Anne Willan: From My Chateau Kitchen

A Vanishing Life By the end of our first summer, we'd learned several sharp lessons. From the start, Monsieur Milbert had made it clear he was boss of the garden and determined to remain so. None of us was permitted to pick produce; we were expected to leave a note in the kitchen with the following day's requests. Madame Milbert did the gathering under her husband's eye. If he reckoned a fruit or vegetable was not ripe, we had to wait -- and we still do. Leeks are a constant bone of contention, left at least six months to gonfler (swell) before lifting. Just last week we had an argument about young green cabbages. "Non," Milbert said firmly. "They dissolve to nothing in the pan." Which is, of course, just why I like them. For a while I thought Monsieur Milbert was simply disobliging until I realized he adheres to a long-standing rural principle: anything edible must be left to grow as large as possible for maximum yield. Tenderness and flavor do not count. The push and pull of rural life leaves its mark on the landscape, too. At the nearby Chateau de Bontin, for example, a farmer who had bought the surrounding land took it upon himself to fell a centuries-old allee of trees, leaving the house standing stark and bare. It is only now, a generation later, that Arnaud de Bontin has regained the ground and replanted frail trees that will take fifty years to mature. Near Chablis, Bernard and Brigitte Lefebure look over a charming vista, landscaped by a master hand, to the vineyards of Chablis in the distance. But merely the shell remains as the lake and retaining walls that anchored the panorama were destroyed to plant crops with easy access for the tractor. The Lefebures have the old plans, but restoration is a major undertaking. Winter White Vegetables So many winter roots are white. You could substitute others -- artichokes or parsnips -- for those suggested here; for color, add carrots or sweet potatoes. The vegetables are simmered in stock, then stirred in bit by bit in the manner of risotto. They make a warming side dish for four. lb/250 g small turnips lb/250 g celery root lb/250 g firm, waxy potatoes 1 cups/375 ml veal or chicken stock 3 to 4 tablespoons butter cup/60 g grated Parmesan cheese salt and ground white pepper Peel all the vegetables and cut them into -inch/1.25-cm dice. Bring the stock to a boil. Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan and stir in the vegetables. Add half the stock and simmer the vegetables, stirring often, until the stock is absorbed. Add the remaining stock and continue cooking until it is absorbed and the vegetables are tender, 8 to 12 minutes total cooking time. Stir in the remaining butter with the Parmesan cheese, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Spring Soup Seasonal vegetables and their verdant green color give this vegetable soup its name. This recipe makes a quick first course or light supper for six people. 2 qts/2 liters chicken or well-flavored vegetable stock cup/30 g flour the white part of 2 medium leeks, sliced crosswise the inner stems of a small bunch of celery, sliced crosswise 1 cup/150 g fresh green peas pinch of sugar salt and white pepper the inner leaves of a small head of romaine, shredded for the croutons 3 slices of white bread, in/6 mm thick butter or vegetable oil for frying Stir about a cup of stock into the flour to make a smooth paste. Bring the remaining stock to a boil, whisk in the flour paste, and continue stirring until the soup thickens. Add the leeks, celery, and peas with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover the soup and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Five minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the lettuce. Meanwhile, make the croutonAnne Willan is the author of 'Anne Willan: From My Chateau Kitchen', published 2000 under ISBN 9780609602263 and ISBN 0609602268.