Food, Wine, Photography Cycling & Gardening. Discover more about Life in Burgundy on The Hungry Cyclist Blog
On any Hungry Cyclist cycling holiday excellent food is guaranteed. Whether you are dinning in Michelin starred restaurants, tasting cheese and truffles at a local market or eating amongst the locals in a popular café, I make sure my guests get to enjoy the very best cuisine Burgundy has to offer.
Read MoreCeleriac is not a pretty vegetable. Resembling the shruken-heads of some jungle tribe, they sit a little neglected on the green grocers shelves in England. Many customers are either put off by their unaesthetic appearance while others are just baffled with what to do with this chunky pale root. But ignore the celeriac at your peril because under its ugly surface lurks a flesh that is crispy when raw, silky smooth when cooked and that has a delicate taste which suggests the flavours of celery of which brows above ground if allowed.
Read MoreThe summer is over. The evening light now hangs low over tight bunches of grapes and leaves rustle and whisper against a cool wind that will soon be their downfall. Wine makers wear their heavier clothes, last seen in April, and the faint odour of burning wood is just recognisable in the dampening evening air.
Read MoreShort days. long nights, deep mists and damp air. Winter in Burgundy has its downsides but one of the benefits of the arrival of this new season is the abundance of good shellfish at the local market in Beaune.
Read MoreAfter a glorious morning cycling in Burgundy, you arrive at your picnic spot and it's time for lunch. A rug is laid out on the ground, crusty bread is cut and the cork is pulled from an excellent bottle of wine. In the shade of of a tree you rest the legs, enjoy the view and refuel on healthy salads and local produce.
The best cycling picnics are made from the best seasonal ingredients and are prepared in minutes. In the late summer in Burgundy succulent figs hang on their branches and it is a crime not to enjoy them. These jammy-sweet sacks of goodness, pair perfectly with a well -aged Comte from the mountains of the Jura, that lie to the east of Burgundy.
Good Comté should have a nutty flavor, which becomes more pronounced the older it gets. Most Comtés are sold having been aged a minimum of four months, and those that fall between six and twelve months have a milkier, creamier flavour than the older, slightly dried cheeses. For this salad I like to use a cheese that has been aged for at least eighteen months. It breaks up easily and the nutty 'twang' of the cheese pairs with the super-sweet flavour of the figs and the salt of the ham.
serves 4
1. Add the salad leaves to a shallow bowl. Add a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a cap full of vinegar and turn through with your hands,
2. Cut the figs into quarters and place on top of the salad.
3. Loosely tear up the ham in your fingers and add to the salad, making sure to discard any chewy pieces of rind.
4. With a sharp knife whittle away at the cheese so that thin slices fall over the salad.
Nothing betters eating outdoors in the summer months in Burgundy and wether we are enjoying a gourmet cycling picnic or a bbq in the garden, we eat outside as often as we can.
Read MoreAnother cycling tour here in Burgundy and this week I am lucky enough to have a couple of vegans cycling and tasting wine with me. On first inspection the Burgundian regime might not be the first choice for our animal-loving friends but one thing Burgundians do get right is growing first-class produce.
Read MoreWhen the mercury rises and the sweat pours, it’s those little things that make all the difference. A glass of chilled water by the bedside, a cool towel across your forehead, ice and a slice in your water bottles… but why stop there.
Read MoreThose red currants that make it back to the kitchen are perfect for a quick cycling picnic. Their sharp tang pairs perfectly with the creamy mascarpone and sweet meringue.
Read MoreA cool glass of aligote to quench my thirst at the end of a days ride and perhaps a warm gougeres to nibble on. Made from ingredients that are almost always at home, these warm cheesy puffs make a perfect snack for any Apéritifs.
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