Presentable Cuisine, where the mountains meet the sea
The restaurant Le Tilleul in St. Paul deVence, at the foot of the Alps, offers a terrace at the very edge of the village where one can enjoy airy dining, looking out to the Mediterranean Sea.
Chef Stéphane Mariehas has quite a flair for arranging fresh, regional ingredients in a way that is most appealing. Many of these displays ideas could easily be done at home to add a fresh look to your table.
This photo of the restaurant at dusk reminds me of one of my favorite paintings, Le dejeuner des canotiesr — or Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir.
I must admit, I never quite understood the purpose of the red jello cubes on my plate of foie gras, maybe they were just art. Also artistic, and very easy to do at home were the “drawings” on the plate with balsamic vinegar. The kitchen probably used a squirt bottle with a fine tip to make these sections on my plate. Wouldn’t this be a neat way to personalize a plate…writing each guests initials or a happy birthday wish?
Along with my generous slab of foie gras came a gingerbread muffin (a nice flavorful idea, but I’ll take the baguette, merci); and a chutney.
The chutney seemed to be made with multiple fruits, including figs. I loved the added texture of the crunchy little fig seeds, and will definitely add a few to my next batch of chutney. Another textural surprise was the use of pearl onions in the chutney — this would be a great addition to any summer chutneys being dreamed up as as the summer fruits reach their peak in ripeness.
I was reminded of a favorite serving style for dips that we used to use for kids parties. We would serve children little cups with a tasty dressing spooned into the bottom of the cup, and apple slices, carrot sticks and celery sticks, sticking up out of the cup. So, when the petite set chose their colorful slice, it was pre-dipped for them and they could enjoy their appetizer on the run.
Aside my cup of gazpacho was a sweet little glass of crudites, pre-dipped in a creamy herb dressing!
Notice the swirls of balsamic decorating the plate.
I already showed this on our recent post for gazpacho, but just in case you missed it, I’ll harken back on this interesting addition to one of the best tastes of summer. At the bottom of the glass in which they served the gazpacho, was a layer of an herbed fromage blanc.
I love the idea of adding some creaminess to this zesty soup. Personally, I found the herbs in the cheese competed a little too much with the soup. But, a simple ricotta, chevre or mozzarella would be complementary to this summer soup without being competitive. Click on gazpacho to receive the Splendid Market Gazpacho recipe.
A small glass was used to serve the rouille for my bouillabaisse. Rouille is a garlicky mayonaise made with saffron and chili peppers which is traditionally served wtih this luscious fish soup.
Usually, one receives a ramekin of rouille on a plate with some slices of baguette — all very flat.
This presentation takes up much less table space and the height makes a much more spectacular presentation.
Now, I always adore my bouillabaisse, but let’s face it, it is can be a little dull in color…but not at Le Tilleul. I love how they add a little color to our bowl with the sliced green onions on the fish and the poached cherry tomato.
Also, this artichoke heart added a sweet, earthy taste to the stew, as well as a little roasty color.
Finally, the risotto, lovely risotto. Well, they had to do something to help the food stand out against this view — so why not set the beautiful prawn on end??
Bonne Nuit!
I love all the photos posted there..The picture looks great with yummy recipes. Thanks for sharing.
These pictures are looking so delicious! Thanks for the share!