Gascony - the "New Tuscany"

Bullfighting 14 July

2008-07-07T11:55:00.001+02:00

Lundi 14 Juillet 2008
Monday 14 July

Bullfighting at Nogaro, France

More information call Office de Tourisme
05.62.09.13.30

Special Offers to ease the credit crunch!

2008-07-07T11:53:00.004+02:00

Le Credit Crunch!!!!

So to help ease the pressure a little bit - we have reduced our prices for July and August.

Alouette is just £275 per week and can sleep up to 4 people

Le Faucon is £415 per week and can sleep up to 9 people

Go to www.gers-gites.com for more information

2007-12-13T21:32:00.000+01:00

Christmas Chocolate Logs
In France the traditional Christmas cake is a log.

Ingredients:
18 sweet biscuits
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
small pot double cream
1 teaspoon icing sugar
knife and fork
whisk
basin
foil
plate

Preparation
1. Put the cream, sugar and cocoa in a basin. Whisk cream until until it is just stiff enough to stand in peaks.
2. Spread the cream on the biscuits. Sandwich them together in a long roll. Use about half the cream.
3. Wrap the roll of biscuits in foil. Put it in the fridge with the rest of the cream.
4. Next day, unwrap the roll, put it on a plate and cover it with the rest of the cream.
5. Drag a fork over the cream to make a 'bark' on the 'log'. Decorate it with icing sugar snow and holly.
6. This cake is rich so serve small slices

Sauce Creme au Chocolat

2007-12-13T21:30:00.000+01:00

Sauce Creme Au Chocolat
Chocolate cream sauce.

125g cocoa

1/2 cup water

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup sugar

1. Place the cocoa and water in saucpan.

2. Cook slowly until mixed and smooth.

3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

4. Just before serving, add, off the heat, the cream and butter.

5. Whip for 2 minutes.

Pudding De Noel a La Francaise

2007-12-13T21:28:00.000+01:00

Pudding De Noel A La Francaise
French Christmas Pudding.

1/2kg marrons glaces pieces(chestnuts) crushed finely.(Chestnut Puree is just as good bought in a tin)
7 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
8 egg yolks 6 egg whites, beaten very stiffly
vanilla

1. Crush marrons glaces finely, flavour with vanilla and mix in butter.
2. Dilute with cream.
3. Pour into sieve(you do not have to do this if you are using tinned chestnut puree).
4. Add the egg yolks.
5. Fold in the whites, beaten very stiffly.
6. Pour into charlotte mould and bake at 325 degrees celcius for 30 minutes.
7. Turn out and when cold cover with the chocolate cream sauce.

French Christmas Tradition

2007-12-13T20:32:00.000+01:00

In Southern France, a log is burned in people's homes from Christmas Eve until New Years Day. A long time ago, part of the log was used to make the wedge for the plough as good luck for the coming harvest.

The traditional Christmas is a chocolate log.

In France families once had a Three Kings Cake with a bean hidden in it. Whoever found the bean in their slice was made King, or Queen, for the day.

In France the children go out to look for the Kings, taking gifts of hay for the camels.
Another name for this day is Twelfth Day. It is the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which used to be one long holiday. It was the last night of the Feast of Fools before the Lord of Misrule had to give up his crown and become themselves once again.

In France it is a time for the whole family to come together at Christmas time to holiday and worship. On the eve of Christmas beautifully lit churches and cathedrals, ring out Christmas carols with the church bells.

Once dinner is over and the family has retired to bed, they leave a fire burning and food and drink on the table in case the Virgin Mary calls in. Children leave their shoes or wooden clogs called sabots in the hearth for the Christ Child or Pere Noel to fill. In the north of France, children are given gifts on December 6, which is St. Nicholas' Day, instead of Christmas Day. The adults give each others presents on New Year's Day.

French children set out their shoes in hopes that le petit Jesus will fill them during the night with small gifts.

