When in Aix

Situated in the south of France and once home to the post-impressionist revolutionary, Paul Cezanne, Aix en Provence may well have been my favourite van trip destination. If not for the endless supply of farm fresh chevre, for the patisserie windows filled with perfectly iced calisson, unmistakable aroma of Herbes de Provence, and boutique-lined cobblestone passageways. The city breathed a welcoming, South-of-Paris hospitality -  from the owners of Arc-en-Ciel camping ground, to the retail assistant who made phone enquiries regarding a fine we had received on the toll road. Our visit also marked the occasion of a baker insisting that I have an oven-fresh baguette, instead of her day-old display stock. As though it happened yesterday, I can still see her wiping a few strands of greying hair from her sweating brow, giving me a cheeky smile and cocking her head toward the oven. Although we didnt speak the same language, words weren't required to highlight the importance of a fresh baguette. Yes, in Aix, generosity is everywhere. But perhaps the most notable act, was that of Anna, a road-side greengrocer assistant.

Kane and I met Anna on our first evening in Aix. I had wanted to try out a couple of dishes inspired by Elizabeth David's French Country Cooking. After collecting a few bits and bobs, we paid. Anna was astounded. For some reason, she was under the impression that the few items we had bought, would be the only and entire contents of our evening meal. We tried to convince her otherwise but she seemed dubious. After a lengthy discussion about where we had travelled from, she asked, "Do you like chevre? It comes fresh from a farmer four kilometres away, every single day".  We both responded that we liked chevre very much. Without further ado, she wrapped two rounds (one natural and one coated in ground black pepper), in waxed paper. The cheese was unpriced. When we asked how much, she insisted that we take it as a 'gift'. I couldn't have been more delighted! How kind of her!

That night we enjoyed a camping feast fit for kings! We started with the chevre and fresh baguette. The goats cheese was gorgeous and creamy. Being in a whole league of its own, it would be rude to compare it to any that I have eaten before. We then went on to enjoy whole baby endives, stripped of their outer leaves to avoid bitterness and sautéed in salted butter. This was followed by a simple dish of poached button mushrooms in fresh, thickened cream. Whilst preparing the dish, I could hear Elizabeth David's voice in my head - "To have anything else with them, would be absurd!" As a main course, we prepared a soul-warming tomato soup enhanced with a vegetable and chicken stock, seasoned with fennel, thyme and bay, and heartied-up with half a cup of rice (added 15 mins prior to the intended serving time). It is the perfect dish for a couple of campers working from a teeny-tiny camping stove, with only one pot! What a memorable Autumn evening. There we sat, cupping our bowls of soup in both hands, to generate extra warmth, occasionally moving one hand to pick up our glass of local red. When we had finished our soup, we used up the last of the baguette to mop up the juices.

The following evening, we returned to buy some more fresh fruit and veg. We told Anna how much we enjoyed the chevre and that this time, we would actually buy a round! Again, she refused - this time, wrapping three rounds of goats cheese in waxed paper, insisting that we needed one of each variety! That evening, we were spoilt for choice, with the addition of chevre heavily coated in dried Provencal herbs (Anna's favourite).  The following morning, we  left Aix. To thank Anna her for her kindness, we stopped by the greengrocer, with a bottle of wine in hand. Our new friend wasn't in, so we left it with her boss. Without stipulating who we were, or what we were grateful for, we asked him to pass on a 'thank you'. I'm sure that Anna would have known.

Since our time in Aix, we have been eating young chevre as if  it's going out of fashion (sadly, nothing compares!) About two-three weeks ago, Kane and I went out for dinner and although I'm unable to recall the restaurant's name, I am able to recall what was an ingenious entrée! Pan fried soft goats cheese, served on brioche, with caramelised onion and a side of tomato and ginger relish. It was nothing less than ridiculously incredibe. The following day I couldn't stop thinking about it, so decided to use up the tomatoes in my fridge and embark on an experiment of re-creation. Here is what I came up with:

Tomato & Ginger Relish


Ingredients:
Small dash of extra virgin olive oil for cooking
4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes chopped into quarters (the riper the better)
1 tbs sugar
1/4 large onion finely diced
1.5-2cm of a ginger knob (finely grated)
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 cloves
Splash of port (be generous, if you must!)
1 tsp sweet balsamic glaze (I used an aged fig variety)

Method

In a small saucepan, cook onion and ginger over a low-medium heat in olive oil until fragrant and onion is soft with transparent quality.  Add tomato and sugar and stir frequently until sugar has dissolved. Turn up heat slightly and add generous splash of port - let it bubble away so that the alcohol can sizzle off. Add all remaining ingredients and turn down to low. Allow to simmer gently, stirring every now-and-again to break up the tomatoes, until your relish has reduced to a lovely jam consistency. At this point, you must fish around for those cloves and whip them right out! (An appetizer quickly becomes UN-appetizing when one of your guests crunches on a clove!)

Refrigerate before serving as a side to a whole round of fried goats cheese on thick slice of fresh crusty bread, or even better, brioche. NB: Prepare your goats cheese by quickly pan frying over high heat in a  non-stick pan on both sides until golden.

Keep any left over relish sealed in the fridge... no doubt you will be craving it the following evening and will be thankful that you didn't wash it down the sink!!