{"id":14423,"date":"2014-07-11T04:23:44","date_gmt":"2014-07-11T11:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/?p=14423"},"modified":"2014-07-11T04:23:44","modified_gmt":"2014-07-11T11:23:44","slug":"venez-avec-moi-a-provins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/venez-avec-moi-a-provins","title":{"rendered":"venez avec moi \u00e0 Provins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"chef<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paris Day Trip<\/strong>
\nvenez avec moi \u00e0 Provins<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

cardamom sabl\u00e9s with <\/strong>
\nfresh summer peaches and rose cream<\/strong><\/p>\n

The gloom skipped juin<\/i> and has taken over juillet <\/i>in Paris. It seems more like a summer in San Fran than Paris but for the stone buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0small patch of blue struggled with the rain clouds for the sky and I was optimistic that the former would win (as I promised a day trip today). I set out on a run to the gare (killing two birds with one stone as they say). Half way there the rain clouds won\u00a0and by the time I reached Gare d\u2019Lyon<\/i>, I resembled Remi after he had been thrown into the Seine. Notwithstanding the rain, Paris still looked beautiful and the sky in the City of Light was a bright opal\u00a0or oyster color and the gold cap of Invalides<\/i> and the winged horse and cherub gold entrances to Pont Alexandre III <\/i>seemed even more brilliant. At least in appearance Paris is consistent even if the weather has not been.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

\u00a0Back at home the girls jousted with umbrellas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEn garde, pr\u00eat,\u00a0allez…<\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I grabbed the tips of the umbrellas and folded their dueling swords.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on girls we are going medieval.\u201d And with that we set off for our day adventure in search of castles and warmer weather.<\/span><\/p>\n

We arrive at the gare 4 minutes before our train departs. We consult the departure board. Platform 21. We race toward the train jumping on board but no sooner do we board do I look out the train window and realize that in our rush we had boarded the wrong train… we entered the train on platform side 20, not 21. We exit the train and watch our train, 3 feet from the front of us, slowly pull\u00a0away from us. Ce n\u2019est pas grave<\/i> (it is not bad) there is another in an hour. Notwithstanding the rainy morning and the train mishap, we board the correct train and before we knew it we are in the medieval village of
\nProvins<\/i> (PRO VAN).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

Venez avec moi\u00a0 (ou nous) \u00e0 Provins<\/i>. This week\u2019s recipe – rose and cardamom sabl\u00e9s with fresh summer peaches and rose cream – is <\/i>inspired by this medieval village itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

going medieval<\/strong><\/p>\n

Provins<\/i> is 80 kilometers from southeast Paris and in the Ile-de-Cite <\/i>region. Quaint and well-preserved, the village is historically significant because it was critical to trade. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Feudal lords (defying the kings of France) opened up Provins<\/i> for merchants allowing them safe passage across Provins.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

Provins<\/i> was the host to the Fairs of Champagne where there was an exchange of currency, products, and ideas. Money-changers, cloth merchants from Italy, spice merchants from the East, fur traders from the North, intellectuals, and poets all met in Provins<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"chef<\/p>\n

In the 14th century, the commercial trade routes changed and the fairs in Provins<\/i> disappeared. Provins <\/i>was no longer significant to trade or travel and it returned to existing as a small rural town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

In 2001, Provins<\/i> was included on UNESCO\u2019s heritage list and 58 monuments in Provins<\/i> are included in France\u2019s National Inventory of Historical Monuments.<\/span><\/p>\n

The village is divided into Le Ch\u00e2tel <\/i>(aka the high village) and Le Val <\/i>(aka the low village).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

From the gare you only have to walk a few blocks before you see\u00a0Saint-Quiriace Colegiate Church and\u00a0<\/i>Caesar\u2019s Tower<\/em> high in the sky. On your left is Le Ch\u00e2tel <\/i>and straight ahead, slightly to the right is Le Val<\/i>. Neither is a long walk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

There is a tourism office en route<\/i> but even if you miss it most of the sites have plans<\/i> (maps) of the village. There are suggested sightseeing walks (and you can get an audio guide to take with you throughout the walk). If you do not want to walk Provins<\/i> there is a shuttle that you can take that will take you to each of the sites and drop you at the gare.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

\u00a0Due to our train mishap and our dinner reservation, we did not have the whole day to explore Provins<\/i>, but given the rain which apparently is not limited to Paris, a half day visit was not a bad idea. We passed the majority of our time in Le Ch\u00e2tel.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The Saint-Quiriace Colegiate Church <\/i>is the first thing we stumbled upon. Bulit in the 12th century, the dome was built in the 17th century. The church, however, was never finished.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

Nearby is Caesar\u2019s Tower which <\/i>is open for the public to explore and it gives you a panoramic view of the village.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

Inside images are projected on the stone walls explaining the history of the towers and Provins<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

At the heart of Le Ch\u00e2tel <\/i>is Place du Ch\u00e2tel<\/i>, a wide open space with a large medieval cross (the Exchange Cross) in the middle marking where financial transactions used to take place.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The cross remains but now the only thing traded are stories and candy and the wide open space is perfect for little ones to run around during the day and on certain nights there is dancing with\u00a0an orchestra. The kids take a turn on the carousel. Surrounding Place du Ch\u00e2tel<\/i> are small shops selling specialties of Provins <\/i>and housewares, ice cream shops, and cr\u00eaperies. Several restaurants (including Michelin recognized) and small hotels, the Saint-Thibault church<\/i>, and the Four Gable House.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The Tithe Barn <\/i>was also a hit. A single layered vaulted stone \u201cbarn\u201d with a significant stone cellar below ground. Audio guides walk you section by section of the \u201cbarn\u201d where there are scenes depicting daily life in medieval Provins<\/i>, and discussion of what happened at the fairs. At a parent, when you children walk away from an exhibit having learned something and they are excited about it, it is a bonus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

