Charlotte d'Asperges

The classic French dessert called Charlotte Russe is an elegant mold of
ladyfingers, filled with flavored cream and fruits. Nowadays a "Charlotte" referred more to a shape than a taste since you will find even salted version, with vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, etc...

CHARLOTTE ASPERGES

serving : 2

Ingrédients :

16 green asparagus tips + 2 (for plate)
100g de fresh cheese (Goat, ricotta, etc)

1 Tablespoon (TS) whipping cream
1 TS chive
1 TS aromatic fres herbs
Some charms (beans)
olive oil

Salt and pepper

Plunge 16 asparagus tips into a pan of well salted boiling water (adapt the number of asparaguses according to the size of your inox circles). After two minutes, release them and plunge them immediately into cold water and ice cubes to stop the heat (cooking) and to  to keep their beautiful green colour.
Drain them and reserve them.

Work the soft white cheese with a tablespoon of whipping cream to smooth and aerate it.

Slice thinly the chive, chisel herbs. Add to the soft white cheese with salt and pepper, olive oil and  mix.
Cut asparagus tips so that they have the height of the used circles + 1cm. Dice the remaining asparagus and add them to the soft white cheese.

Cut asparagus tips lengthwise, and arrange them all around the inside of the circle, left cut against the circle.

Fill up  the inside of the circle of soft white cheese in herbs. Keep refrigerated
Set the charlottes on plates, add charms onto the top of the cheese

Remove carefully the circle.

Drizzle some olive oil around and decorate the plate with 2 remaing raw asparagus (cut with mandoline) and some charms .

BON APPETIT !
Come and try more appetizer at our B&B - Jardin de Bacchus - Tavel - www.jardindebacchus.fr
Details of our cooking and wine stay at www.provence-escapade.fr 

Spring, ambiance and recipes...

Juicy green.... yes this is exactly the colour of spring here.
In Jardin de Bacchus, my bed and breakfast in Tavel, village of the first rosé wine in France, the wines start to have their green "dress". They wrap around nicely my wooden deck, and I just love it.



Merci  à Véronique de Belgique
pour ces belles photos du Jardin de Bacchus

To stay with the same colour scheme, do not miss my next post with a juicy green recipe based on Asparagus..

"The way to the heart is through the belly."

The aim of this blog is to give a quick look at what makes Provence so special, from our way of  life to my favourite recipes.

Prior to be an expatriate I did not realize how fortunate I have been growing up in this part of  France. Moving back to Europ I would never have another idea than coming back "home", and for me, home is Provence.

Provence is like this blog would like to be, an addiction to Easy, Tasty and ...Frenchy !

From Jardin de Bacchus, my Bed and Breakfast in Tavel, near to Avignon the ancient pope's residence,  I will post every now and then a glance of what make me still love this land with all its contrasts. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I will put my heart into trying to write about my Provencal perception of the moment, I will present new recipes,because there is nothing more representative of the way the French think than the saying : "The way to the heart is through the belly."


Crunchy black chocolate hearts

 I wish you some sweet moments, but spicy enought, to make them special while reading this blog. Thanks a lot for sharing my passion of my easy-going but nevertheless tasty Provencal French life.

I apologize for using the language of Shakespeare my way... with my Frrrrench accent and other "interesting" twists, that you are already starting to discover.

Christine