EXTRA - yoga & vegan cooking weekend

For the last time before the summer, the weekend of 1. - 3. July, we held a yoga & vegan cooking weekend, with wonderful participants from Chicago! The lavender fields were in full bloom as was the sunflower field behind La Vudèle, and we enjoyed taking our yoga practice outdoors surrounded by this beautiful scent! During this retreat we explored and created vegan Provencal dishes using the freshest seasonal ingredients, the first tomato of the season, and enjoyed our dinners al fresco under the blue sky of Provence!

 A holistic time, where our participants took care of themselves from the inside, through
* mindful yoga practice
* delicious organic vegan food
* followed their personal yoga & meditation practice
* had time to explore the area
* and time to enjoy an in-depth practice, yoga philosophy, spirituality. The focus was not only on various asanas but on advancing on the path of yoga

goodie bag with apron, cook book, salt, eye mask and yoga tea

Equipped with the Yoga & Nature goodie bag which is filled with
* yoga & nature apron
* yoga & nature cookbook
* yoga & nature herbes de Provence salt
* eye mask
* herbal yoga tea
all presented in a typical Provencal basket
we set off on our vegan cooking journey Saturday afternoon. In the morning we had visited the fantastic farmers' market in Riez to purchase organic fresh produce, from carrots to onions, yellow and green zucchini to the first tomato of the season!

making chocolate tofu mousse

The recipe for this delicious dessert can be found in our yoga & nature cookbook which is also available in our boutique

grilled caviar d'aubergine

tips & tricks from Claudia for Anastasia

chopping away for the "hussimussi"

The menu consisted of
* gratte ail or grated garlic, with our own organic olive oil and fresh baguette

* caviar d'aubergine

* grilled tofu with couscous and vegetable medley

* chocolate mint ice cream (the recipe)

* lavender custard (the recipe )
accompanied by local wine of Quinson and a game of table foosball

It was a lovely experience to be cooking with Tracey and Anastasia who added their own ideas and experiences, and the resulting meal - prepared with love - was simply divine! As we were seated outdoors next to the field of sunflowers the sun was setting, casting a lovely gentle light over the field: a perfect setting!

For our yoga practice early in the morning and in the afternoon we searched and found shade behind La Vudèle, surrounded by sunflowers, vines and of course lavender!

relaxing afternoon Yin yoga practice

final meditation in reclined butterfly pose

Upon their departure Tracey and Anastasia added their personal well-wishes to our line of Tibetan prayer flags, leaving a piece of personal memory at La Vudèle

our guests Tracey & Anastasia

Thank you so much, you two, for having chosen Yoga & Nature in Quinson for your mother/daughter weekend! It was truly a pleasure and honor to meet you two beautiful people and share this time with you! May your onward journey around France this summer be as colorful and delightful. Namasté.

And our next and final date for 2016 will be the third weekend in September:

Friday, 16. - Sunday, 18. September 2016

We already have one confirmed reservation so there are now only 4 spots left! On our web site is more information regarding a tentative schedule, photos, prices or email us 

Hope to see you here

in late summer!

EXTRA - gift certificate

If you would to give a special gift to your loved one, a vegetarian or vegan friend, someone looking for natural cosmetics or somebody who would appreciate a stay in  our B&B at La Vudèle why not give a gift certificate!

Why not give:

* a stay in our organic vegetarian/vegan bed & breakfast € 85/night including our signature copious vegetarian breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread

* table d'hôtes our 3-course organic vegetarian/vegan dinner for € 25 pp including beverages (can be combined with a stay in our B&B)

* yoga retreat: a weekend, yoga & cooking weekend or 6-day retreat

* organic cosmetics products produced at La Vudèle: C'etrange Fine Natural Products, never tested on animals, free of perfume, parabens, coloring and chemicals

This gift certificate or cheque cadeau in French can be issued for any value and is shipped free of charge in a classy envelope of frosted paper anywhere in the world or by email as a printable PDF so you can hand it to your friend, spouse, partner any way you prefer. To purchase or enquire contact us

Happy gift giving!

 

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 - 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 

RECIPES - delicious grilled tofu dinner

grilled tofu with its typical marks

At our organic vegetarian (and most of the time vegan) dinner table or table d'hôtes" we serve seasonal regional dishes with local produce and products, something we are very proud of and enjoy offering to our guests from allover the world.

