“Simple French Comfort Food” Cooking Class

March 2024 started off with a bang, with a full class for the “Simple French Comfort Food” cooking class. The blustery day started out with a little rain, so a nice warm fire and a comforting menu was perfect. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and made delicious recipes that culminated in a relaxing lunch, à table. All my students were an inspiration for me. Merci!

À Table For A Relaxing Lunch With Recipes Completed

Winter Storms Brought Spectacular Sunsets

Welcome winter rains brought spectacular sunsets. The mature trees have been trimmed. The garden pathways replenished with fresh mulch. The flowerbeds manicured. The vineyard and roses pruned and poised for another growing season. The potager has been planted.

The garden and vineyard are waiting for longer days and warmer temperatures. I am hopeful all this wonderful winter rain will promise a spectacular showing in spring.

Olivenhain Garden Club Visiting March 2024. Thank You For The Photo By Olivenhain Garden Club

In mid-March, The Olivenhain Garden Club came for a garden tour and a glimpse of spring emerging. Just like your favorite perennial, this club, and many other lovely garden clubs have been here before for a visit, and have seen the garden and Domaine de Manion evolve over the years.

The Olivenhain Garden Club comments and compliments were so nice. They didn’t go hungry, I prepared a few different charcuterie boards and platters for them.

One Of The Charcuterie Boards. A Little Something For Everyone

“Meet The Masters” Check-In And Book Signing For Gabriela Salazar

Mid-March was The Village Garden Club of La Jolla’s “Meet the Masters” 2024 event with program speaker, fabulous Gabriela Salazar, an internationally recognized floral artist and grower out of Mexico. She wowed us with her flower philosophy and technique in flower arranging.

It was a huge, fun, successful event. I helped, along with many dutiful ladies checking guests in, and giving them their table seating. It was a pleasure to be on this committee with my fellow members. Hats off to The Village Garden Club of La Jolla!

As March continued to unfold, spring was emerging, slowly but surely. First, narcissus bulbs appeared in the lawn, next Cherokee rose started to bloom, and then wisteria came to life in purple pendulum display. Early spring was here!

Naturalized Narcissus Bulbs Transition Winter Into Spring

Cherokee Rose Beginning To Bloom White

Wisteria Over the Shed Heralds In Spring

March 2024 started off with a bang, and is ending with a bang, Easter! March has had momentum with a nice energy, perhaps it will continue throughout the year. I wish all of you a beautiful spring!

Vintage Hen And Chick Remind Us Easter Is Here

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, and Happy Easter…Bonnie

In My Garden and Happy Place

For those of you who have signed up for my newsletter, I thought that since it is the beginning of the year, I would introduce myself to you once again—the writer behind all of these posts. It gives me great happiness to write amd share with all of you what I call my “Taste of French Country Living”.

It is a lifestyle that embodies a “coastal Southern California meets South France” through artful seasonal living in cooking, gardening, travel, styling, and more! I confess, I am a little bit farm girl, a little bit European, and a little bit SoCal gal all rolled into one grateful person!

In My Kitchen and Another Happy Place

My husband, John, and I have spent over two decades transforming what once was a neglected acre of land into a beautiful and bountiful petite Provence in coastal North San Diego County. This May 2024, we celebrate 25 years living here at what we affectionately call, Domaine de Manion.

Bocce Ball Court and Gardens at Domaine de Manion

I have been featured in local and national media for my home and garden, backyard vineyard, organic practices, chickens, and styling. I was one of four California home gardeners chosen by Scott’s Miracle Grow to ride on their “California Grown” themed float in the January 2016 New Year’s Day Rose Bowl Parade.

Besides my blog, I co-authored Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies and am quoted in the beautiful part coffee table, part cookbook, Lunch in Provence, and For the Love of Provence.

Bottling Our Syrah in November 2023

A professed self-taught gardener, I have an Agricultural B.S. degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition, I also earned an International Business Certificate, and Wine Technology Certificate from Mira Costa College, Oceanside, California.

If you have friends who might like these posts, recipes, tips, sometimes musings, and hopefully some inspiration, please tell them about my website, and newsletter.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

For more details regarding classes, events, writing, speaking, and other inquiries, please contact Bonnie or (tel) (760) 402-7600.

