….I decided I was a lemon for a couple of weeks. I kept myself amused all that time jumping in and out of a gin and tonic.
~Douglas Adams, Life, The Universe and Everything
Another relatively flat stage in the Tour today, coursing through the pastoral Champagne Berry region smack dab in the middle of France. A day which displays the gracefully tessellated peloton and culminates in a crazed sprint for those pursuing the green jersey.
The quaint start town, Vatan, with a little over 2,000 inhabitants, is one of several French villages with tongue in cheek names: (Vatan means “Go Away”), Arnac-la-Poste (“Cheat the Post Office”), Bouzillé (“Broken”), Trécon (“Very Stupid”), Poil (“Naked”), Monteton (“My Tit”), Corps-Nuds (“Nude Bodies”). Coincidentally, the town of Condom is on the river Baïse which without the umlaut over the “i” means “coitus” in common French parlance. With the ironic exception of Condom, these towns even belong to a group called the Association des communes de France aux noms burlesques et chantants.
The Tour town displays it motto without pretense: “Vatan… you’ll be back”…a saying which could be applied to Condom as well.
A refreshing change from the insipid names that tend to grace many of the towns, streets, and subdivisions of dysturbia.
LEMON ISRAELI COUSCOUS
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 C Israeli couscous
2 C chicken stock
3 T fresh mint, finely chopped
1 T grated lemon zest
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T parsley, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and translucent. Stir in the couscous and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, until evenly coated with oil. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, about 12 to 14 minutes.
Stir in the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the couscous, stirring, over medium low heat until the mint and lemon are aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes longer. The couscous should be tender and fluffy.
