I lingered in bed this morning before getting ready to go downstairs.  Today we visited the Nyons farmers market.  Taking over the entire town, we found more linens, olives and olive oil, tapanades, sausages, cheese, clothing, shoes, fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, and assorted farmers market items. 

I decided that I would purchase everything I wanted, stop at the post office, and buy an overseas post box.  Then fill it will all my purchases and ship it out.  I will only hand-carry my wine (in checked luggage).

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Upon my return, our group prepared lunch.  Now, earlier in the week, I made a pastry dough and yesterday, I made a potato bread dough. We transformed the pastry dough into tomato, onion and olive tarts (which we will eat for dinner); and we converted the potato bread dough into onion, mozzarella and potato fugasse.

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We brought back some smoked sausage and LACE w:st="on">MunsterLACE> cheese from the market and munched while prepping.  In addition, we made the stock for tonight's bouillabaisse.  Making bouillabaisse is quite a project! 

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First, you really need fresh fish!  Lydie bought a breadth of various small fish from the LACE w:st="on">MediterraneanLACE> that we soaked in a combination of saffron stems and powder and pernod. In fact, one of them died happy— he had smaller fish in his mouth!

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Then we sautéed onions, fennel bulb and garlic in olive oil.  We added tomatoes, fennel frond, thyme, orange peel and thyme.  Then we included water, fennel seeds, and bay leaf and cooked it for about 45 minutes, while I cleaned the mussels.

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After it became a soup, we took the fish and the broth and smashed it through a strainer so that only the liquid remained.  This is hard work; mauling fish through a mesh strainer with a small mallet until ALL the liquid is in the bowl and nothing is dripping from the strainer.  We were left with a delicious stock that we will use to finish our bouillabaisse later tonight.

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Finally, we made an arugula and watercress salad with a LACE w:st="on">DijonLACE> mustard/garlic vinaigrette.

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During lunch, Lydie's husband treated us to a vertical tasting of an excellent small production Cotes Du Rhone Village from Domaine Chaume-Arnaud.  We tried both the 03 and 04 vintage and found the 04 to be a bit young and the 03 to display a velvety smoothness and bold fruit.

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We finished lunch by drinking coffee and eating chocolates.  I then retired to my terrace to nap, read and write to you, dear readers.

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I will post again tonight after dinner – as tonight is our final evening with Lydie.  Tomorrow morning, I will drive down to Avignon, and from there, perhaps LACE w:st="on">MontpellierLACE>.