Autumn in the Creuse

Now that the days are getting cooler and shorter my thoughts are turning to spending evenings sitting in front of a roaring fire enjoying some of the culinary delights of this area. But before I can do this I’m going to have to brave the elements and search the forests and fields for the Creuse’s autumn treasures; mushrooms and chestnuts. Almost every Creusois (inhabitants of the Creuse) has their secret place where they go to find the Cep de Bordeaux, king of the mushroom family*. So don’t be surprised to see round about this time, someone lurking on the edge of a copse looking around to make sure that they’re not being followed. But please make a note of where they are and let me know! However, a note of warning if you want to look for your own mushrooms. People all over Europe die from picking and eating something that looks like a comestible mushroom but ends up being something deadly! You could take what you find to a chemist and they’ll tell whether you can eat it. Or you could sign up for a weekend discovering ceps, field mushrooms, chanterelles and parasols just to name a few. After exploring the fields, copses and forests of the Creuse looking for these treasures you’ll learn how to recognise them and more importantly, how to cook them using tips from local chefs. All this and the pleasure of staying and eating in an 18th century hotel with a swimming pool and sitting room with a fireplace. While out in the undergrowth you’ll probably find yourself walking on the prickly shells of chestnuts. This area is full of them and the Creusois have learnt how to incorporate them in many local recipes. Most simple of all is of course, splitting the russet brown inner shell and then roasting them over and open fire in a chestnut pan. Once roasted they can be eaten whole or transformed into flour used for cakes, into cream as a dessert or sauce for meat. Raw, they’re cooked with the famous Limousin beef, crushed and put in boudin (French black-pudding) or cooked whole in chestnut bread. And so the list goes on – amazing what can be done with this humble, but versatile treasure. There’s even a weekend break that combines mushrooms and chestnuts, and many more edible wonders. Stay in a typical Creuse country inn among the hills of the Plateau Millevaches (small mountains in fact, with the highest peak coming in at just under 1000m). Uncover the riches found in both nature and the local markets. Discover, prepare and taste these riches in dishes created by some of the best chefs of the region.  Then put on your apron and join them in the kitchen to learn some of their culinary secrets. You can even take home your preparations to tempt family and friends. And you know if you don’t find any mushrooms or chestnuts just simply aren’t your thing, then why not simply enjoy the Creuse as it sheds it’s summer mantle and prepares for winter’s long sleep. As the mist burns off it reveals the forests turning to shades of copper, orange, yellow… The sun sets above the horizon in a blazing orb of glory and the plaintive call of geese flying south echo across the countryside. It’s a time to store these memories to help us through the bleak months of cold, dampness and short days. Spend a weekend in a Creuse cottage equipped with a fireplace and windows that open to the Creuse’s autumn glory. And remember that this time also holds the promise of spring and the warm, lazy days of summer…   If any of these weekends tempt you, check out our website or contact us below. la creuse Le Comité Départmental du Tourisme de la Creuse43, place Bonnyaud BP 24323005 Guéret CedexFrance Telephone: 0033(0) 5 55 51 93 23Fax: 0033(0) 5 55 51 05 20e-mail: tourisme-creuse@cg23www.tourisme-creuse.com * Did you know that mushrooms are neither vegetable nor mineral and are in fact a category, all their own, which is between the two? I wish I’d known that when as a child I’d played the ‘Animal, vegetable or mineral?’ game!