The vendage by machine and by hand

I could not send all the photos at once so thought you may still be interested to see the rest 

The weather has changed a great deal this week so the harvest was just in time, the days are still warm but the evenings cool with  a few passing storms to remind us summer is over.

I enclose  a few recipe ideas for the grape leaves from Nito and a confit de canard recipe from me 

Nito is now serving quails stuffed with small muscat grapes in he lessons absolutely delicious and not difficult if you have the ingredients

1 quails per person

salt and pepper

a handful of small delicious grapes without seeds or you have to half and deseed the grapes,

small slices of bacon

wine leaves

From the garden

Clean the quail, remove any feathers, cut of the head the inside of the quail with salt and pepper, drop in the muscat grapes, cross the legs and secure with a small skewer or wooden stock, brush with butter lay on the bacon and wrap in the leaves , roast in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. .when cooked leave to rest , add thecooking juices to a little reduced wine , preferably white and reduce to a good flavor, thickegreg desired with a little blurred manie . serve with green vegetables such as haricot vert and some Basmatic rice.

One can also use grape leaves to  wrap sardines , place the sardine (without cleaning )them in grape leaves, brush the leaves on the greener side with olive oil and sprinkle well with salt  before rolling up tightly , use large grape leaves or 2 small ones , place in a special grill roaster to keep them in place and grill over an open flame. Delicious , when one removes the leaf it also takes away the skin and scales, carefully scrape out eh innards , and voila a delicious sardine. 

Today we experimented with a recipe Nito had eaten at a friends house .We grilled small whole aubergines on a skillet and served them with a miso, mirin sake sauce , sprinkled with grated lemon rind and toasted sesame seeds . Delicious 

NIto has many French recipes as her school is called the seasons of Provence however she has many recipes influenced by her Egypt origins. And some times they are intertwined .

Next year NIto and David are planning to give private group lessons including a stay in the Mas Cornud. Food for thought to perhaps make our own group. The TGV stops 20 minutes away. ! 

This is just to wet your appetite 

This recipe is from my French Regional course 

Tartine de canard confit, petite salade croquante et gésiers fondants - Salad of the region  Confit duck toast, crisp salad with confit duck gizzards

serves 4

Ingredients:

4 large slices of country style bread or sour dough bread

4 confit duck legs, shredded

25 g duck fat

20 g shallots, finely chopped

40 g mushroom (brunoise) small squares

thyme

60 g carrot brunoise

25 g parmesan grated

1 bunch chives

Crisp salad

yellow celery leaves

1 small red chicory (radicchio / treviso)

1 small curly chicory (curly endive)

salt, pepper

4 tbsp vinaigrette

olive oil

Confit duck gizzards

4 confit duck gizzards, thinly sliced

4 white mushrooms, cut into julienne

chervil sprigs

Decoration

100 ml balsamic vinegar, reduced

Method ;

1.     Shred the confit of duck with two forks

2.     Heat the duck fat and fry the shallots over a low heat until they become soft, stir in the thyme and carrots and cook for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms, raise the heat slightly and fry for 1 more minute, remove the thyme .  Mix through the confit duck with the finely chopped chives

3.     Assemble the ingredients for the salad, tear the leaves to make smaller when necessary, toss in the dressing and lay on the plates, garnish with the thinly sliced confit from gesiers and the julienne of raw mushrooms and a sprig of chervil.

4.     Toast the country bread and place on the plates wit the salad, spoon on the duck mixture and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese

5.     Make a thin line of the basalmic dressing around the plate (to make the dressing reduce balsamic vinegar to a thick syrup and mix with a light oil so that bubbles of balsamic remain in the dressing, season to taste)

Le confit de canard

Ingredients :

1 duck or goose or  6 legs 

30 to 50 g rough sea salt  (25 tot 30 g per kilo weight for the duck or goose )

2-3 cloves garlic

2 sprigs thyme

3 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

1 ½ kg duck or goose fat

 Method :

1.Cut the duck into portions, remove the neck the wings and the back bone and keep for an stock.Rub the duck in with the salt and leave to stand in a cool place for several hours

2.     Place the fat and the seasonings in a large casserole and melt the fat, Rub ff the extra salt from the duck and lay in the fat so that it is under the fat. Leave on a low heat or in the oven for several hours until the duck is very tender.

3.     To keep place in a container and pour over the fat

4.     Place a thick layer of paper over the container and tie with string. Keep in a cool place 

5.     Heat through thoroughly if serving warm

I