Mussels anyone!

Images from Sommieres Market

April 18th, 2009

Saturday morning broke chilly but with a warming sun in the offing. We had much to do today to prepare for the party, not the least of which was to get the food, prepare the food and clean up the courtyard and as much of the farm as we could. Of course I needed to hook up the lights in the barn, where we would have the serving tables and where everyone would likely hang out, and I needed to put a door on the new bathroom so our guests could use it in some privacy.

First we went to the market and found that a large antique market was being set up for the whole weekend in the park in Sommieres. I’ve already mentioned how I love antiques so it's no surprise that we were drawn there first. I acquired a couple of small tables for use at the farm after a little bit of energetic haggling with the vendors. We took an espresso at the nearby café and then went on in search of our supplies at the regular market.

This is one fine market which I’ve written about before so I won’t repeat myself but suffice it to say we had a great jaunt through, picked up some fresh vegetables and fruit before making our way back to CGV. Next stop was the Intermarche where we needed to pick up our order for bread, pizza, quiche and mussels. Apart from the prepared foods and the pork roasts that Rob would prepare we were going to serve mussels. I had procured a large pan usually used to prepare paella. This pan was about 3 inches deep and about 3 feet wide. We would kindle a fire in the fire pit and place the pan over it to cook the mussels….I’ve never done this before so I was anxious about how to do it well.

Getting home after lunch with the party starting at 5 drove us into a panic as preparations needed to be complete. All of us were worried about making a good first impression on the community. I’m often at my best in these kinds of circumstance…if you measure best by getting focused, getting to work and getting things done. It certainly isn’t measured by how sensitive I am to the needs of others. I admittedly fail on that score. With Christian coordinating Corinne’s boys to clean up the barn area and the wood, Rob was left to food preparation while Amaury bounced back and forth between helping with food and cleaning. I worked on the lights for the barn, then on cleaning and finally on the door for the bathroom finishing it up just in time to have a private shower before the guests arrived. By that time everyone’s nerves were frayed and it was time to make a few apologies and have a drink.

To our credit everything looked great. Rob had done an amazing job on the roast pork and setting up the table for service as well as numerous other things required to put on a good show, including setting up the sound system, which now filtered classical music through the courtyard. We served Marquis de Montlaur red wine by the bottle, a Sauvignon Blanc in pitchers and cordials for those not inclined to have an alcoholic beverage.

The guests arrived tentatively at first, starting at 5:30 and were reserved and I would say even somewhat guarded. They stood away from the serving tables and seemed reluctant to take a cocktail. By 6 the courtyard was full of guests and the mood began to lighten as friends chatted with friends and the libations began to flow more in earnest. I was still concerned that things felt awkward and was fretting a little over it. Amaury came to my aid at that point telling me that most of them had had a late lunch not too long before and they did not want to eat just yet. And of course when the French don’t eat they largely don’t drink wine either. While I knew this of them it was still a revelation to see a cultural norm playing out in front of me. In North America the wine would already have been flowing. Amaury suggested that I take people on a tour, which I was only too glad to do. Utilizing him as my translator and lapsing into my broken French from time to time I began the tour. It was an instantaneous draw. No sooner had I started than I had a rapt audience focused on everything I was saying. I spun out my story, my vision of this place and how we might achieve it. I spoke of how I wanted to reinvigorate the farm and the Chateau with the needs of the community in mind, and of the specific plans for the various parts of the large farmhouse, a building of over 14,000 square feet with parts dating from the 14th century.

They were an eager audience, full of questions and excitement about this project. I came to know that many of them had played as children at the farm, had watched it suffer from a lack of attention for decades and how glad they were that an effort was being made to restore and preserve it. They also had many ideas of their own which they would expound in incredibly rapid French. I was very happy to have Amaury on hand to translate. More than that Amaury as a representative of the family Montlaur stood years of family community relations on its head. They all knew of the family but the relationship had never been close. And now here was this intelligent young man conversing with them and helping them understand the vision of the crazy Canadian who had come into their community and started to rebuild something close to their hearts. It was a very important moment in this business but more importantly in my life. I remembered the words of the town planner, “We like to hear of good things to be done but more we like to see them done.” I try to be a doer in life. I think it showed through to these people.


The big hit of course were the mussels. 15 pounds at a time went into the paella pan over the hot fire. A little olive oil, some wild herbs and in five minutes, with the guests stepping in to stir and test the mussels themselves, the batch was done and brought to the table. These French like their mussels, if they had been reserved before with the food and the drink, they shed that reserve and filled their glasses with white wine (you must have white wine with mussels!) and stepped up the table. The pan disappeared in short order and the rest of the mussels went on to cook. If nothing else indicated the success of the evening then this certainly did. People who had intended to drop by for a short bit stayed for three hours, talking, chatting, and I think coming to and understanding what it is I’m trying to do. It was very heartening to hear their positive comments and to see their own enthusiasm, fired as it was by my own and of course by the people that make it possible, my partners and my Micro-Leaseholders. This can be a triumph for us all.


The party hung in there, as good parties do, long past the time it was scheduled for. When the last guest made their salutations all those that remained including Benjamin, headed over to the Café in St. Bauzille where a rock and roll cover band was playing. It was a lively diversion after such a good party and we enjoyed the evening I think to well past one o’clock before taking CGV home and hitting the pillows. A very good day in Languedoc I think!

Amaury and I