Christmas in France

2007-12-13T20:29:00.000+01:00

A French Christmas

Nearly every French home at Christmas time displays a Nativity scene or creche, which serves as the focus for the Christmas celebration. The creche is often peopled with little clay figures called santons or "little saints." An extensive tradition has evolved around these little figures which are made by craftsmen in the south of France throughout the year. In addition to the usual Holy Family, shepherds, and Magi, the craftsmen also produce figures in the form of local dignitaries and characters. The craftsmanship involved in creating the gaily colored santons is quite astounding and the molds have been passed from generation to generation since the seventeenth century. Throughout December the figures are sold at annual Christmas fairs in Marseille and Aix.

The Christmas tree has never been particularly popular in France, and though the use of the Yule log has faded, the French make a traditional Yule log-shaped cake called the buche de Nol, which means "Christmas Log." The cake, among other food in great abundance is served at the grand feast of the season, which is called le rveillon. Le rveillon is a very late supper held after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The menu for the meal varies according to regional culinary tradition. In Alsace, goose is the main course, in Burgundy it is turkey with chestnuts, and the Parisians feast upon oysters and pat de foie gras.

French children receive gifts from Pere Noel who travels with his stern disciplinarian companion Pre Fouettard. Pre Fouettard reminds Pere Noel of just how each child has behaved during the past year. In some parts of France Pere Noel brings small gifts on St. Nicholas Eve (December 6) and visits again on Christmas. In other places it is le petit Jesus who brings the gifts. Generally adults wait until New Year's Day to exchange gifts.

Croustade or Pastis Gascon

2007-11-11T16:04:00.001+01:00

Traditional pastries that require a certain agility as its not everyone who can make a good croustade. Even if the recipe seems simple: flower,water, salt and egg yolks, making it is a different matter - it needs technique and know-how.

Grandmothers of old had the secret and they passed it on from generation to generation as it was only they who knew how to roll out the pastry until it became as thin and transparent as a sheet of paper.

You will find this dessert on most tables in Gascony and you will be able to discover the delicious smells that make up this dish: apples, prunes and depending on the recipe, Armagnac.

Wine Making in Gascony

2007-11-11T15:46:00.000+01:00

The histroy of vineyards in the Gers dates back to ancient days, long before the Gallo-Roman era, as can be seen in the Seviac mosaics ( Montreal). Vines cover most of the Western part of the department. The combination of ground, climate and know-how all give the wines of Gascony a unique wealth and variety.

Wine production of Gascony is famous mainly for Armagnac: the king of eaux-de-vie, thought to be one of the oldest spirits in the world.

THE ARMAGNAC LABEL - Armagnac is divided into three production areas, the contours of which are curiously in the form of a vine leaf.
- Bas-Armagnac - Armagnac-Tenareze - Haut-Armagnac

FLOC DE GASCOGNE - The result of the combination of malt from fresh grapes and Armagnac, prepared according to an old peasant tradition. Available in red or white, it is excellent as an accompaniement to melons, foie gras, desserts or fresh fruit.
Armagnac is also used in the preperation of a number of fruit-based products (such as prunes in Armagnac) or for Gascon cocktails.

MADIRAN VINEYARD - This is a vineyard built on the lower slopes and which extends over three departmetns. Madiran was used for a long time as a wine for mass and it gained its renown thanks to the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostella.
Very rich in tannin, the red wine is full-bodied and well constructed. The white which is called Pacherenc, is available either dry or sweet and is powerful and rich and excudes complex perfumes of fruits and flowers.

COTES SAINT-MONT - This vineyard covers the southwest of the department right n the heart of gascony. It is a very old vineyard and has been revived thanks to the efforts of the local wine growers and now produces wines whose quality is unquestionable. Red, white or rose, they are all fine wines thanks to the quality of the soil.

COTES DE GASCOGNE - Vin de Pays: white, red or rose, some of which are rather successful, all bear the imprint of the local soil and the know-how of the Gascon vine growers.

Gascony Facts

2007-11-08T21:48:00.000+01:00

Although Gascony is mainly in the departement of Gers, it also touches on Landes, Hautes-Pyrenees, Lot-et-Garonne, Hautes Pyrenees, Lot-et-Garonne, Haute-Garonne and Ariege.

Between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Gers enjoys mild winters and hot summers.

