Our friends Sebastien and D’Arcy du Petit Thouars host a diner en blanc at their beautiful chateau every year and this year we were able to join in the fun.
The concept is simple: everyone must dress in white from head to toe, bring their own dinner (nibbles, entrée, plat, fromage, dessert, wine, water coffee) along with their best china and glassware (no plastic, paper napkins or disposable cutlery) and optional table decorations (candles, candelabra etc). The host provides the tables and chairs, the music and of course, the company. It makes for a great evening.
Mingling with the other guests
Enjoying an aperitif with the other guests before sitting down to dinner
Our friends from Loire Life Cycling were also among the guests so we decided to share dinner. Ali made some delicious olive bites and Nigel some mozarella tomato and basil nibbles to enjoy with our glass of Hattingley Valley sparkling wine from England. The entrée was some griddled courgettes with mint, chilli and lemon and griddled aubergine with a basil oil served with some spec and finely sliced salami.
Proudly showing our bottle of great English fizz from Hattingley Valley winery to our friends
For the main course, I made a tuna niçoise cake and Ali and John took a lovely waxy new potato salad and a green salad with olives and feta. We drank a light fresh Sauvignon from the Ile de Ré followed by a glass of fruity Saumur Champigny from Arnaud Lambert. We both took a selection of cheeses and finished off with a delicious frangipane dessert made by Ali accompanied by a large spoonful of fresh, thick raw cream from the local market. With this we enjoyed a small glass of Quarts de Chaume 2007 from Baumard.
The most beautiful setting in front of the chateau
All in all, a lovely evening during which we met some lovely people from all over the region. Some had driven down from Paris for the evening and others live more locally around Chinon and Touraine. The weather was perfect and we sat out in front of the chateau late into the night enjoying the peace and stillness.
As the light faded we sat in the candlelight until late
Our thanks to Sebastien and D’Arcy for hosting such a lovely event.
