Valentine’s Day is a special time of year for lover’s to make special treats for their loved one.  At L’Auberge Provencale, here in the Shenandoah Valley, we have made many a Valentine’s Day especially with Chocolate!  Looking over the archives of recipes, we thought we would share this easy but delicious recipe that you can easily make at home.

RASPBERRY BROWNIE ICE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients for the Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Cake

1. 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped                                                                                                                                                                                       
2. 4 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. flour
3. 1/4 tsp baking powder
4. 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter-softened
5. pinch of salt
6. 1/2 tsp Vanilla
7. 1/2 Cup Sugar
8. 1 Egg Room Temperature
9. 1/3 cup Walnuts, chopped
10. 1 Pint of Raspberry Sorbet- softened
11. 2 1/2 cup Vanilla Ice Cream-softened

Topping:

1. 1 Cup Whipped Cream
2. 2 Tsp. Sugar
3. 1 Tsp. Vanilla
4. Fresh Raspberries

Directions for the Fudge Brownies

Line 8″ Square pan with buttered parchment paper or foil.   Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler, (hot, but not boiling water)stirring until smooth.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.  Blend eg and sugar using mixer at medium speed.  Add Vanilla.  Gradually add chocolate mixture.  Stop mixer when combined and mix in dry ingredients using a wooden spoon.  Spread Batter in pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 19 minutes until it is springy to the touch, but not dry.  Cool completely, invert onto rack and remove paper.

Directions for the Topping:

Mix ice cream and sorbet together by folding in together.  Spread over cooled brownies.  Top with Whipped cream and raspberries.  Chill for 10 minutes before serving.  You can add the whipped cream and raspberries if you want to freeze ahead and remove the brownies 15 minutes before serving.  Then top.

This recipe is easy and fun and we hope it helps with your romance this Valentine’s Day!

Warm Autumn Squash Bisque for the Holidays

If you are anything like me, here at L’Auberge Provencale in Shenandoah Valley, I am startled that the summer has ended and the holidays are fast approaching.  The brilliance of fall is slowly fading and the gardens are being put to bed for the winter. We do have some great squash right now and Chef Brian is happy to share a wonderful Hubbard Squash soup recipe with our own orchard pears. This is the perfect soup for the Thanksgiving family and easy to prepare!  You can use Hubbard or Butternut Squash and the results will be just as yummy.

SQUASH BISQUE FROM LA TABLE PROVENCALE

Ingredients:  Serves 4

• 1 Butternut squash- or equivalent small Hubbard squash
• 1 Pear
• 4 Stalks of Celery
• 1 Turnip
• 1 Onion
• 5 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 cups of Heavy Cream
• 4 cups of Chicken Stock (or Vegetable Stock)
• 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Roast the Butternut Squash or Hubbard Squash: cut in half, take seeds out, drizzle Table spoons, Olive Oil over squash. Cover the pan with foil and roast at 400 Degrees for 45 minutes or until tender.

In soup pot, saute roughly chopped onion, turnip, minced garlic and seeded peeled pear-until golden brown.  Pour in stock.  Remove the meat from the squash, discarding skin, add to pot and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add heavy cream and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour.

Let soup cool to room temperature and blend on high until smooth.

You can garnish your plate with minced pear, nut powders, nutmeg or roasted nuts or chrysanthemum petals and pour the soup table side if you wish.

Enjoy!

French Christmas traditions are celebrated and honored at our Virginia Bed and Breakfast. These holiday desserts are a custom that has its origins in the farming region of France, dating back centuries, families served a different dessert on each of the twelve nights of Christmas. The 13 desserts hark back to market days when farmers would buy and sell produce that always included a baker’s dozen of 13 instead of 12.

During the holidays, this tradition is part of the custom of our Northern Virginia Bed and Breakfast. We offer these desserts in our sitting room to all of our guests, whether in the afternoon or after a sumptuous holiday feast. The desserts include fresh and dried fruits, nuts, cakes and confections. In Provence, most of the ingredients were locally grown and plentiful. These included raisins, dry figs, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pears, apples, plums, Orliettes (lemon and orange blossom water fried pastry), Fougasse (poppy seed and lemon Brioche), Nougat Blanc et Noir, Calissons D’Aix (Almond Paste with Pistachios), and 12th night cake.