In Gers there are 28 inhabitants per km2, the national average is 104 inhabitants per km2.

Gers is the number-one producer of garlic and foie gras in France.

Auch is the prefecture town in Gers, situated 794km from Paris

For more information on life in Gers and Gascony Visit go to www.gers-gascogne.com

What is Foie Gras?

2007-11-08T21:40:00.000+01:00

The famous gastronome Curnonsky declared foie gras to be a 'pure marvel of the culinary art, a masterpiece that has assured the glory of our country'. It is made by force-feeding (known as gavage) geese or ducks with maize to enlarge their livers, practiced since Roman times whe the geese were force-fed figs.
The result is smooth, unctuous foie gras. Duck is generally considered to be superior in flavour to goose. If you want to take foie gras home, dont buy it in tins: the sterilisation process cooks it at too high a temperature and the finished product is often a mixture of liver and other meat or fat. Buy foie gras either semi-conserved (sometimes called micuit) in glass jars, which will last for several months in a refrigerator. You can also buy it in vacuum-sealed packs, which is easiest for transportation. If you want toobserve the feeding process, look for signs saying gavage: if you just want to taste it simply follow the degustation signs.

Bat Cookies

2007-10-28T14:11:00.000+01:00

As it is wet, windy and miserable and the kids are climbing the walls - as well as my husband. We thought we would try some home baking and as Halloween is approaching - how about some cool BAT COOKIES.

Ingredients for the cookies:
100g/4oz Caster Sugar
100g/4oz softened butter plus more for greasing the tray
1 egg, beaten
2 drops vanilla essence
225g/8oz plain flour, plus more for dusting

Ingredients for the icing:
200g/7oz icing sugar
Black food colouring
Orange food colouring

Here is how to make them
1. Preheat oven to 190c/375F/Gas Mark 5. Put sugar and butter in large mixing bowl and beat together until creamy.
2. Add egg and vanilla essence and keep beating until mixture is smooth. Now stir in flour, a little at a time until you have a smooth dough
3. Dust chopping board and rolling pin with a little flour and roll dough out until its about 1/4 inch thick, dust with more flour if it sticks to the board.
4. Butter a baking tray. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Put cookies on tray.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool
6. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon of water, mix.
7. Take 3 tablespoons of the icing, add a few drops of orange food colouring to make it bright orange. Add black food colouring to the rest of the icing.
8. Spread the black icing over the cookies, put the orange icing in a piping bag, draw lines down the wings and make little dots for eyes.

Makes 10-12 cool cookies - Enjoy

Use the same recipe for christmas time to make christmas tree cookies!!!

New Look Website

2007-10-19T15:26:00.000+02:00

We have redesigned our website http://www.gers-gites.com/, which went live this week!!! We are not renowned for our technical skills so thanks to the help of Michelle Rose-Innes of Rose-Innes Designs and Laurence Cope of InfocomOnline - we got there, thse guys were great in helping us create a new image and brand.

I hope you all like the new look!!!!!

New French Venture

2007-10-06T14:15:00.000+02:00

Last week we bought Mounon du Nord - a house with 2 self catering cottages, both which are spacious and oozing character with a glorious view first thing in the morning - the sun rising over the vineyard at the bottom of the garden, a swimming pool big enough to wear out the kids, plenty of activities on your doorstep if you are full of energy or if you want to chill out and enjoy a glass of wine and slow right down to the typical pace of french life!!!

We are excited, anxious and keen to move and get going on this new venture and we have lots of exciting new plans we are going to try out - from cookery classes, romantic hideaway packages, weddings, organised holiday packages for the adventurous visitors or the relaxers, surfing trips ( my husband is the expert in the sea!) and much more

So watch this space!!!

Dallas comes to the Gers !

2007-07-02T15:58:00.000+02:00

Do you like Country and Western music ?

Are you old enough to remember JR Ewing and the rest of the oil-mad family from Dallas ?

The come along in a couple of weeks to Mirande for the annual C&W Festival which this year features not one, not two but FIVE members of that famous clan.

You can see JR, Sue Ellen, Bobby, Ray Crebbs and even diminuitive Lucy !

