Just a SIMPLE lunch….

Our neighbors Viviane and Bernard had dined chez nous, but we had never been to their home, down the road.  Their house is the maison secondaire for our cat Domino, who splits his time between our two abodes and moves in with them full-time when we travel. On this particular Monday they invited us down to meet their son and daughter-in-law from Lyon, who were passing through town.  “Just a simple lunch,” said Viviane.  “Un repas simple, you understand”.    Photo:  Our rotten au gratin cat, at home at his' maison secondaire'.

At noon as we were getting ready to walk over, Ron was holding a good bottle of red.  “No need to bring wine”, I said. “ I’ve brought a little gift for them, and anyway, they said it’s just a simple lunch, we won’t be gone long.

“Hmmph,"  said The Wise One.  “The French don’t do simple meals.”  But he left the wine at home. Domino trotted along beside us for the short promendade.

We started with apperos in the salon:  saucisson, cherry tomatoes, olives, nuts, and a wide choice of drinks.  Their kids were lively and talkative, and we were soon working on the problems of the French labor market, the American economic crisis, and ‘Sarko's’  latest scandal.  Our cat slept comfortably in his favorite chair. Funny to see him right at home,  even with his own dinner bowl, chez Viviane and Bernard.

Lunch in the salle à manger did start simply.  A lovely mixed salad was served.  Then Bernard, decked out in his best apron, arrived with a big platter of haricots verts with parsley and roasted rattes (fingerling potatoes), all straight from the garden.  When we had eaten our fill, yet another huge platter arrived: a couple of hens, roasted to perfection, with a yummy sauce.  Were we done?  Mais non!   There was a platter with a bounty of cheeses, and assorted breads.  When that was polished off, a beautiful  fresh fruit salad was presented in a footed bowl, along with a treat: a loaf of brioche, and a bottle of crémant, a sparkling Champagne-esque wine made locally.  We thought for sure that was it, but then a luscious pear tart arrived, followed by expresso all round.

We teased them about un repas simple, having expected maybe a salad and ice cream, but, as usual, it was a problem of linguistics.  “'Simple', en français,” said Viviane, "means the meal will be served family style, as opposed to plated up.  And the ingredients will be things the family might eat on a daily basis." So, not the foie gras or truffles you might serve to guests, but otherwise an all-out French feast.  Now we know.

We had not quite solved the political problems of both countries, but it was time to leave so we gathered up our shared cat and said our au revoirs.  It was 6:30 pm. 

After all, it was time to go home and get dinner started.

Hope your Thanksgiving feast is as special as this repas simple.  Lots of good Thanksgiving thoughts and blessings coming at you from across the pond! 

RECIPE:  Bernard's Pear Tart, trés simple

This simply elegant tarte aux poires is a favorite dessert in France, and you will see it in the pâtisseries. Bernard's was extraordinary. He also makes it the same way, with apples.  Note that this is a very thin tart, so you get just the crunch of the crust and the burst of pear flavor.

Bernard uses a prepared pâte feuilletée, which is similar to our frozen puff pastry.  You can use this, or make a regular pie crust pastry. Press pastry into a shallow tart pan, and roll the egdes over a bit.  Bake it for 10 minutes or so, in a 400F (200c) oven, until firm (use pie weights, or rice).  If Bernard's in a hurry, he doesn't pre-bake it.  But he says if the fruit is extra juicy, it may end up soggy.    Photo: For the record, my version, pictured here, is not nearly as pretty as Bernard's. 

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop a couple of ripe pears and cook them in a skillet with a bit of butter and sugar.  Cook them down until they make a sort of jam. (I had to add water to mine).  Mash or purée them.

Spread the  pear mixture over the bottom of the pastry.  With a Mandoline Slicer or by hand, slice three peeled, cored, ripe pears very thinly.  If pears are small you may need more. Arrange them neatly in circles in one layer, overlapping slices, over the pastry.  Bake at 400F (200c) until golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the tart with a tablespoon of vanilla sugar. If you prefer you can brush the pears with melted apricot jam. (We can buy vanilla sugar prepared; or just store a sliced vanilla bean in your granulated sugar. Or add vanilla extract to your cooked pear mixture and use regular sugar).  Cool and serve in slices with vanilla ice cream. 

Favorite Reads:  Dear Readers, I'm curious, are you e-readers too?  The new Kindle Fire is shipping, do you covet one? I'm an iPad kind of girl myself.  I love it that I can load up lots of books, magazines and movies, especially when I get on a plane–and lighten up my groaning suitcase!  Here's a fun app for iphone or ipad: In case I run out of books, I've loaded the 'Masterpieces' app, which has 36 classic novels, ready to read off-line, all for less than a buck. 

In the other big book news du jour, Jacque Pepin, that fabulously famous French chef and author, has published his definitive cookbook, Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food. Francophiles, this one belongs on your shelf, or maybe even your coffee table.  And speaking of great cookbooks….

Our reader's blogs:  Jessie Oleson's Cakespy is one of the cleverest food blogs around. And now she has a darling  new cookbook, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life.  Who doesn't want a sugar-filled life?  A great Christmas present for your Sweetie.

Unless otherwise attributed, all POSTS, PHOTOS and RECIPES on this blog copyright ©2011 Lynn McBride.  All Rights Reserved.