Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Octobre 2015

October 2015

Early morning out the back door, pinkish sun rise and fog
in the distance


This month started slow. It rained, and rained those first few days and fall crept in slowly.

I did go out on a sunny Sunday ( yes the sun came out) to take some photos of the vines that were changing in color. So here are a few photos of fall in Gevrey.






Maybe we do not have many maple trees, but we still have color.


Clos Saint Jacques, from the top

Chateau - vines not very colored yet

Looking down on Gevrey -vines of gold
All the gold in the photo are vines

cClos Saint Jacques from the bottom

Vines on D31 west of Gevrey

Golden vines with chateau in the bacground

With the small photo the gold and reds are not as
stunning as in person

From the church yard looking towards the Combe Lavaux

On the third of the month, the history association took a tour of the old mill near Messanges.The first mill was  started in 1256. The building we toured was built at a  later period. This current mill closed in 1983.If you read french ,there is more informations on the web at www.moulinchevalier.fr
And a few photos.
Croix de Chevalier at the Moulin

 I liked the window, so I took this photo

the gears for the mill stone in the basement

This is the second mill from around 1500

Mill stone

Then on the 9th we took a long weekend in Florence Italy. There  was a slight problem as we started our trip. We went to the train station in Gevrey and planned to take the train to Beaune. Then arriving in Beaune, standing on the same platform, 8 minutes later the train going to Lyon stops and we would hop on and be on our way to Lyon. From the Lyon train station, there is a tram that goes to the airport.
So what happened?
First the train board listed the train  on time, then  it changed to 5 minutes late. A train signal just north of Gevrey was not working. So 30 minutes later, the trains were sent in reverse order, and the train for Lyon flew by, and we were still in Gevrey. Yikes what now! My husband was muttering those 4 letter words!! We returned home, got into our car and headed to the Lyon airport. Keith drove and continued to mutter away for the first 50km.
We arrived in plenty of time for the plane, life was good.
Now to move onto our visit in Florence.
Some of the buildings are interesting, and the detail is stunning. I do not think that a photo captures it all, but of course I added a couple below anyway. Although going early to the Academy, the line to see Michelangelo's David was long and it took 2 hours to get in. Seeing the real David, I can now cross that off my list.
In the afternoon we went to the Uffizi museum  (only 30 minutes in line). That was superb. To see the Annunciation by DeVinci so close up, I noticed details that I had not seen before. Then onto the Botticelli works, especially Spring (or Primavera), this was the cherry on the cake,so to say.
One afternoon we decided to split up and I went my way with my cameras and Keith found a bike rental.
I have to say I was very surprised that the Pont Vecchio, all the shops were selling expensive jewelry, and lots of diamonds on display.
Overall the city did not make my list of top ten cities I love. Even in October, it was very very crowded. But to have seen what we did was amazing, so absolutely no regrets.
Of course here are a few photos.
Duomo...beautiful buildings or buildings
It rained the first day 

David

Pont Vecchio

Santa Maria Novella piazza 

looking down the Arno river

Arno river
Cheese...
Gelato shops everywhere and the displays!
Mountains of gelato.

I took a quick trip to Nebraska to help with some packing. My father in law is moving from Nebraska to the Detroit area. Took a couple of photos, but do not have a way to take them off the memory card.Oh well!


can't you just smell it!!!
Recipe of the Month

I think I posted this recipe a long time ago. But it is fall and apple season and this is a great recipe. Made this about a week ago. Dinner was squash soup and pie for dessert. A fall dinner.
Below is a recipe for pastry and for the apple filling.



Apple Filling
Ingredients:

  • 9 Canadian gris apples
  • 4+ Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 4+ Tbsp. Sugar
  • 3 Packets Sucre Vanille des Iles (vaille sucre)
Preparation:
  1. Peel, and slice apples into 1/8" slices
  2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in small saucepan over low heat.
  3. Add half of the sliced apples to the saucepan, and sprinkle 1 packet of Sucre Vanille over apples.
  4. Cook, covered, until you have a smooth compote (apple sauce).
  5. Spread the compote evenly over the base of the pastry.
  6. Arrange the slices to completely cover the pastry (see photo…… first we taste with our eyes!)
  7. Sprinkle 2 packets of Sucre Vanille, and 2+ Tbsp of Sucre over the apples
  8. Divide beurre into small morsels and arrange over the tarte
Cook:
In a preheated 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Watch until the top is golden brown.


 Brisee Pastry Crust: (buy or go for it  and make the crust too )

Ingredients:
  • 250 g. Flour
  • 125 g. Beurre non-salee (unsalted butter)
  • 1/8 tsp. Sel (salt)
  • 1 Tbsp. Sugar 
  • 1.5 Tbsp. Huile Tournesol (sunflower oil)
  • 1 7.5g Packet Sucre Vanille des Iles(vanilla flavored sugar)
Preparation:

NOTE: Best, is to refrigerate dough 12 hours before rolling, but OK without 12 hours, try at least 30 minutes 




  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl except water
  2. Mix with hands, until uniform "crumbly" consistency
  3. Slowly add small amount of water (4-5 Tbsp), and mix well until it forms into ball
  4. Roll out dough using flour if becomes sticky.When dough is desired thickness,loosely roll it around the rolling pin, and lay over tarte pan.
  5. Press dough into pan, and trim pan edges.
  6. Sprinkle 1 7.5 gr packet of Sucre Vanille des Iles over the pastry