AUDE: ALIVE IN MORE WAYS THAN WINE

This month in May the #winophiles focussed on Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France, hosted by LM Archer. A lucky few of us received samples from Gérard Bertrand, who makes biodynamic wines at his Demeter certified winery in the Aude department of Occitanie in Languedoc-Roussillon.

The present-day region of Aude has done a lot: been inhabited since 1,500,000 BC, site of Europe's oldest human skull, lived through the usual European tumult of the Greeks, Romans, even Arabs for a while, but also benefitted from the "civilisation" part of each of these groups who brought viticulture, agriculture, cuisine, art, architecture, and cultural diversity.

The Greeks planted the first vines in Aude in the 1st century, but the industry really only caught on in the early 19th century. Around the same time as the French architect and theorist Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), who was not a formally trained architect but spent more than half of his career restoring Gothic-era castles, cathedrals, and public buildings, including the Notre Dame de Paris and the city walls of Carcassonne in the Aude. He is considered one of the first theorists of current architecture and historic preservation practices, a proponent of using restoration materials that inform the function of the structure rather than simply duplicating what was there. His theories of honest structural integrity and creative interpretation over exact replication made him a controversial figure and he continues to be so, hotly debated by all of us in historic preservation and engineering. When designing replacements for the statues at the top of the Notre Dame de Paris, he precociously designed Saint Thomas to resemble himself. The statue is there for all to see!



A third of the land in Aude is now planted with grape vines, although Aude/Languedoc-Roussillon might not be the first wine region you think of in France. But vintners like Gérard Bertrand are bringing more of a sense of place to the wines there, and making creative wines "of the land" through biodynamic practices rather than recreating what was already being made there. Much like V.-l.-Duc's writings and practices that inform but aren't the same as our evolving approaches to restoration and theories of historic preservation. E.g. in the reconstruction of the Notre Dame de Paris roof that will never be rebuilt to what was there when it burnt - which was already not original - but rather it will be rebuilt to remind us of what was there while also being foremost a roof. Considering how much Aude has lived from prehistoric man to V.-l.-Duc and forward thinkers like Gérard Bertrand and his biodynamic ways in the single largest wine growing region in the world, we can agree that Aude and Languedoc-Roussillon continue to be alive in more ways than wine!

2018 GÉRARD BERTRAND "CIGALUS" BLANC

According to the GB website, "Cigalus enjoys a hot, sunny Mediterranean climate (described as “semi-arid with temperate spring variants”) ensuring early ripening of all the grape varieties. This arid climate (low rainfall) is offset by the very deep soils (sediments deposited by the Aussou, a stream at the edge of the estate) which store the winter rains for longer but which are less fertile due to the presence of a slightly chalky sandstone in the subsoil, dating back to the Campanian (secondary era, prior to the emergence of the Pyrenees). LABEL DEMETER"

WINE: The wine, a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and viognier, is a beautiful pale gold colour with lightly viscous tears, aromas of ripe citrus, citrus peel, white stone fruit, toast, honey on the nose. On the palate the wine is supple and silky with an unctuous mouthfeel and notes of butter in addition to the same aromas as on the nose. See the Tech Sheet for the winery's biodynamic approach to this wine, and other information.

PAIRING: We paired the wine with acciughe al verde, or anchovies in green sauce. The salty anchovies and the herbal sauce are a match made in heaven for a wine like the Cigalus Blanc. The acidity of the wine walks with the brininess of the anchovies and the oak aging helps tone down each bite while the citrus enhances the light fruity olive oil and the salty fish. Fun Fact: This classic Piemontese snack is a hark back to the days when salt was smuggled through France and Italy in creative ways including by hiding in layers of anchovies under the pretext of preserving them. The heavily salted anchovies that we desalinate before using today, were a way to smuggle salt in to Italy where it was in demand amongst the rich. Salt was the truffle of the 18th/19th century! 

