LIFE AT LA VUDELE - summer's in the air

After a mild and short winter and a lovely spring we are now gearing up for summer here in Provence!

Along with two more yoga & vegan cooking retreats coming up we are expecting quite a few returning guests which is fantastic and shows that what we offer -  cozy rooms, a delicious organic breakfast, vegetarian/vegan dinners, a relaxed atmosphere - is what our clientele likes and enjoys! And this gives us the energy and affirmation to continue with what we have created here at La Vudèle.

So a big THANK YOU to all of you who have made and shaped La Vudèle and "organic living in Provence" into what it is today!

merci beaucoup

thank you

danke

bedankt

grazie

謝謝

kiitos 

Dziękuję Ci

tak

 and a big hug!

 

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!

ACTIVITIES - 2 extra guest rooms in guesthouse

We opened up our home at La Vudèle as a B&B about four years ago, with a spacious double bedroom with en-suite bathroom, overlooking our garden. Since then many people have come to stay with us and enjoyed the calm and our vegetarian organic breakfast.

Starting this year we can offer two more bedrooms in our guest house which is also part of the old farmhouse La Vudèle. Two modern bathrooms were installed and the entire house restored whilst keeping its original charme, dating back to 1880. Built using traditional methods with solid stone; in front of the house is a large sun terrace, and behind the house you can enjoy the shade on a hot day, with a beautiful view; the Pre-Alpes and Mont Lure are within plain view, and on a clear day the white top of the Mont Ventoux is visible.

La Chambre Bleue
This double bedroom is called "La Chambre Bleue" because of its ancient walls in faded blue and views onto the Provencal blue sky. From the large iron bed measuring a comfortable 2mx2m you have beautiful views toward Provence's tallest mountain, the famous Mont Ventoux.

La Chambre Bleue with awesome skylight in the shower

La Chambre Blanche
This double bedroom is called "La Chambre Blanche" because of its vaulted white ceiling. It offers space and tranquility and beautiful views over lavender and wheat fields. If booking for 3 or 4 people there is connecting room with 2 single beds.

La Chambre Blanche

The rate for each room is € 85 including our copious breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread

Happy holidays
&
à bientôt!

YOGA - grounding sequence for winter

As the colder and darker winter months have arrived a calming yoga sequence is ideal for this time of year.

It all starts with taking the time out of one's busy schedule, to make space for oneself. Mindfulness.... awareness... comfort

* * * 

Find a warm cozy spot where you can spend a few minutes to yourself, undistracted by your daily life.

Choose a soft blanket, a zafu or fold your yoga mat so that your body stays warm.

* * * Sit down in a comfortable position, one in which you can stay a good five minutes without moving or shifting. This will take a while to find; give yourself the time to find it. Start by simply being. Breathing. Thinking. Feeling. Let your thoughts wander and learn to accept this natural state of mind. When you are ready close your eyes. When you feel ready start observing your breathing, without forcing it in any direction or way. Do a 3-3 pranayama, also known as So-Ham, followed by a 4-8 pranayama. Returning to regular breathing formulate your wishes for this yoga sequence.

I would like to direct you now to a web site which, along with beautiful photos, put together a lovely restorative yoga sequence. Do this at your own pace, stay in the poses for as long as you can. Watch your breathe: once it becomes forced you leave yoga and enter effort so that is the moment to release out of the pose.
http://www.yogajournal.com/slideshow/yoga-sequence-keep-healthy-winter/

* * * At the end of this sequence come back into a comfortable seated position, close your eyes one more time and reflect on this sequence: which aspect did you enjoy? Which postures helped you relax? Which postures made you feel positive? Take this into your daily life, this realization. Now turn your focus on the wishes you had formulated at the beginning of this sequence and reflect on them. Slowly open your eyes and find yourself back in the hear and now.

namasté

and  may peace be with you

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!

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - organic wine of Quinson

 

Le Parc du Verdon in which Quinson and hence La Vudèle is located recently celebrated 10 years of activity with a big bash in Quinson, at le jardin public. Marquees were set up, stands prepared, stalls erected. Local producers carrying the label "Parc du Verdon" like Felicia our honey supplier got ready to sell their locally produced food. Throughout the day, a gorgeous Sunday, all kinds of activities and workshops were offered, one of which was the traditional way of harvesting grapes. At this occassion Jim was interviewed, right next to La Vudèle, during a workshop on harvesting the organically grown grapes of the wine of Quinson!

