Provencal Workout

Towards the end of my freshman year of high school my French teacher, Georganne Brennan, announced she would not be returning next year. She wanted to pay more attention to her seed company based just outside of Napa Valley. Little did I know at that time, she was not only friends with famed California chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, but that years later while on the stair master in Richmond, Virginia I would be reading about her in Conde Nast Travel Magazine.

One afternoon with sweat running down my forehead, I was climbing the stairs to nowhere while flipping through the magazine. Wanting to be anyplace but the gym, I tried to loose myself in the articles, when there infront of me was a postcard perfect picture of a rustic Provencal farm, goats and hens nibbling at the ground, a long farm table with country white linens covered with pottery, red wine bottles and trays of fresh cheeses, breads and all things French. A perfect setting to get lost in. As my eyes studied this al fresco setting, I noticed a woman sitting at the table in a long cotton skirt, short blunt cut salt and peper hair with a fuzzy yellow cat perched in her lap. To my surprise, it was my, yes MY high school French teacher, Madame Brennan.

It became the workout I don't remember. I could have stepped my way up the Empire State building. I read the entire article, getting lost in stories about her multi-million dollar seed company and how she's now hosting cooking enthusiasts to her farm in the south of France. Teaching her students the art of potager. Yes! I have that cookbook! Potager!

Well, Luke and I pulled out that cookbook recently. We picked out a recipe that is now going to be an autumn staple in our home - casseoluet! We'll be eating it for weeks I'm afraid, but it's WELL worth it! Too bad Greyson can eat the duck and beans yet!