A little Taste of France

Where most return home from France with a souvenir of the latest in Parisian fashion; a pair of shoes, a leather handbag, or a bottle of French perfume, I packed my suitcase with French mustard, Lavender honey, dried Vervain leaves, apricot preserves, and truffle oil. It is my way of bringing my favorite place in the world back with me. Following are ways you can have a little bit of French “joie de vie” in your life too!

A Verveine (Verbena) Tisane: This herbal tea is a staple in every French household and is served in nice restaurants after a beautiful meal. The proper way to prepare the tea is with the actual dried leaves, but you can also buy the leaves in sachets. They are stocked in every French pharmacie as the go-to cure for stress, depression, indigestion, and a good night’s sleep! I drink a cup of this tea with honey every night before bed. Click here to buy on amazon!

Pain au Chocolat: There is simply nothing more French than enjoying a croissant and cafe au lait for le petit dejeuner. I swear by Trader Joe’s plain, chocolate, and almond croissants. You can find them in the freezer bread section. Before you go to bed, lay the frozen croissants on a cookie sheet. It takes around 8 hours for them to defrost and rise. Place in the oven at 350 and you will pinch yourself that you are not having breakfast in a French cafe!

 

 

French mustard: The French use mustard like we use ketchup in America. They put it on their poulet roti (roasted chicken), pommel frites (French fries), and is the coup de grace in their quintessential French salad dressing! There is nothing better than a simple salad of torn Romaine lettuces, shavings of Parmesan cheese, a handful of olives, and French dressing. A spoonful of mustard, a generous amount of olive oil, the juice of a lemon, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence if you have them. 

Lavender Honey: This is probably my favorite! I use it in my tea, salad dressings, and even on my roasted chickens! Click to purchase on amazon!

Bon Appétit!

Farrell