And just like that summer is here! I’ve been having an unexpected holiday in the past weeks as I broke my fingertip while doing work in the garden, really stupid, but then these things always are stupid, involved complicated surgery but didn’t hurt too bad thanks to the grand hospital staff in Vesoul. Best of people. It’s taking a while to fully mend but B&B side has resumed last weekend, events will resume end of next week, hooray!
I finally played at being La Chatelaine, the Lady of the Castle, sunbathing, cold drinks, telephone, books, unbearably boring, so I’m glad to be almost back to Jack-of-all-Trades. Celebrating healing progress with a smashing apricot tarte, how to further below. And I realised I only have got two weekend dates left for you to book a private event!! So here’s an overview on availability throughout the season:
- Bookable for Private Events: 24-26 July / 25-27 September. Still ok availability Mondays to Wednesdays though
- The Painter’s Workshop 4 to 9 July 2026 (6 days / 5 nights) 1-2 spots left
- August Arts&Antiquing 20 to 23 August 2026 (4 days / 3 nights) – room Soleil up to 2 spots left
- Retreat im Schloss mit Jessica Breuninger – Astrologie, Aufstellungen & Genuss 4 bis 6 September 2026 (3 Tage / 2 Nächte) – dieses Retreat wird auf Deutsch abgehalten – last spot available
- Mini Arts&Antiques 28 August to 30 August 2026 (2 days / 2 nights)
- ***NEW*** Sisters Gathering – Chateau des Roses 17 September to 20 September (3 days/ 3 nights)
- ***NEW*** Cooking and Antiques 2 to 4 October (2 days / 2 nights)
- ***NEW*** Le Chateau du Tarot Freitag 9 Oktober bis Sonntag 11 Oktober (3 Tage/ 2 Nächte)
And here’s how to bake the apricot tarte:
What you’ll need
- 500g good quality puff pastry
- A basket of apricots, not overly ripe
- 2 eggs
- 150g sugar
- 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
- 250g hazelnuts, coarsely crushed
- A stick of marzipan
How you bake it
Roll out the pastry to fit a shallow tart tin. Line the tin with the pastry and prick the base several times with a fork.
Halve the apricots, remove the stones, and arrange them cut-side up in the tin. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and thick. Fold in the crème fraîche and crushed hazelnuts.
After the initial 15 minutes of baking, pour the filling evenly over the tart. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for a further 15 minutes.
Scatter pieces of marzipan over the top and continue baking for about 20 minutes more. Check regularly, as oven temperatures can vary. The marzipan should melt slightly, spread out, and turn lightly golden, but it should not burn.
How you eat it
In the middle of the day with a generous dollop of whipped cream, steaming hot coffee and some pleasant chit chat with good people.
Les Poissonchats 