We also had a delightful tuna ceviche which went splendidly with the wine. The occasional heat of the green chiles de arbol in the ceviche was a nice surprise soothed by bits of avocado. Fun Fact: Chiles de arbol are commonly used dried in Mexican cookery but in regional Indian cuisine they are used in all their green splendor in all manner of ways including just biting into them with a meal. It's hard to believe that chiles came to India relatively recently, through the Portuguese via Spain via Mexico where they are native. Potatoes and tomatoes are equally foreign ingredients that are now well integrated into all types of Indian cuisine.

Check out the other #winophiles thoughts on Languedoc-Roussillon wines!

• Michelle, Rockin Red Blog: Celebrating Biodynamic Viticulture and the Beauty Of the Languedoc With Gérard Bertrand
• Lynn, Savor the Harvest: This Biodynamic Wine Is a Summer Pleaser + Saturday Culinary Concoction
• Wendy, A Day in the Life on a Farm: New Wine Paired with an Old Favorite
• Camilla, Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Lemon-Caper Halibut + Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc
• Linda, My Full Wine Glass: Languedoc Wine Meets Middle Eastern Lunch
• David, Cooking Chat: Savoring a Special White Wine from Southern France
• Pinny, Chinese Food and Wine Pairings: Exploring Languedoc-Roussillon with Chateau Millegrand Mourral Grand Reserve Minervois + Chinese Charcuterie Board
• Robin, Crushed Grape Chronicles: Exploring the Grand Terroir of Gérard Bertrand with Tautavel and La Clape
• Jeff, FoodWineClick!: Butter Roasted Fish with Gérard Bertrand’s Cigalus Blanc
• Jane, Always Ravenous: Chicken Korma with Gérard Bertrand Cigalus Blanc
• Cindy, Grape Experiences: The Wines of Gerard Bertrand: Expect Joie de Vivre with Every Sip
• Susannah, Avvinare: A Wine from Gerard Bertrand: A Larger than Life Figure
• Deanna, Asian Test Kitchen: Gerard Bertrand Rose Paired with Subtly Spiced Shrimp
• Cynthia & Pierre, Traveling Wine Profs: Comfort Food and Sunny Red: Gérard Bertrand Côtes des Roses with Senegalese Mafé and Fonio
• Jill, L’Occasion: A Name To Know: Gérard Bertrand
• Gwendolyn, Wine Predator: Bertrand’s Biodynamic Cigalus Paired with French Sausage
• Liz, What’s in that Bottle: Get to Know the Winning Wines from Languedoc Icon Gérard Bertrand
• Nicole, Somm’s Table: Cooking to the Wine: Gérard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel Grenache-Syrah-Carignan with Saucy Lamb Loin Chops
• Rupal, Syrah Queen: A Commitment To Languedoc – The Biodynamic Wines Of Gerard Bertrand
• Payal, Keep the Peas: Aude: Alive in More Ways Than Wine
• L.M. Archer: The Hedonistic Taster: Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc

PESTO OF FAVA (BROAD) BEAN GREENS

I love Lidia Bastianich. She has an amazing story, cooks incredible food, doesn't get too fusion-y with her food, and her recipes are bonafide. And, I love watching her show on television if she's on when I'm around a TV. I much prefer reading to TV - which I haven't owned in decades - so I don't watch shows too often but I do love watching her, Jacques Pepin, Hubert Keller, and a couple of others. So Lidia had - as she often does - her mum on the show once. And she was cooking while her mum entertained with stories of Lidia's cooking escapades. Apparently, Lidia started cooking when she was 4 - 5 yrs. old, for her dolls! She'd make different dishes everyday for her dolls - SO ADORABLE!!! How can that visual not make anyone smile? It's so cute!

Anyway so I never plan meals... I buy things then make meals around whatever I've found at the market. I'd already bought plenty of greens so I didn't need yet another bunch of anything to stir-fry or make into soup or smoothies... but the fava greens were too pretty to pass up. Especially because they're very much a spring thing, available for a short time since the young leafy tops and flowers of the plant are the best tasting. So if you can find some in the farmer's market, do get them.

