A Vagabond Life - Food

This tasty quiche is popular all over France however is most seen in the SW where Rocamadour cheese comes from. Ingredients 1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry 1kg fresh spinach (frozen spinach can be used) 1 leek finely chopped    4-6 rashers thin sliced middle bacon chopped, rinds removed                        1 teaspoon butter 150g Rocamadour goats cheese discs (or any goats cheese) 3 eggs 300ml thickened cream 75g grated Gruyere cheese salt and pepper to taste Method Wash the spinach well and roughly chop then place in a large colander to drain.  Put the cut washed spinach it in a large saucepan and cook the spinach until it is wilted – you will not need to add water when cooking as the water clinging to the washed spinach will be sufficient. When the spinach is cooked return it to the colander and sit it over a plate or bowl for an hour, this will allow all excess liquid to d...

Ingredients 2 leeks white part finely sliced 1 small onion diced 1/2 cabbage finely sliced 2 teaspoons cumin powder 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed 250 grams goats Fetta  150 grams ricotta Cumin seeds Phyllo pastry sheets Melted butter Mint leaves Flesh of half a lemon Juice of half a lemon Olive oil Method . Melt a dob of butter in a large frying pan and then add some olive oil ( the oil will stop the butter burning). Onion the onion, cook until in softens and then add the leeks and soften. When the leeks are soft add the cumin powder and crushed fennel seeds stir in well, cook for a further one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 - 30 minutes When cool add the ricotta and about 200 grams of the Fetta and stir well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required (Fetta is quite salty so be careful when adding salt). Mix it all together well. While the mixture is cooling prepare the dressing by  mixing th...

Delicious potato cake with cheese and bacon from Auvergne and usually served with sausages. Ingredients 140 grams lardons  2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or duck fat) 900 grams potatoes finely sliced 100 grams cantal or gruyere cheese Method Cook the lardons in a 25 cm non stick frying pan on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes then remove and drain on a . Add the oil / duck fat and heat then add the potatoes and season with pepper. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes then stir in the lardons and continue to cook stirring regularly until potatoes are soft and have started to brown, about 20 - 25 minutes.  Stir in the cheese and adjust seasoning to taste then press down on the potatoes until they are level. Increase heat and leave for 5 minutes until the bottom is brown, press occasionally on the cake to hold it together. When cooked it should be brown around the edges and starting to pull always from the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and turn out ont...

In the dead of winter there are slim pickings at the market in the fruit and vegetable area...but there are a number of varieties of cabbage available and while I do enjoy my mique and my cabbage soup after a while it does wear a bit thin! So as they say necessity is the mother of all invention we have had to become a little creative with our cabbages! So the next few blogs are recipes that we have tried this winter, while perhaps not strictly French they do turn that humble cabbage into a culinary delight. Cabbage and Goats Cheese Filo Scroll. Olive Oil 2 leeks, thinly sliced 1/4 cabbage finely sliced 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 120 grams soft goats cheese Approx. 12 sheets filo pastry 100 grams melted butter 200 grams feta cheese 1 lemon mint Pre - heat oven to 180 C Grind fennel seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle.  Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan and gently cook the lee...