Joyeux Noël from Provence
/Bonjour from Provence!
In France, Christmas - like all holidays or fêtes - is about food and family. During the month of December, there are Christmas marches all over Provence. Each village creates a small temporary village where locals sell products from this area. The holiday markets include truffles and foie gras, olive oils from the local moulins, soaps made with lavender, jewelry, and wines from vineyards to make the mulled wines. The pâtisserie shops are full of the most beautiful pastries, cakes, and breads for celebrating.
La Veille de Noël or Christmas Eve is the evening to celebrate not Christmas Day like in the US. A typical dinner on the eve of Christmas starts around 8:30. Seafood (usually oysters and brandade de morue… made from dried cod and olive oil) will grace the table. Also, foie gras is either made by someone in the family, ordered from the boucherie (butchershop), or someone local makes the terrine. We had both. Oysters were ordered from the poissonnerie, who is in Goult every Thursday morning. A friend, Helene, made the brandade. The foie gras was made by a friend of their family who is a chef in Cucuron. It was served simply with pain grillé or petits blinis. I made a coucou with grilled sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks, and almonds.
Traditionally, there are 13 desserts served at Christmas in reference to Jesus and his 12 apostles at the Last Supper. They include fougasse (a bread made with olive oil served with grape jam from the harvest season), almonds, raisons, figs, mandarins from Corsica, nougat a candy made with almonds and preserved fruits all from Apt, and finally the bouche de Noël (a Yule log cake).
The beauty of the evening is the time spent with those you love… that come from afar for this dinner. The presents are a small part of this celebration. My gift was a chutney Lauriance made from tomatoes we gathered this summer up in the Haute Provence. Also a fun gift was in store… a lottery ticket they purchased at the tabac… one for each guest. Gabrielle won 20€ ! Now she is treating us to coffee tomorrow in the cafe!
Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noël. Enjoy the simpleness of the season. I know these special moments are more valuable than anything you can possibly buy for someone. And, it is a time to be grateful for all this year has given us… every moment… the true gifts.
La Veille de Noël in Goult ( magnifique)