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French food,
a lot simpler than
it makes out
French food, famous throughout the world, is a lot more straightforward than it's reputation. The basis of french country cooking is fresh, local ingredients, cooked simply to taste great. The french are incredibly resourceful when it comes to home cooking. They are true masters of creating a four course lunch from a meagre vegetable plot and a near-empty fridge.
It is easy to ensure our vegetables are fresh, as we can go to the vegetable garden and pick them. We all know that home grown, fresh vegetables taste completely different.
With meat and poultry it is not only the freshness that is an issue when it comes to eating quality. Animals obviously have somewhat more complicated needs than vegetables! Not only is the food they eat of vital importance, but equally the environment in which they live. The frequency and duration of travel, especially to the abattoir, has a direct effect on the eating quality of the meat, not to mention their well-being. It is not complicated to have happy animals but it does take diligence, hard work and long hours. All our farming methods have animal welfare as the primary concern.
We cannot grow everything we need in the kitchen, so anything else we try to source locally. There are a multitude of small regular french food markets and other farmers producing for selling direct to the public. Where this is not possible, for example with coffee or sugar, we try to purchase ethically.
With all our ingredients sourced in the garden, on the farm, or from the local area, it is a delight to cook. Knowing your food will taste superb, and that all the animals involved had a contented life, really does make a difference. French food demystified
Home produce
During your stay we offer you a range of home produced food. The abattoir for our beef and lamb is only 12km away, for our poultry, even closer in La Souterraine. We sell free range eggs, a large range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, as well as honey, home made jams and preserves. In late summer the woods are full of blackberries, nuts and mushrooms to gather.
More about self sufficiency and home produce.
Dining at La Tuilerie
The kitchen in the restored farmhouse provides all the facilities for home cooking. Each tipi or yurt has an adjacent outdoor campfire with appropriate cook pots and utensils. We also have gas camping stoves available. Cooking on a campfire is great fun and not that difficult. It need not be cremated baked potatoes and toasted marshmallows. Although we all love toasted marshmallows!
See campfire menus
Table D'Hôtes
Every Friday night we offer a 'table d'hôte' dinner. This is a 4 course dinner with wine, which is served in the restored farmhouse. There is a set menu ( kids and veggies options are available) and we all eat together. The idea of the meal is to experience home produce, in a relaxed, family atmosphere.
See some sample table d'hôte menus.
Book your holiday.
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