Winey and Cheesy took the liberty to swipe a recipe from his cook book!

This crowd pleaser is sure to impress your friends and family at the dinner table tonight!

__________________________________________________________

Sweet Corn Velouté

With Chive Oil and Crabmeat

Ingredients:

• 4 Ears of Corn, shucked and taken off the Cob
• ½ Sweet Onion, small diced
• 3 Ribs of Celery, small diced
• 1 Idaho Potato, medium diced
• 3 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt and White Pepper, to taste
• 1 oz. Crabmeat, ¼ oz. per bowl
• 4 oz. Chives
• 3 oz. Canola or Pure Olive Oil

Directions:

• Sweat Onions and Celery for 5 minutes on low/medium heat
• Add Corn, sweat for 3 minutes
• Add chicken Stock and Potatoes
• Bring to simmer for 45 minutes.
• Puree in blender and strain though a fine mesh strainer
• Add Cream and season to taste

L’Auberge Provençale EARNS FODOR’S CHOICE 2010 DISTINCTION

FROM FODOR’S TRAVEL

White Post, Virginia – June 24, 2010 – L’Auberge Provençale has been recognized by Fodor’s Travel, the foremost name in travel publishing, as a 2010 Fodor’s Choice selection. This distinction represents a remarkable achievement and recognizes L’Auberge Provençale as a leader in its field for service, quality, and value in the 2010 year.

Since 1988, Fodor’s Travel has been awarding the Fodor’s Choice distinction to only the very best hotels, restaurants and attractions around the world. Every year, Fodor’s writers’ experience, examine and evaluate thousands of hotels, restaurants and attractions in their travels across the globe. While every business included in a Fodor’s guide is deemed worth a traveler’s time, only fifteen percent of those selections are awarded the very highest, Fodor’s Choice designation by Fodor’s editors.

“From hidden-away restaurants to can’t-miss museums, Fodor’s Choice selections recognize the top sights, properties, and experiences our editors and updaters have found in their travels,” says Fodor’s publisher Tim Jarrell. “These places are the best of the best, providing a remarkable experience in their price range or category.”

As a 2010 Fodor’s Choice recipient L’Auberge Provençale receives special recognition in the current Fodor’s guidebook to this region and on Fodors.com.

Assistant Innkeeper, Erin King stated “As always, we are thrilled to be among the selected few to receive the Fodor’s Choice award for 2010. Our adage at L’Auberge Provençale is that we’re a place where ‘expectations are quietly met.’ Our guest are cultivated, well traveled and count on a restful stay with exceptional service and quality. Receiving the Fodor’s Choice award is a wonderful way to be acknowledged for the effort and pride we take in our work.”

About L’Auberge Provençale:

L’Auberge Provençale in White Post, Virginia, just an hour from Washington D.C., is set amid lush gardens on the rolling pastures of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the heart of Virginia Hunt Country. L’Auberge Provençale presents the feeling of an exquisite, quintessential French Country Inn, instantly transporting you to the South of France. With 14 Guest rooms, each adorned with its own private baths, including six with wood burning fireplaces. Each premier guest room and elegant suite is tastefully and individually decorated with European and Victorian antiques that were hand selected by Innkeeper, Celeste Borel, during her many travels overseas.

Every meal at L’Auberge Provençale is considered a special occasion. Set among three different dining rooms, each with its own unique and delightful décor; L’Auberge Provençale offers the ideal setting for a quiet and romantic 5-course dinner or cheerful gourmet breakfast. The rich aroma of cooking and baking that drifts from the kitchen, through the Main Manor House is a delightful attraction. Menus are planned around locally available game, which is bought from neighboring farms as often as possible.  Innkeeper and Executive Chef, Alain Borel grows many of the vegetables and herbs himself, with seeds purchased in France. Over fifty fruit trees also under his care, and are a further extension of his pantry, used daily for creating homemade breads for breakfast, pastries for dessert, jams, chutneys and many other culinary delights. The multi-course breakfast at L’Auberge is particularly memorable and may include elegant, Baked Local Apples stuffed with Grape Chutney topped with a warm Vanilla Crème Anglaise, Organic Poached Hen Eggs or Eiderdowns with house made Chicken Sausage; there are local Shiitake Mushrooms, sprinkled over thinly sliced breast of Duck or New York Strip, and it wouldn’t be breakfast without the Applewood Smoked Bacon. Dinner guests indulge in either a savory three-course meal, a five-course meal, or a six-course prix-fixe with wine pairings. Selections may include Smoked Salmon and Beluga Caviar Crêpes or Foie Gras with Truffles, and an elaborate dessert, such as the classic Chocolate Mousse Trio, a tasting of Coffee Reduction, Coffee Tuille and Cocoa Nibs. Dinner is accompanied well by a carefully chosen vintage from the Inn’s extensive and award winning wine cellar.

L’Auberge Provençale takes to heart that it is located in the Lover’s State, by offering custom-built packages of Lovers’ Indulgences, which may include chocolate covered strawberries, a sprinkling of silk rose petals in your room while you’re at dinner, champagne with custom keepsake flutes or a custom message in a bottle. The French cuisine and well-tended grounds offer a romantic retreat from hectic city life. With L’Auberge Provençale being a short drive from Washington D.C., the American Heroes, Last Minute Getaway and Facebook Fans discounts have proven to be touchingly popular.

