Remembering Provence: Salad de Chevre Chaud and Lavender and Honey Ice Cream

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Nine years ago I was a junior in college, living in London on my junior year abroad.  I had the entire month of April off between terms, so I decided to spend part of my vacation visiting my dear friend Larissa, who was studying abroad in Geneva.  We planned to spend a few days in Switzerland together before taking the train to Provence for a week of wine-tasting, beach-combing, and good eating.  Turns out, April is still a little early for bikinis, even in the South of France.  But, we did spend a lot of time eating, drinking, site-seeing and spotting lavender fields (something we were nothing short of obsessed with).

My dear friend, Larissa, is celebrating her birthday today.  Sadly, we now live on opposite coasts and I cannot be there to celebrate with her properly.  In her honor, however, I am documenting our trip through Provence by recreating some of the food I remember eating. 


Bon Anniversaire, Larissa!



Our first stop was in Lyons - the capital of French gastronomy.  Since we only had one day in town, we wandered through Vieux Lyons (Old City) with its cobbled streets and Medieval and Renaissance architecture.  We hiked up to the top of Fourvière Hill to see the for a spectacular view of the city and walked through the grounds of the Basillica de Notre-Dame de Fourvière.  For dinner, we happened upon a small neighborhood bistro - or bouchon - for traditional Lyonnaise food.  I remember being astonished that the local red table wine - Beaujolais - was often less expensive than the bottled water (and far more delicious!).

Larissa and I with our friend Shirley in Aix-en Provence.

The next day we left Lyon for sunny Aix-en-Provence on the TGV, France's high-speed electric train.  Aix is a beautiful town just north of Marseilles, rich in history, art and culture and nestled amongst vast fields of lavender.  We spent most of the next few days walking along the main thoroughfare, the Cours Mirabeau, and through the open air markets.  It was here in Aix that I discovered Salad de Chevre Chaud - a salad of mixed greens served with warm goat cheese on toasted baguette.  It was so good, I think I ate it at least once a day throughout the whole trip!  Check out my recipe below.

From Aix, we took the train to Avignon, which was the seat of the Catholic Papacy throughout the 14th century.  You can still tour the immense, Palais des Papes (Papal Palace) and walk across what remains of the Pont D'Avignon.  After a day in Nimes, we took a day trip to Arles, specifically because of the city's connection to the artist, Van Gogh.  After exploring the city's Roman ruins and attending a traditional Provençal-style bullfight (no bulls killed), we found a sunny spot for seafood paella and sangria. 

Enjoying the sunshine in Arles.

Our last days were spent in and around Montpellier, a city just a few miles off the Mediterranean Sea.  As it was our last stop and the most southern city on our itinerary, we had hoped for warm weather and some time at the beach.  Larissa, who was determined to show off a cute new bikini she purchased in Aix, staked out our place on the sand.  Our French Riviera moment did not last long and we fled the not-so-warm and windy weather for a hot cafe au lait.

Our last night in Provence we had a lovely send-off dinner - the highlight of which was a bowl of lavender ice cream (recipe below). It was a great adventure - one that I will always remember.


Salad de Chevre Chaud

Ingredients:

4 slices of fresh goat cheese
3-4 cups mixed baby greens
4 slices of a good French baguette
1 cup walnuts (or pecans)
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper


In a small skillet on medium heat, toast the nuts.  Stir them around the pan until you can start to smell them.  Do not walk away - they toast very quickly and will burn easily.  Set aside, let cool, and chop roughly.

Mix the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper and set aside.

Brush the tops of the baguette slices with a little honey and place a slice of the goat cheese on top.  Toast on a baking sheet under a hot broiler until the bread toasts and the cheese melts slightly.  Toss the salad with the vinaigrette, nuts and dressing.  Arrange the baguette slices on top of the greens and serve.


Lavender Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbs dried lavender flowers
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cups honey
2 eggs, 2 egg yolks

Combine the cream, milk, lavender, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  When the milk just starts to boil, turn down to low.  Stirring occasionally, allow the milk and lavender to steep for 20-30 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the honey, eggs, and egg yolks until well combined.  While whisking, slowly pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture.  This is called "tempering" the eggs - it warms the eggs so that when you add them to the milk they do not scramble.

When the eggs are warm, add them back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens (will coat that back of a wooden spoon).  Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a mixing bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap (on the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin from developing on top) and refrigerate until completely cold (3 hrs, or overnight).

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer the ice cream into an air tight container and freeze until hardened.