Lunch on the Canal du Midi in Languedoc, France

Paperwhites Create Holiday Cheer In The Garden

If you force Paperwhites (part of the Narcissus family) in beautiful containers inside your home for the holidays, what do you do with them afterwards? Several years ago I started planting the spent bulbs in key spots in my garden. Just like clockwork they emerge on their own in the garden in time for the holidays. Not only do their spectacular blooms create a very special holiday feel to your garden, their heavenly scent is intoxicating as you pass by them. There are many, many Paperwhite varieties, and most can be found at garden stores and nurseries in late fall. Online bulb companies such as Brent and Becky’s Bulbs and Easy to Grow Bulbs offer a nice selection.

Plant them in a home entrance flower bed, near a gate, or a pathway to capture their scent as you pass by. Of course, this suggestion is for those who live in a Mediterranean climate, most varieties are hardy in USDA zones 9-11. My garden is in zone 10, and they are very happy. If you don’t live in the mentioned zones, enjoy your Paperwhites indoors.

Paperwhites like air, sunlight, and light water. They don’t like their feet wet, and they don’t need fertilizer. Planted in groups and mass in the garden they are spectacular. Bloom time is about 2 weeks. If you are planting your Paperwhite bulbs in the garden from a forced vase, it might take a few years for the bulbs to catch on and really shine. You can clip spent flowers, but keeping the green foliage and letting it brown and die back by itself, it actually provides energy to the bulb for next year’s blooming.

Please be aware the entire Paperwhite plant is toxic to pets and to people. It is the plant’s natural defense. If you have a curious pet, an inquisitive small child, or grandchild, you might not want to tempt them with reachable Paperwhites. On the other hand, Paperwhites will deter gophers and deer in their immediate area, so an added benefit, beauty and function.

Past Related Posts:

Big on Bloom

Narcissus Bulbs Deter Gophers

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Every year I bring out this vintage sleigh to decorate and place by my front door. Year to year the vignette and decorations vary. My holiday decorations and style are generally simple and rustic, and often using greens from my garden.

Making This Vignette:

Find an interesting piece for a base, such as this weather-worn sleigh. Choose a piece that is novel, whimsical, and might bring on a smile.

Use a focal piece or showstopper. I chose a 10” beautiful red poinsettia plant inspired from a recent tour at Weidner’s Gardens, organized by one of my garden clubs, The Village Garden Club of La Jolla.

Wrap the plant in simple burlap.

Cut Blue Juniper greens and Little Gem Magnolia pieces from my garden, arranging them on the sleigh. Look for greens, foliage, berries, pine cones in your garden, or possibly from a neighbor or friend.

Add another smaller interesting piece. In this vignette, an interesting pine cone from another part of California.

Add a colorful bow, if your vignette needs a pop. I didn’t want to take away from the color and beauty of the poinsettia, so I didn’t add a bow.

Make sure everything in your vignette can tolerate being outdoor for a period of time.

Enjoy what you have created. If you make a vignette, I would love to hear about it!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Roger’s Red Through the Autumn Morning Sun

Roger’s Red grapevine is something to roar about. An ornamental grapevine that is thought to be a natural hybrid between the native grape, Vitis californica and the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera.

This grapevine is absolutely stunning with red foliage for your autumn garden. It can produce small grapes, although mine hasn’t yet. I really can’t say enough about the foliage, sometimes chocolate in some light, sometime warm red to burnish orange leaves in other light. And a dash of green color, too.

Roger Red Grapevine Climbing Up My Outdoor Patio

It does like to climb on fences, gates, or some kind of support, which is perfect for a garden setting. It will take full sun to light shade with regular to moderate water. Allowing this grapevine to climb will allow it to move and dance with the wind.

I found my Roger’s Red grapevine at Tree of Life Nursery. Sometimes you can find it in nurseries, in their native plant section. You can probably find it online, too.

A very hardy grapevine, it did take me a few years to get it started and growing.

Another View of Roger’s Red Grapevine

I like the idea of decorating your autumn table or buffet with this fabulous grapevine. A trick to doing this is clipping your grapevines in advance, and soaking the ends in a watering can overnight before your intended use. This will help keep your leaves from wilting during your special occasion.

