Cherries with lavender flowers

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup ;Water
½ cup Sugar
Lavender flowers
2 tablespoons Lavender flowers
2¼ pounds Fresh cherries; stemmed

Directions

GARNISH

Combine the water, sugar and lavender flowers in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes, then strain, discarding the lavender. Return the syrup to the saucepan, add the cherries, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat, cover, and cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator. Garnish with lavender flowers before serving, if desired.

The authors write: "Entering the cool, dark interior of La Bonne Etape in Chateau Arneau, you sense the warmth and humor of the Gleize family - mother, father, and son - who run this hostellerie with such care. Since the eighteenth century, it has been an inviting retreat for travelers in Provence, first as a coach stop, then a station hotel, and now as a beautifully appointed inn with a critically acclaimed kitchen.

"Arlette Gleize, whose father owned the hotel, grew up here and met her husband, Pierre, when his motorcycle broke down in front of the hotel. He soon returned to marry her and work alongside his father-in-law in the kitchen. Their son, Jany, apprenticed with top chefs in France and even spent some time at the Connaught in London before returning home to share the running of the kitchen with Pierre. While they tend to the seasonal menu, Arlette watches over the dining room, turns masses of flowers from the garden into beautiful arrangements, and transforms local fruits into special conserves that guests enjoy with their morning croissants.

"The cooking at La Bonne Etape is basically Provencal, touched with Gleize creativity. 'When you're in Provence, you should feel it in the food,' says Jany. To this end, much of the restaurant's produce is grown in the Gleize's own garden or obtained from forty or so small suppliers close by. Pierre has patronized these farmers for over thirty years, and they often drop in to chat with Pierre and Jany over a drink."

"Most of the herbs used in the kitchen come from the garden. Even purslane, considered a pesky weed by most but a favorite of Provencal cooks, is cultivated at La Bonne Etape. The crunchy and slightly lemony herb is used raw in salads or pickled to eat with pates or cold meats in place of the more expected cornichons. Other herbs are picked in the wild. 'Local people know exactly when to gather the herbs at their peak of flavor,' says Jany. 'You have to know where to pick them, too; in the mountains some places have better herbs than others.'"

From Arlette, Pierre and Jany Gleize of La Bonne Etape at Chateau Arneau/Provence, France in "Cooking with Herbs" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1989. Pg. 208.

Posted by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-08-94

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