All should be served with the Buche de Noel. Although the rich and extravagant Buche de Noel was not probably added to the custom until late in the 19th century.

We would like you to enjoy some of this at home, so we are sharing our recipe for Orliettes, best served hot out of the fryer, sprinkled with a little powdered sugar. They are easy to make and the fragrance fills the Christmas Air.

ORLIETTES RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 lb. flour
¼ c. sugar
3 eggs – beaten
1 lemon peel
1 orange peel
¼ c. orange flower water
2 Tbsp butter – softened
1 pinch salt
1 c. lite oil for frying
confectioners sugar

Instructions:

Shred lemon and orange peel with grater
Mix with flour, softened butter, sugar, orange water, eggs, salt
Knead the dough adding a little water if necessary
Cover and let stand for 2 hours
Roll out dough onto floured surface ¼” thick
Cut dough into 4” squares
Heat oil in frying pan until very hot
Fry oreilletes
When they are golden, remove and drain
Sprinkle with confectioners sugar

This is simply the best time of year for Winey and Cheesey and all of us here at L’Auberge Provencale our bed and breakfast in Shenandoah Valley. After a nice run/walk at the State Arboretum, I was greeted by Bernadette and Phoenix, our two dogs at our Villa La Campagnette. We happily strolled around the pool and came upon the riot of color of our Phlox in full bloom in the garden. I just had to share a picture or two.

When I entered the kitchen at L’Auberge Provencale, a little later this morning, the chef’s were happily canning  blueberry/Mint Jam, Spicy Tomato Chutney and Peach/Basil Jam. So yummy and right from our Shenandoah Valley Orchards and gardens here at the inn. Our new Pastry Chef Jason came up with a winning dessert using the fresh local ingredients. The dessert is multi-faceted and time consuming, but one great part of the dessert is the Strawberry Lime Sorbet.  And we thought it would be nice to share this sorbet recipe with our wonderful customers.

STRAWBERRY LIME SORBET RECIPE

Ingredients:
200 g. sugar
250 g. Water
105 g. Glucose
600 g. Fresh Local Strawberries (or from your local farm market)
60 g. Fresh squeezed lime juice

Method:
Bring the water, sugar, and glucose to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, cool.
De-Stem the strawberries and blend them with the lime juice until completely smooth.
Add to the blender the sugar syrup slowly and emulsify well.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Chill for one hour.
Process in your ice cream machine according to the machine’s direction.

At our Shenandoah Valley bed and breakfast, we are serving the sorbet with Vanilla Bavarian, Vanilla Panna Cotta, Pistachio Cake, and the Strawberry Lime Sorbet. If you would like to try the whole dessert, just stop in this summer and enjoy a break in White Post. Winey and Cheesey will be looking for you.

Everything is blooming far sooner than most years here at our Shenandoah Valley Inn. Winey and Cheesey were discussing the upcoming recipes that may be coming from the kitchen at our Virginia bed and breakfast inn.

The roses are in full bloom and it is a banner year. They are incredibly prolific and fragrant. Aside from bringing them inside to enjoy their wonderful perfume, here is one of our perennial favorites on our menu. The rose petal ice cream is easy to make and so French country! You might want to try it with just some fresh raspberries or here at the inn we like to serve it with Lavender Pound Cake. The lavender is just about to burst as well in our gardens here at our Shenandoah bed and breakfast.

If you have an ice cream machine, this too, can become a favorite of your family. A little touch of Provence in the Shenandoah Valley, for Mother’s day this weekend will feature this delicious and fragrant dessert.

