Hello, campers, foodies, and friends! Gourmet Girl Denise here from the Loire River Valley. It’s been a while since we last communicated what with all of the summer’s activities, vacations, and children returning to school.  I’m afraid as a result our blog took its own holiday. A season has passed and fall has settled in here in Mouliherne as in most of northern France. There is a crispness in the air and the rain has begun to fall on occasion. The veggie garden is mostly bare except for some Brussel sprouts, kale, and lettuce. And soon those, too, will succumb to the freezing temperatur ..read more

Hello, fellow campers, gourmets, and nature lovers! Gourmet Girl Denise here from the Loire, France. Summer has finally arrived here after a very slow start. It has rained steadily for two months and sadly rotted my 35 tomato plants. Ugg! Thank goodness the stores and markets have lovely, fresh heirloom tomatoes for sale so all is not lost. Here is my latest creation. Once again, my ratatouille tart, this time in round form. I just don’t get tired of eating this dish. It’s the same recipe as our Cast Iron Ratatouille on page 142 of The Gourmet Girls Go Camping Cookbook. I make it with p ..read more