So I had the last bit of walnuts in the fridge, the fava greens that were not meant to be anything specific, a few Meyer lemons from a gracious coworker's tree, a couple of leftover garlic cloves I'd roasted for a soup, and some fresh spearmint. I decided to throw it all together in a blender and call it done. And I'm so glad I did! From here on, this clean and bright-on-the-palate pesto is my favourite way of enjoying the earthy buttery flavour of fava greens! Unlike basil pestos, this one doesn't dull in colour so no need for covering with a layer of oil. If you don't have fava greens, use spinach or a combination of spinach and arugula (rocket leaves). And use a regular lemon or any variety of lemons.

To quickly roast garlic, put a few cloves skin-on in a pan and roast on medium-high heat turning occasionally until the garlic is soft and blackened in spots. This won't take more than 5-7 minutes.

Pesto of Fava (Broad) Bean Greens

makes: 1 cup

- 4 cups washed fava greens (leaves, flowers, and tender stems only)

- 1/2 cup mint leaves, washed

- 2-3 cloves roasted garlic

- 1 Meyer lemon, juiced

- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Put everything in a blender and blend into a smooth pesto.
2. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

HARISSA

Harissa is a North African condiment that's got one of the most addictive flavour profiles! And, it's just at home on a slice of bread as in a complex stew or sauce. That's what makes it so brilliant! So if you like flavour with a punch, look no further! You can use any combination of dried chile types, and adjust the quantity to suit your taste and spice level. 

I have a general obsession with condiments and dips - a few, even one excellent condiment can elevate the simplest of ingredients to another level. I like having various types of condiments like harissa, pestos, salsas, salad dressings, dipping sauces, nut butters etc. around so I can make a quick meal with pretty much any fresh vegetable or fruit, cooked grains, eggs, leftovers, etc. Like this sandwich I made (photo above) with harissa and some leftover lamb meatballs with spicy tomato sauce I'd made for a dinner party (not-so-great photo below).

Harissa

makes: 1 cup

- 8-9 dried chiles de arbol or cayenne

- 2 chile guajillo

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

- 1 lemon, juiced 

- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- 1 tsp. coriander

- 1 tsp. cumin

- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds

1. On medium-low heat, dry-roast the chiles in a skillet without burning them (or they'll taste bitter). Transfer to a bowl filled with enough hot water to submerge the chiles, and add the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Drain and remove the chile stalks.
2. In the same skillet, dry-roast the caraway seeds. Let them cool.
3. In a blender jar, add the drained chiles and all other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.
4. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

CILANTRO, BRAZIL NUT, AND SEED PESTO

Cilantro is known as a heavy metal chelator and can purportedly help remove lead, mercury, and other toxins from the body. However, I'm not a medical practitioner of any kind so I recommend enjoying this pesto for its delicious flavour and gorgeous colour!

For years I've been making this pesto from this website, and I barely make any changes to the recipe other than adding mint and sometimes using olive oil instead of flaxseed oil.

Cilantro, Brazil Nut, and Seed Pesto

makes: about 2 cups

- 1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium)

- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine)

- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium)

- 4 cloves garlic, peeled

- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (vitamin A)

- 1/2 cup fresh mint

- 2/3 cup flaxseed oil

- 2 lemons, juiced

- 2 tsp dulse flakes

- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

- 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

1. Put the nuts and seeds, garlic, lemon juice, dulse, flaxseed oil, mint, cilantro, salt, and pepper, if using, (in that order) in a blender or food processor and process to a desired consistency.
2. Taste and add more salt if needed. Store in the fridge in dark glass jars if possible. It freezes very well, so make more when cilantro is in season and freeze it.
3. Enjoy this as you would any pesto.

