La Cholande: Village Festival

The story goes that Granges was known for its Cholande, a buttery bread made with bacon, and 16 years ago, they started hosting a village festival in honor of the delicacy. It is a fun event for us--we get to see lots of people all at once; the food is good; and we're within walking distance of our house. In fact, this year, we provided the electricity for the Barbary Organ, parked just outside our door (in front of our "private garden"--see photo on the left taken from our bedroom window).

Some highlights from the day: Where else but in France would you see two wild boars roasting over an open pit? Or dancers from the Loraine region dancing in front of an 900 year old church...

Or eat a lunch of regional specialties including a Salade Vosgienne, a pork chop, and three potato pancakes (plus dessert) for $9?

Patrick and I bought three Cholandes au lard and one au chocolat, along with local sausage and some smoked pork tenderloin. We put that together with the letuce our next-door neighbor gave us from his garden, and invited Patrick's brother Philippe, his wife Christine, their youngest daughter Lea, and Patrick's mother Ida. We had everything ready, but the family hadn't arrived yet... so what better way to wait than to head out into the closed-off street where a stand was set up and friends were relaxing? (You can see Patrick with a friend Bertrand Voirin sitting to Patrick's right, enjoying a beer, only four houses away from ours.) We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant afternoon, and a few minutes later, the Jacques family came walking down the street, ready for dinner. Back to our house for a lovely evening of Cholandes, sausages, and good conversation with the family.

(This is our kitchen. Left to right, Ida--Patrick and Philippe's mom, Lea--Philippe's youngest daughter, Christine, Philippe, Ren, Patrick.)