This guy weighed in at 750gms/1lb 10oz!
I’m making a simple fresh tomato sauce with garlic and basil…
First we go to La Fête du Pain, [the Bread Festival] in Lautrec. I find a convenient parking place–not easy.
Kids welcome you with an entrance sticker and a little sack of Lautrec flour (the village has one of the oldest working windmills in the South West!)…
and wish you “Bonne Journée ” with eager faces.
Charming.
A percussion group climb up to the village in front of us.
Baritone and crisp side drums keep a good rhythm, making it sound like Sienna on Palio day.
We reach the square and “BANG”–du monde–too many people–too much noise!
I’m not grumpy–just not geared up for the crowd.
I leave Meredith there with her camera and drive home (losing the parking place).
Starting the sauce
I start the sauce* and feel better.
Meredith rings and says there’s a stall grilling lamb and sausages.
I rally and make my way back to Lautrec (retrieving the parking place).
After waiting in line for an age, we sit down with two plates of meat in the upper village square.
I buy two small glasses of red–1 euro each–and break the pledge a day early. We feel no guilt.
It’s definitely a “Jour de Fête“–happy crowds “milling” [jour du pain!] and “teeming” .
Plenty for the kids to do too–like learning to make pizza….
Eager students...
and “Guessing the Grain”…
"Older children"--guessing which grain is which!
and I’ve cheered up too!
Felicitations, LAUTREC!!
Simple fresh Tomato sauce
1 1/2lb/700gms–ripe tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 fat cloves of garlic–sliced finely
a few basil leaves–chopped
s&p
Heat the oil in a pan.
Sauté the garlic gently in the oil until it starts to colour.
Chop the tomatoes–scooping out and leaving aside much of the seedy liquid.
Add them to the pan.
Cook them over a medium heat, stirring from time to time, for about 20 minutes.
When you can divide the red sea with a spoon and little pock marks appear in the sauce is done.
Season and serve as you like.
Robin Ellis 
Robin, happy Ferragosto -Midsummer Fest-!! Your tomatoes’s sauce seems wonderful and I love the pics: perfect cooked!! I used sauce for spaghetti and bread too. Its good with our local bread (Tuscany bread without salt): a slice of roast bread with sauce a fresh basil: wow!! Today its usually have pic-nic, (Italian’s use) and here in mountain we have a big garden where we have done meats and vegetables on the fire (barbeque). Polenta with Ragù was done by my daddy who cooked it in the perfect way. Red wine and typical local cakes. Oh my God: tomorrow I must go to runnig…. ;))
Thanks Beatrice–Happy Feragosto to you and your husband too!
Tomorrow I walk!
Robin: how was little is the world? I saw your pics on Flickr and I find one whose touched me in particulary way. A pic of your dear brother Peter (God Bless Him) directing Adrian Paul on Highlander. I read many time ago about Peter and his career, but I didn’t know who was your brother. Well, Adrian Paul is one of my best friends!! His mum is an Italian madam born and rise in Florence and I, hubby, Adrian and gangs spent our kindeness’sholidyas at Fiumetto near Versilia. I am in contact with Adrian very often and last year in Paris we have a meeting with a lots of friends…. its a wonderful friendship!! I would share you the pics, but I don’t know how… I will find the way, yes?! Really incredible coincidence…. My warms condolences for Peter. Love u Bea
Extraordinary coincidence, Beatrice.
Thank you for your condolences–Peter was far too young.
I cherish that photo of him.
Hello Robin,What a good admosphere over there in La douce France, hope to see Lautrec one day.
We also had a feastday here in Belgium (Mothersday), here in Antwerp the stall holders are then dressed in Rubens time fashion.Years ago my mother and I where also dressed in that fashion(I still have the dress, was heavy to wear) because we where also stall holders with Antiques.
Thanks to share the nice pictures and video of your nice village Lautrec.
Merci Beaucoup et à bientôt, Chantal.
Once again your willingness to share your life brings a smile to my face. Since I cannot travel to/live in Eurpoe (but would if I could, in a heartbeat), I greatly appreciate your blog and the pictures. And the recipes – are you kidding me! We’ve had several and they’re all great, fitting in perfectly with our desire to eat healthy. Next week – the tomato sauce with no-yolk pasta. Pat Harland/Oregon