What's Cooking?

Autumn

 Our family of  pumpkins (potimarrons) - make into soups with ginger and nutmeg

 Mushrooms from the market (cèpes and girolles)

Haricots cocos de Paimpol - this sounds lovely in French, like the coo-ing of turtle doves.  Unprepossessing from the outside, shelled to reveal pearls, boil vigorously for one hour and serve with strong tomato sauce, only available for three weeks in late September.

Figs and walnuts, fig and walnut bread.

By the river

B by the river, taken with his camera

 Me by the same river...

 ...where B took wonderful pictures in the sunset

The Suffering of Trees

In France trees are not left to grow to their full shape but are continually stumpified and uglified.

However, this tree, probably a walnut, has suffered more than most even by French standards.    Each time I go past it, just when I think it has been pruned into oblivion, it has been pruned again.  Why?   A figure has emerged from this tortured tree, a face, arms, a defiance, a statement of its spirit.