French Girl Cuisine/Wine Tour

September 20-27, 2010

Have you ever dreamed of rising early on market day and, with woven basket in hand, perusing the stalls of some of the most vibrant farmer's markets in the South of France? Sheer heaven! What could be better for the food-obsessed amongst us -- being able to select heavenly fromages de pays or handpicked olives, glistening poisson, hours-fresh from the Mediterranean, or creamy violet aubergines, then returning to the well-equipped kitchen of our delightful Chateau d'Agel and chop, mince, sear, and flambée our way to culinary nirvana!

The French Girl Cuisine/Wine Tours will indulge you with sensory delights found only in this very special corner of France: a melting pot of Spanish, rural French, Italian, and North African traditions blended to perfection. We will spotlight regional/local ingredients and wines as we guide you through the very best of the markets, help you prepare Languedoc specialties, and inspire you to create healthful Mediterranean dishes that will easily translate to your home kitchen.

Cuisine Tour Complete Itinerary & Tour Details (PDF) - Download Now!

Discover the Art of Mediterranean Cuisine with French Girl Tours

• Cooking Classes at Chateau d’Agel, South of France. Uncover the best regional olive oils, artisan cheeses, wines, and epicurean bounty from the Languedoc region of Mediterranean France.  During three afternoon classes, we’ll use our market finds to create vibrantly flavored dishes for resplendent meals at our lovely chateau. 
• Tartines to Tapenades: Prepare quick-to-make, savory beginnings to your meals, such as: Fresh Olive/Lemon Spread (Tapenade aux Citron), Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese and Wild Herbs, (Poivrons Rôti aux Chèvre et les Herbes Sauvages), or a family recipe - Grilled Country Bread with White Beans & Sage (Tartine aux Haricots Blancs façon Grandmère).
• Perfect Pastries & Desserts: Practice classic French techniques with a modern twist: from Pâte à Choux to the best Tarte aux Champignon crust, incorporating organic ingredients such as whole grain flours and agave.
• French Vegetarian: Mediterranean cooking is all about the abundance of garden and sea – broaden your knowledge as we learn market-fresh ideas for meatless first courses and entrées such as Smoked Trout and Grilled Heirloom Potatoes in Lemon Oil or Arugula-Spelt Pasta with House-Made Arugula Oil, Roasted Jaune Flamme Tomatoes, and Picholine Olives.
• Saveur Languedoc: Acquaint yourself with Languedoc herbs and flavorings that will liven up your home-cooked meals and create impressive flavor combos: Fruit & Herbal vinegars & Savory Oils; Dry Spice Rubs & Pastes; and Flower-scented Infusions, eg, Rose Geranium Crème Anglais or Herbes de la Garrigue, a blend of wild herbs.  Introduce yourself to new ingredients -- recipes created just for these classes use super-foods such as spelt, quinoa, nuts and agave to update Southern French specialties.

Sample Dinner Menus

The surrounding countryside is brimming with all we need to create the most flavorful meals you’ll ever eat – from the local olive oil mill just down the road to our friends who produce AOC wine in the foothills of the Black Mountains.  Languedoc is a gastronomic paradise that will inspire you to elevate your cooking to a whole new level – satisfying, filled with flavor and easy to recreate in your own home kitchens.  Take a look at some of the sample menus from our past and future tours.

Dîner sous les Étoiles -- Mediterranean Supper under the Stars  

Hands-On Culinary Instruction and Inspiration

Learn the secrets of cooking Southern French style with our relaxed, informative classes taught by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes.  Kristeen has been a creatively passionate home cook since the age of eleven when she began learning Cajun favorites from her New Orleans-born mother Yvonne. Trained as musician and artist, and with over 30 years teaching experience including: Herbology, Vegetarian Cooking and Home Arts (Preserving the Harvest, Organic Vegetable Gardening), Kristeen’s best-selling knitting book, French Girl Knits, was published in 2009. You will immediately feel welcomed into her well-equipped kitchen at French Girl’s beautiful lodgings, Chateau d’Agel, as Kristeen shares her love of the French terroir with our guests. For a behind-the-scenes look into the Languedoc’s culinary heritage, we have arranged visits to the inspiring workrooms of local artisans producing award-winning olive oils, goat cheese, and biodynamic wines.

