Recipes from "A Week on the Water": Tarte Tatin

Founder of Boutique Hotel Barges and "A Week on the Water" author, Hazel Young, is a graduate of the French National Cooking School in Beaune. She has run numerous cooking seminars and culinary cruises aboard her former barge Fandango, and planned the boutique barge's extraordinary menus for over two decades.

With Fall in the air, and the farmers market full of delicious apples, what better time to make this upside-down caramelized apple tart?

Tarte Tatin

Quick puff pastry:

• 2 cups white flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup very cold butter grated with a large cheese grater

Work in butter slivers, add water little by little and form a ball. Roll out and fold over by thirds a few times, as for puff pastry. Roll out and put in pie tin to refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 firm apples, peeled, cored and cut in half
• 3 tablespoons Calvados apple brandy
• 3 tablespoons apple juice

Place sugar, brandy and apple juice in large heavy skillet over low heat, stir to dissolve sugar, add butter and allow to melt and bubble. Lower heat.
Add apples, dome side down, the liquid has to reduce to a caramel eventually. This is a lovingly tended 45 minutes procedure, the apples have to remain firm but cooked through each one coated in caramel.
Place your pastry on top.
Bake at (400ºF/200ºC/Gas 6) until pastry is golden, and caramel is sizzling underneath.

Highlights of Burgundy: Beaune

The city of Beaune, considered the "Capital of Burgundy Wines," sits at the heart of the Côte d'Or department in Eastern France, on the Route des Grands Crus.  It is surrounded by villages and small towns where vintners cultivate grapes that produce the world-renowned wines of Burgundy.
 
Although there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Beaune, many of the vats and cellars where wines are fermented and aged are located within the city.  It is a hub for the wine industry, with suppliers of tractors and other wine-making equipment located here, as well as a number of wine-related institutes and associations.  It is also headquarters for many négociants, the wine merchants who purchase the products of smaller growers and winemakers, to be bottled and sold under a larger domaine's label.

Beaune is an ancient city, whose settlement pre-dates Roman times.  Its history continues through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and survives today, with about half of the battlements, ramparts, and moat of the Medieval walled city remaining intact.
 
A major attraction for visitors to Beaune is L'Hôtel-Dieu, a hospital and refuge for the poor, which received its first patient on January 1, 1452, and has welcomed the elderly, disabled, and sick for treatment from the Middle Ages through the present.  Its beautiful patterned tile roof, a style unique to the Burgundy region, offers a wonderful opportunity for photography, as does the interior, with breathtaking stained glass and ornate woodwork.

The older section of the city features a cluster of shops and cafés around the central square. Shop here for wine (of course!), as well as other gourmet French treats, and fashionable clothing. An afternoon stroll to window-shop, stopping at an outdoor cafe for a pick-me-up, provides great entertainment in itself.

Beaune's Saturday market is a major event. Vendors spill out from the Les Halles covered market into the pedestrian area outside L'Hôtel-Dieu. Inside, the market stalls are heaped with the freshest seasonal produce, cheeses, fish, and baked goods — a true feast for the senses.

Learn more about barge cruises that include a visit to Beaune at Boutique Hotel Barges.

Highlights of the Midi: Carcassonne

Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne

A cruise on Canal du Midi wouldn't be complete without a visit to Carcassonne. You will step back in time as you explore the restored medieval fortified town.

Historic Cité de Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The city rests on a hill overlooking the Aude Valley, and has served as a fortified settlement since prehistoric times.  Carcassonne occupies a strategic location, along the ancient routes linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It was been held by or ruled over by many different groups throughout history.   The earliest occupation of the site dates to the 6th century BC. Romans fortified the hilltop around 100 BC and occupied the area until the fall of the Roman Empire in western Europe. The fortification was taken over in the fifth century by the Visigoths, who founded the city. Carcassonne gained notoriety in the 13th century as a stronghold of Occitan Cathars, before they were defeated by Simon de Montfort.

In the mid-1800s Carcassonne underwent extensive restoration, a controversial project undertaken by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Viollet-le-Duc began the restoration work by ordering structures destroyed, that over the centuries, had encroached on the ruins of the ancient fortifications.  Many of these structures were themselves quite old, and often were constructed using rubble from the battlements.  The restoration is criticized by some for being less than completely authentic, but there is no doubt that Viollet-Le-Duc's work was genius.

Today Carcassonne provides a wonderful experience for visitors who walk the narrow, car-free streets and tour the restored battlements at the heart of the old city.  Carcassonne is home to several one- and two-Michelin-starred restaurants, an abundance of cafés, as well as enough boutiques and shops to fill the afternoon with exciting retail opportunities.  For a unique before- or after-cruise stay, try one of the hotels located within the walls of the old city.

Barges cruising Canal du Midi include Athos du Midi, Colibri, Emma, Enchanté, Roi Soleil, and Tango. Learn more about barge cruises that include a visit to Carcassonne at Boutique Hotel Barges.