container

I love the classic lobelia spilling over in a pot or container. It always looks so romantic. It comes in many colors, but the Riviera is my favorite.

Duranta Skyflower Flanking Our Gate

Duranta Skyflower is a classic flowering shrub in the verbena family. It is low maintenance, easily to train, and blooms spring through fall with bluish-purple flowers. It also comes in a variety with varigated leaves.

If your garden palette has blue in it, or you are looking to add a little blue in your garden, these are a few plant suggestions that are really terrific.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Chocolate Raspberry Tart Ready To Serve

The French love their chocolate, and often have a dark chocolate truffle or square at night as a treat to satisfy a sweet tooth. Generally speaking chocolate desserts are eaten more in fall and winter, and fruit desserts are eaten in the spring and summer. This Chocolate Raspberry Tart recipe is culinary artistry, as raspberries are a natural complement to chocolate, cream, raspberry brandy, and cognac flavors. So, yes, when fresh raspberries are in season in the summer, be sure and make this tart for your loved ones and family.

This tart is perfect for summer entertaining, as it looks incredible, is simply delicious, and is easier to make that you think. The recipe is lovingly adapted from The Complete Book of French Cooking by Hubert Delorme and Vincent Boué (Flammarion, 2023).

I loved that the chefs actually suggest it best to use a copper saucepan, and I could use one of my traditional copper pans. You can use any non-reactive saucepan too, such as a non-stick pan or a stainless steel. pan. Do not use an aluminium pan, as it can affect the taste of the cooked raspberries.

Raspberries, Sugar, and Honey in Copper Saucepan

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Lovingly Adapted from The Complete Book of French Cooking by Hubert Delorme & Vincent Boué

Serves 8, Prep Time: 45 minutes, Resting Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 40 minutes, Chill: 2-3 hours

Use 10 inch Tart Pan

Ingredients Creamed Sweet Short Pastry:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2-3/4 cups cake flour (make sure you use cake flour)

1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients Chocolate Ganache Cream:

1/2 lb. (225 grams) fresh raspberries, divided

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 oz. honey, or agave syrup

1-2/3 cups whipping cream

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

scant 1/3 cup raspberry brandy or cognac

1-3/4 lb. dark chocolate, at least 64% cacao, chopped ( I used Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 72% Pound Plus)

Directions For Pastry:

Place the butter, sugar, and egg in the bowl of a food processor and cream together until smooth. Sift the flour and add it with the salt to process for 1-2 minutes further, until smooth. Remove from bowl. Press down the the palm of your hand, pushing it away from you, until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Form into a disk. Chill, wrapped for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough very thinly about 1/8 inch to form a large disk. Use your rolling pin to transfer it from the working surface to the baking pan or circle: drape it around the pin and then unroll it over the tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork, line it with parchment paper, and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 20-25 minutes and allow to cool.

Directions For Chocolate Ganache Cream:

In a copper saucepan, cook 3-1/2 oz (100 grams) of the raspberries with the sugar and honey (or if using agave syrup). Bring to a boil and leave to simmer for a few minutes. The raspberries will start breaking down. Add the cream and butter and bring to a boil again.

Remove from the heat and add the raspberry brandy or cognac and the chopped chocolate. Mix until thoroughly blended. Strain through a fine mesh sieve the chocolate ganache separating out the raspberry seeds. Pour the ganache into the cooled tart shell. Leave in the refrigerator until set, about 2-3 hours. Garnish with remaining raspberries and serve.

Chocolate Ganache Cream Ready for Tart Shell

Chocolate Raspberry Tart Ready to be Chilled

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie