Satisfying my Cravings

I suddenly got the urge to bake a good old- fashioned cake the other day. I wanted something that would make the house smell heavenly, something a little summery (not that it's summer, except in my head) and something that would be easy to throw together in between housework and lounging in the garden.
Quatre quarts! What a perfect idea! But how would I make it 'summery'?? After a few minutes in my pantry and a lot of 'hmmm's' and 'oooh's' I decided to spruce up my version of this classic French cake with a good handful of dried red berries and a touch of lavender (don't you just love lavender in baked goods??).
The results were certainly worth boasting about- a beautifully scented, red- speckled, buttery loaf which went above and beyond satisfying my cravings!

Here's the recipe:

Quatre Quarts with Red Berries and Lavender

250g all- purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
225g soft butter
225g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
1 tbsp dried lavender (suitable for cooking)
120g mixed dried red berries

Soak the red fruits in hot water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 165C. Line a 28 cm rectangular cake pan with baking paper.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add the baking powder and the lavender and stir thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whip the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them little by little to the butter and sugar mixture.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the red fruits in two batches, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about an hour and 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a wire rack bevore serving.

Outdoor Wining and Dining

Isn't it great when you can finally start eating outside again? Even if it's with a thick sweater on? This Sunday we had a typical weekend meal in our new garden- a lemony roast chicken, baguette, a green salad and a good bottle of wine.

While the chicken cooks, we open the wine and have a little appetizer (usually a bowl of olives, preferably anchovy- wrapped). Perhaps some good tunes and an outdoor fire to keep us warm. Little things can make us so happy!

Oh and in case you're wondering, to make the chicken you need:

-a good organic (happy and tasty) chicken
-half a lemon
-5 cloves of garlic, bruised (I prefer pink garlic from Lautrec)
-a fresh bouqet garni
-coarse sea salt
-pepper
-olive oil

Preheat oven to 200C. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry. Stuff the lemon, herbs and garlic into its cavity. Rub lovingly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately two hours. It's a good idea to let the chicken come to room temperature before roasting it, and to let it rest for a good ten minutes before carving.

Le Jardin

The garden is really starting to take shape! I love the fact that it's actually an extension to our living room. We plan on creating lots of beautiful memories here- chatting, laughing and enjoying life- with a bottle of wine and a good meal, of course!

Market, Sun and Cafe au Lait!

It's a beautifully sunny day. No better time to head to the market than now! Just for a stroll, a little shopping and a bit of people- watching.

I've bought a kilo's worth of tomatoes, an aubergine, a courgette, some peppers and a bag of shallots. Yes, it's definitely too early to be craving ratatouille, but I simply couldn't resist. I also bought some rhubarb for a compote which will go over vanilla ice cream.

After my market trip, I stopped for a huge cafe au lait which I enjoyed in the early spring sunshine. A few chapters later, I left with a smile on my face.

And it's not even noon!