Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Traditional Winter’s Meal in Provence

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Get Sleepy, when we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. Thanks so much for tuning in, I'm your host Thomas and I want to wish all of you a happy new year. It's bound to have its ups and downs, challenges and setbacks along the way, but I hope 2024 is generally a very positive year for you, and one that brings you happy moments that you can cherish. And if you feel like you had been neglecting your rest a little too much last year, now is a great time to reset and move forward with healthy intentions. We'll be right here with you all the way.

Starting point is 00:00:57 And that can start tonight, as Elizabeth will be reading you a soothing story about a woman preparing a traditional winter's meal from the provost's region of southern France. Thanks to Leila for writing this beautiful tale. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Though the new year feels like an actual time to change and improve things about yourself or your life, it is also important to recognize all the areas where you're already excelling and to expand on and take confidence from them. This is something my therapist really helped me identify during my sessions. It's

Starting point is 00:01:47 not just about trying to alleviate negatives, but also reminding yourself of all the great things you can be proud of already. Whether you're at a low point, or you just recognize you could do with a little help to get to the happiest place you can be, therapy empowers you to be the best version of yourself. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give better help, try. It's entirely online. You just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and you can switch therapists anytime for no additional charge.

Starting point is 00:02:27 Celebrate the progress you've already made. Visit betterhelp.com-get-sleepy to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp-h-e-l-p.com-get-sleepy for 10% of your first month. Now then, it's nearly time to turn to our story. But before we do, just take a nice deep breath in, hold for a moment and exhale gently. Allow each muscle in your body to gradually relax with the breath, starting at your head and working down. Scan over your body, giving each area permission to completely relax. If the shoulders are a little tense, spend some extra time there, just breathing in a sense of calm.

Starting point is 00:03:58 The same goes for your lower back, your waist and hips, and your legs that have carried you throughout the day. Your whole body has worked hard for you, and it's time to reward it with some peace and comfort. A moment of TLC for yourself as you settle into bed will help you to rest easier and feel all the better for it when you wake up tomorrow. So let the warmth and coziness of your bent envelop you, wrapping you up and filling you with contentment. It's time for me to make way, so that Elizabeth can carry your imagination to begins. The moisture was condensing outside the kitchen window. Margolene watched from inside as the droplets beaded up on the outer pane, then slowly trickled down the glass.

Starting point is 00:06:09 It was a cold, blustery day out. The famous mistral wind was blowing wild and fast through the valleys of Provence, bending trees before it. This powerful wind was a regular visitor though and it was well known and understood. The locals were prepared. Margali had set heavy stones on her roof in the old way to hold her terracotta roof tiles in place. Residents huddled cosily in warm homes, even the spiders had prepared, weaving smaller webs in more protected spots when the wintery wind loomed. The cold and grey outside only served to make Margalee's warm kitchen feel even more snug. a little cottage was humble, but comfortable, and furnished with love. A low flame was burning inside the oven, which let off a lovely heat that spread out through the room. Margallie sat at a round table, covered in a blue and yellow tablecloth. She looked

Starting point is 00:07:54 at the cookbook in front of her, clothed in a bright yellow jacket. The simple volume was satisfying Glee thick and solid looking. She opened up the cookbook and paged through until she came to today's meal. Leak and potato soup, roasted cauliflower with cheese and mutton stew, prepared in what was called the peasant style. It was a perfect winter's meal, hearty and hot, and in tune with the seasonal harvests. It was a meal that Margulese ancestors in Provence had made for countless generations to fill their bellies and warm their souls on win-tree days. Although she conceded to herself, those farming ancestors probably wouldn't have made three courses as she planned to do. Either cheesy cauliflower or mutton's dew would have suffice to the main cause for them to follow the soup, but Margalee planned to luxuriate in both.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Looking back again at the blustery world outside through her drop-covered window, Margulée stretched and took a deep breath of the warm air, filling her bright kitchen. Then she stood, washed her hands, and dried them on a soft blue towel that was embroidered with sunflowers. She tied on a blue apron, also embroidered with sunflowers, a signature to assemble the ingredients she would need for her cooking. She opened and closed doors briskly, taking supplies out of cupboards and pantries and and refrigerator, and worn by worn, she lay these out neatly on her freshly cleaned countertop. Three leaks, six large gold potatoes, and a sack of small ones. of small ones. Worn medium-sized cauliflower, worn carrot, a dozen small onions, and a dozen turnips.

Starting point is 00:11:17 White flour, a liter of fresh milk, and a tray of brown farm eggs. A block of parsley. To begin, she started preparing the soup. The first stab was to clean the leeks and potatoes. She picked up the three long leeks she had selected, which were thick and substantial. Their long stalks faded from the white bomb of their un-geney basins to deep green at the tips. She washed them carefully under running water, wiping away traces of soil from the farm that had grown them. Next, she picked up the potatoes. These were large and round.