Itinerary – Seven Days/Seven Nights

Cuisine Tour Complete Itinerary & Tour Details (PDF) - Download Now!

Monday

Arrival at Perpignan or Narbonne Airport
2:00 – 5:00 - Relax & settle in at Chateau d’Agel
5:00 – Apertif de Maison & Welcome from French Girl staff
7:00 – Dinner at local restaurant

Tuesday

8:00 – 9:00 – Petit Dejeuner (Breakfast)
9:00 – Brief introduction to the region, & outline of the week ahead
10:00 – 12:00 Visit to local organic olive oil mill
12:30 – Visit to Minerve, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France (Plus Beaux Villages de France). Lunch in Minerve.
4:00 – 5:00 – Wine Tasting
7:00 – Dinner at Chateau, prepared by French Girl staff

Wednesday

8:00 – 9:00 – Petit Dejeuner
9:00 -  Depart for Collioure, a picturesque fishing village on Le Côte Vermeille close to Spain
10:30 – 12:00 – Market at Collioure in tree-shaded village park
12:00 – 1:00  - Lunch at restaurant of your choice
1:00 -  5:00   Afternoon in Collioure, with time to wander the shop-lined streets, swim, visit local museums, and more
7:00 – Dinner at regional restaurant

Thursday

7:00 – 8:00 Early Petit Dejeuner
8:00 – Depart for Agde
9:00 – 12:00 – Market morning in Agde; gather ingredients for the evening’s repas (dinner)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch at riverside café in Agde
2;00 – 5:00 Cooking class at Chateau, as you help prepare the evening’s dinner
5:00 – 6:30 – Relax by the pool, explore village of Agel
7:00 – Candlelight Dinner at Chateau

Friday

8:00 – 9:00 – Petit Dejeuner
10:00 – Depart for Montpellier
11:30 – Arrive in Montpellier
12:30 – Lunch at La Saleya brasserie
1:30 – 5:00 – Spend the afternoon wandering the cobbled streets of old Montpellier, stopping for coffee & croissant at one of the many sidewalk cafes; time to shop along Le Rue de L’Ancien Courrier, visit museums, & more
7:00 – Dinner at Le Cote Bleu, Bouzigues

Saturday

8:00 – 9:00- Petit Dejeuner
9:00 – 4:00 Spend the day relaxing at the Chateau, with lunch at ‘home”, prepared by French Girl staff
4:00 – 11:00 – Visit to  La Vigneronne, Faugeres. Hosts & our dear friends Christian & Regine will give us a deluxe wine tasting in their wine cave, followed by dinner

Sunday

8:00 – 9:00 Petit Dejeuner
10:00 – Market in St Chinian, a lively market and wine village
12:00 – 1:00 Brunch at regional restaurant in St Chinian
2:00 – 6:00 Relax at Chateau
7:00 – Au Revoir dinner under the stars at the Chateau

Monday

Breakfast & Departure

How To Register For a French Girl Tour

Registering for a tour is easy. We accept payment by check, PayPal, or all major credit cards.

Simply complete the Tour Registration Forms and send them to us with your $500 deposit to confirm your participation in your chosen Tour.

• PayPal: make your deposit online via our Shopping Cart (www.shop.frenchgirltours.com).
• Credit Card: please call us ( or 206-948-6495) or mail us your credit card information on the Registration Form.
• Installment Plan: After your initial deposit is made, we also offer a convenient six month installment plan - - contact us for details ( or 206-948-6495) or frenchgirlknits@yahoo.com.
• Balance of payment is due no later than 90 days prior to tour departure date. You will receive an invoice/payment form to complete 2 weeks prior to your payment due date.

For more information, contact:
French Girl Tours
Kristeen Griffin-Grimes & Phil Grimes
frenchgirlknits@yahoo.com
206-948-6495