RECIPE - sage pesto, with a twist

Classic pesto is made with fresh basil; this is the variety everybody knows and loves, be it from their vacations in Italy or a visit to their favorite Italian restaurant. But how about trying something new? With the abundance of sage plants in our herb garden, grown from seed and growing in massive bushes, I one late spring afternoon decided to try this wonderful herb in a pesto. Et voilà, it not only tastes almost like basil, it tastes even better! And it tastes best when the leaves are young so in late spring, though it is possible to use the leaves all year round but the taste will become stronger and more pungent.

During our yoga & organic vegan cooking retreat last weekend Top Vegan Chef Paul decided to add some green olives and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and my o my, was this pesto a treat!

Sage is a very versatile plant, a quintessential Mediterranean herb used in cooking, as an essential oil, as a decorative plant in the garden with its pretty purple flowers. Salvia officinalis can  be used to make a delicious tea.

on croutons as an appetizer

Pesto is easy to make, considered a "raw food" as none of the ingredients are heated and can go on anything, from pasta bien sûr to sandwiches or tasty little croutons as appetizers with an apéritif or on pizza in place of or with tomato sauce

the ingredients:
* fresh sage leaves
* nutritional yeast
* toasted pine nuts
* depitted fleshy green olives
* freshly squeezed lemon juice
* garlic
* olive oil
* freshly ground sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper

All ingredients are approximate as this is really to everyone's personal taste. If you can get a hold of this season's fresh garlic use it sparingly and allow the fresh taste of sage to be the most prominent. Make a paste in your kitchen machine and season to taste. The great thing about pesto is that its all about personal preference.

on pizza as a base

Try something new today and remember to enjoy not only the result but also the process! Preparing food from scratch is a fantastic way to spend time, observing the making of something delicious, with one's own creativity, passion and hands!

bon appétit! 

EXTRA - yoga retreats May, June & July with organic vegan cooking

Inspired by the success in running our yoga retreats for several years now and on the positive comments we received from our guests dining with us at our table d'hôtes we decided to combine our two passions, yoga & cooking. We offer 3 dates for yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends with Claudia as the chef and Jim as the wine sommelier:

* 20. - 22. May (2 spaces left)
* 14. - 16. June
* 1. - 3. July (4 spaces left)

Cooking with Devotion: Good food requires more than top-notch ingredients and creative recipes - it's the compassion, intention, and energy of those in the kitchen that make a meal fulfilling. Cultivating a selfless intention, committing to recognizing the Divine in those you're feeding, and cooking joyfully without expectation of recognition will improve your awareness as well as your food. For the yogic cook, integrating mindfulness and love only deepens a cooking experience and, according to some, enhances the quality and flavor of the food itself.

Fridayarrival after 15h and installation in your rooms
16h workshop on healthy, clean, organic vegan cooking and introduction of the weekend's menu and activities plus the La Vudèle goodie bag
19h classic Provencal apéritif dinatoire: a relaxed sit-down dinner with several different dishes prepared by your hosts, to explore the flavors and aromas of Provence

Saturday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature, to get Prana flowing and stimulate digestion
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast with sourdough bread
10h visit of the local farmers' market in Riez with guide to our organic producers. We will purchase the ingredients for the delicious meal for dinner
afterwards free time to explore the area, the lavender fields, the gorge du Verdon and its lakes, etc
16h cooking course and preparation of our dinner:
Cooking with the fresh ingredients from our own vegetable garden and purchased at the market in the morning.
Practice of mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga.
Awareness meditation: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us
19h gala dinner presenting the bounty of our cooking experience accompanied by wine tasting of local organic wines from Quinson, some cultivated right behind La Vudèle

Sunday
7.30 energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature
9h our copious organic vegan breakfast|
followed by a workshop on ideas for a healthy vegan breakfast and a certificate of your participation of this workshop
afterwards departure or possibility to extend your stay in our B&B

2 nights accommodation in our organic B&B or guest house including our copious organic vegan breakfast and 2 dinners € 580 for two

Bienvenue à La Vudèle & bon appétit!

