So why did I give my blog this name? The area of the Tarn we are in is duck country, and I mean gastronomically. If you come here and you are not averse to doing so, you will eat duck — both in forms you recognise and in forms you may not. There’s the classic magret de canard, and (duck) foie gras, duck confit, cassoulet with duck, and then there’s duck fat. Duck fat makes the best roast potatoes, fries, and beignets; it also cooks green beans, mushrooms, garlic, peppers, and many other vegetables that the unsuspecting vegetarian might select. And I can attest to the fact that there is nothing like slices of potato fried in duck fat (the real “French Fries”). After more than 50 years without animal products I regret to note that I have been that unsuspecting vegetarian more than once.
So hold the duck fat please.
To pun a little, if you find yourself helping someone to cook magret, you might also be asked to hold the duck fat container as the rendered duck fat is being ladled from the pan for use at a later stage. You can read a summary of this local cuisine in the France Adventurer blog. There is a popular cook book called Goose Fat and Garlic, which gets at the other product of the area: garlic. And I will talk about *that* in the future.
Because this blog is about being vegetarian in the Tarn and the amazing flavour and versatility of hyper-fresh, locally produced vegetables, I will get excited about Bintje potatoes when I first see them on the market (the best potato soup), salivate over winter squash, and celebrate salad. Then there is cheese. And bread. And endless tarts, casseroles, cold and hot soups, and seasonal delights. And truffles….
. . . just hold the duck fat
By the way, this picture is not staged. I use this fabulous African basket to transport food to my mother-in-law’s house (it will hold a big soup pot with a quiche balanced on top and bread around the edges). On this day, I was taking bread, cheese, wine, and apple juice to go with the salad and fruit she prepared for our lunch. I put the basket down to pet the cat and realized I needed a picture. And there you have the reason I had to make a blog instead of just throwing these pictures onto Instagram.