SNACK ATTACK: CUCUMBER TOMATO SANDWICHES WITH MIMOLETTE AND PERSILLADE

Easy to make but immensely flavourful sandwiches that are easy to customize with ingredients you have at hand. Such as leftover parsley which I often use to make into a persillade - parsley pesto - a condiment that's great on sandwiches, potatoes, eggs, fish, even on crackers with a smear of goat cheese or fromage blanc.

No parsley, no problem. Use cilantro instead. Replace the serrano pepper with freshly ground black pepper. Add a couple of thin slices of onion under the tomatoes. Get creative!

As with all bread-based recipes, you can use gluten-free bread. But please don't use something weird and processed like the travesty that's vegan "cheese". If you don't want dairy, just skip the cheese and add a few thin slices of a boiled potato to add a creamy note between the persillade and vegetables.

Cucumber Tomato Sandwiches with Mimolette Cheese and Persillade
Makes: 2 sandwiches

Persillade (makes ~1/4 cup):
- 3/4 cups fresh parsley, hard stems snapped off
- 1 serrano pepper, cut into large chunks
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. lemon juice

1. Blend everything together into a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C.

Sandwiches:
- 1/4 cup persillade (recipe above)
- 4 slices bread of your choice
- 4 - 6 oz. demi-vieille mimolette cheese, thinly sliced (or any other hard cheese of choice)
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- coarsely ground pepper, to taste

1. Spread the persillade evenly on each slice of bread. 
2. Divide cheese slices evenly for 4 slices of bread and arrange on top of the persillade on each slice of bread.
3. Place all 4 slices on a baking tray or pizza stone (no need to heat the pizza stone for this recipe) and put in the oven for 5 minutes or till the cheese is melted and starts bubbling.
4. Remove bread from the oven and arrange tomato slices on 2 of the cheesy slices.
5. Put all the bread slices back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
6. Turn the oven off and take the bread out.
7. Arrange cucumber slices on top of the tomatoes and grind pepper onto the slices with the cucumber and tomato slices.
8. With the cheese side down (facing the cucumbers), top with the other cheesy slice of bread and press firmly to make a sandwich.
9. Repeat with the remaining cucumbers and bread.
10. Cut each sandwich in half and serve. Enjoy!

DANDELION PESTO

I love dandelions - the delicate wispy flowers and the delicious leaves! If I had a garden and if dandelions grew in it, I'd never consider them a weed. I usually whip up a dandelion green smoothie - one of my favourites! But this time around I had an exceptionally large bunch of dandelion greens, so I decided to do something different with half of the bunch: pesto. The lemon juice enhances the distinct flavour of the fresh dandelion greens and the earthiness of toasted walnuts. And parsley as always, just livens everything up!

Not only are dandelion greens delicious, but like all delicious things they're high in the feel-good factor: you know, the one you need everyday to feel like you're not slowly degenerating thanks to many weekends - and some weekdays - of long nights and lots of adult bevvies! Anyway, while we're on the subject, dandelion is excellent for liver detox. Not that I need it, but just letting everyone know. It is also rich in iron, calcium, and protein. And it's a leafy green so: antioxidants. Basically, you need some of this weed.

The pesto is fantastic in a grilled cheddar sandwich, as a pizza/pasta sauce, on a burger, with roasted vegetables and some homemade pita, or just with crackers. Or, let your imagination run wild like a dandelion and use it in any way you like!

Dandelion Pesto

Makes: approximately 2 cups

- 3 cups dandelion leaves, cleaned
- 1/2 cup parsley, cleaned
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted just until aromatic
- 1 teaspoon good quality salt, I use Himalayan pink salt
- 1 Meyer or regular lemon, juiced

1. Put the walnuts, garlic, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and greens - in that order - into a blender jar and blend until smooth.
2. Refrigerate or freeze if not using within 2 hours. As all pestos and condiments, this one also tastes best after 6 hours or longer.

Notes:

1. Use all organic ingredients if possible, especially greens.