Because exploring the many facets of vegetarianism (and more and more veganism) is so important to us we like preparing meals either with a twist and/or with ingredients most people have heard of but either never tried or never managed to create in their own kitchen. Enter tofu!

How many times we have heard that our guests had either tried making tofu themselves at home but didn't like it or had not tried it before for fear of its possible bland taste. And how many times did we hear, during or after the dinner, that they had never thought tofu could taste this good!

grilled tofu with couscous and seasonal vegetables

It all starts with the best ingredients, and in this case with the best tofu. Fresh is best. And because we are located away from shops and conurbation we prefer to source regionally as well. We found organic tofu at our favorite organic store in Manosque, La Nature et Vous, a truly local store run by Agnes and her very friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable staff of 5, from the local producer Tossolia in upper Provence, near Sault, about 1 hour from Manosque. This is the only kind - fresh tofu from the cooler section - which tastes nice, absorbs the flavors of a marinade, and can pass as tofu.

Here is the recipe for grilled tofu as served under the mulberry tree at La Vudèle or in our cozy farmhouse kitchen, always prepared on our rustic gas stove using a Le Creusset cast-iron grill pan:

1. drain the tofu thoroughly for at least half an hour
2. cut the tofu in even slices, to ensure even cooking
3. blend a marinade with organic toasted sesame oil, organic grapeseed oil and some organic soy sauce
4. coat tofu with the marinade and allow to infuse for at least 4 hours
5. frequently reapply marinade to ensure even coating
6. heat the grill pan and apply an even layer of organic grapeseed oil
7. once oil is hot place your tofu slices on the pan and cook on each side for at least 5 minutes 

The slices will come out with the typical grill marks sans the toxic aspects of a charcoal BBQ
Serve with freshly steamed couscous infused with fennel seeds, garnished with fresh mint

Sautée sliced onions and garlic, add fresh spinach or Swiss chard
Sprinkle freshly ground linseed for Omega-3 over the couscous

Prepare a sauce of homemade organic peanut butter, organic oat milk, organic sesame oil, a splash of your favorite red wine, rice vinegar, agave syrup and freshly sliced ginger

One of our guests wrote in our guest book: "thanks for the best tofu ever". Thank you Michal from Gdansk!

And please, you all, let us know how you go on with your own tofu cooking experience back home!

Wishing you bon appetit!

 

 

life on a farm - WWOFing in the Drome Provencal

How to spend a week in the hot Provence summer

or
WWOOFing on a goats farm

The second week of August - a very hot time of year in the Var - we set off to the Drome Provencal, somewhere one hour's drive from the nearest exit of the autoroute (Loriol), in search for cooler temperatures and an interesting experience of helping out at a farm. Through WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) we had come across a small biological farm which produces its own vegetables and goats cheese! La Ferme du Pescher is nestled in the middle of a long valley, a 5 km drive on a forest road.

We were welcomed by Florence, who along with her husband Olivier (Olaf), are the founders of this assocation, which includes Florence as the cheese maker, Olaf the goat farmer, Olivier and Dany, the vegetable farmers and Nicolas, the future chicken farmer.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jim.stalknecht/FermeDuPescher?authkey=Gv1sRgCNqGzuSN76fBdA&feat=directlink

So we spent a week helping the different agriculteurs with their daily chores: gathering tomatoes, courgettes, green peppers, cantaloupes (yummy!), carrots and whatever was in season, to be sold at markets or at a small co-op store near Montelimar.



Jim helped out at the fromagerie and after 3 days was given the full responsibility, to make the cheeses in the morning and turn in the evening, so that they would be ready the following day.








Claudia worked every morning with one of the two vegetable farmers in gathering food for the various outlets, like farmer's market or shop.

The way it works is that we got free lodging in a big caravan, away from the other guests who pay to stay in yurtes, tipis or chalets; we also got free food which meant that we would go off with our little basket and search the fields for ingredients for delicious meals, fresh from the garden! What a delight, to be able to make ratatouille the way it was intended to be. A green salad with tomatoes, garlic and onions, straight from Mother Earth. To eat goats cheese fresh from the fromagerie.


It was a wonderful experience, to be able to help on such a small farm, to be included in the daily life and find out about people's motivation to live such a life style: away from the stress of most people's everyday lifes, to live by the moon calendar as much as possible and treat the world kindly, to learn from the experiences of others and to meet people who are willing to share them with you.

Back in the Provence we look back onto this week with a smile on our face!

Claudia & Jim