PerigordVacance

Foie Gras is a natural fatty liver

I am sure my little rant is going to probably infuriate some of you but I make no apologies for it.

I read yesterday that the York has banned the sale of Foie Gras anywhere in the city.

I uphold the right of any individual to decide what is right for them. Whether it moral, ethical, health of just plain 'I don't like' grounds we all have the option to say 'No'.

But when it comes to being told that a food, produced legally under European law, should be outlawed just because a certain group does not like the method in which it is produced, I think it goes beyond the pale!.

I grant you, some farmers and food producers will use methods that are far from ethical or legal in bringing food to your dinner plate but this happens with all meats.

I recently witnessed a French farmer dragging a young cow across his concrete yard using a tractor and rope tied around it's neck. The cow had it's legs extended in defiance and the hooves scraped the surface of the yard. The farmer was relentless and seemingly not bothered that I had stopped my car to shake a fist at him.

One day, somewhere, that cow will be offered up on a plate with fresh vegetables and a glass of Bergerac red and the recipient would be oblivious to it's treatment that I had witnessed.

Sampling traditional Foie Gras

There is a lot of debate in France about the practise of producing Foie Gras by force feeding Maize to Ducks or Geese.

The name Foie Gras actually means 'fatty liver' and it is naturally occurring in migratory birds.

The Egyptians and Romans noticed that birds which migrated to winter feeding grounds gorged themselves before leaving in order to build up huge reserves of fat to sustain them over the thousands of miles they had to cover.

Clos d'Yvigne the story of Patricia Atkinson

I suppose it is all part of the lifestyle thing but after making the decision to move here to France you become aware or make yourself aware of others who for their own reasons have done the same.

Close to where we are living and closer to where we are moving to is a small vineyard called Clos d'Yvigne.

The owner Patricia Atkinson has an extraordinary tale of how it started. I contacted Patricia who has very kindly let me share her experience.