It took its time but this is it. 3 days of sunshine and relatively warm temperatures. It is true to say that things look so much better when the sun is shining, and every day worries like looking for a new mortgage, the cost of petrol, the result of the English elections, (this does only affect the people down south, of course!), and all those depressing stories in the news are somehow easier to deal with if you are outside in the garden in front of the “Barbie” with a glass of chilled sauvignon…

I must apologize to the people who came to the Edinburgh food Market on the 1st of March, as I mentioned in my last journal, to see me doing a cookery demonstration. I had to rush to France as my old Dad was not keeping too well. My dad is now fine and I promised the Slow food organizers to do an other presentation some time soon.

I don’t know if this is because of my dad, but when I came back I decided to do some serious gardening. Karen was not too happy when one Sunday I dig up most of the back garden lawn (well moss, more accurately) and marked the boundaries of our new vegetable garden. Even the neighbours gave me some funny looks, (nothing new there!).

But who is laughing now? The cabbage and broccoli are doing well, the potatoes (from Carrol’s farm) are coming through, the celery and lettuces are getting stronger not to mention the runner beans, peas, artichokes, red chard, carrots, while the onions, leeks , pumpkins, courgettes and broad beans are just about ready to be planted outside as well as the tomatoes. The Gauffre family is going self sufficient!! In the future, a couple of chickens…a piglet or two…we had la Garrigue the restaurant, we may very well have la Garrigue the farm!!!

Seriously I find it more challenging than cutting the grass and watering a few geraniums, I will keep you posted on the quality of the first crop.

Meantime at the restaurant things are moving on as well, after a quiet spell in March and April a new Spring menu has arrived with a few exciting dishes, in particular a baked cheese cake to die for, and a new series of paintings by Andrew Walker on Combret, my Village in the Cevennes that I hope you will come to see, and if you bring some gardening tips with you the better…

Alors, a Bientot,

J-Michel