About Fodor’s Travel:

Fodor’s Travel, a division of Random House, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of travel information.  Covering over 300 destinations worldwide, Fodor’s guidebooks and Web site, Fodors.com, have provided the most up-to-date, accurate information for travelers for more than seventy years.  Written by a team of over 700 writers located around the globe, Fodor’s provides travelers with engagingly written, intelligently and accurately reported, and absolutely indispensable travel guidance.

Chocolate Wars

Premiers Monday May 10th
at 10:00pm

We invite you to help us cheer on our Pastry Chef, Todd Owen, as he competes in
Chocolate Wars!

Todd Owen, behind the scenes at L’Auberge Provencale

Todd’s Mother’s Day Pastillage


Best of Luck Todd!!

]]> http://www.laubergeprovencale.com/blog/2010/05/10/pastry-chef-todd-owen-competes-in-tlcs-chocolate-wars/feed/ 0 http://www.laubergeprovencale.com/blog/2010/02/22/lauberge-provencale-signature-housemade-granola/ http://www.laubergeprovencale.com/blog/2010/02/22/lauberge-provencale-signature-housemade-granola/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:45:56 +0000 Winey and Cheesey http://www.laubergeprovencale.com/blog/?p=291

Our guest raved, ravished and begged over the recipe for our Signature Housemade Granola!  With a little persuasion from our favorite duo, Winey & Cheesy, we are giving up the secret formula. No worries, if you’re not the gifted gourmet; we serve our Granola fresh every morning and have it available for sale in 12oz bags!

From the kitchen at L’Auberge Provencale to yours at home, we hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Honey (or Maple Syrup)
1 cup Wheat Germ
2 tb. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Salt
7 cups Oats
3 cups Coarsely Chopped Nuts
2 cups Raisins, Cranberries & Currents

Directions:
-Combine Oil, Honey, Wheat Germ, Salt and Vanilla Extract in large bowl. Mix well.
-Add oats and nuts. Mix until combined.
-Bake at 375° until golden brown. Stir often.
-Stir in Raisins, Cranberries & Currents
-Allow to cool and serve!

Romantic Homes Magazine featured L’Auberge Provencale in their April 2010 issue.

The article, Country Comfort, highlights all of the small touches that make L’Auberge Provencale worthy of being your favorite romantic getaway. Winey and Cheesy thoroughly enjoyed this editorial; of course they like anything that has to do with fine food, wine and decor!

We hope you enjoy it as well.

Just one beautiful spot at Blandy Farm, the Virginia State Arboretum

     Winey and Cheesey have been enjoying the heavenly weather this year.  Blue skies and puffy clouds in July? Incredible they say.  What a perfect time to visit  the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  Within 5 hours from anywhere in the USA, just an hour and a half from DC what a great destination, L”Auberge Provencale.  The chefs have been cooking up some great food featuring the bounty of our gardens and local farms.  Pick a tomato at 5:00 and enjoy it that night!  Wow…can anything be better than that?

Mama bear

     Answer:  a picnic in one of our favorite spots.  Egg Hollow or Dickey Ridge picnic grounds on the skyline drive, and Blandy farm are two of my favorite spots.  Enjoy the pictures below of these beautiful areas. Celeste went to skyline last week and saw not just the usual deer, but a huge owl, and a mother black bear with her twin cubs.  No one seemed disturbed by the “tourist” taking pictures.  We’ll be happy to pack you a picnic with or without wine.  Just give us notice the day before and we can have it ready for you after breakfast!  You then can go off hiking, canoeing, wine touring, exploring, or just sitting by the pool at the Villa. A perfect way to spend the day.  The picnics are 75.00  for two and you keep the basket!  Wine is additional and winey will help with your selections.

Outside Dining

Today, we have some great summer recipes that will impress and refresh your friends and family!

Make sure you stay tuned, as we will be bringing you recipes periodically from our top chefs.

Before you know it your entire nieghborhood will think your a gourmet chef!

 Our philosophy is that good food and good wine should be shared with the ones you love, so invite your friends over, open a bottle of wine, and don’t forget to laugh!

Melon Soup

1 cantaloupe – 3 ½” – 4 ½” in diameter

1 mango

1 pt. strawberries

2 oz. grand marnier

2 c. crème fraiche

1 tsp. mint – chopped

10 mint sprigs

Peel and hull fruit and cut into 1” cubes

In blender on low speed slowly add fruit and puree

Pour into a stainless steel bowl

Add grand marnier and chopped mint

Stir well

Refrigerate until very cold

Serve in chilled bowls topped with crème fraiche and a sprig of mint

 Spinach Salad

1 bag or 2 bunches fresh spinach – washed and dried

2 endives

confit of salmon

4 tomatoes – cut into 8^th

¾ c. raspberry vinaigrette

pepper to taste

edible flowers – optional

Toss spinach with raspberry vinaigrette reserving a small amount to drizzle later

Arrange 4 endive leaved in salad bowl with tips sticking up around bowl

Place spinach in middle of endive leaves

Arrange tomato wedges between endive leaves around spinach

House cured salmon

Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper

Garnish with edible flowers

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 TBSP. mustard

1 tsp. garlic – chopped

1 tsp. shallots – chopped

½ c. raspberry vinegar

2 ½ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. parsley – chopped

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Whip mustard, garlic, shallots and vinegar together until well blended

Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to whip mixture

Add chopped parsley, salt and pepper