On this day the organic wine of Quinson which grows right behind La Vudèle received the label "Parc du Verdon"

The wines called "Terroir de Quintius" and "Azur" are grown according to the rules of the IGP (indication géographique protégée) by our neighbors Joel, Eric and Thimotée. And as a matter of fact Jim and Claudia gave the Quintius wine its name! Ask us about that story next time you visit us!

In this video we see the grandchildren of one of the owners of La Vudèle being interviewed on their experience of the manual grape harvest, and at 00:25 you can see Jim as he talks about living next to the vines which make the delicious wines of Quinson,

 

 

vousenpensezquoi-vin from Anecdoc on Vimeo.

Santé, tchin-tchin and prost!

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - thank you

Claudia & Jim with Mia

October has arrived, the season of contemplation is starting, the sun shines less strong and the evenings get colder... This is also the time to reflect. And to pick up projects left aside during the busy season, like this blog which we stopped in early summer but gathered new ideas, recipes and other news which we will share throughout the winter. 

To reflect is to look back at our activities the past few months which started in March. We hosted many people in our organic vegetarian B&B, all lovely guests from allover the world who stayed with us, not only from all over Europe but also from South Korea, Australia, the US and Canada, Puerto Rico and India and many more places - we would like to thank each one of these persons for having spent some time at La Vudèle, for having brought this energy here.

We also again held yoga workshops which we as hosts enjoyed very much, and judging by the feedback and emails we still receive our participants enjoyed their time here as well. This also gave rise and inspiration for a cook book which turned into the idea of offering yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends for 2016!

Claudia & Jim with Mimie
Mia somewhere else ;-)

We would like to thank all of our guests for making this place so special, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming back some of them next year who already booked for June and July, for the famous lavender season! 

A bientôt!

Jim & Claudia

Mimie & Mia

RECIPES - chocolate mint ice cream

Everybody loves ice cream! And even more chocolate ice cream! So on my quest to find THE best vegan ice cream recipe I realized that it need to be creamy. And what better and easier way than to make a custard and then turn it into ice cream! Oat milk is for a rich version, with rice milk for a gluten-free delicacy

2 cups of oat milk *
2 tablespoons cornstarch *
dash of salt
1/2 cup raw cocoa powder
2 drops peppermint essential oil
1/2 cup sugar

If using an icecream maker place the cooling element into the freezer according to instructions, minimum 24 hours beforehand.

~ Dissolve cornstarch and cocoa powder in some cold oat milk.
~ Slowly heat the rest of the milk in a pot. Add the salt and sugar.
~ Once the milk has come to a boil add the cornstarch/cocoa mixture and stir until it has thickened into a custard.**
~ Allow to cool completely (1-2 hours), then place into refridgerator.

Using your icecream maker turn this delicious custard into heavenly chocolate mint ice cream


* For a gluten-free version use rice milk and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
** The gluten-free version will be less thick

Bon appétit!

RECIPES - lavender custard

Lavender - what a lovely flower! And so versatile: everybody loves the scent of lavender essential oil, be it in cosmetics or as a room scent. But how about adding it to a dessert?

Unknown to many this culinary experience is a delight to be savored! Only one drop of this oil which comes from the fields around La Vudèle - très local -  is needed for one liter of milk as too much can be overpowering. We use
* 1 liter organic oat milk which is slightly sweet and has a creamy texture
* add a tiny bit of organic cane sugar (roughly half a cup or less)
* 5 tablespoons of organic cornstarch
* a small turn of the salt mill
et voilà, a delicious lavender custard is the amazing result!

For our guests we prepare table d'hôtes or hosts' dinner which is the moment to share memories, swap stories and - of course - consume a delicious home-cooked meal. We prepare everything fresh, with regional and seasonal products from the market in Riez, from one of the four producers of organic fruit and vegetables: what they don't sell we don't use... or buy elsewhere. (Some exceptions are citrus fruits and bananas)

Vegetarian and mostly vegan our guests enjoy the concoctions Claudia creates but never ask her for her recipe: there are none, just lots of ideas put into the pots and pans.

Bon appetit!

