There is lunch, and then there is a French farmhouse long lunch.

You know the kind. The table that was set at midday and somehow you’re still there at 5pm, the rosé bottles mysteriously empty, the baguette is in crumbs, and you’ve solved all of life’s problems over jazz tunes and French classics on the speaker.

We hosted ours at our farmhouse near Abzac last weekend. It’s funny, this stone house in the Charente holds so much magic. The shutters shine, and the bird sounds take centre stage whilst I enjoy actually having the time to cook and make some new creations.

And when you have time, you make a feast, but most importantly you enjoy every moment of it. When I’m time poor (which is most of the year) cooking always feels like a chore, but not in France.

The Menu

No notes, no rush, no measuring, no recipes, just gorgeous local produce and good instincts.

We started, of course, with baguette with Charente butter. Is it even lunch in France without it? Salty, creamy Charente butter on a crusty baguette that still crackles when you tear it. Perfection.

Then, chilled gazpacho with mozzarella, cold, silky, and summery.

Followed by asparagus and truffle vol-au-vent.

Next, my pork and veal, pistachio and herb terrine. (you can substitute the pork also for chicken or beef) Carefully sliced and studded with pistachios and fresh herbs. Kaye and Tony enjoyed it so much they took the remaining half home. You can also find my recipe on a previous post from last summer.

To balance the table — a couple of salads.

The show-off salad: watermelon and feta, all blushing pink with mint, strawberry dressing and pomegranate jewels on top. Sweet, salty, and so pretty you feel guilty eating it, for about two seconds. Leftovers? Kaye’s chooks hit the jackpot.

Homemade Hummus, again crowned with pomegranate jewels.

And grilled zucchini with ground hazelnuts, herbs, cranberries and a yoghurt and citrus dressing. Smoky, crunchy, creamy, tangy. The kind of salad that makes people who say “I don’t like zucchini” reconsider everything.

Then, hasselback potatoes, twice-cooked with white vinegar. Golden, salty, sour-edged, crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle.

Dessert was a duet. The fabulous Kaye brought her famous poached nectarines with rose water syrup, as well as a delicious local-bought chocolate dessert from her favourite artisan. Support local, especially when local makes chocolate!

We enjoyed it all with rosé from Provence, jazz and French classics humming in the background (and the birds, cows, chooks and other sounds of nature).

That’s the thing about the farmhouse, lunch is an event. You shop the day before, cook slowly, serve each course as you go, open another bottle of rosé, and remember why you fell in love with this place many years ago.

It was then back to Cognac for a few days before heading to the French Riviera, but that, mes amis, is a story for the next post.

Have you ever had a five-hour lunch that felt like five minutes? Tell me your favourite long lunch dish below, I need ideas for the next one.

Mike