Easter in France

France is a secular country, but despite the lack of any connection between the Church and the State the main religious festivals are still observed by the majority of French people. Christmas is generally considered to be a time for the family; Easter is family time too, but it is also a time for friends and to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Most countries have traditional menus and foods for important festivals and holidays, and France is no exception. At Easter, the normal main meal is roast lamb, which has obvious religious connections, though it’s hardly suitable for us vegetarians. The popular starter of asparagus is a seasonal speciality, something that traditional French cuisine really embraces. Contrary to some expat rumours, the French eat chocolate Easter eggs, just like the rest of us (just not crème eggs!), and organise Easter egg hunts, often in the local commune. I’ve not been able to track down a traditional Easter dessert, like the UK’s Simnel Cake, but if strawberries are in season then they will be popular with French shoppers. Alternatively, there’s a luscious chocolate dessert cake, called a nid de pâques, which is a creamy sponge, covered in chocolate ganache topped with tiny sugar eggs.

I invited one of our French friends to join us for Easter Sunday lunch and was keen to tempt her with some vegetarian cuisine. I know that she has been trying to improve her diet and reduce her consumption of meat and fish, but she still remains slightly sceptical about our vegetarian lifestyle. I’d bought a magazine for vegetarians in the local supermarket to get some clues about what the French vegetarian would eat. The number of monthly or one-off magazines is certainly on the increase. A few years ago the shelves were devoid of any mention of vegetarian cuisine, but now there are at least three monthly or bi-monthly glossies. This copy was filled with suggestions for a vegetarian Easter feast, but I was surprised to see that most of the suggestions were based on Italian pasta dishes, such as ravioli and cannelloni. I wanted an impressive alternative to the roast leg of lamb, so I decided to make a spring vegetable roulade.

This year we’re lucky that Easter is ‘late’ (I never can get my head around this moveable feast), and asparagus is in season. The French prefer to eat white asparagus, which I find a bit bland, and so green asparagus can be difficult to track down. I was lucky to get the last bunch in the local supermarket. Our starter was just a simple plate of blanched asparagus with melted butter, and bread, of course.  I made the roulade in advance and served it chilled – definitely a good decision, though it can be served straight from the oven. Rather than cheese, I added some finely chopped parsley to the egg mix, then spread the cooked roulade with garlicky cream cheese, some sautéed grated courgette and slices of red pepper in oil, finely chopped. This centrepiece was complemented by some baked hassleback potatoes and glazed carrots – a fine feast. We usually make a dessert each so we can have a choice, and I decided to prepare a Lemon Meringue Pie. Imagine my surprise when my friend arrived, bearing a large pie dish containing – a Lemon Meringue Pie!

Spring Vegetable and Herb Roulade

Ingredients

50g butter

50g flour
Two garlic cloves
300 ml milk
Two tbsp chopped parley
Four eggs, separated
150 ml pot of cream cheese with herbs
One courgette, grated
Two or three red peppers in oil, finely sliced

 Method

·         Heat oven to 170c (fan) and line a swiss roll tin with baking paper.

·         Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the minced garlic and fry, then add the flour, mix well and keep stirring until golden.

·         Gradually add the milk, ensuring there are no lumps, keep stirring, bring to the boil until thickened.

·         Remove from the heat, cool slightly then beat in the egg yolks and the parsley.

·         Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then fold gently into the sauce.

·         Pour into the prepared tin and bake for fifteen minutes until golden.

·         Remove from oven and turn out onto a sheet of baking paper, slightly larger than the tin.

·         Carefully peel off the paper that has lined the tin, and trim the edges if necessary

·         Spread the middle section with the cream cheese, then add the courgettes and sliced peppers, leaving a gap at both ends.

·         Roll up carefully and transfer to plate. Chill in fridge before serving.