Kitchen-at-Camont 4.17

The Kitchen at Camont is in Gascony. Gascony nestles in the very southwest of France in the crook of the Garonne River Basin. The abundant rivers, fertile flood plains, and temperate 4-season climate of this historic Duchy makes it a perfect place to grow food. Lots of food. In fact, the Lot-et-Garonne department boasts the most diverse agriculture in all of France; our region Aquitaine is called the Grande Ferme. Teaching from the heart of this garden of France, I learned to shop from a wealth of markets and from the farmers themselves- pig to plate. French food culture conspires with us in the kitchen at Camont to teach a certain thoughtful approach, an understanding of truly seasonal produce- not just fruits and vegetables, but meat and cheese, too. Working with the people who literally ‘turn dirt into food’, understanding the seasons, discovering the anatomy of a healthy meat animal- be it rabbit, chicken, pig or cow, and learning how to choose a ripe vegetable or a perfect piece of fruit, will change the way you think as you cook. As I learned to cook, butcher and make charcuterie in Gascony, so I teach it- in Gascony.