Rose Petal Ice Cream

Ingredients: Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

• 16 egg yolks
• 14 oz. sugar
• 4 oz. rose water
• 1 qt. heavy cream
• 1 cup of fragrant rose petals, chopped (not too fine)

Directions:

• Whip egg yolks on medium speed until it forms a ribbon
• Simmer milk and rose water (do not boil)
• Add milk mixture to yolk mixture until well blended
• Pour into a stainless steel pot and stir over low heat until slightly thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon
• Remove from stove and strain
• Add cream and completely cool (you can do this in an ice bath)
• Freeze according to your ice cream machine (let it remain slightly soft)
• After the ice cream is removed from the machine, gently fold in rose petals and put in the freezer until serving

Pastry Chef Duane Copeland is spoiling us with this month’s sweet treat recipe from L’Auberge Provencale. Be sure to try it out and tell us what you think!

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Large Cucumbers: peeled, lightly salted, left to purge for 30 min, drain excess water
• 1/2 Large White Onion •1 Qt. Non-Fat Plain Yogurt
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• Handful of Fresh Mint
• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Juice of 3 Whole Lemons
• 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Blend together in a blender: Cucumbers, Onion, Garlic Cloves •Place blended items in large mixing bowl •Mix in Yogurt, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Buttermilk •Salt & Pepper to Taste •Chill for 30 min, serve cold Makes 1 Gallon Keep Refrigerated Holds up to 4 days

ROSEMARY CUCUMBER AND TEA INFUSED GIN AND TONIC RECIPE

• Make a simple syrup rosemary hot tea (equal weight sugar and hot water with a tea bag and sprig of Rosemary) and set aside to cool.
• Muddle 4 slices (diced) cucumber in bottom of glass and then add ice.
• Add 2 oz gin (Hendricks works best with Rosemary) , 1oz of the previously made simple syrup and 4 oz Tonic
• Pour into another glass and then back to the original glass to mix.
• Garnish with a cucumber slice
• Enjoy

There are wonderful cucumber recipes. Get creative, try one of our recipes above and share with us what worked!

Our dinner guests have been raving our Chef Scott Myers selection of scrumptious summer soups!

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!

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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

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!

THE THIRTEEN TRADITIONAL

 DESSERTS OF PROVENCE 

In an old custom that has its origins in the farming region of France and dates back a couple of centuries, families served a different dessert on each of the twelve nights of Christmas.  The 13 desserts harken back to market days when farmers would buy and sell produce that always included a bakers dozen instead of twelve. 

During the holidays, this tradition is part of the custom of L’Auberge Provençale.  We offer these desserts in our sitting room to all of our guests, whether in the afternoon, or after a sumptuous holiday feast.

The desserts included fresh and dried fruits, nuts, cakes, and confections.  In Provence, most of the ingredients were locally grown and plentiful.

Raisins, dry figs, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pears, apples, plums, Orliettes (lemon and orange with orange blossom water fried pastry), Fougasse (poppy seed and lemon Brioche), Nougat Blanc et Noir, Calissons D’Aix (Almond Paste with Pistachios) and 12^th night Cake make up all 12 of them.

All should be served with Buche de Noel. Although the rich and extravagant Buche de Noël was not probably added to the custom, until late in the 19^th century.

Winey and Cheesy are pretty excited about getting these desserts going.  However, the first step. is making the Vin D’Orange that will go with these desserts.    As it takes about a month to prepare, they figure they better get started.  Cheesy loves to share this job with all his wine lovers, and we love to share the following recipe with you.  Give it a try, and bring a splash of Provence to your holiday season.  We will be leaking a few other holiday recipes to our fans as well!  The Shenandoah Valley will become the inn place to be for the holidays.

All should be served with Buche de Noel, in small bowls and platters around the centerpiece yule log.

VIN D’ORANGE

1 Bitter or Seville Orange

1/2 Sweet Orange

1 quart of Rose or White Wine

5 TBSP Armagnac

1/2 Lb. Sugar

5 TBSP Sparkling Water

Use only the skins of the Oranges.  Mix all ingredients together, place in a glass jar, cover and let stand in a cool dark place for 1 month.  When ready, filter, chill and serve with the Thirteen Desserts of Provence.