Tour de Forks

A good gardener must have passion for new discoveries - Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, 1690

A fine mist rises from small mounds of black earth in the walled French garden. Manicured, military-style straight rows stretch out from the pebbled pathway. Three young gardeners dig their trowels deep into the narrow ditch, preparing the soil before planting asparagus, a favorite of the King. The gardeners seem oblivious to the splendor of the Palace of Versailles in the background. Just like their counterparts before them, who worked for the King, their focus is on nurturing the plants rather than dealing with maddening crowds swirling around the palace.

Millions of people visit the Palace of Versailles, but not many take a side step into the Potager du Roi, the restored Kitchen Garden of the King, hidden adjacent to the palace. In the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie, was hired as the gardener for King Louis XIV. His genius in building walls and terraces allowed a microclimate to develop, so that over 300 varieties of fruits and vegetables could grow out of season. In addition to out-of-season asparagus, the King delighted in figs growing from mid-June to the end of October, strawberries in March and peas in April.

The restored garden, open to the public since 1991, is exactly as Louis XIV would have known it. A team of gardeners harvests over 80 tons of fruits and vegetables each year. Nine hectares (around 22 acres) of terraced garden squares separated by low walls create a beautiful garden. Le Potager du Roi features La Quintinie’s unknown garden artistry of sculpted and espaliered fruit trees.

On October 4 and 5, 2008, the garden comes to life with the first national "Taste of the Countryside Fair" Un Gout du Paysage. The fair features the absolute best products from the Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste. There will be tastings, cooking classes, specially guided tours of the King’s garden and palace, and a theatre troupe performing short plays based on the fables of LaFontaine. King Louis XIV would feel right at home.

Join us at the "Taste of the Countryside" fair in October, at Versailles, as we kick off a week of uncommon epicurean adventures visiting France's Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste in Brittany and Normandy. Click here

In the meantime, enjoy this special seasonal asparagus tarte which makes a grand first course, fit for a King

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs. asparagus
2 cups shredded Gruyère Cheese
2 onions, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions + flour for the work surface

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 400°F
1. Sprinkle flour over the work surface and roll out the puff pastry to a 16x10-inch rectangle. Trim, so that all the edges are even. A pizza wheel and ruler help!
2. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and with the help of a ruler, take a sharp knife and lightly score the dough 1-inch in from the edges.
3. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside this border at 1/2-inch intervals.
4. Bake about 15 minutes, the pastry should be golden and the edges should rise above the middle. Remove from oven.
5. Sprinkle the gruyère evenly over the crust.
6. Trim the bottom ends of the asparagus so that they will fit crosswise inside the tart.
7. Arrange them in a single layer, alternating ends and tips. Brush them with oil and season with salt and pepper.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, the aspargus should be tender.
To serve:
Cut into slices and serve warm.

For more information about the King’s Kitchen Garden visit: www.potager-du-roi.fr (in French)
Le Potager du Roi
ENSP 10, rue du Marechal Joffre
78000 Versailles
Phone from US: 011 33 1 39 24 62 62