Fruit and nuts and other treats!

Pumpkins arranged along a wall in Chateau-Chalon

On the 18th September I went back to the Jura and Doubs regions of eastern France with Corinne. Our visit coincided with a a brief window in time where so much fruit, and indeed nuts, were in season; peaches, raspberries, blackberries and apples were all in abundance.

The apple trees were heavily laden with local varieties such as les Belles Filles de Salins and Rennete. The many bright red fruit coloured and enlivened the otherwise green pastures and trees that board many of the routes in the region. With many of the fruit ripening rapidly, and beginning to fall, we set about assisting with the collection of the apples in an orchard near La Chapelle sur Furieuse. The Furieuse is a small gentle country stream, but its name suggests a propensity and character that might be dramically different at certain times of year.

Les belles filles de Salins

The walnuts and hazelnuts were in season but in Besancon, the walnut trees had not shed their crop and many trees still exhibited their fleshy unbroken fruit. Further south, at a higher altitude, the situation was slightly different, and the walnuts had begun to fall, and the race had begun to collect as many as possible before the squirrels and other animals ran away with the lot.

Unless planted for commercial purposes, the walnut trees merely dot the landscape randomly. On a warm still afternoon, wandering about collecting the walnuts beneath a tree, you cannot but be overcome with the scent from the tree above. The air that collects and contained by the tree wafts through its branches and leaves is heavy with a rich creamy nutty odour, and can become an oasis of narcotic tranquility.

The fleshy outer coating of a walnut breaking to reveal the nut within

Fresh walnuts released

Fresh reports from our base in Besancon disclosed the squirrels had made off with most of the nuts from the trees in the garden, so we felt we should make an extra effort to offset this loss. Rather stoically, Rene stated that all that was left to do was to find the squirrels grand winter cache. He went on to say that, strangely enough, the clever little (thieving) squirrels only select the best nuts to store away, and these would always be placed in a location where they would dry very well.

Freshly fallen walnuts we collected at Buvilly

Having stayed the night in Arbois, we set out with a view to collecting a few kilos of walnuts at nearby villages such as Pupillin, Buvilly and also close to Chateau-Chalon, a little further south. It quickly became a road trip quest, and we became adept at sighting walnut trees along the side of the road, quickly establishing whether the walnuts were worth collecting, or not. Some walnuts produced are simply too small and not worth the effort, others can be empty and barren. Furthermore, depending on the variety or the tree itself, the walnuts may not dry well and the nut inside may simply shrivel away, simply disappearing during the drying process.

Views of Chateau-Chalon

Travelling through Pupillin, home of the poulsard grape crop, and where the vendage had just commenced, we came across a noisterie, or hazelnut grove, where over a few acres three varieties of hazelnut were planted some 17 years ago. Obviously the collection of the nuts there is a keen contest between the local squirrels and the owners, and clearly one can not underestimate the appetite of these little guys or their ability to collect a vast quantity of good quality nuts.

After meeting and chatting with the amicable owner the groves [Benoit Freres, Noisettes du Jura, 39600 Pupillin] we purchased a few kilos of hazelnuts, and she also gave us a bag of dried hazelnuts from last years crop to sample. The now mature groves produce hazelnuts of a very good size and with good flavour. Among many interesting facts, we discovered that last year's crop yielded ten tonnes of nuts.

A noisterie just outside Pupillin

The groves are well worth a visit at this time of year and to taste fresh hazelnuts was great to experience. To say that it is like a cross between eating a fresh young carrot drawn from the ground and the flesh of a coconut is a little simplistic, but not entirely misleading. While the former comment might betray some of the texture qualities the flesh of the nut is moist and tastes almost sweet. What surprised me was the size of the shells and they nuts produced. In particular the shells had a very fine sheen that appeared to be like dew, and after a closer inspection revealed a fine velvety hair like coating.

Freshly collected hazelnuts

Our little adventure, also took us up to Chateau-Chalon and along the valley of the river Dard to Baume-Les-Messieurs; both medieval villages with connections to the Benedictine monks. We had worked our way well off the beaten track and left little time to get a bottle of wine to have with our dinner that evening. We were not optimistic as we returned to Arbois, we again passed below the steep escarpments where Chateau-Chalon was situated and spotted a sign marked "Ouvert" for a local wine producer.

Baume-Les-Messieurs

After knocking at the door, and waiting for a minutes, a man obviously tired from work or entertaining (or both), appeared at the door and immediately ushered us into a tasting room. We doused his expectations apologetically, by saying that we only needed a bottle of wine for dinner. The notion did not limit his easy and courteous manner and he proceeded to offer us a glass of his Cotes du Jura Chardonnay [2006] to taste. This was a very nice wine; clean, very light and refreshing which are peculiar traits to have in a Cotes du Jura Chardonnay but I found it very satisfying. Quickly moving through the taste bud gears we were offered the Savagnin [2004], and this was full of flavour and a very good example of the Savagnin wines that I had tasted to date. To close the degustation, and going up a further notch on the flavour scale, we sampled his Macvin. This was also excellent. Our initial plan was to purchase a bottle, or possibly two, but everything we tasted was so good. Consequently, we bought two bottles of Savagnin and one bottle of Macvin and bid our farewells.

Chateau-Chalon and the many vines laid out below from Nevy

Turn a corner, or knock on a door in the Jura countryside and you discover all sorts of new experiences. The unassuming innocuous sign by the side of the road concealed the talents of a great independent wine producer in the region, namely the Domaine De Lahaye at Nevy sur Seille. If you happen to get lost and find this place I heartily recommend a visit.