End of year festivities: eat local!

As a starter, it’s hard to pass up the traditional foie gras, and that’s just as well, because in Seine-Eure, we’ve made it a speciality. Put a good Normandy foie gras from the farm on your guests’ table and you’re in business.

There are two contenders for the golden foie gras in Seine-Eure: the Noës farm, one of whose specialities is fattened duck…

… And the Bec Fin Vraivillais. Specialists for 25 years in duck-based products, this Normandy farm has won several awards for the quality of its products.

We’re talking about foie gras, but duck rillettes, confits and pâté are just as legitimate as starters for your festive meals, and both farms have some to offer you!

Yes, why not turn to Normandy duck breast? Delicious as can be and not complicated to prepare, you’ll easily find a recipe to your liking on the internet. La ferme de Noës offers just such beautiful pieces of fresh duck breast.

For those who don’t want to take any risks and for whom cooking = making pasta, we have the solution: la ferme du Bec Fin Vraivillais, offers traditional cooked dishes, always based on duck. Choose from smoked duck breast, duck with orange or duck with cider. Of course, it’s all homemade, so we’re going in with our eyes shut!

Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean we’re leaving out the vegetables! Ideally, good organic vegetables in a short circuit, planted and picked with love by passionate farmers who take great care of them. The best way to get them without getting your shoes dirty is to pick them up at the market! It’s a great way to learn the local language: you’ll hear “boujou” (hello, goodbye or kisses), “à tantôt” (see you later), or “ça sent rien bon” (it smells really good), and that’s the Normandy we love.

Good honey for your recipes such as baked apples, that’s what Mes abeilles – Apiculteur offers you: an artisanal manufacturer 100% made in Seine-Eure with bees with a strong Norman accent! Also try their nougats, gingerbread and sweets.

In Normandy, we produce cider… but in Seine-Eure, we also produce a legendary beer at the Brasserie des Deux Amants. Legendary because it takes its name from the legend of the Côte des Deux Amants, not far from the site, but also because all its production is organic and environmentally friendly. From the breaking of the cereal grains to the bottling, everything is done on site using local produce!

For fans, the legend continues with that of Richard Cœur de Lion… Because that’s also the name of the craft beer brewed in Tosny for over 20 years at the Duplessi brewery. With its 8 varieties of beer, including (appropriately) Christmas beer, the Duplessi brewery is a Norman institution that also offers beer jams, hops (an aperitif) and a whisky from Europe.

Let’s talk cider. In Seine-Eure, we’re lucky enough to have a farm that specialises in its production, and has won several awards: La Ferme des Noës, with 13 medals won for their ciders at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris since 2002, notably for its rosé cider.

La Ferme des Noës also produces apple juice locally, sparkling or otherwise, and apple cider jellies and jams!

And for wine lovers, why not take advantage of the recognised expertise of the Seine-Eure wine merchants: the “Maison Clet” cellar and delicatessen in Louviers or “Au Bocage Normand” in Gaillon who will be able to advise you on the drinks to serve with your menu but also offer grocery products that will give your table a festive air!