After the hard work of cooking for 40 people on Friday we decided we deserved a weekend when other people cooked for us, somewhere a bit different from home but not too far away. We set off first for the Canal du Midi at Homps. The canal and its surroundings were cold and grey but we were lucky to find that the Auberge de l’Arbusier had just reopened after its winter break. A good place for lunch indoors but looking out through picture windows onto the canal:
A terrine of rabbit with toasts and salad.
pork fillet with endive
and his and hers desserts:
chocolate and passion fruit mousse
crème brulée with chestnut purée
We also ate a selection of local goats’ cheeses from a farm south of Carcassonne. Everything tasted very good and was beautifully presented. We plan to go back there when the weather is better and we’ll be able to eat outside on the terrace by the canal.
We drove on across the étang desséché de Marseillette which was once an inland lagoon and is now a low flat area of vines and – somewhere, although we didn’t see it – rice growing.
Vines with the Corbières mountains in the distance.
drainage channel in the étang
From here we went to nearby Peyriac-Minervois to stay at a delightful chambre d’hôte, Le Chai de Marguerite. I’ll write another post about this and the rest of our weekend in a day or two.
You deserved it! It looks excellent, especially the rabbit and the crème brulée (my favourite pudding). I’d love to visit that canal 😉
How fantastic, what glorious food and was there an old man sitting on that stump by the vines? Am i seeing things? Goats cheese (drool) .. c
If I cooked for 40 people, I’d need more than a weekend to recuperate!. No matter. it looks like you chose your get-away spot quite well; that lunch looks delicious!
What a delicious lunch, however the landscapes reflect that sadness that is part of this time of the year. I watch the forest waiting for that first haze of green that signifies the start of growth.
you have taken me back to my holiday last year on the canal – thank you 🙂
When they drained the “finger” of canal near Montauban they found loads of bicyclettes… from various generations. I thought a bicycle museum was in order, but I’m a weird American. I love *love* your photos! Thank you… mmmmmmmmm!
What a perfect meal and very well deserved. I am inspired to make a terrine in little glass pots now! And I know what Celi means about seeing an old man…I thought I saw someone too on first glance!