A Year on Monona

"Every day, as the weather stayed mild, there was fresh evidence of growth and greenery, and one of the most verdant patches of all was the swimming pool, which had turned a bilious emerald in the sunshine.  It was time to call Bernard the pisciniste with his algae-fighting equipment before the plant life started crawling out of the deep end and through the front door." from A Year in Provence








There are certain things that are apparently as Provencial as they come.  The vast summer homes, stretched out in acres of dilapidated pinot grape vines, and the summer pool that once was are a few

that Mayle describes as he and his wife move through the unpredictable patterns of the rustic spring remodeling season.  A short glass of pastis up against a vividly bright day on the slope of a French foothill; or a good game of boules played in the town square somewhere in the small bricked villages of the Luberon.  I propose a good Pan Bagnat is another suitable French pairing for anywhere, anytime, but especially at a family friendly park music festival like the one upcoming this weekend in Madison at the Yahara Place Park.

It looks like the set-up for the festival – music on grassy stages and a flotilla of good humor – would be ripe for a leisurely picnic including the most French hand meal this side of the steak frites or a gruyure onion soup...the bagnat.

The shortened version of the recipe we tried last night starts with a good selection of rustic round bread, sliced or pulled apart to the liking of the picnic-goer.  Because this is a version of the famous Nicoise salad, tuna is called for, mixed in this case with a vinaigrette and I happen to slip on some mayonnaise on each slice along with a pad of mustard.  Some half moon slices of cucumber for crisp and the green, a bit of spinach and some freshly cooked hard-boiled egg and you are practically lazing

beachside somewhere on Nice, France, or Monona, Madison, listening to the jazz of the horned-up  Fat Babies out of Chicago.