You can even totally immerse individual leaves in water overnight, dry them, and press them flat for a few hours before needing to use them on your table or in your vignette.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce

Are you up to your ears in summer squash from your garden, and need a recipe lifeline to save you? Well, here comes Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce to the rescue (created by Rob Rubba at Oyster, Oyster restaurant in Washington, D. C., featured in the Food & Wine July 2023 issue). I have made pastas, muffins, cakes, gratins, salads, and more with my garden zucchini over the years, but this recipe is a welcome and delicious twist to reignite your taste buds for summer squash.

This recipe has a lot of flexibility. It calls for grilling the zucchini on the grill, but I have roasted the zucchini in my oven and the recipe is just as delicious. Simply prepare the zucchini according to the recipe. Roast in a 400 F. degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the squash is soft but not mushy. Turn your squash over once during your roasting time.

You also can tweak your pistachio sauce, for instance if you are not a fan of cilantro use basil or parsley. Please note: The pistachio sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. If thick, mix in a small amount of olive oil.

Grilled Summer Squash

With Roasted Pistachio Sauce

Lovingly Adapted from Rob Rubba, Food & Wine Magazine, July 2023

Ingredients

• 5 medium scallions, root ends trimmed

• 3 medium tomatillos (about 6 ounces), husks removed, tomatillos rinsed

• 2 medium serrano chiles, stemmed

• 8 garlic cloves (unpeeled), plus 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic, divided

• 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted pistachios, plus chopped pistachios, for garnish

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus whole cilantro leaves, for garnish

• 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1 1/2 pounds medium-size mixed summer squash (about 3 squash), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high just until smoking. Add scallions, tomatillos, chiles, and unpeeled garlic cloves; cook, flipping occasionally, until mixture is charred in spots and slightly softened, 4 to 6 minutes for scallions, 8 to 10 minutes for chiles and garlic, and 10 to 12 minutes for tomatillos. Transfer to a cutting board, and let cool for 5 minutes. Coarsely chop scallions, tomatillos, and chiles. Remove and discard garlic skins, and add garlic to scallion mixture; set mixture aside.

2. Pistachio sauce

   Process whole pistachios in a food processor until very finely chopped, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides of processor bowl after 15 seconds. Add charred scallion mixture, chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Process until mostly smooth and creamy, about 1 minute and 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down bowl after 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

3. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Toss together squash, 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 11/4 teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Place squash, cut sides down, on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, until deeply charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip squash, and grill just until squash is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small baking dish. Stir together lime juice, grated garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Pour mixture over squash, and gently toss to combine; let marinate 15 minutes.

4. Spread 1 cup pistachio sauce on a large platter. Top with grilled squash, and spoon any remaining marinade in baking dish over squash. Garnish with chopped pistachios and cilantro leaves. Drizzle with additional oil, and garnish with flaky salt. Serve remaining pistachio sauce on the side, or reserve for another use.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Welcoming Roses at Domaine de Manion

Cultivated Boxwood Curves

Blooming Sweet Peas on Willow Obelisks

Rambunctious Nasturtium on Coop de Manion

Riot of Blooms in White Garden

Olive Allée at Domaine de Manion

Profusely Blooming Privet at Domaine de Manion

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Stopping To Smell The Roses in Mollans-sur-Ouvèze, Provence, France, Photo by Debbie McGowan

The French love their roses, just like they love their dogs. May is a perfect month to catch France in full bloom and especially the stunning peaking roses that adorn their front homes, gardens, and stone walls. A On a recent trip I tried to capture some of these beautiful roses to share with you all.

I couldn’t identify many of them, but I did see quite a few of the traditional Eden, and Pink Eden. Enjoy these photos, and let them take you to France a moment!

The Village of Siran in Languedoc, France

Welcoming Roses Greet You at a Village Home in Caunes-Minervois, Languedoc

Matching Eden Roses Adorn the Front of a Village Home in Caunes-Minervois, Languedoc

A Fairy Tale Village Home in Caunes-Minervois, Languedoc

Never Mellow Yellow for a Village Home in Trausse, Languedoc

A Beauty in a Garden in Uzès, Gard

Rambling Rose in Caunes-Minervois, Languedoc

Bonus, have you ever seen a field of naturalized poppies blooming. It will take your breath away.

A Field of Poppies Blooming Outside of Uzès, Gard, Framce

Hoping your garden is happy, blooming, and giving you a smile!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie