It 's May - the fields in Provence will be bright red with Poppies 
                                                         as far as the eye can see. 
                      Some trees will be covered with dark red and bright red - Cherries!

    Everytime I see a Cherry tree it takes me back ............... It was one of those bright sunny days on vacation - before we owned our home in Sablet - when we (for a change!) decided to visit a market in the morning followed by a picnic.  Friends had recommended a "Domaine" to visit that was great for the local specialty - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.  Everything was set!
   
     Despite leaving the market a little late, we had stocked up on our usual favorites and headed out to the Domaine, trying to get there before noon when everything closes for a two hour lunch break.  We realized, as we drove up the long, graveled, olive tree lined driveway that we probably were not going to make it in time and would have to come back after our picnic. Just as we were about to turn around and go searching for a picnic spot, Madame the "Proprietaire" of the Domaine came out, and starting to lock the door to the tasting room, noticed us.  She very kindly invited us to come in and taste their wine.  We were a little chagrined at cutting into lunch time and suggested that we might buy some wine for lunch and then do the rest of our shopping when they reopened after lunch.  Seeing a large, shady olive tree out by the parking lot which overlooked the vineyard, we asked (fearing that we were being a little forward), if we might have our picnic on the grass under "le grand Olivier".

    "Mais Oui!" said Madame ...... you're welcome!  As we started to unpack the picnic supplies, Madame brought us a table and some chairs!  We were very embarrassed to be such an imposition, but thanked her for her thoughtfulness.   A few minutes later, Madame arrived again - this time with a carafe of water and two glasses - she said, "If  you are drinking wine, you will need water!" We were so taken aback at how welcoming and kind this lady was to visitors whom she had only just met. 
Now... here comes the part about the cherries.....
              
    We were  just finishing our lunch, relaxed and taking in the spectacular view of Mt. Ventoux across the vineyards, when Madame came out again.  She was going to pick some cherries and invited me to go with her.  We walked to the orchard and she pointed out the different varieties of cherries.  She told me what to look for, when trying to find cherries that are just right to be picked - they had to be just the right color of deep red.  The variety that really stayed in my memory is the "Coeur de Pigeon" (Pigeon's Heart) - a dark red, sweet cherry, the size and shape of a tiny heart.  Not at all concerned  about getting right up in the tree to get the best picks, Madame said to me, " Here .. hold the  "panier" (basket) and I'll hand the cherries to you!"  All I could think was, "Help! please come down out of that tree!", but all I could say was, "Faites attention Madame!" (be careful!). This determined lady was quite focused on the task ahead of her and left no perfectly ripened cherry unpicked.   A few minutes later, quite unharmed and with a basket full of shiny, dark red cherries, we headed back towards her house and the winery.  Madame told me that she planned to make Clafoutis - the traditional Provencal desert - sounded really good.  As we got back to the picnic table, she gathered a huge bunch of those beautiful cherries we'd picked, layed them down and said, "Bon Apetit!"   What an unexpected and great finale to a picnic!  It  certainly couldn't have been better, even if we had tried to plan it that way.

    Visits to Domaine de la Pigeade have become a regular part in our activites in Provence.  We still go back, often with visiting friends, to have picnics under that "grand olivier" whilst enjoying the spectacular view - not to mention the wine!  Madame's son and daughter-in-law have taken over the running of the Domaine and they are just as welcoming and gracious as Madame.  But we do take our own folding tables and chairs now!  I think Madame went above and beyond inthe wonderful welcome she gave us on that first visit.

CLAFOUTIS

This recipe is and adaptation from the Apricot Clafoutis recipe in "The French Farmhouse Cookbook" by Susan Hermann Loomis.  I really like the recipe and it adapts perfectly to cherries and other seasonal fruit.

12 ounces ripe cherries
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted unbleached All Purpose flour
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces

1.  Preheat oven to 450 deg. F.  Butter and lightly flour a 91/2 inch non reactive round tart pan or baking dish.

2.  Place the cherries in the tart pan.

3.  Combine the flour and the salt in a large and mix with your hands.  Whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth.  Add the eggs one by one, whisking briefly after each additions.  Whisk in the vanilla sugar, the remaining 1 cup of milk, and  the vanilla extract.

4.  Pour the batter over the cherries.  Dot with butter, place it on the center rack of the oven, and bake until it is golden and puffed, about 25 mins.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool thoroughly before serving.  6 - 8 servings.

Susan's hints for a good Clafoutis: a minimum of flour to custard, a hot oven and quick cooking and the nuggets of  butter on top just before cooking.

Bon Apetit! 

Please feel free to share thoughts or pictures of your time in Sablet or Provence by leaving a comment.
Any questions and comments are welcome.
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