Walnut Tart
Quercynoise Tarte aux Noix
If you happen to be in the Quercy in late autumn, after the vendage but before the cold weather sets in, this is the recipe you will need. There are many, many versions of Tarte aux Noix, and this is my tried and regularly tested favourite!
The countryside abounds with walnut groves. Wherever you can’t put a vineyard, you can be sure you’ll find walnuts. In late October and November the markets are groaning with them in every conceivable state of preparation.
Of course there are quite a few trees in the wild now and you can always do as the locals do, take a bag and gather a kilo or two yourself. Either way this is a gorgeous way to use them.
Serves 10- 12
Ingredients Read More »
Carrot and Walnut Cake
Gâteau Eleanor
This isn’t really a regional recipe, it’s my own.
However there’s a good reason for the name.
The black walnut is ubiquitous in this area and was supposedly introduced to England – and widely planted in the Quercy – by that most adventurous of Queens, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
She was born in this area in 1122 and must rank as one of the most forward thinking ladies of her time, a suffragette eight hundred years before the Pankhursts.
I named this cake in her honour.
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Mincemeat Tart
Ideal for Christmas Mince Pies
Crumbly Orange Pastry for Mince PiesIf you’ve gone to the trouble of making your own mincemeat, you don’t want to let the side down by buying the pastry do you?
The secret of a good short, pastry is to use a little more butter than you normally would – not too much or your mince pies will disintegrate. For Christmas I use orange juice to bind the dough, making the perfect partner for Quercy Mincemeat. I’ve been making this recipe for years and I commend it to you. Read More »
