Homecooking at Petit Segries

Caveat – this was written on October 8th – we’re really behind on updates but we’ll catch up by 2011!

The lovely Petit Segries at dusk

After days of eating out, we are happy to be checked in for four nights to Petit Segries, a gite (French for self-catering accommodation. They are very popular across the country and there is a huge guide on gites published in French annually, plus a webiste) in Moustiers de St. Marie, considered one of the most charming towns in Provence, although we’ve driven through countless others vying for the title. Unfortunately the market in Moustiers de St. Marie, a 10-minute drive from Petit Segries, was long over so the only produce available to us was in the mini supermarket in town. I wistfully reflected on the beautiful eggplants, mushrooms and zucchinis with blossoms still attached that we’d seen at the market in Bandol only this morning. Le sigh.

I whipped up an old standby on the dregs of the mini-marche’s offerings, which we enjoyed with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, Provencal olives and St. Marcellin, followed by the obligatory cheese course of Brebis de Montagne with lavender honey and plum confiture made by the proprietors of Petit Segries.

Galette a Supermarche Generale

¾-1 pound of potatoes – we used 6 rose potatoes, cut lengthwise into quarter-inch slices

2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced

1 leek, white part only, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ a medium red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small cubes

salt and pepper to taste

lemon zest

3 eggs

2/3 c milk

Galette with one layer of potatoes and the minced vegetable filling

Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Caramelize the garlic, onions, leeks and carrots together in a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot pan – you’re on vacation, throw it all in at once! While your vegetables are cooking on medium-low heat (you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to prevent them from burning), par-boil your potato slices in a pot of water with a tablespoon of salt. This should take about 5 minutes. Beat the eggs and add in the milk while beating.

Butter a shallow tart pan and line the bottom with a single layer of potatoes. Top with your caramelized vegetables and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with another layer of potatoes and pour your egg/milk mixture over the galette.

Galette fresh from the oven

Salt and pepper the top and dot it with the cubes of butter. Place it on the middle rack of your oven for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. The temperature gauge in the oven we used seemed to be off because it felt really hot in there, but we had it mostly at 100˚C, plus it also seemed to be a convection oven judging from the blasts of hot air that greeted me every time I impatiently opened the oven door. Check after 10 minutes to see if the butter has melted and browned the top and the eggs are cooked. Let the galette rest for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven, then cut into slices and top with fresh lemon zest if you wish. Bon Appetit!