Every Saturday and Sunday, Vanessa Zhâ and Marion Sauveur make us discover some nuggets of French heritage.
Today, we stay in Savoie to discover the city of Annecy, through its history.
The opportunity also to do a little picking around the city.
This morning, we are going for a walk in the Savoie region this morning… we are putting our suitcases down in Annecy.
Where life is good ! Moreover, it is once again at the top of the list of cities and it is true that it is appreciated in fine weather, or it takes on Venetian airs. It is crossed by canals, including the small Thiou river. The medieval city was built around its banks. With this famous Palace of the island, which looks like a small vessel on the water, a little gem as we like them, easily instagramable too. As you can see, the medieval city is to be surveyed, it is a must. But I also urge you to lay your eyes on the religious heritage. It is not nicknamed "the Rome of the Alps" for no reason. Annecy was even a bishopric in the 16th century. And the bells if you listen to them ringing, will guide you to an exceptional place 8-10 kilometers away: in Sevrier.A world-famous site thanks to ambassadors like no other, those of Anne Paccard of the Paccard Foundry.
"Our best ambassadors are our bells, the oldest of which has been ringing for 225 years in the small village of Quintal. But the most famous can be found all over the world, such as in the United States where we made the replica of the "liberty bell", in 1950. It is a 1 ton bell for each Capitol of each American state. There is also Paris where there is the largest bell in France, the Savoyard. It weighs 18,835 kilos and which since 1891, is the biggest bell in France. "
A bell found in Montmartre.
A beautiful setting!
The foundry has cast 120,000 bells around the world, many of them from Annecy.
The most remarkable: it is the bell of Our Lady of Liesse, the Salesian.
A 5 ton drone, with a very nice sound.
Paccard is a family business that has existed since 1796, founders of bells from father to son, 8 generations without interruption, isn't that beautiful?
It was born after the Revolution, when the mayor asked the bishopric to return a cure.
The deal: a priest but a new bell in your steeple.
A young apprentice then volunteered when he was 24 years old.
His name was Antoine Paccard.
And she visits this foundry?
Yes, there is even a museum and every Thursday you can attend especially the melting of the bells.
This is done by reservation, like the Arsonnora concerts that the Maison Organizes: voices and bells.
HIS bells and it's not over, there is a tearoom for Marion.
You can taste Pacardises including… chocolate bells.
After the Heritage of nature activities perhaps?
Ah, I have an extraordinary novelty: The Jetcycle Max.
A new machine, to fly on water.
You sit down, semi-lying, you pedal and there is a propeller and above all a foil to gently take off from the surface of the water.
You walk 20 kilometers per hour on it.
And in addition it is Eco responsible.
And I have plenty of other new activities: astronomy and astrophotography evenings, electric aircraft with electro velis, to fly over the lake… I will put the information on the Europe1.fr site.
What about hotels?
The Villa Caroline, which is located on the west shore of Lake Annecy, for a detox stay, great for athletes too.
The cuisine is flexible and vegetal, there is a spa, and no wifi in the common areas.
Marion, with you, we go picking around Annecy.
Yes… in search of an edible wild plant: wild garlic… which smells of garlic… and delicately scents dishes.
Its name comes from the fact that it is the first plant that bears eat after hibernation.
Right now, it's high season ...
How do we spot it?
Wild garlic grows in the undergrowth… it needs freshness and shade… and it is mostly found in groups: like large green carpets of fragrant wild garlic. This garlic scent is the first way to spot it. Lionel Scaturro from the Ecole des Saveurs des Bois, near Annecy, explains how to recognize him.
"The leaves of wild garlic are rather elongated. They are at the end of a petiole, it is this stem that will connect the leaf to the bulb. And the leaf will be shiny on the top. These leaves you have to be careful of. because they strangely resemble lily of the valley or colchicum ... poisonous plants! In the case of lily of the valley: its leaves are always joined by 2 or 3, they will be dull on the top and quite rigid. For colchicum the leaves will be united also between them by 3 or by 4. They start directly from the ground. They are a little thicker and more elongated than wild garlic. You have to be careful ".
To pluck it, just snap off the bottom of the leaf with your fingernail or a knife.
Do not hesitate to look at the bottom of the sheet to verify that it is indeed wild garlic.
Vanessa once we picked it can we cook it?
Yes !!!
And everything is eaten in wild garlic: from the bulb to the flower, including the bud and the leaf of course.
The most common is to cook the leaves.
They do not keep for long once cut.
Remember to put the stems in the water if you do not cook them right away.
You can chop them and put them in the freezer, in an airtight bag.
They can be used to spice up a soup or add more flavor to a dish.
The classic recipe par excellence is pesto.
This Italian sauce… genoise itself… cousin of pistou, is traditionally made with olive oil, pine nuts (almonds or hazelnuts), Parmesan and basil.
And here we replace the basil with wild garlic.
Better to use small, fresh leaves, they are more tender.
Ingredients
250g wild garlic leaves
130g grated Parmesan
60g ground almonds
60 g pine nuts
12cl of olive oil
2 pinch of fleur de sel
1 pinch of pepper
The ideal is to make the pesto with a pestle… but with a blender, it works very well. Start by roasting the pine nuts in a pan. They should be just golden. Once washed, roughly mix the wild garlic leaves. Add salt, pepper, ground almonds and Parmesan and mix again. Add the golden pine nuts and mix… before mixing with the olive oil. Gently fold in.
It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
With this pesto… you can make lasagna: a layer of this pesto on the pasta, a layer of béchamel.
You can also simply add minced wild garlic to your classic tomato sauce.
And you have a little spicy lasagna.
A very simple recipe to make: wild garlic butter, to flavor your pasta or as a base for gourmet appetizer sandwiches, with a nice slice of country ham.
Wild garlic butter
Ingredients
250 g of soft butter
50 g wild garlic
1 pinch of fleur de sel
First of all: leave the butter for 1 hour at room temperature so that it is easy to work with.
Finely mince your wild garlic leaves.
Mix with the fleur de sel.
Before kneading the butter with your herbs.
When they are well integrated, it is enough to reform the butter and put it in the refrigerator.
What do we do with flowers?
They are added to a salad.
Not only will it be pretty… these little white flowers, but in addition it will give it a good taste of garlic… quite sweet.
And if you have wild garlic buds, you can make pickles… like capers or pickles.
By heating a syrup of sugar, vinegar and water… and pouring it hot over the flower buds placed in a sterilized jar.
You can add some spices.
These pickles have a nice little garlic taste, not too sour.
Perfect for snacking as an aperitif or for your salads.
Wild garlic bud pickles
Ingredients
60 cl of cider or white vinegar
80 g caster sugar
1 liter of water
Wild garlic buds
Spices (mustard seeds, fennel, etc.)
Start by rinsing the flower buds.
Boil the vinegar, sugar and water.
Add some spices and leave on the heat for a minute.
Fill the sterilized jars 2/3 full with buds, before pouring the syrup over them (to the top of the jar).
Close the jar and turn it over until cool.
What if we don't want to cook?
Come see Lionel Scaturro from the School of Saveurs des Bois, he will take you to discover them.