Saturday, March 22, 2008

A trip to the farm......

Trying to have a little fun in between unpacking, shopping and a daily trip to Lowes, the old man and I signed up for another cooking class! We stumbled on this little place in Midway called, The Honest Farm, one Sunday afternoon.
We walked inside to find a very charming, quaint, big open space. There were some farm veggies to buy, a cold display with homemade yummies like chicken salads, pot pies.....homemade cookies etc. Interesting decor, with a big pot of coffee and tea at the ready.
It seemed like a natural thing to sit down on the great little bistro tables and have a 'cuppa' and a bite of something sweet. The table cloths were wonderful antique cloths that I love and have bought myself on trips 'back home' when we lived in France.
When we got home, I did an internet search on the owner and found that she was a cookbook author, magazine editor, and farmer. What a FIND!! She said she gave cooking classes, and I figured that this was a must on my 'to do' list.


(click on the photo for a great view)

Susie prepared a fantastic brisket, kofta and a wonderful rhubarb upside-down cake. There was also an asperge and egg salad dressed with a simple Vinaigrette. I have to admit, I never liked rhubarb and have avoided it at all costs. Even pulling it out of my garden in France! But, after tasting this cake, I might start to experiment with it! Plus the cake itself was indeed a winner! The class is BYOB and we drink out of Ball Jars......it just adds to the charm. We learned so much, as Susie is very passionate and has great stories to share, along with the cooking demo. There was a copious tasting, I'd call dinner, after the demo. I can't wait till Spring comes and she gets her farm planted and we can start eating fresh veggies!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello ... so, you're back in the States, now? Welcome back!

My wife and I live in Virginia, near DC, and we are thinking of going to Paris in a year. Instead of paying huge amounts at a downtown hotel, I have been thinking that finding some decent motel in a banlieue might save a lot of money. Which is why I have decided to look around in expat blogs to ask a tiny bit of advice. I speak French, and have been to Paris twice (although the last time was about 30 years ago) ... consequently, I don't know where the reasonably safe areas are, anymore, around Paris.

For example, I've gone scrounging on the 'net, and I find that one chain of motels seems to be called Ibis. But I sort of suspect that the one in Pantin, about 5 miles south of Le Bourget airport, wouldn't be a great place to go. (see, for example: www.humanityinaction.org/docs/Kenney__David,_FR_2006.doc "Femmes médiatrices has been working for nearly twenty years in Pantin, a city on the outskirts of Paris that is a mix of middle class and poorer immigrants.")

Might it be possible to get some advice from you about the current states of the various areas of Paris? We would hugely appreciate it.

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