Afternoon Crêpes

Today was non-stop in the kitchen, making goodies.  Foul weather does that to me. This is the main reason the Sheepfarmer does not mind Winter;  I keep the hearth warm  and the food abundant.  Warm bellies are far more tolerant to cold.

Unfortunately...Winter had an encore today. I now understand where that saying comes from as I literally keep the fires burning and the cuisine warm, the food and fuel (both) plentiful.

Our teenage tomcats sitting close to the warm window
Note the burners. Charcoaled wood used to be inserted by a hole on the side,  see bottom photo.  This is another photo of the wall…with lovely glass jars in which I had preserved cêpes.

yesterday au Pays Basque

Today au Pays Basque
Winter is selfish and egocentric and is hanging onto the stage by his firm, icy grip. The newly born green hills are covered in soft, white down. And everything has once again become a silent, muted grey….sssshhhh the Spring baby is sleeping.  Winter is supposed to hang on for the week.  it will make my conference in Bilbao on Friday a bit more challenging.  Rather than freeze and panic and stress, I baked and made crêpe(s) batter for the Sheepfarmer for when he comes back into the house prior to our last milking of the day.  He is a very loving person with a warm, full belly.  He takes after his sheep, who eat more when it is cold too.  Actually, this is true for everyone who needs the extra calories to keep warm and, as is the case for the sheep to produce milk! 

yesterday...

today...

I have the wood burning stove cranked and the old washing tin filled with wood, that I brought in myself.  This is another advantage to living on a farm, you save the membership fees you would pay a gym.  Sometimes when it is warmer I haul small pieces of branches and limbs I find along the hairpin turn and the road coming up to the farm.  These go into a seperate area/pile of the woodshed.  This is my starter fuel...

The blossoms shivering on my Peach tree, just outside my kitchen window.

A view from my office directly above the kitchen, actually to the left of the third view/photo.

Because it was so cold, I found an excuse to also turn on the gas oven and baked an Almond cake (receette de grandmêre simplifier, next post!) which can be made gluten free.  So moist and delicious and great in the summer too, instead of the cake used for strawberry shortcake.  It works well with ANY berries (or other fruit) you might have on hand or in excess.  Simply leave overnight with a squeeze of lemon and up to equal parts sugar (I use far less sugar, but it is up to personal taste and the innate sweetness of the chosen fruit.
Voila, "colis de fruits”
Voila…I am dreaming of summer :)
.

Our twin 6 month old Tomcats, come up close to the warm window and watch me.  Although they purr and roll on the path in front of me when I take them out their food, they will not let me touch them and I will NOT risk being bitten.

Note the hole surrounded by stone in the wall where hot charcoaled wood was shoveled in order to heat the “plates” that are in the first photo of the window.  The black oven next to it is the door to the old bread oven.  It now stashes bar supplies.  SOMEDAY I am going to get it back outside to my outdoor kitchen.  There it will once again be a bread oven and hence PIZZA oven!
When the farmer and his nephew came back this afternoon from moving the rams to another pasture and barn, the cake was no longer warm.  So I made the crêpes! THAT recipe I will give you today.  They did not last long enough to take a photo!

Les Crêpes
4 cups milk
3 farm fresh eggs
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 packet sucre vanillé *

*or a teaspoon/tablespoon of vanille or other flavoring, such as almond or orange.  Some people use rhum or even Franjelica.  If the flavoring is “real,” a teaspoon does the trick.  If it is “flavored” I would go with a Tablespoon (same for the liquers)

NOW here’s every French Woman’s Secret to great crêpes;  they must have their own personal pan that you do NOT use for anything else.  EVER.
Mine is a large (about 14 inches across) teflon frypan with a low lip.
After whipping/mixing the above ingredients (and letting it set for at least an hour to really absorb the flavoring) you heat your pan on high heat and wipe it with a paper towel moistened in oil. Lick your finger and touch the pan.  When it is ready it will sizzle w/o burning.  I pour about a ladle of the again foueté mix in the pan and swirl it around covering the bottom.  Keep swirling until the liquid is “no longer” but looks like a flat, very thin, pancake.  Next French Woman’s Crêpes Secret, a large spatula to turn over the crêpes,  once the bubbles appear on the surface it is ready to flip.  Once flipped pour on some brown sugar and fold/roll over 1-2 times from each side with the help of your special, wide spatula.

It sounds complicated, but is really easy. Now on to the next one until you finish the mix...I use a Duralex Picardie tumbler for my cup/glass.  Therefore this size batch should yield about 8 crêpes.  It will keep for about 3-4 days in the fridge too.  Just shake it up well before cooking. AND make sure your crêpe only pan is hot, but not “smoking”  I sometimes ruin the first one and therefore have to immediately eat the “flopped” but tasty evidence :)