RECIPES - socca de Nice

socca street vendor on the Promenade

This recipe has been in my "stack of recipes to share" for a while, and now is the ideal time for it! 
A typical dish from Nice, this big ancient city on the Cote d'Azur, the city where everyone around here always sighs and says ".. but Nice is such a big city". And yes, it is. But it has lots of charme and still lots of tradition one of which is the preparation of a socca, or farinata as it is called in nearby Italy.

Eaten straight off the pan it is simply and truly a delight! And if you ever wondered what to make with chickpea flour here is your answer!

Traditionally baked in a brick-clay oven fired with oak wood it tastes almost as good as the real thing in Nice when baked in a regular oven at home. If you happen to own a cast-iron skillet the result will be phenomenal but a regular pizza tin or anything like that will also do.
 

traditional baking in a wood-fired oven

delicious socca out of the oven at home

     

And it's so easy to make! Simply make a batter like for pancakes or crepes, pour that into the dish or pan, place it in the oven for a few minutes, et voilà la socca!

1 cup chickpea flour
2-3 cups of lukewarm water
1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1 teapspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-6 tablespoons olive oil, preferably from handpicked olives or a local producer of trust

Preheat the oven to 200`C on the top-grill setting. Once hot place the oiled pan in the oven until the oil starts to smoke. Renmove the hot pan (careful not to burn your hands!) and pour the batter into it. Place it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, then remove from the oven (very hot!), divide into slices and eat right away!

And if you feel like dressing it up be creative! I love fried onions and dried crushed rosemary from our garden or anything else that comes my way. Or simply with some extra freshly ground sea salt - delicious!

Bon appétit!

EXTRA - new retreat: yoga & vegan cooking

Based on the success in running our yoga retreats for several years now and on the positive comments we received from our guests dining with us at our table d'hôtes we decided to combine our two passions, yoga & cooking, and will offer 3 dates in 2016 for yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends:

20.- 22. May * yoga & organic vegan cooking *
1. - 3. July * yoga & organic vegan cooking *
16. - 18. September * yoga & organic vegan cooking *

Here is the program for these weekends
Friday arrival after 17h and installation in your rooms
18h workshop on healthy, clean, organic vegan cooking and introduction of this weekend's menu
19h classic Provencal apéritif dinatoire: a dinner with several different dishes, to explore the flavors and aromas of Provence
Saturday 7h30 - 9h energizing morning yoga outside in nature, followed by a copious organic vegan breakfast
10h visit of the local farmers' market in Riez with guide to our organic producers
16h -18h preparation of dinner: cooking course with fresh ingredients from our own vegetable garden and purchased at the market in the morning. Practice of mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga. Awareness meditation: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us
18h30 gala dinner presenting the bounty of our cooking experience accompanied by wine tasting of local organic wines from Quinson, cultivated right behind La Vudèle
Sunday 7h30 - 9h energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature, followed by a copioous organic vegan breakfast
9h workshop on ideas for a healthy breakfast and recipe book
afterwards departure or possibility to extend your stay in our B&B

2 nights accommodation in our organic B&B or guest house including our copious organic vegan breakfast and 2 dinners including wine tasting € 580 / € 770 for two

These workshops will give every participant the opportunity to learn how to prepare delicious vegan food using fresh, organic local products which are in season at that moment. Learn how to include healthy seeds and herbs and make a delicious meal. Claudia is very creative in using all kinds of ingredients and loves to share; likewise this will be an opportunity for foodies and hobby cooks to share their knowledge with the group.

***

Of course we will also hold our regular yoga weekends and two 5-night/6 day retreats. For these the meals will be prepared for you by Claudia but of course you are free to watch or participate in the preparation and even learn how to bake your own sourdough bread!

dates for 201620. - 22. May: yoga & organic vegan cooking
12. - 17. June: yoga retreat
1. - 3. July: yoga & organic vegan cooking
4. - 9. September: yoga retreat
16. - 18. September: yoga & organic vegan cooking
7. - 9. October: yoga weekend

We are very  much looking forward to hosting
individuals from all walks of life: omnivores, vegetarians, vegans

Bon appétit & namasté!

