French bliss

Wednesday is Bastille Day, the 215th anniversary of the start of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is a national holiday in France and, for a number of years, Philadelphia restaurants have celebrated this day with panache and good French food and wine.

On Saturday afternoon, Marie Antoinette — also known as Terry McNally, proprietor of the London Bar and Grill — will once again climb the scaffold of at the Eastern State Penitentiary, and toss Tastykakes to the roaring crowd. She won’t really lose her head, but McNally has always enjoyed dressing up in a great big wig and gown to commemorate the occasion.

France and America have enjoyed a deep friendship since the days of the American Revolution. The Marquis de Lafayette so greatly admired Gen. George Washington that he came to the colonies seeking out the great man. He found him and helped us beat the Redcoats.

In 1886, the citizens of France gave the people of America a most beautiful and special gift. She is the Statue of Liberty, who stands gracefully in New York Harbor welcoming all with her torch.

Although I enjoy all sorts of cuisine, French fare is my favorite and it has been since I was a child. I never tire of French food because of its diversity. The dishes you enjoy in Brittany are different from the recipes of sun-drenched Provence.

Since Bastille Day takes place during the summer, my French menu turns to Provence, the glorious region along the Mediterranean. When I think of Provence, I think of Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. My mind immediately turns to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, the most famous couple of American literature. They, along with daughter Scottie, spent many glorious summers in the South of France.

I have in my cookbook collection a gem called Van Gogh’s Table at the Auberge Ravoux: Recipes from the Artist’s Last Home and Paintings of Caf� Life by Alexandra Leaf and Fred Leeman ($35, Artisan, hardback, full-color photographs). If we cannot travel to the last home of the great artist, we can enjoy dishes from the inn where they are served.

Bandol, the great red wine of Provence, will go well with dinner.

Here are recipes to celebrate Bastille Day from Van Gogh’s Table.

M�che, Pine Nut and Foie Gras Salad

For the house vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

1 (8-ounce) bag m�che or mesclun
1/4 cup pine nuts
6 ounces cold foie gras
Coarse salt

Directions:

To prepare the vinaigrette, put the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the oils, whisking until emulsified

To prepare the salad, place the m�che in a bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Divide evenly among four plates and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of pine nuts over the top.

Dip a long, sharp, thin-bladed knife into hot water and cut the foie gras into paper-thin slices. Place about six slices foie gras on top of each salad. Sprinkle with a few grains of coarse salt and serve with whole-grain bread.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: This recipe calls for raw foie gras, which is difficult to find. You can substitute any store-bought p�t� for the foie gras. M�che is also known as "lamb’s lettuce" and can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or any specialty store.

Lamb Stew with White Wine and Provencal Olives

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 pounds stewing lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups unpitted green or black olives
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart beef or chicken stock, heated
3 leafy sprigs fresh thyme
1-1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise and seeded

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb in batches, adding more oil as needed.

Transfer the lamb to a heavy-bottomed casserole and set aside.

Add the wine to the skillet and deglaze, gently scraping up brown bits that are stuck to the pan. Add the wine to the lamb and add the hot stock. Add enough hot water to cover the lamb completely. Add the thyme sprigs and simmer over low heat for one hour.

Add the tomatoes and simmer until the lamb is very tender, about 1-1/2 hours. During the last hour of simmering, add the olives.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: You can prepare the stew a day before since stews taste better after spending a night in the refrigerator. I would serve the stew with buttered egg noodles and any green vegetable such as green beans, asparagus or tender baby peas.

Cherry Clafouti

Ingredients:

3/4 pounds cherries, washed and pitted
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups milk
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Dry the cherries with paper towels and set aside.

Combine the eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be sure there are no lumps. Add the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time. When the batter is smooth, stir in the melted butter and mix to incorporate.

Scatter the cherries in a well-greased pie plate. Pour the batter over the cherries and bake for one hour, or until the clafouti is puffy and slightly golden in color. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: This clafouti is more custard-like than recipes I have given you in the past. You also could use blueberries or raspberries. I often use a 10-inch pretty quiche pan to make clafouti but a 10-inch pie pan works well.