Sunday Lunch!
I do enjoy going out for dinner, but not as much as I enjoy a long lunch — especially Sunday Lunch!
Sunday lunch in Cannes with my friends Shardie and Astrid!
In France, as in many parts of Europe, Sunday lunch is a sacred time with family and an opportunity to cook up some favourite dishes to enjoy late into the afternoon.
So, while in Cannes this spring, I asked my French friend Astrid if she would prepare a typical French lunch for us, and graciously she agreed.
It started the day before with a rather frantic visit to Le Marché Forville, the well-known local market where we tore around picking up the ingredients for the five-course lunch.
Marché Forville on a busy Saturday morning! Sunday Lunch
Astrid pointed out that we would be visiting her particular vegetable stand, her regular fromagerie, and her favourite butcher shop./Sunday Lunch
Astrid always goes to the same lady for greens! But you have to get there early. This vendor runs out of her produce quickly./Sunday Lunch
Our Menu
Sautéed spinach and cheese drizzled with honey
Twice cooked lamb
with
Swiss Chard
Baby Turnips
Small Potatoes
Green salad with a light vinaigrette
Fresh strawberries
Three Cheese plate
Café
Chocolates
On Sunday morning, Astrid arrived around 11 am to take over the kitchen, and thus began a whirlwind of activity.
It was a simple meal but with lots of pieces and parts to organize.
With the deft expertise of a practiced home chef, Astrid readied two cuts of lamb, tenderloin, and chops, seasoned with fresh herbs, before they were boiled and then sautéed.
Lamb chops/Sunday Lunch
Presented with fingerling potatoes/Sunday Lunch
The chard, and the turnips, which were cut up in quarters, were put into various pots to boil.
Swiss Chard/Sunday Lunch
Turnip boiled and sautéed. A teaspoon of honey was added./Sunday Lunch
The appetizer plate was assembled.
Indeed this was a crowd-pleaser that I would make again.
The appetizer or entrée! Sautéed spinach with a slice of cheese and honey./Sunday Lunch
Madame est servie!
(Dinner is served or lunch in this case)
Astrid’s husband, Jean-Yves, joined us as we sat down at a table on the balcony.
It was fortunately one of those sunny days on the Riviera when the blue sky takes your breath away.
Jean-Yves was in charge of libations which included a rosé from Provence and then a bottle of champagne chilled to perfection. (Nope, don’t remember their names!)
Our hosts are Astrid and Jean-Yves!/Sunday Lunch
I love having an assortment of cheeses after a meal. Don’t ask me what they were. I forgot to ask./Sunday Lunch
*Note some of the photos were taken by my Travelmate BFF Shardie Stevenson who was the sous-chef for this meal.
I was too busy eating!
My sincere thanks to Astrid and Jean-Yves for this wonderful day.
I miss you so much! (Vous me manquez beaucoup!)
Salt, pepper, honey, lemon, and herbs at the ready!/Sunday Lunch
SO–is Sunday lunch a thing at your house? And what dishes do you normally prepare?
Please comment below. Your comment might win you a free book — see further down!
My Second 2022 Giveaway Draw For Annual Members
The tote is all the rage in Paris right now!
If you are an annual member of my subscription series WOMEN OF GLOBAL INTEREST, you are eligible 4 times a year for a special Giveaway Draw!
The First Draw was for a private session for an online Bra Fitting.
(By Kathryn (Kate) Kemp-Griffing, author of the informative and witty book, Paris Undressed.)
*Click here to see that Blog Post
Now, for my Second Giveaway Draw —- created exclusively for Woman of A Certain Age in Paris,
a Paris-themed Tote Bag handcrafted by Hope Designs Ltd.
And I am giving away TWO of them, one with gray trim and the other with black.
The Paris Tote Bag
Gray bottom and straps
Black bottom and straps
As you may know, the tote is currently a fashion item in Paris.
Parisians carry a small handbag plus a tote for shopping.
My Giveaway Totes are beautifully crafted from high-quality cotton fabric.
They are fully lined with a vinyl bottom, matching durable straps and two side pockets.
Are you an Annual Member of my 2022 Women of Global Interest?
You are already qualified for this draw and just need to wait for the results!
I will announce the winner in the next blog post.
Bonne Chance!
Not an ANNUAL Member yet!
Become a Member of My Exclusive Community of Women
Around the World Making the Most of this Exciting Chapter of Our Lives.
An Annual Subscription includes Live and Recorded Interviews
with the most remarkable women (of a certain age) around the globe,
along with special offers, travel connections with other members,
and 4 Giveaway Draws annually
for only 135.00 CAD/106.00 USD).
These fees help in part to pay for this blog,
the website, the gifts and giveaways,
and
the production of the global interview series as well as the packaged recordings.
