Merci beaucoup à Bruno, Mélanie et Valentin pour leur patience (eh oui je suis pas encore une parfaite fermière) et leur gentillesse. A bientot !!! Fanny

If you’ve ever read my blog, you might know i’m studying agronomic sciences in Toulouse. And as a first year student i must do a training period in a farm.
So i did. I went to a farm located near the lovely town of Tourrettes sur Loup in the Cote d’Azur. The farmer, Bruno (which is also a fabulous poet), breeds Alpine goats. I spent 2 weeks there a fortnight ago and had a great time : i milked the goats, made the cheese, tried to place ALL the goats in a meadow; but what i loved most was cuddling the babies (as i called them but basically they were 6 to 8 months old) and especially the little Arwen - who’s a bit ill (she can’t walk properly and is a bit slow).

So, how to make soft goat cheese?

1. Milk the goat and put the milk in a basin. Add 1ml rennet for 1l milk and yeasts and leave to stand overnight.
The next morning you’ll get : curd and whey :
2. Fill the mould with the curd.
The following afternoon, turn the “cheeses” upside-down and add a pinch of salt over each cheese.
3. The next morning, unmould the cheese and salt the other side. The cheese is now ready to be eaten… Bon Appétit !

But at Bruno’s you can also have lots of different cheeses : pesto cheese, tapenade cheese, tomme (hard pressed cheese), buchette, pepper cheese…
If ever you visit the Cote d’Azur , please go to Bruno’s and you’ll be amazed how come you’d never tasted such fine goat cheese.
Here is his website : www.chevredescourmettes.com for further information and access map.

Last wednestday night, i took off for London for my boyfriend 21st birthday. To celebrate his birthday, we went to Fifteen the famous Jamie Oliver’s restaurant. I am a big Jamie’s fan and was so excited with going there.
We waited for a table at the nice bar - from where you can see the Trattoria’s kitchen. The Trattoria is located on the ground floor and provides some good Italian food : antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci.
When our table was ready, we went down stairs, where the light is lower. We seated and were given the “tasting menus” :
- dressed olives!
Those are big, meaty and very tasty olives served with a delicious foccacia and very strong olive oil. - To get you started
Pickled red mullet with capers
Bresaola with rocket and horseradish crème fraiche
These two “starters” were served in big china spoons. I deeply loved the red mullet. I definitely have to try this combo at home : red mullet, capers and coriander. Simply delicious.
The bresaola was as delicious but more classic, though the presentation gave a little twist on it.
- Jamie’s fantastic salad
Of prosciutto di San Danielle with beautiful buffalo mozzarella, mint, gerden leaves, aged 12 year old Belazu basalmic and Selvapiana olive oil
This dish was astonishing. I love the buffalo mozzarella with the mint leaves - a great and unsual combination. The prosiutto was delicious. What’s more to say : IT WAS FANTASTIC…
- Ravioli
Of pumpkin, chestnuts, wild mushrooms and parmesan in a sage butter
(you could also choose the lightest potato gnocchi with slow cooked venison ragù orange-romary gremolata and pecorino)
I loved (again) those ravioli, the pumpkin was still holding it’s shap -giving the ravioli a nice bite-, the chestnut brougt creaminess and the mushrooms had a ravishing scent.
- Char-grilled wild line caught west Mersea sea bass
With mashed Jerusalem artichokes, purple sprouting brocoli, Italian parsley ans salsa rossa piccante
(you could also have a pan-fried loin of Welsh lamb from Elwy Valley with Scorzonera “alla romana” and warm ratte potatoes, red onion and spinach salad finished with a pistachio-anchovy dressing)
I think the sea bass was delicious with the spicy tomato-ish sauce and the Jerusalem artichokes. The brocoli were nice to - very crunchy (which is unusual but satisfaying to a French mouth).
- Formaggio
St James (Somerset, England)
Washed rind sheep’s milk - unpasteurised cheese with a rich creamy, curdy texture
The cheese (which was fabulous) was served with a kind of grilled tortilla from Tuscany, the best dattes i ever had and a great pickle made with i don’t know what + sultanas.
- Dolci
Tiramisu with clementines, crushed hazelnut and biscotti
I was surprised how tiramisu is good along with clementines. Though it’s sad the clementines’ skin was a bit to thick. But the whole thing was just as good as all the menu.