Starting point is 00:12:49 She scrubbed them with a little brush until they gleamed, wet and earthy. Margolene pulled out a cutting board then, a sturdy wooden slab faded from long use. She placed the leaks on the board and picked up a sharpened knife. With this, she removed the dark green ends of theeks, then cut the remainder into quarters. They let off a light, fresh, unmynie smell as she can't. Next, she sliced the quartered leeks into slender strips. She held them in place with one hand. Her fingers bent into a neat curve.

Starting point is 00:13:54 With the other hand, she held the tip of her knife in place on the board, then used it to pivot the blade along the vegetables. When the leeks had been reduced to a tumbling pile of thin slices, she turned her attention to the potatoes. These, she can't into large quarters. Then she reached up to a hook over the stove and lifted down a large, heavy pot. Taking up a small jar of olive oil, she poured in a generous measure of the golden liquid. It spread slowly over the bottom of the pan,

Starting point is 00:14:51 thick and fragrant, sending out its rich scent. She turned the flame onto medium-high and picked up the cutting board. Then used her knife to slide the chopped links into the waiting pan. With a long handled spoon she stirred them until their onion aroma mingled temptingly with the olive fragrance. Then she tipped the potato pieces into the pot too, and added almost three litres of water measured in a cleaned milk jug. A pinch of coarse salt from a tiny Moroccan salt

Starting point is 00:15:50 dish, and it was ready to simmer. She put the flame on low and left the soup to cook slowly. Then Margulie turned her attention to the dish of cubed mutton. This she poured into a large ceramic casserole dish which was oval in shape. She carried the dish over to the sink and held it under the faucet. She let the water run until it more than covered the mountain, then returned the casserole to the stove top and turned the flame on high beneath it. She uncorked the bottle of white wine and breathed in its tangy sweetness. She appreciated the deep flavors it would bring to her cooking. She added half of the wine to the casserole dish, then carefully recorks the bottle. Next, she took a colander over to the ingredients laid out on the counter. She put most of the small onions and turnips into the colander. Then she dug into her sack of small, galled potatoes and selected a generous number that were about the size of pigeon eggs and is directed by her cookbook and added them to the colander too. She took the whole lot to the sink to wash thoroughly. This done, Margly raised her preheated oven to a higher temperature.

Starting point is 00:18:11 to a higher temperature. On the stove top, the mutton stew bubbled cheerfully, and the lean potato soup simmered away gently. She gave each star with its own wooden spoon, savoring the clouds of steam they gave off, and the sumptuous sense they carried to her nose. Next arm was the roasted cauliflower dish. She took out the head of cauliflower, gave it a rinse, and shook the water droplets from its raw surface. She laid it into her wooden cussing board and chopped it, causally. Margolene put the chopped cauliflower into a pot of water and added a couple of pinches of salt. Then she left it to simmer while she made a sauce to go with it. To this end, she minced a small onion and carrot, then set them to cook in a pool of butter, inside a tiny pot on the final stove burner.

Starting point is 00:19:36 She added a dusting of salt and ground in a smithing of pepper, along with some mixed herbs. Almost immediately, the buttery herbs added their tempting scent to the savory fragrances, now filling the kitchen. Margolini set a ham timer to 30 minutes and sat down at the table for a moment of rest. Her cooking was proceeding well and it was time to enjoy the quiet, to revel in the delicious smells, now filling her pleasantly steamy kitchen. Her eyes drifted to the window again, which was fogging up slightly now, though she could still see the water droplets on the outside of the pain. to droplets on the outside of the pain. She listened to the bubbling on the stove, and the blowing of the wind outside, and smiled

Starting point is 00:20:54 at the thought of the tasty meal she was preparing, and the joy it would be to share it with hungry mounds. After a few moments though, she was ready to get back to work. Standing up and stretching slightly, she removed the port of cauliflower from the stove and drained it into the colander set in the sing. She left the cauliflower to air dry, then put a thick, bottomed frying pan on the stove where the port had been and relit the flame below it. part had been and relit the flame below it. Dipping a large spoon into the butter dish, she scooped out a ball of yellow butter, the sides of a large egg.

Starting point is 00:22:00 She dropped it into the frying pan, where it began to sizzle gently and sprinkled in two table spoons of soft white flour. She stirred the butter and flour together with a sturdy wooden spoon. Then, very, very slowly, she poured three quarters of a liter of rich milk into the pan too, stirring all the while. As she stared diligently, the flower and butter absorbed the milk and little by little it panned into a thick white sauce. She continued staring until the sauce shimmers and uniform, with not a lump to be seen. And now she turned off the flame under the buttery onion and carrot which had cooked down, becoming beautifully yellow or in jing creamy.