For a smallish fee you can also sit down to dinner with them (and only about another 200 people) but what the heck - you may never be so close to so may face lifts ever again !!

So enjoy an evening out with "La Famille Ewing" (and don't forget your stetson !)

Migrating Cranes

2007-03-03T14:40:00.000+01:00

The other afternoon (Thursday 1st March), if you were lucky enough to be outside, you would have witnessed one of the great sights in the Gers in Springtime.

Literally thousands and thousands of cranes could be seen migrating north for the summer.

As they pass overhead in their characteristic "V" formation, the noise can be quite deafening.

Sometimes, they appear to get disoriented and a whole group can circle for a few minutes before one or two seem to suddenly sense the right direction again and off they go.

We've been lucky enough to see these huge flocks a few times now from our house (both in the Spring and in the Autumn) but never in the numbers that were there this year.

A truly memorable experience and one that makes you marvel yet again at the some of the wonders of the natural world around us.

A nice little earner !

2006-11-29T13:32:00.000+01:00

If you're looking to supplement your income whilst living in this lovely area, then why not consider running gîtes or chambres d'hôte. As people look further afield from the traditional haunts of Brittany, the Dordogne and Provence, the South West of France has become increasingly popular over the last few years. It 's a very pleasant way of meeting a wide variety of people and we have found it really rewarding when you see them relaxing and enjoying themselves in an environment and accommodation you have created.

With gîtes, the main work is on changeover days (normally Saturday) when you have 5-6 hours to clean the gîtes between guests leaving and arriving. This sounds a lot, but you may find that you need help if you have more than two gîtes to manage. Advertising your property is clearly important and, with more and more people now booking their holidays online over the Internet, choosing between the plethora of available sites is tricky.

Chambres d'hôte (B&B) are obviously a lot more work as people tend to stay for less time and therefore there's a lot more cleaning and washing to be done, as well as providing breakfasts and possibly evening meals. The advantage is that you can advertise cheaply at the local Tourist Offices and get some passing trade throughout the season.

You may decide to go just for the British market, or look further afield to France, Holland, Spain and Germany for your bookings. Having a pool with your gîtes is really a must if you're trying to attract the British holidaymaker, perhaps less so for the French. As the French all go on holiday in July and August, it's a ready source of high season bookings.

We've found the hardest thing of all is setting your prices. Too high and you just don't get the bookings in what is now a very competitive marketplace, too low and you don't make enough to cover your costs and make it worthwhile. It's a delicate balance, but our yardstick has always been to try and give people good value for money.

The best advice we've been given was "Don't oversell what you're offering - let the guests be pleasantly surprised". So now the times when someone says "We've had a really fantastic holiday, it was better than we'd hoped and we'd love to come back again soon", then we know we're doing something right !

An Indian Summer in the Gers

2006-11-19T10:08:00.001+01:00

Just how long can this spell of warm weather continue?

It seems that since August with its usual mixed bag of bright days and showers, the Gers has been blessed with the most beautiful autumn. There have been a few days, of course, with light rain and unusually for this area, some strong gusty winds, but by and large it's been gorgeous.

If you are a keen photographer or painter, it must have just been a delight to see the countryside in all its recent glory. The low morning and evening sun casts lovely shadows over the undulating hills and brings out the soft colours of the houses dotted across the hillsides to perfection. At the start and end of the day, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees stand out clearly on the southern horizon.

Work in the fields still goes on no matter what time of year, and the vineyards, now this year's harvest is over, are just getting prepared now for the winter pruning to begin ready for next year. The farmers are busy working long hours ploughing the fields, providing rich pickings for the buzzards and crows to feast on.

The flowers in the garden seem to think it's Spring and I still haven't convinced myself that I can put the mower away for the year, as the lawn just keeps on growing.

The extended warm spell has brought some unwelcome visitors, however, and those of us who are susceptible to insect bites have suffered more than usual over the last couple of months.

Still, it's all worth it to be able to draw aside the curtains in the morning and gaze out onto a landscape warmed by the glow of the rising sun at the start of another gentle day in the Gers.