To accompany this tasting menu, we had a great red wine from Italy (2001). I can’t remember the name, but it was very good.

At least, we were almost the last to leave the restaurant and my father-in-law-to-be Peter and i were having a look at Jamie’s last book “Jamie’s Italy”. Then when i went back from the bathroom, i found him chatting with the waitress and see if it was possible to get a copy of “Jamie’s Italy” signed “for Fanny”. Now i know what i’m gonna get for Xmas!!!!

Then we went back to our hotel by cab and i had the most exciting city tour : we passed by the Thames where we sam the OXO building, the London Eye, Big Ben, the House of Parliament and the we headed towards Buckingam Palace. It was so beautiful.

Thank you so much Peter and Sheena for that amazing night. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID !!!
Love
Fanny

Last wednestday night, i took off for London for my boyfriend 21st birthday. To celebrate his birthday, we went to Fifteen the famous Jamie Oliver’s restaurant. I am a big Jamie’s fan and was so excited with going there.
We waited for a table at the nice bar - from where you can see the Trattoria’s kitchen. The Trattoria is located on the ground floor and provides some good Italian food : antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci.
When our table was ready, we went down stairs, where the light is lower. We seated and were given the “tasting menus” :
- dressed olives!
Those are big, meaty and very tasty olives served with a delicious foccacia and very strong olive oil. - To get you started
Pickled red mullet with capers
Bresaola with rocket and horseradish crème fraiche
These two “starters” were served in big china spoons. I deeply loved the red mullet. I definitely have to try this combo at home : red mullet, capers and coriander. Simply delicious.
The bresaola was as delicious but more classic, though the presentation gave a little twist on it.
- Jamie’s fantastic salad
Of prosciutto di San Danielle with beautiful buffalo mozzarella, mint, gerden leaves, aged 12 year old Belazu basalmic and Selvapiana olive oil
This dish was astonishing. I love the buffalo mozzarella with the mint leaves - a great and unsual combination. The prosiutto was delicious. What’s more to say : IT WAS FANTASTIC…
- Ravioli
Of pumpkin, chestnuts, wild mushrooms and parmesan in a sage butter
(you could also choose the lightest potato gnocchi with slow cooked venison ragù orange-romary gremolata and pecorino)
I loved (again) those ravioli, the pumpkin was still holding it’s shap -giving the ravioli a nice bite-, the chestnut brougt creaminess and the mushrooms had a ravishing scent.
- Char-grilled wild line caught west Mersea sea bass
With mashed Jerusalem artichokes, purple sprouting brocoli, Italian parsley ans salsa rossa piccante
(you could also have a pan-fried loin of Welsh lamb from Elwy Valley with Scorzonera “alla romana” and warm ratte potatoes, red onion and spinach salad finished with a pistachio-anchovy dressing)
I think the sea bass was delicious with the spicy tomato-ish sauce and the Jerusalem artichokes. The brocoli were nice to - very crunchy (which is unusual but satisfaying to a French mouth).
- Formaggio
St James (Somerset, England)
Washed rind sheep’s milk - unpasteurised cheese with a rich creamy, curdy texture
The cheese (which was fabulous) was served with a kind of grilled tortilla from Tuscany, the best dattes i ever had and a great pickle made with i don’t know what + sultanas.
- Dolci
Tiramisu with clementines, crushed hazelnut and biscotti
I was surprised how tiramisu is good along with clementines. Though it’s sad the clementines’ skin was a bit to thick. But the whole thing was just as good as all the menu.

To accompany this tasting menu, we had a great red wine from Italy (2001). I can’t remember the name, but it was very good.

At least, we were almost the last to leave the restaurant and my father-in-law-to-be Peter and i were having a look at Jamie’s last book “Jamie’s Italy”. Then when i went back from the bathroom, i found him chatting with the waitress and see if it was possible to get a copy of “Jamie’s Italy” signed “for Fanny”. Now i know what i’m gonna get for Xmas!!!!

Then we went back to our hotel by cab and i had the most exciting city tour : we passed by the Thames where we sam the OXO building, the London Eye, Big Ben, the House of Parliament and the we headed towards Buckingam Palace. It was so beautiful.

Thank you so much Peter and Sheena for that amazing night. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID !!!
Love
Fanny