Shrove Tuesday

In France and in other countries it's Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). However, it is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) in England. There is a strong cold wind whining and all is very inclement for any Carnival parade. We stay indoors and eat pancakes.
We have run out of Sarrassin flour which is made with buckwheat (blé noir ) and is very good for making savoury galettes especially if ones uses farine fluide in the recipe.


So we are making crêpes with wheat flour. Usually in France these would have a sweet filling but in England we used to make savoury pancakes with the crêpe mixture. For our afternoon tea we had stewed dessert apples with a spoonful of last year's cherry jam and a glass of white Bergerac wine! For our evening meal we had a filling of sautèed onions and tomatoes in a cheese sauce. Mix the pancake mixture in the morning, beat well, leave in the fridge. Heat the special pan only ever used to make pancakes, cook the pancake, put your favoutite filling in the centre and fold. keep warm whilst you make some more before serving.


These are some photos from last year's village activity group. The weather was marginally better! We had spent several weeks helping the children to make masks and costumes and helping them to learn a farandole and another French folk dance called Les Lavandières. Not sure of the spelling on that one! The women were washing their clothes by the lavoir , gossiping and enjoying themselves when their menfolk called them home and were cross because their dinner had not been prepared!



The "bonne madame" was never burnt last year as it was too dangerous in the windy weather to have a bonfire.