At the base of the Le Ch\u00e2tel<\/em> lies Saint-Jean\u2019s Ga<\/em>te and the Ramparts built in the 13th century.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

It goes without saying that this was the favorite\u00a0with my umbrella-jousting daughters and we were lucky that the rain had let up so they could scale the successive stone stairs and run along top of the wall, planning their defense and\/or attack against the\u00a0“enemy” (their sibling).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

\"chef\"chef<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Then there was the surveying from the top and shouting to the heavens and the surrounding wheat fields which also needed exploring.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The lower village has historical significant sites such as the Holy Ghost Cellar<\/i> (a 12th century hospital now used as a tourist train stop), the Jouy Gate,<\/i> and the Franciscan Abbey<\/i> built in the 13th century.<\/span><\/p>\n

entertainment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Provins<\/i> hosts special events throughout the year so I recommend consulting their website. There are various Medieval shows\u00a0 –\u00a0Les Aigles des Ramparts <\/i>(the age of the ramparts) an equestrian show giving the history of knights and their swords as told by the Lord of Provins (www.vollibre.fr<\/span><\/a>) (similar to \u201cMedieval Times\u201d in the States but with an actual Medieval setting). L\u00e9gende des Chevaliers <\/i>(the Legend of the Knights) is a show depicting knights and princesses and the return of Thibaud IV from the Crusades.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The Eagles of the Ramparts is a Falconry show with birds of prey and other animals.\u00a0Le Banquet des Troubadours<\/i> is a \u201cgastronomic voyage\u201d where you can sample foods that were eaten in Medieval times. (www.provins-banquet-medieval.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

last but not least, culinary notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The phrase \u201ceverything is coming up roses\u201d can be taken literally as it pertains to Provins<\/i>. The symbol of Provins<\/i> is the Rose of Provins<\/i> (“Rosa Gallica Officinalis<\/i>” or Damacus rose<\/i>) an ancient variety rose that Count Thibaud of Champagne brought back to the village from a crusade. The Provins<\/i> rose was prized for its medicinal properties.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

While there is a lot of artisanal honey sold in Provins<\/i>, the prevailing theme is roses. Rose water, rose bath salts and soap, rose perfumes,\u00a0and other rose-scented things for your home are sold here. However, the culinary uses are what interested me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using rose petals or rose water to infuse foods is not unique. In Provins t<\/i>here is no escaping it. Roses are in everything: rose syrups, rose liqueurs, rose cider, rose wine, rose Champagne, rose honey, rose gel\u00e9e, rose confiture (jam), rose tea, rose coffee, rose candy (of all sorts), rose ice cream, and rose sorbet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

Flowers are used in cooking much more in Europe than in the States although I see that changing. The key with using flowers (edible flowers) in food is that they must be used delicately or the result is overwhelming and everything will taste like body lotion. This is true whether it be lavender, violet, jasmine, or rose. Too much equals bath product !<\/span><\/p>\n

To make rose syrup you simply make a simple syrup (water and granulated sugar) and infuse it with edible, organic rose petals and then strain it. However, there are a number of\u00a0quality rose syrups or rose water that you can purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Provins,<\/em> rose was primarily used to flavor desserts rather than savory dishes: souffl\u00e9s, creams, ice creams, tarts, marshmallows, and meringue and as a result some took on a\u00a0bright pink hue. In my research, I felt obligated to taste a number of these rose desserts, the souffl\u00e9 and the marshmallows were my favorites, many of the others were\u00a0a little to rosy for my taste. My Kir, with rose syrup, was quite nice on the other hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

On the train ride home I was obsessed with making a light rose dessert that reminded me of\u00a0 Provins<\/i>, its trading history, and our summer visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s recipe is the result (for your printing ease, the recipe is in the following post (or you can click here)).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The hues of this dessert are light. The color and arrangement of the white peaches resemble a rose but the rose flavor comes from the cream. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

The combination of cardamom and rose is one of my favorites and since Provins<\/em> used to trade spices it seemed fitting. The cardamom sabl\u00e9 is very light and crumbles in your mouth (the very reason why I did not make this a tart or a shortbread). It is a simple dessert that says summer but be warned \u2026 it is hard not to nibble or dip your finger in the rose cream as you make\u00a0it.<\/span><\/p>\n

En garde !<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

LM<\/b><\/p>\n

Historical, restaurant, <\/i>and entertainment information above provided by the Office de Tourmisme de Provins. <\/i>For more information visit their website at <\/i>www.provins.net<\/i><\/span><\/a>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

For information on the Provins<\/em> Rose Garden (which covers 3.5 hectares and you can visit most of the year) click here.\u00a0\u00a0www.roseraie-provins.com<\/span><\/a><\/span>
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

\"chef<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paris Day Trip venez avec moi \u00e0 Provins cardamom sabl\u00e9s with fresh summer peaches and rose cream The gloom skipped juin and has taken over juillet in Paris. It seems more like a summer in San Fran than Paris but for the stone buildings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[1387,1275,1386,1385,756,838],"class_list":["post-14423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-france","category-paris","tag-day-trip-rose-provins-rose","tag-desserts-2","tag-provins","tag-rose","tag-rose-syrup","tag-rose-water"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14423"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14517,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14423\/revisions\/14517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}