Garlic: Provencal Perfume of Perfection

Roasted garlic with wine

 

Our Canadian blogging friends Denise and Vlad's feet had barely touched French soil, when they called us to come over and have lunch with them. French Husband and I didn't waste anytime and dashed over to their place in Cotignac.

Denise and Vlad can make one feel like the cherry on top of the cake.

Besides serving us a terrific lunch, they both had been to the brocante, and I was anxious to see what they found.

 

 

Lunch was served

 

That very lucky day Denise found 1930 wine glasses, with matching champagne and water glasses I could hear Josephine Baker belting out a tune in the background, as well as a darling spouted pottery jug. My fingers would have been itching to grab it and hold it close to heart, if Denise hadn't brought out the first course.

Roasted garlic in a vegetable broth.

I have had roasted garlic before, but never served still intact such as the photo above shows. The broth was an added taste pleasure. Vlad told us to dip our sliced baguette into the broth and then place a clove of garlic on top. Denise served a salad, cheese and wine as well.

 

Roasted garlic

Blogging doesn't get better than this… Meeting up and sharing a meal, year after year.

This month we will be meeting up with eleven different people that we have met while blogging, all but two of them we have met before.

Mimi is planning a wedding.

Ladelle is buying a house in France.

Julie and Keith, are coming over to introduce their new baby to us.

Chap and Ashley honeymooning in France,

L. and L. are coming to scope out antiques, while considering to move here too.

…if I am forgetting anyone, please just come in, grab a fork and sit down.

As you can see France's population is increasing and my neighborhood is becoming a feast of good friends, conversation, and delicious food. I might call my blog the new "Welcome Wagon to France."

 

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Recipe for Roasted Garlic

by Denise:

Take 7 or 8 heads of garlic and cut off the top 1/4 to expose the cloves.
Set the heads of garlic in an oven-proof dish and dot them with butter.
Sprinkle the heads with herbes de Provence and 4 or 5 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, and 1/2 cup of white wine.
Roast in a slow to medium oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the tops of the heads
of garlic start to brown.
Best when eaten warm by picking out the cloves of garlic and spreading them on baguette. or French bread.

Roquefort can be added along with the butter for a little added taste.



Comments

21 responses to “Garlic: Provencal Perfume of Perfection”

  1. Truly beautiful photographs. Feels like I could reach out and eat it off the screen!

  2. Yes, excellent photography, Corey. You have a very special gift for it. And for bringing special people to you!

  3. As soon as the temperatures make it a reasonable idea to turn on the oven I will make that garlic. Oh, yes, I will, and no one can stop me. :o)

  4. The garlic sounds yummy! Friendships are the best. Enjoy each friend as they come visiting.

  5. Broth, yes that sounds delicious. We eat a dish of whole roasted garlic cloves as well. We dip the bread in a olive oil infused with fresh basil then spread on a little goat cheese and top with the garlic – divine. I’m going to try the broth addtion now too 🙂

  6. Thanks for the recipe Corey…it looks divine!!!
    Have fun with all your new friends.
    XOXOXOXOXOXO Shea

  7. I can’t wait til you can add our name to the list of blogging friends who buy a house in France.

  8. What a delicious thought, moving to France.
    You make the move more appealing, you and FH.
    See what you’ve done to us…..we love it!

  9. C, thanks for the recipe. Wish I was one of the lucky eleven that will be seeing you this month!

  10. Is that a whole clove (spice) embedded in each garlic clove (section)?
    Corey, do you have any ideas what commonalities unite the otherwise diverse population that follows your blog? (Well, besides being intrigued by Provence).

  11. georgie

    Delectable photos and recipe. I will definitely be making this dish in the very near future. Thank you.

  12. if it contains garlic or onions. i will like it. i am never without garic and onions. they are a must in my home. once i had a garlic sandwich at a friends house. she roasted them,them spread them on good bread. similiar to what you had. absolutely wonderful. one draw back. that evening i could not be around anyone,nor did they want to be around me. 🙂 but still the sandwich was worth every bit. Bestest,Denise

  13. Brenda L. in TN.

    OOOOO! Yummy….will try..
    I am very jealous of anyone who can move to France…but I’ve heard the French are rude to non-natives/Americans especially if they can’t speak French with the proper accent…Is this true?

  14. The intoxicating and lovely scent of garlic wafted all the way to Southern California and lured me here like a Siren’s song! Oh Corey, your photos are always so incredible – they just jump off the screen they are so real, and your words weave tapestries that linger with me for days.
    I want to visit you, too!
    Hope you are having a lovely weekend
    xo Isa

  15. Hi Brenda,
    That has not been my experience. So I would have to disagree.
    C

  16. Rude French people? That’s how it’s said to have been in the past. However, except for one passenger on the TGV back to Paris — and, of course, jerks exist everywhere! — that most decidedly ANYTHING BUT the case when we were in France this May. In fact, several of the other women at the conference I attended in Paris volunteered how courteous French people were to them, so unlike those old stereotypes — prompting them to wonder if there’s been a sea-change in French attitudes toward foreign (including North American) tourists over the years.
    Even dear Farmboy Husband, who speaks no French whatsoever, said he had no problem while out sightseeing or marketing on his own — for food, he’d just point to what he wanted, hold up the number of fingers to indicate how many, then fork over the Euros. He added that most places he went, there was at least one person who spoke considerable English — probably it’s taught far more widely in schools nowadays than back when that stereotype was true. Of course, as Corey and Yann can vouch, Farmboy Husband presents a very amiable-looking, non-arrogant appearance, which I imagine also helps.

  17. I’ve always liked french perfume. Glad you had a good time, Denise and Vlad know how to throw down a spread.

  18. Corey- My 18 year old daughter, and 19 year old son…are making plans and packing…for a trip to Europe. I thought I recalled a past post in which you gave suggestions for “not to be missed” on a visit to Paris. Could you refresh my memory?

  19. MMmmm,,,GARLIC IS DELICIOUS, MEDICINAL, AND HEALTHY FOR THE HEART!

  20. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Need. garlic. now.
    Also need the photo of Sacha as he looks this year. Patiently waiting. Love the curly-locked boy Sacha photo from the other day, btw.

  21. There are a variety of perfumes available online to help you deal with the body odour in a better way. So, if you would loke to get rid of the body odour then look for the deals available for you online.

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