Pousse Rapière

2006-08-19T16:08:00.000+02:00

I've just had a request for the recipe for this local cocktail, which reputedly was developed by the Monluc family and is nowadays produced at the Château de Monluc in nearby St. Puy.

The mixture is 1 part Pousse Rapière (an Armagnac based liqueur) to six parts Champagne (locally they sell a product called Vin Sauvage) topped off with an ice cube and half an orange slice. It should be served cold.

There is a traditional glass to accompany this drink, shaped like a small champagne flute glass with a rapier on the side. You fill the glass with the liqueur to the bottom of the rapier and then fill up with champagne to the top of the rapier to achieve the 1:6 ratio.

Hope that helps and thanks Joan for asking.

A Bit of a Do !

2006-07-11T13:57:00.000+02:00

Last week we went to a family wedding in Provence, where some of us hadn't seen each other for a least 10 years, so lots of chat ensued over several glasses of the local wine.

As the ages of the guests ranged from 3 to 88, we covered a wide range of topics. Apparently, the latest craze amongst French kids is to say some words backwards to confuse their parents. It works !!

I'm now convinced that global warming is also having an effect on the growth hormones of teenagers, as they all seem to be over six feet tall these days and still growing !

On the afternoon of the service, there was the most tremendous thunderstorm with hail and lightening. Fortunately, we all made it safely to and from the next village where the service was taking place and the good news is that in France they have a saying (un marriage pluvieux est un marriage heureux), a wet wedding means a happy marriage - allegedly !

The marriage itself took place at the local Mairie, with the Mayor resplendent in his ceremonial sash. The civil service is actually quite short, just being made up of the reading of several articles that concentrate on the way the married couple will live, support each other and bring up their children. After that, the bride and groom both answer "Oui" when asked and they're married - simple as that !

Then it was back to the reception with much tooting of horns and down to the serious business of eating and drinking for a few hours. The next day dawned bright, as the storms had now moved on, the only problem for some was coping with the hangovers from the night before.

Fête weekends

2006-06-20T14:39:00.000+02:00

Around this time of year, there is a Fête every weekend somewhere in the Gers. The one in our local village, Bezolles, took place recently and it follows a standard format each year, namely

Friday Evening: Lotto (a bit mad unless your French numbers are good !)

Saturday Morning : Fishing competition
Lunchtime: Aperitif and snacks for all the residents of the commune
Afternoon: Boules competition
Evening: Steak and chips supper, then a Disco

Sunday Lunchtime: More aperitifs !
Afternoon: More Boules !!
Evening: The Grand Dinner, followed by another Disco

The weather was good and there was plenty of friendly rivalry in the Boules competition, especially in the husband and wife section !!

One local village, St. Puy, is thinking of changing the date of its Fête as it always rains. The locals say it's because the village is really just called Puy (as it doesn't have a Saint at all), but the villagers at the time thought St. Puy sounded much nicer. Someone is obviously wreaking their revenge !

Escape the World Cup

2006-05-29T11:47:00.000+02:00

If you're one of the many (few?) who are dreading a whole month of football whilst the World Cup is on from June 9th to July 9th and are in serious need of escape, then why not spend a peaceful week or two in South West France.

We've still got a couple of spare weeks left in our gites (due to a late cancellation). So why not check out the availability calendars on our website below, book a cheap flight to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Pau or Bergerac, and in a couple more hours you can be sipping a cool glass of wine by the pool.

The department of the Gers is a beautiful, peaceful area of France set between the river Garonne to the North and the mighty Pyrenees to the South. Within an hour or two, you can be down by the coast, up in the mountains or just sampling a few of the lovely villages dotted throughout the area.

Of course, there are some great restaurants, cheap wine and local markets every day.
You can find all the details you'll need on our website www.gers-gites.com

So, find your passport, get some euros, pack your suntan cream and jet off to a week "sans football"

Wine - What's on the Label ?

2006-03-28T16:13:00.000+02:00

To help you decide whether a bottle of wine is a good buy or not, here's some information that will allow you decipher the labels on French wines.

1. Quality

The best are the Appellation Contrôlée (AC or AOC) and the Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS) which have to meet strict production methods and tasting standards.