RECIPES - winter ratatouille with couscous

La Ratatouille is as typical Provencal as lavender and the blue sky. It is the quintessential summer dish, of using what's in season, in the garden, at the farmers' market, and creating a delicious slow-cooked blend of flavors. And naturally vegan!
The same principle can be used to make a winter ratatouille: using vegetables which are in season now, and making a delightful and colorful stew, warming and nourishing. Taking in what nature offers us and loading up on vitamins A & C and essential fatty acids before the difficult time of year begins, March and April, where nature has shut down for the winter and spring has not really arrived with the new year's crop.

EXTRA - 30% off English Rose face balm

30% off your favorite product - English rose face balm, ideal for dry winter skin. 

A wonderfully moisturizing skin balm with the precious properties of natural oils

€ 13.30 instead of € 19
Does not contain water so it neither dries out the skin in heated homes and offices nor in the harsh winter weather, be it wind, snow or rain.

Created and produced right here at La Vudèle by Claudia and Jim many of our guests and visitors have already tried this line of all natural cosmetics which is never tested on animals. No chemicals or parabens are used nor artificial scents: only the purest ingredients like olive oil, shea butter and Aloe vera. As the C'etrange products do not contain water they do not require artificial stabilizers and preservatives! Available through our web shop on cetrange.com or on amazon.fr 

Since 2001 C'etrange creates exclusively handcrafted, all-natural products based on the positive benefits of aromatherapy. All products are made by hand using only the purest ingredients: the most natural plant oils and the purest essential oils. All products are perfect for vegetarians and lovers of all things natural.

* NEW:  gift certificates of any value (valid 2 years) *

Each C'etrange product is handcrafted with the finest, most natural ingredients. Based on the holistic approach - how all aspects of our life affect our well-being - we use the purest oils as base oils, and to refine the characteristics, we add finest essential oils found in aromatherapy.

* All products are exclusively handmade

* Only 100% natural ingredients

* Perfect for allergy sufferers

* Free of chemicals or additives

* Free of artificial coloring

* Tested by friendly people, not on animals*

* Since 2004 all C'etrange products are certified as cruelty-free by the Deutsche Tierschutzbund e.V.
* Member of Veg'Asso and OneVoice

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .

EXTRA - C'etrange Christmas present

The C'etrange Christmas special - 3 products of natural cosmetics - produced at La Vudèle - in a wooden gift box

Created and produced right here at La Vudèle by Claudia and Jim many of our guests and visitors have already tried this line of all natural cosmetics which is never tested on animals. No chemicals or parabens are used nor artificial scents: only the purest ingredients like olive oil, shea butter and Aloe vera.

Nestled into the beautiful wooden C'etrange gift box choose from one of three sets of precious natural cosmetics, either for yourself or as a present to someone you care about

* Divine Lavender with the mesmerizing scent of Provence € 36
* English Rose the queen of flowers € 50
* Terre de Provence with the fresh scent of Provence, rosemary and cypress € 35shipping is only € 6.50 anywhere in the world

* NEW:  gift certificates of any value (valid 2 years) *

Since 2001 C'etrange creates exclusively handcrafted, all-natural products based on the positive benefits of aromatherapy. All products are made by hand using only the purest ingredients: the most natural plant oils and the purest essential oils. All products are perfect for vegetarians and lovers of all things natural.

Each C'etrange product is handcrafted with the finest, most natural ingredients. Based on the holistic approach - how all aspects of our life affect our well-being - we use the purest oils as base oils, and to refine the characteristics, we add finest essential oils found in aromatherapy.

* All products are exclusively handmade

* Only 100% natural ingredients

* Perfect for allergy sufferers

* Free of chemicals or additives

* Free of artificial coloring

* Tested by friendly people, not on animals*

* Since 2004 all C'etrange products are certified as cruelty-free by the Deutsche Tierschutzbund e.V.
* Member of Veg'Asso and OneVoice

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .

moments of sheer purity . . Schöne Dinge für die Sinne . . un instant de bonheur . .