So we got ourselves a sweet Renault Picasso, which I have to believe is the PT Cruiser of France. Not stylish in the least. But we enjoyed the new luxury of being able to leave our un-necessary items in the car instead of packing our hotel rooms. And we also enjoyed having a ready-to-go picnic in the back seat. Good sweet JESUS the French know how to picnic. Good bread, good cheese, a ripe piece or two of fruit, a selection of cured meats, some assorted olives (anchovy stuffed goodness), and once in a while a bottle of Rose. Happy travelers? Yes we were.
We have several great picnic memories. On the banks of Lake Geneva, high in the Italian Alps, on a public beach prior to checking into our swanky hotel in Cannes....all good. But the one that sticks out most in my mind was our last of the trip, on the day we made our way to Versailles and back to Paris to fly home. We saw a roadside sign for a "Parc Floral" and decided to make it our lunch stop. In keeping with some sort of really really good kismet/mojo/karma we were granted on this trip, it was gorgeous; one of the top places we'd seen. And we were there a good month past the garden's prime. Still amazing.
Setting up le pique-nique.
Carter relaxing while I was checking out the rose garden. They had these loungers all over. The picture would've been funnier had he been about three feet to the left. Yes, I've been living with
three boys for too long.
Ahh...this is what I pictured every dreary day this winter to lift my spirits. This and those olives.
Dahlia garden. Amazing.
We returned home with lightened spirits and a renewed wish to travel more. I personally returned home with a desire to have more picnics. And to make something resembling those splendid baguettes we bought in France. I had some pretty spectacular fails before I came across the King Arthur website. They brought in the concept of a starter that had to set overnight. It was different than all the other recipes I looked at or tried. And it was better. Original recipe here.
Baguettes
STARTER
1/2 cup cool water
1/16 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
1 cup Unbleached Bread Flour
DOUGH
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
all of the starter
3 1/2 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
Directions
1) Make the starter by mixing the yeast with the water (no need to do this if you're using instant yeast), then mixing in the flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours; overnight works well.
2) Mix yeast with the water, then combine with the starter, flour, and salt. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. Knead for about 5 minutes on speed 2 of a stand mixer.
3) Leave the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer or place in a lightly greased medium-size bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and then again after 2 hours.
4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into three equal pieces.
5) Shape each piece into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
6) Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again.
7) With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 15" log. Place the logs onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans.
8) Cover them with a cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise till they've become very puffy, about 1 1/2 hours.
9) Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F
10) Using a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make three 8" vertical slashes in each baguette. Spritz the baguettes heavily with warm water; this will help them develop a crisp crust.
11) Bake the baguettes until they're a very deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. Or, for the very crispiest baguettes, turn off the oven, crack it open about 2", and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven.
Yield: Three 16" baguettes.
Not so sure about this...
Feeling more sure.
Ooh la la Sassoon. Still not as good as the French, but I'm gaining. Now I just need
re-access to all that cheese.
Orange roses on my beautiful new tray (thanks Beanie and Puff!). The end.
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