Harvest Time in Cogny, France

While we were cooking sausages over coals near the reservoir, our French friends were harvesting grapes and cooking sausages in wine in Beaujolais

The traditional lunch served to the pickers after harvesting the grapes at Les Buis du Chardonnet.

My friend Nathalie Fraisse sent a photo last weekend of her mother, Denise Longefay, in the kitchen wearing a Custom Catering apron I gave her many years ago. Crisp and still white, the apron proves that some people still starch and iron clothing. In France, the old ways still matter.

Denise Longefay in her crisp whites and her daughters Ghislaine Perroud and Nathalie Fraisse

The photo brought back so many happy memories of our time there in 2019 for the harvest. I have known Nathalie since the early 90’s when she used to help in our catering kitchen, wearing a similar apron, not nearly so crisp. While we cooked for days and days for caterings, she told me stories about the harvest and how she helped her mom prepare food for the pickers. She was quite accustomed to major cooking. We spoke of what she missed the most from home, besides her family, and she answered without hesitation, “Potatoes Dauphinoise”.  Once I had her recipe for what we know here as Potatoes au Gratin, I understood her longing.

Ghislaine and Michel Perroud’s property in Cogny, Les Buis du Chardonnet, has two harvests. Their vineyard produces organic wines, chardonnay, and pinot noir, and the white grapes mature sooner, about a week before the red. They have many more red grapes than white, so many more pickers are in on the red harvest. But the menu remains the same for the post-picking luncheon—because it’s the tradition.

Michel Fraisse advises Alex where to deposit the grapes and then Alex and Santana haul a lug while pickers remain in the rows. The wellness center at the property has a pool right in the wine cellar for relaxing after the day's work in the vineyard.

Our son Alex and grandson Santana joined in the year we went, along with their Miami pal, Francesco, who was renamed Francoise for the week. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Longefays, Nathalie and Ghislaine’s parents, Denise and Raymond, at the retirement home they built on their favorite spot in the vineyard, with a view of Mont Blanc in the distance.

Luncheon at the Longefay's home during the week showed French Provincial cooking at its finest, with a Gateau de Foie (chicken liver souffle) served with poached quenelles (dumplings), and a Zucchini Gratin. Of course, there was a simple French salad and cheese and then a plum torte for a sweet finish. Denise's sister Annie joined us for lunch.

The following week's red harvest was well-attended by all their family, friends, and friends of friends. The preparations were the same as the week before, just with more of everything.

The pickers have a pic-nic delivered to them in the vineyard so they can stay on task; cubes of lardons, bread, bits of cheese, chocolate bars and water will sustain them until the work is complete. Many more pickers are on the vines this week, including John Corr and Al and Denise Mulligan from Colorado who were overheard to say, "We died and went to heaven."

The table is set, the cheese course is ready, and the potatoes, always the potatoes, are peeled by many hands. The saucisson rests in old wine from the cellar, topped with grape skins. Ghislaine and Michel's son Benoit arrives from Paris to supervise.

Ghislaine and Michel’s high-spirited daughter, Soline, led the crowd a post-prandial tableside cheer for ourselves, and we toasted the harvest's success.

At the end of the feast, the potatoes were nearly gone. They were so worth the trip.

Sante!

Nathalie Longefay’s Potatoes au Gratin

Serves 4

2 pounds russet potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups boiled milk (or half milk and half cream)

4 ounces Gruyere, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter, divide into 1 tablespoon pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Peel and slice the potatoes thinly.  Butter a casserole with 1 tablespoon of the butter and arrange a layer of potato slices in it.  Top with half of the grated cheese and the garlic, and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange the rest of the potato slices and then top with the remainder of the cheese. Season and dot the top with the rest of the butter cut into bits.  Pour the hot milk overall.  Bake at 350°F for 40 to 60 minutes or until top is well-browned and all the liquid has been absorbed. 

*Tip from her mother*

Denise Longefay cooks the mixture on the stove in a heavy casserole before finishing it in the oven.

Check out their website for information about staying at the eco-gite Les Buis du Chardonnet. They now have other properties nearby. Though you have missed this year's harvest, you will get to sample Michel's wines and swim in the pool next to the vats that store the juice working its way into wine.

Sadly, Raymond Longefay did not get to the harvest this year for the first time. RIP, dear Raymond. You are missed.