Next comes Vin de Pays, which are reasonably priced quality wines from a particular region.

Last comes the "cheap and cheerful" Vin de Table, where you can still find the odd gem if you look hard enough.

2. Where was it bottled ?

Check to see whether the wine has been bottled on the estate where it was grown, in their own cellars or at the Chateau (usually better quality control) or whether it was sent to the local co-operative to be bottled on behalf of the grower.

Also, check to see if the wine was aged in oak barrels to give a deeper flavour and golden colours to white wines like Chardonnay.

3. How was it picked ?

If you see "Vendange à la main" it means the grapes have been picked by hand (usually reserved for the best grapes as it takes longer and therefore costs more)

4. The foil

Look at the foil around the cork. If it has an 'R' or the word Recoltante it is classed as a Vintage wine. If it has an 'N' or a 'NR' or the words Non-Recoltante, then it is usually a standard wine like a Vin de Pays from a regional grower.

5. Other details

The grape variety, the alcoholic strength (less than 12% - normal, 12 to 13.5% - strong, over 13.5% - very strong), the year of production and the producer's name all give clues to the overall quality of the wine and therefore whether it is good value for money.

Wine - the new season begins !

2006-02-16T09:46:00.000+01:00

From 8am to 6pm, the sound of the birds is broken only by the rhythmic whizz of the electric clippers as Roget, Alain and Michel from Domaine les Acacias in Bezolles work their way slowly through the vineyard at the top of our drive.

They reckon it takes 50 man-hours to clip back a full hectare of vines to the single stalk from which this year's crop will eventually grow. With 27 hectares to complete, they started just before Christmas and will finish in early March. It's laborious work, but when the sun's out they seem to manage to stay in good humour.

The stems of the vines that are used to make the sweet dessert wine (Petit Manseng) are much tougher than those for the two white wines they produce (Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay), so Michel's wife Isobelle has taken a few days off whilst they complete that part of the vineyard. Then it's on to the next hectare !

The off-cuts are dried and make fabulous fresh smelling kindling for the summer BBQs.

The next stage, which will be later in the Spring when the new shoots are long enough, is to tie them all in to the training wires - another slow, time-consuming job. When you see how much work goes into producing a bottle of wine here, it's amazing they can sell it for just 2 or 3 euros and still make a profit.

I'll give some tips on what to look out for when buying wine in Gascony in a later Blog.

Cooking - A Winter Delight

2006-02-05T09:40:00.000+01:00

The daily markets of Gascony in winter offer a great variety of seafood and seasonal vegetables to bring a warm glow to your meals during these long, cold winter evenings. Shellfish is a particular favourite at this time of the year and there are many stalls groaning with oysters, mussels and crab.

Scallops have a particular association with this area because of the St. Jacques de Compostella walking routes. Two of the paths taken by pigrims run through the Department of the Gers.

Elizabeth David, in her 1960 cookbook "French Provincial Cooking" eloquently describes how to combine simple ingredients to produce gorgeous flavours. We've included this recipe to show how this lovely local produce can be put to great effect.

Recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques au vin Blanc (Scallops with White Wine)

"The mixture of bacon with fish in this dish sounds odd, but it is an old-fashioned and delicious one, although the amount must not be overdone.

For 4 large scallops, the other ingredients are 2oz of unsmoked bacon, a shallot or two, 1 oz butter, flour, a small glass of dry white wine and parsley.

Melt the butter in a frying-pan, add the finely chopped shallots and the bacon cut into tiny cubes. Cut the cleaned scallops into larger cubes, season with pepper but no salt and sprinkle them with flour. When the shallots have turned pale yellow and the bacon is beginning to sizzle, put the scallops in the pan and let them cook very gently for 5 to 7 minutes. Take them out of the pan and set aside in a serving dish.

Pour the white wine into the pan and let it bubble fiercely, stirring so that it amalgamates with the juices and all the tiny bits left in the pan. When it has thickened to a syrupy consistency, add a very little finely chopped parsley and pour the sauce over the scallops."

Serve with, perhaps some mushrooms and rice or fresh, crusty bread.

Enjoy !