May is strawberry time in the Dordogne which prides itself on
producing the first, and best, strawberries in all of France. Sadly
the May weather has not been at all propitious for this delicious
fruit, temperatures way below seasonal averages – or at least below
memories of temperatures in previous months of May.
The earliest strawberry is usually the 'Gariguette' a long, narrow
pointy fruit which is supposed to have the best flavour. This is
then followed by the 'Clery' which is larger and rounder. In fact,
I think the strawberries have been getting larger over the past few
years to the detriment of their flavour. I would serve individual
bowls of, say, Gariguettes, with cream and sugar – to be eaten with
a teaspoon. Now I find I am having to slice the fruit to get it on
the teaspoon!
So different from the little wild strawberries in the woods, rarer
and rarer.
Shortly after having purchased La Chaise, and 'sold' a number of
large oak trees to the local saw mill, we had a mega harvest of wild
strawberries. The little plants profited from the sudden light. JP
picked 4 kg – yes, four kilos – which we ate with four friends in
one greedy evening. We have never had so many since.
At the moment the strawberries cost about 3.50€ for a barquette of
250 grammes and greed makes one forget the price. For the moment,
only quality fruit is on offer but very soon certain quantities of
sub-standard fruits will be offered pour la confiture.
Making strawberry jam is not easy as the fruit tends to collapse
when cooked, has virtually no pectine to help it to 'jell' so many
lemons, or sugars with added pectine, have to be used. But it does
look so pretty in its pots....
However, the genuinely providential
Dordogne housewife, the one who despises most commerรงants,
is busy making her own aperitif liqueurs, namely
vin de noyer, vin de pecher, vin de cerisier, depending
on which is the favourite in her household. These have to be made in
the month of May with the very young leaves of the relevant trees.
The walnut leaves must be barely unfurled, the peach leaves picked
before the 'cloque'
has attacked them, and the cherry leaves before the green fruits are
visible.
The recipe is the same in each
case: first acquire some decent, farm made – most likely
illegally distilled – eau de vie
that is at least 40 degrees proof. Then a collection of 1.5 litre
bottles, shape and colour indifferent. Another collection of 75 cl
bottles of attractive shape and dark colour. Into the first put a
good handful of washed, dried, leaves, a wine glass of white crystal
sugar and a wine glass of eau de vie.
Add a bottle of good red Bergerac from your cellar. Put in a dark
place and wait. After about a week – you must wait at least that
long – filter the resulting mixture and bottle in the interesting
bottles. Cork and put away until the summer.
I insist, leave it to mature until
the first summer visitors. Then you can produce it, in sherry like
quantities and glasses, murmuring - a little something I
made myself. Guests will be
very impressed, fall over with appreciation – or the
alcohol content of your home made
drink.
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