Starting point is 00:23:24 becoming beautifully yellow or in-gen creamy. She passed this mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the white sauce, then whisked the whole together family. Selecting a medium-sized egg, she cracked it in half. She poured the inside's back and forth between the two half-shells, allowing the egg white to trickle out into a small dish until just the orange yolk was left. She tipped the yolk into the sauce in the frying pan and then repeated the process with a second egg. When the two orange yolks floated on top of the sauce. She gave it another good stir, until the yolks were incorporated, and the sauce was smooth once again.

Starting point is 00:24:38 Then Margali pulled out a rectangular baking dish, and spread a scoop of the now golden sauce, evenly over its bottom. She picked up a cheese grater and dragged the block of white cheese over it, sending a shower of grated cheese into the dish. When the cheese lightly coated the bottom of the rectangular baking dish, she set the cheese in greater a side. Now, she took handphones of chopped cauliflower and meticulously filled the dish. After all the pieces of cauliflower were arranged neatly in the dish, she scooped the remaining sauce over the top, covering it generously. Then she grated a fine layer of cheese over the whole thing. Lastly, she set a small slice of butter to melt in the tiny saucepan that had hound the carrot and onion.

Starting point is 00:26:08 The yellow butter dissolved in seconds in the hot pan, and she sprinkled it across the top of the cheesy cauliflower. By now, the oven was fully preheated. By now, the oven was fully preheated. She opened the door and a cozy cloud of warm air greeted her. She picked up the dish of cauliflower and slid it inside, closing the oven door after it. A quick star of the leek soup, and it was time to season the mutton. First, she skimmed the top of the stew with her staring spoon,

Starting point is 00:27:00 which she then rinsed below the sink faucet. Next, she added a large pinch of salt, thought from her moment, then dropped in another pinch. She picked up her pepper grinder and gave it a few turns, sending a cascade of pepper into the port as well. Then she dropped in several spoonfuls of the aromatic mixed herbs. Finally, she picked up the dear Shivanians turnips and potatoes that she had prepared earlier, and tipped the lot of them into the boiling water. Together they would make an old-fashioned, modern and vegetable stew, cooked until their flavors melted exquisitely. And now, it was time to wait.

Starting point is 00:28:12 Most of her work was done. A star now and then was all that would be needed as the various courses she'd prepared finished cooking. So Margulie sat down in the chair at her little table and allowed herself to page aimlessly through her worn cookbook. It contained all the specialities passed down through the ages by the people of Provence. A thick yellow volume held details about dozens of kinds of fish found in the nearby waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Starting point is 00:29:01 It gave specifics about the vegetables and fruits that grew on this land which ripened when and how to choose and prepare each for the best flavour. It told how to make tasty and hearty meals from everything the land had to offer, sharing how to cook shellfish and pigeon and rabbit and all the many delicacies offered up by the region. It gave tips for seasoning and simmering, recipes for savoury and sweet, suggestions for everything from shopping to menu planning. It contained a treasury of timeless dishes made with simple and nourishing ingredients, with eggs, and potatoes, and cream, and progees, calmed straight from the farms and the air.

Starting point is 00:30:17 It carried margarilla away into a world of pleasant daydreams, and before she knew it, the time had slipped past, and the meal was nearly done cooking. It was almost time to enjoy the fruit safarafer, but first she she would complete the finishing touches. To start, she peaked at the cheesy cauliflower, which was toasted golden brown on top from her hot oven. She turned the oven off now and left the casserole inside to keep warm. Next, she turned off the stove under the leak and potato soup, and gave it a last, good stem, then covered it tightly. and covered it tightly. Then she whisked together a tablespoon of cornstarch and a bit of water and stirred it into the mutton pot, whose contents had been reduced into a fragrant stew that thickened up quickly with the starch. Finally, she chopped up a sprig of fresh parsley

Starting point is 00:31:51 and sprinkled it on top hot throughout the soup cause. And now, at last, the savoury winter feast was ready, prepared with love and care. She reflected that half the enjoyment of the meal was already has, the pleasure of working quietly in her kitchen and the satisfaction of a job well done. The other half of the enjoyment still awaited her, inside the casserole dish and the soup pots and the tastes of the eijonged recipes, the flavours of tradition, the gratifying enjoyment of good ingredients cooked with care and shared with generosity. Soon she would carry this hot, nourishing meal to the soup kitchen, half a block away, together with neighbours in need and other volunteer cooks, she would sit down to a warming meal and even more warming company. She felt satisfied at peace and gently eager for the moments to come.

Starting point is 00:33:53 She slipped on a thick coat, picked up the first hot dish and stepped out from the humble warmth of her kitchen into the blustery dusk of the mid-winter evening. you I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

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Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Traditional Winter’s Meal in Provence

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