Le Vallon de Cherisy, Cherisy, France

This was our last meal in France from our trip last fall, and I am writing about it on the occasion of the anniversary of my spouse's birth, an event I missed but am quite grateful for it. The overlap is that the adventures we have had together are greater than what we would have had apart, and this meal from this trip contains some of the elements of that love of travel and food that I most value. The French have been locavores for century's and this restaurant is typical of that, sourcing it's food and wine locally and highlighting both traditional French cuisine as well as the value in eating things that haven't come far to be on your plate. These principles are good for the French but also good for the planet.

On to the meal. As is our preference, we had the meal of the day, eaten in a leisurely manner over lunch. The soup contained autumnal gourds, probably Vitamixed today, but traditionally would have been pushed through a chinoix to achieve the silky smooth texture, and to this was added some local trout, which was poached in the soup before serving. An unusual idea (for me at least), but it was delicious. The entree was a long braised chicken dish with root vegetables that had all the great elements that such a dish can bring to the table. May this year and many years to come be filled with meals as satisfying as this one!