Photos by Robyn Maguire / Styled by Catrine Kelty

When I started thinking about spring menus for this story, I immediately thought of springtime in France. Isn’t that where we all would like to be right about now, in a perfect world, biking through Provence and fields of lavender? Dining in rustic restaurants that could be Michelin- starred, but where what matters most is the hospitality, not the stars? Since it doesn’t look like we’ll be heading to France anytime soon, for now I’ll be excited at the idea of entertaining friends in my backyard where I have a grill, a table, a patio … and two golden retrievers, Boulder and Brady, eager to pick up anything that drops off the table. A long, leisurely outdoor Sunday lunch in the style of Provence with my advance apologies to our guests for any surreptitious doggy steals and longing puppy looks.

Years ago, my wife, Tracy, and I traveled to the south of France for our honeymoon. It was the trip of a lifetime, arranged by my mentor, Chef Charles Semail, a master chef from France. When I was 19 years old and living in North Carolina, I couldn’t afford cooking school and needed to learn everything I could first-hand. I was fortunate to work for Chef Charles; he taught me to embrace everything about French cooking. I love the organization and structure of classic French cuisine. When you think about it, cooking is chaos. Bedlam. Heat. Intensity. Classic French technique and training brings order to a kitchen. I need and respect that order.

Not only did Chef Charles teach me everything I know about cooking, he helped me experience France first-hand when he invited us to stay at his home for our honeymoon. He arranged dinner after dinner for us at his friends’ restaurants. It brought French cooking and cuisine to life. I discovered that it was one thing for me to learn French cooking here in the U.S.; it was another thing entirely to experience it in France. What I took away was the magic of hospitality—how great food, drink, kindness and friendship can be a part of every meal.

So now, with spring upon us and we can entertain outdoors once again, I’m eager to share some of that French hospitality with my family and friends in my own backyard. I’ll start by warming up the fire pit to take the chill out of the air. I’ll string twinkle lights around the patio, sparkling like a countryside bistro. I’ll visit my favorite local butcher to pick up some spring lamb, then on to a few local farms to pick up fresh garlic, peas, milk and cream. Nothing tastes fresher than spring milk from the dairy farm and spring lamb from the butcher! I’ll prepare and serve some of my family’s favorite dishes, like homemade farmers cheese with socca, Vichyssoise with garlic chips, frisee salad with crispy duck confit and Provencal-style lamb skewers bathed in honey-lavender butter and herbes de Provence.

With each of these home-cooked dishes I hope I can share my love for all things France, especially the art of French country hospitality. Yes, we will travel to France again, but for now I am pretty darn lucky and happy to be here in New England with beautiful spring ingredients, a grill stacked with fresh lamb skewers in the backyard with good friends.

RECIPES

This story appeared in the Spring 2021 issue.