Tea at the chateau is an essential.
We went off to the Loire near La Mans for a lovely overnight on Tuesday.
For 2 days at Chateau de la Barbée
The family residence of Xavier et Mary (former Vogue model) Pochez.
Dinner time in front of the fire
With candle light and only Loire vallée wines bien sur
Mary plans to start cooking classes including a stay au chateau. Miam
Her velouté de fenouilie will be always on the menu I hope.
Richard's divine room. Bear wanted to swap but he wasn't having it.
So atmospheric.
At lunch the next day we pitched in and made foie gras en papillote
I'll be making this chez moi very soon.
The perfect accompaniment - an excellent Chinon red.
At last the wild boar with cranberry sauce and wild mushrooms, cepes. No, we did not shoot it.
To finish a Bourdelais tarte of poached pears.
Post-lunch the obligatory march around the property though we didn't make it to all 1,200 acres...
Our hosts relaxing by the moat.
Bear wanted to stay on at the chateau. It suits him but he was easily persuaded to settle for a jar of home-made fig and orange confiteur. Me too. I hope Mary opens her cooking classes soon. I love being a student.
