Welcome to Spring: A French Sunday Supper
Sunday afternoons at my home are never hurried. The windows are open if the weather allows it, candles are lit early, and the kitchen fills with the quiet rhythm of supper being prepared.
The Sunday table reflects the two traditions that shape my house — the warmth of Southern kitchens and the quiet elegance of French cooking. Butter and thyme meet peaches and pecans, and the evening usually stretches comfortably longer than expected. No television, no phones, just gentle music in the background and a glass of wine in hand.
The weather is beautiful right now, nearly 70 degrees with a soft wind moving through the valley. The village feels alive with the quiet hum of cars, the laughter of children playing outside, and the songbirds in full chorus as they move from tree to tree.
Today I wanted the table to feel simple, as we are just entering early spring. White dinner plates, my new spring salad plates, linen napkins, and candles set the scene. A few daffodils and tulips from the garden sit in a small glass jar at the center of the table.
This week’s supper brings together a few simple dishes where French technique meets Southern ingredients. Strawberries are beginning to appear locally, so I brought some home for dessert. I always try to shop locally when I can, though everything here can easily be found at a good neighborhood market.
The Menu + Ingredients
- White wine
- Butter Lettuce Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Salad
- Butter lettuce
- Fresh herbs (parsley, chives, or tarragon)
- Thinly sliced shallot
- Dijon Vinaigrette
- Dijon mustard
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Herb Roasted Chicken with White Wine and Thyme – a whole chicken roasted slowly with garlic, thyme, and white wine until the skin turns golden
- Whole chicken
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh thyme
- Butter
- Olive oil
- White wine
- Lemon
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Buttermilk Pommes Purée –silky mashed potatoes enriched with butter and a touch of Southern buttermilk
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Salt
- White pepper
- Green Beans Almondine with Bacon – tender green beans tossed with toasted almonds and a little smoky bacon
- Fresh green beans
- Sliced almonds
- Bacon
- Butter
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Warm Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter – cast-iron cornbread served warm from the oven (my dad’s favorite)
- Cornmeal
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Butter
- Honey
- Strawberries with Vanilla Crème and a drizzle of local honey
- Fresh strawberries
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
I wanted to cook something that was clean, fresh and healthy. Nothing elaborate, but thoughtful. Meals like this are not meant to impress anyone. They are meant to be shared slowly — with conversation, a second glass of wine, on the porch and the comfort of knowing the evening belongs entirely to those gathered around for a restful evening.
At Clairvalon, that has always been enough.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prepare the strawberries – Rinse the strawberries, remove the stems, and slice them in halves or quarters.
- Macerate the fruit – Place the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with 1–2 tablespoons of sugar. Let them sit for 10–15 minutes until the fruit begins to release its juices.)
- Prepare the vanilla cream – In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream with the vanilla until softly whipped.
- Serve – Spoon the strawberries and their juices into small bowls and top with vanilla cream.
- Finish – Add a drizzle of honey