You will not find anything like it anywhere else!
Thank you so much for your support!
Before You Go!
Don’t Forget To Leave a Comment!
Your Comments Will Be Rewarded!
A Gift of Spring and Summer French Memoir Reading
To encourage more comments on my blogs this summer,
I am rewarding one reader every month who comments on my blogs.
Where Do You Leave a Comment?
At the bottom of this blog, CLICK ON THE LINKS where it says,
Leave a Reply, or Read The Comments and then leave a reply.
You will then be eligible for this June monthly draw —
and the gift will be a choice of any book on my Paris BOOK CLUB page.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BOOKS to choose from.
I will also announce the winner of the Book Draw in the next blog!
So, take a moment and please comment.
We all love to read them and remember we are a community so Share!
Brought to you by www.womanofacertainageinparis.com
Disclosure Policy: This site uses affiliate links that may generate small commissions based on clicks and purchases. Any products that I giveaway are personally purchased by me unless otherwise specified. I write all content on my site unless otherwise specified. And I respect my subscribers’ privacy and do not share their information with any other party or organization.
Diana Bishop the founder of The Success Story Program and A Woman of a Certain Age in Paris as well as a well-known correspondent with over 25 years working for CTV, CBC News, and NBC News. She loves travel, writing, and all things Parisienne.
Lovely lunch! Great ideas!
Sunday lunch is not the same now as when I was young and we all went to Grandmas for a feast of spaghetti and meatballs in Sunday sauce every week. Yumm w great memories.
Nice to see Astrid after discussing with her on the phone over 1 hour. Thanks for the contact Diana. And Shardie and hyou are looking great and happy. Sharing the good addresses with guests is a pleasure for sure….
It was such a fun experience ; the market was fabulous ….the fruits , veggies , flowers and … the cheese!!!! I could barely drag myself away and must admit I went back several times on my own!
And I loved being Astrid’s sous chef! It was so interesting to see how she prepared various things! My favourite take away was the use of the delicious honey.. drizzled on the cheese with the bitter greens on the side and used even when sautéing the baby turnips …… delightful! Jean Yves brought a lovely rose from Provence and …. it was Champagne , Diana. We were indeed spoiled by this wonderful couple! ❤️
Bonjour Shardie, here martinn in Paris. Tomorrow I have guests for an apéro,actually more like and early dinner with no dessert or just strawberries.Guess what ? One of the recipe is a Camembert fondue. Spices in to the cheese… and a drizzle of hoeny ! I will post on Wednesday or Thursday. With South Western cheese, I like to present eityher quince Jelly or black cherries preserve etc etc. Cheese and sweet blend well. I’d say a bit “rich” though. Need to stroll after that. Have a Happy Spring and Summer.
It’s Diana actually Martinn. Shardie is my BF who you met when we were last in Paris. But people do often confuse us!
I have been to your house for lunch and what a meal that was! You were the inspiration for this blog Martinn as you always make lunch a special affair! Diana
Yes I know Diana, I thought I was replying to Shardie and her comment on your blog. I must have hit the wrong button. And thank you for your nice comment on my cooking; I hope to share more with you when you come back to Paris
No worries. Always great to hear from you!
Looks divine! Thanks to your notice Diana two and a half years ago I am now in Paris having just completed a six-day Paris Writing Retreat for Women that included six divine women and two amazing hosts. We enjoyed multiple al fresco lunches and picnics in Paris parks plus so much more. I’ve posted a few pictures on my FB page (Lynda Duff Davis) and will be covering my trip more extensively in my blog Boomerbroadcast.net. Thank you so much for making me aware of a wonderful event in Paris I would never have otherwise been aware of. Merci beaucoup!
Diana,
What a divine lunch! And on a sunny French balcony! This is what dreams are made of.
My typical Sunday lunch is a pot of homemade soup made in my favorite, small, Dutch oven. Loaded with fresh vegetables with a grain or pasta tucked in. Always including baby bok choy, and often a spin on a minestrone soup.
When you are home, do you have a favorite Sunday lunch?
Bonnie
That Appy of sauteed spinach with cheese topped with honey sounds DIVINE – a must try, for sure!
That waws Shardie’s favourite dish too! One to remember. Great to hear from you. Diana
This Sunday lunch on the terrasse sounds fabulous …from the bustling market , to the food preparation, to the shared meal with friends. A lovely afternoon !
Patti — yes, there is always something to learn from other people’s culinary skills and dishes. Thank you for the comment Patti. Diana
Sunday lunch is a barbecue experience. Whatever Randy cooks is delicious. Then we add homemade whole-wheat bread and fresh vegetable salad followed by his famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made with honey. Is it Sunday yet?
What fun!