RECIPES - quinoa risotto

February and March are the most difficult months of the year for the human body as nature has not awakened from its winter slumber and winter has stopped producing in order to prepare for spring and another growing season. Our trusted farmers Gerard and Francis at their stands at the weekly market in Riez provide us with what's in season, and so now is the time for the last winter greens and root vegetables

As such our choices are more limited yet there is still an abundance of joyful ingredients which we can use to prepare delicious meals. How about a quinoa risotto? Unlike risotto made with Arborio rice quinoa, when cooked, does not become creamy and sticky. But not worries, there are also advantages. 

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - spring gardening

Every year, or rather: continuously, we work on our vegetable garden. 'Continuously' because we use permaculture as the basis which utilizes many different factors like the moon phases; creating our own compost, of course no fertilizers but to us nothing which comes from the outside; local plant varieties and seeds from a trusted source; rain water captured in a basin; the sun's movement; and our own two hands.

cherry tree in bloom in our garden

This year we finally managed to source the materials for a cold frame, like an old window très local, ie. at our neighbors' who had their windows replaced. More on that in our April postings because starting this year we can offer 2 more guest rooms at our organic B&B! Anyway, the end of February, in 

EXTRA - yoga retreats 2015

* yoga retreats 15.-17. May * 21.-26. June * 11. - 13. September *

 

For 2015 we not only offer the usual weekend retreats in May and September but also a 6-day/5-night yoga week in June! We chose this date to offer our yoginis the unique opportunity to experience the fantastic sight and scent of lavender in bloom, usually from the middle of June until the end of July

A holistic time, where we take care of ourselves from the inside, be it through
* yoga practice
* delicious organic vegetarian food: seasonal, fresh, Provencal with an international touch
* meditation
* time to explore and relax, take a typical Provencal afternoon siesta, swim in a lake, go for a walk
* time to enjoy an in-depth practice, yoga philosophy, spirituality. Focus will not only be on various asanas but on advancing on the path of yoga
* mats & material will be provided

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 . .

YOGA - winter detox sequence

Winter is the time when our system slows down, naturally, and we should give it - and ourselves - the time and space to do so. It all starts with taking the time out of one's busy schedule, to make space for oneself. Mindfulness.... awareness...

A winter detox is a wonderful thing where we can give ourselves as a present. Personal. Unique. Inspiring. Relaxing. Mind-opening. Challenging. Heart-opening.


It all starts with choosing the correct detoxification for the season, particularly a detox which is warming and nourishing in the winter's cold. In traditional medical systems such as Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine paying attention to "food energetics" is an important part of restoring health. In cold weather it is considered important to consume warm-natured foods to preserve the body's optimal metabolic state.

A lovely "guide" for a weekend detox is on the vegetariantimes.com which I have followed a couple of times. It not only gives ideas for recipes but also helps stick to activities and rest periods which are beneficial to a detox. http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/weekend-detox/

For your yoga detox practice find a warm cozy spot where you can spend time by yourself, undistracted by your daily life.

Choose a soft blanket or yoga mat which is placed on a warm surface so that your body stays warm.

* * * Sit down in a comfortable position, one in which you can stay a good five minutes without moving or shifting. This will take a while to find; give yourself the time to find it. Start by simply being. Breathing. Thinking. Feeling. Let your thoughts wander and learn to accept this natural state of mind. When you are ready close your eyes. When you feel ready start observing your breathing, without forcing it in any direction or way. Do a 3-3 pranayama, also known as So-Ham, followed by a 4-8 pranayama. Returning to regular breathing formulate your wishes for this yoga sequence.

I would like to direct you now to a web site which, along with beautiful photos, put together a lovely detox yoga sequence. Do this at your own pace, stay in the poses for as long as you can. Watch your breathe: once it becomes forced you leave yoga and enter effort so that is the moment to release out of the pose.
http://www.doyouyoga.com/8-yoga-poses-to-detox-your-way-to-a-fabulous-new-year/

* * * At the end of this sequence come back into a comfortable seated position, close your eyes one more time and reflect on this sequence: which aspect did you enjoy? Which postures helped you relax? Which postures made you feel positive? Take this into your daily life, this realization. Now turn your focus on the wishes you had formulated at the beginning of this sequence and reflect on them. Slowly open your eyes and find yourself back in the here and now.

namasté

and  may peace be with you