We’re in France at the moment and were invited to a dinner party at a friend’s house. Now these friends run a glamping outfit with small studio apartments to let and an organic farm.

We’re in quite a rural part of Provence and need to drive everywhere, so we said yes please to the invite, which included a studio for the night.

Everyone was asked to bring something to the dinner, we were tasked with bringing the wine. Well that’s not hard here in France!

When were arrived we realised we were quite an international bunch; Russian, French, American, English and French/English.

The meal was fabulous and here are the recipes, so if you have a dinner party planned, look no further, we’ve (well the dinner guests) have done the hard work for you.

We started the evening with a few aperitifs and some snacks then…..

For starters

 

Katia’s Smoked herring and potato salad

This Russian recipe is much more than a potato salad and looks absolutely beautiful on the table plus its absolutely delicious.

 
It’s called Selyodka Pod Shuboy (Селедка под шубой) which literally translates to Herring Under a Fur Coat or Shuba for short. It is a popular dish for New Year’s celebrations. It takes a bit of work, but it’s so worth it, and you can even prepare it the day before.

It’s also great for your heart and immune system.

Johns Persian Fesenjan – Walnut, chicken and pomegranate stew

Fesenjan is a sweet and sour Iranian Stew. It can also be made with meatballs, or duck. John is the French/English member of the party, who has a love of international foods.

 
The stew has a really unique flavour, when I say sweet and sour its nothing like the Chinese version. It’s a very rich flavour and like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. That said, you must try it!

What are its health benefits? Well it contributes to protecting your cells from damage and your energy creation amongst other things..

For dessert Sebastian ( French) made a fabulous 

Baked vanilla cheesecake

After the richness of the stew this was the perfect dessert.

I love vanilla cheesecake, so I was very happy. I didn’t ask him for the recipe as I have a really good one.
This cheesecake is good for your sight and protects against heart disease.

Click here for the recipe


After dinner our hosts Brian and Marie treated us to some of their home made digestives, that is alcoholic digestives. Cherry liqueur and plum liqueur made with fruit from their farm. (They also make their own preserves on the farm)

It was a great way to finish a delicious meal. 

And finally Katia provided some proper Russian vodka shots to send us on our way to bed!

Brian and Marie's place is L’Arbe de Vie, if you fancy a fabulous holiday in the mountains of Alps de Haute Provence, it’s a fab place to stay.