We have had some beautiful weather lately. Deep blue skies and low humidity make northern Indiana seem like southern France! This is usually my allergy season but so far, these clear days have kept it mostly at bay. I watch everything growing: grass, gardens, ducklings, birds. I even saw a baby snapper turtle today. When I wake up in the morning and the sun is already shining through my window, I know it’s going to be a great day.
When I see how blue the sky is it takes me back to Guillestre, a tiny town in the southern Alps of France, almost in Italy. Several years ago,Jim and I went on a walking adventure. We wanted to stay somewhere in the mountains and my brother had recommended this little town to us. So we plunged ahead and took the fast train to a station on the edge of the Alps and from there, late at night, we took a slower train up into the mountains. It chugged and rattled its way around winding tracks and finally stopped in the town of Gap. We ended up, somewhat lost, trying to find our way to a hotel for the night and unsure of where we were headed the next morning. But as the saying goes, everything seems better after a good night of sleep and a quick phone call to a bed and breakfast in Guillestre guaranteed us a bed for the next night. We took the train out of town and arrived at a quaint station in the middle of the mountains where our hostess had came to meet us. She immediately took us under her wing and back to her home and our apartment in a renovated stone water mill. We settled in and soon realized that this was a wonderful spot. The town was completely surrounded by mountains-not the sharp pointed mountains of the north but rather the softer peaks of the south. Down in the valley, the turquoise waters of the river churned over rocks and through deep canyons. The sky was deep blue almost purple and we learned that this area gets 300 hundred days of sunshine a year. The air was clear and fresh.
We were eager to discover the village and we were also hungry from our travels so we set out to find a place to eat. The town seemed quiet in those early afternoon hours. As we walked up the narrow main street, everything was still. The bakery was closed as well as the butcher and the bookstore. No one seemed to be about. We decided to explore and we soon saw an old church with its bell tower. We went inside and reverently stood for a moment of silence. As we came out, we noticed a stone archway to our left. We went through it and found ourselves on a beautiful small sunny square. And here we found the people. They were all eating at the little restaurant, both inside and outside where tables and chairs spilled out onto the sidewalk. Men in work coveralls, people in suits, a young family with kids had all found a place to have lunch. So we found a spot in the sun, petted the restaurant dog as he walked by and ordered ourselves a feast: first a bottle of wine, then salads and homemade pizza and house made pasta and we topped it off with real french fries. We sat in the sunny space, drinking in the views, absorbing the humanity, and enjoying the food for a good two hours. And finally, we lazily got up and wandered up the hill to see the rest of the village, with its sundials painted on the houses, and its clear fountain, and its mountain vistas. Slowly we circled back to our new abode, feeling happy and tired, and when, we finally got there, we realized we had both gotten a good sunburn! That town became our home and we walked all over its mountains during that short week of bliss, and when we left, our hostess had to hug and kiss us goodbye with a tear in her eye. Whenever I see that deep blue sky, I remember an afternoon of good food and fresh air and mountain sun that is unforgettable. I leave you with a recipe that I adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy, which reminds me of the flavors and warmth of that place.

Beef, sausage and bacon rosemary skewers

1 lb. beef fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. italian sausages, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. good quality smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c. olive oil
sprigs of fresh rosemary to use as skewers

Put the cut meat in a ceramic or glass bowl, along with the chopped sage leaves, minced garlic, lemon zest and juice and olive oil. Marinate for several hours.

Take the rosemary sprigs and gently thread on the beef, bacon and sausage. Grill until done or roast in a 400 degree oven on a greased pan for 20 minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge and some wild rice.




Published in The Goshen News, June 2, 2008