Grasshoppers and the Pyrenees (or Saturday at Raynaudes)

Returned from Orlando and Peter's place the other day to an interrogation from friends and family. Simple, thoughtful questions like: "Well, did you get the job or what?". Nothing about the sweeping French countryside, the 12th century bridges, the picture postcard hamlets dotted around any high ground people could lay their hands on, the 20 degree sunshine, lunches with the Pyrenees or the tyre-slashing dog owned by the neighbours that attacked me on Peter's bike! And nothing about the wonderful food. No, just "When are you going to pay some rent, poor boy?"

Arrival in Toulouse went as well as could be expected. After managing to locate the taxi desk, and mumbling my name in French, I was escorted (briskly) to a waiting bus along with the driver, and four other travellers - three office workers from Paris and a dark-haired, cigarette smoking girl from Marseilles. Very Betty Blue she was. They were all dropped off in Albi at which point the driver then checked where I was going. This was swiftly followed by much "mon dieu-ing" and huffing and puffing and fiddling of Tom-Tom. No, I didn't want to be dropped in Monesties, I needed to go to Raynaudes. Yes, Raynaudes. RAYNAUDES.

Decades later I was greeted by Peter - tall, slim and understated. Orlando bounced in and fed me (I was STARVING by this point, so hungry I was shaking) a lovely pan-roasted chicken breast and wild mushrooms. Apparently in France, all pharmacists are trained in the art of mushroom foraging, so you can turn up with a bag you've picked yourself and they'll separate them into a 'Oui' and a 'Non' pile. How great is that???? There then followed a brief discussion about what I'd be doing over the weekend, but essentially this involved assisting wherever possible. Breakfast for the next three mornings, and the evening meal on Sunday, the last service of the season. And I'd be cooking lunch for them tomorrow.

7:30am, Saturday. Breakfasts were relatively straight-forward. Freshly baked croissants alongside a fruit salad and home made yogurts, cereals etc. Once again I was reminded that simplicity doesn't mean boring. Just make it the BEST fruit salad you possibly can - make sure the fruit is at room temperature, the grapefruit segmented properly, the pears ripe - and people will remember it. Just think of all the times you've stayed at a B&B and been given that grim, pappy excuse for bread. That's boring, not bread itself!

Lunch was a relaxed affair and deliberately so. I chose to concentrate on flavour combinations and a well planned menu, rather than anything technically NASA-esque in it's difficulty rating:

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Capers and Mint
Lamb Cutlets with a Sherry Vinegar sauce and Wilted Greens
Warm Orange Salad with a Honey, Rosemary and Chilli Dressing

One major issue was the cooker. Orlando has a fancy hob with no discernible 'knobs' to twiddle or 'buttons' to press. Just a Star-Trek style panel that you apparently need to glide your finger over to achieve the desired effect. Needless to say I was prodding, fiddling, poking (swearing), and starting to look a bit frantic before Orlando showed me the way. Lesson 1: ensure you understand technology before trying to use it. All in all though, the food came out as I expected and I was happy with the end result. The weather was fantastic, the Pyrenees were standing proud representing the physical barrier with Spain, there were Grasshoppers jumping onto bone dry leaves, making a little 'thud' noise as they landed. Silence allows you to hear so much more. Maybe that's why we Brits love and hate France so much. We may mock their 35-hour weeks and general laziness, but how many of us wouldn't die for such a lifestyle?

Here is the pasta I cooked - fast, easy and utterly brilliant.

Spaghetti with Capers and Mint
Serves 4

Ingredients:
500g Dried Spaghetti
400g Fresh Tomatoes, skinned and de-seeded
200g Shallots, finely chopped
Olive Oil
Garlic Glove, lightly crushed
A small Handfull of Capers
A large handfull of Mint, shredded
Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper and Sugar

Method:
1. First skin your tomatoes. Put a little cross on the bottom of each one. Place them in a bowl of boiling water, leave for a minute or so and then remove. The skin should now rub off easily. The remove the eye and seeds. Roughly chop and set aside.
2. Heat your oil. Then add your garlic clove. Once it starts to brown, remove and discard. You'll now have a lovely Garlic Oil.
3. Add your shallots, soften. Then add your tomatoes. Taste and season. Don't be scared of adding sugar, it'll bring out the flavour of the tomatoes.
4. Let this simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. This will intensify the flavour.
5. When it's ready, cook your spaghetti, in a large pot of boiling, salted water.
6. As soon as the pasta is cooked, add the capers and mint to the sauce.
7. Drain your pasta and add to the sauce.
8. Eat straight away, serve with Parmesan or some other hard cheese such as Pecorino.