July 12th Is National Michelada Day.

There are several variations of this beer-based Mexican cocktail. Our version of a Michelada calls for a rich tomato passata (puree).

That’s what DeLallo used in this recipe. Instead of hot sauce, they heat things up with an oil from spicy Calabrian chili peppers.

Top with an ice-cold beer and you have the perfect drink for any hot day.

Food Trivia: A beer cocktail is called a beertail, for short.
 
 
RECIPE: SUPER-RICH MICHELADA

Ingredients

[1] A special Michelada for National Michelada Day (photo © DeLallo).

 
Preparation

1. PREP the glass: Place the chili powder and salt in a small shallow dish. Rub the rim of a tall (12-ounce) glass with a wedge of lime. Coat the wet rim with the chili salt mixture. Add ice.

2. CREATE the tomato mixture by combining Passata, Worcestershire sauce, chili pepper oil, and lime juice in a large measuring cup or small pitcher. Pour the tomato mixture into the prepared glass.

3. TOP with beer until the glass is full. Stir gently.

4. NOTCH the lime wedge on the rim of the glass, or serve it on the side.
 
 
HERE’S THE HISTORY OF THE MICHELADA

[1] Make tartines with lush summer tomatoes (recipes and photographs © Alexandra Shytsman courtesy Goat Cheeses Of France).

[2] Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille goat cheese. Read more about it below.

[3] Miche, a term for a round country loaf (pain de campagne—photo © King Arthur Flour).

Yesterday we presented three goat cheese and wine pairings, an idea to celebrate Bastille Day, July 14th.

Here’s a recipe for tartines, the French term for open-face sandwiches, to continue the taste-fest.

This recipe serves:

 
It was created by Alexandra Shytsman of The New Baguette, a healthy food blog that features vegan and vegetarian recipes for beginner cooks.

Enjoy them with a glass of white wine. We prefer a crisp sauvignon blanc.

The recipe follows, but first:

> The history of sandwiches.

> The different types of bread: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 20+ bread holidays.

> The year’s 27+ sandwich holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: TOMATO-PESTO TARTINES WITH
SAINTE-MAURE CAPRIFEUILLE GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients For The Pesto

This pesto recipe makes more pesto than you’ll need for two tartines. Toss the rest with pasta or roasted potatoes, use it on other sandwiches, serve it with eggs—or make more tartines.

You can purchase the pesto instead of making it.

 
For the Tartines

If you can’t find Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille, select another goat cheese log, preferably aged.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375ºF.

2. MAKE the pesto: In a food processor, combine the basil, walnuts and garlic. Pulse until everything is broken down into small bits. With the motor running, stream in the lemon juice and olive oil, and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

3. SPREAD about 2 tablespoons of the pesto on each bread slice and top with the tomatoes and cheese. Sprinkle with extra pepper, if desired.

4. PLACE the tartines on a baking sheet and bake until the tomatoes soften and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. If you have fresh herbs, snip some and sprinkle on the tartines when they come out of the oven.
 
 
ABOUT SAINT-MAURE CAPRIFEUILLE GOAT CHEESE

Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille is a raw milk, semi-soft goat’s milk cheese from Poitou-Charentes, a region in the midpoint of France’s Atlantic coast, now part of Nouvelle Aquitaine.

It has a thin, wrinkled rind with superficial grey-white mould and soft paste (interior). The rind is edible and a favorite of connoisseurs.

The goats graze on fragrant plants in the rolling hills. The vegetation contributes to the flavor of the milk.

The name of the cheese is based on:

 
 
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*Miche is a French term for a large, round loaf of country bread, pain de campagne. It is pronounced MIH-shuh or mish. We particularly like this rustic, country-style with its crunchy crust (photo #3). If you can’t find a good country loaf, elect the best round loaf available. If you want to bake your own, here’s a recipe.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

July 11th is National Mojito Day (following on the heels of National Piña Colada Day, July 10th).

Plus, July is National Blueberry Month.

Although fresh blueberries are at their sweetest in July, here’s a recipe you can use all year round, with frozen blueberries.

The official name of the recipe below is is “Bleauberry Mojito, created by Hector Acevedo corporate mixologist at the Fontainebleau Hotel.

Here’s the original Mojito recipe and the history of the Mojito.

Thanks to The Blueberry Council for the recipe. There are many more food and drink recipes on the organization’s website.
 
 
RECIPE: BLUEBERRY MOJITO COCKTAIL

This recipe uses both fresh and frozen blueberries.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
For The Blueberry Compote (About 2 Cups)

Consider doubling the recipe and using the compote to top ice cream, sorbet, pound cake and other desserts.

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the compote. In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar and cornstarch together until blended. Add the frozen berries and toss until uniformly coated. Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries thaw and the mixture starts to boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. PLACE 8 of the mint leaves in a Tom Collins glass. With a muddler or a wooden spoon, crush the mint leaves until fragrant; set aside.

3. COMBINE in a cocktail shaker the blueberry compote, lime juice, simple syrup, remaining mint leaves and rum. Add ice, cover and shake to mix.

4. ADD the club soda to the collins. Fill the glass with fresh blueberries and ice (you can use frozen berries in the off season). Strain the shaker mixture into the glass. Garnish with mint and serve.

[1] A blueberry Mojito for National Mojito Day (photo © Blueberry Council).

[2] Fresh blueberries, at their sweetest over the summer (photo © Balducci’s).

[3] A classic Mojito (photo © Seviche Restaurant | Louisville).

[1] Fresh Goat Cheese Log With Roasted Zucchini, Mint and Thai Chili (photos 1-3 © Goat Cheeses Of France).

[2] Valençay Pyramid With Balsamic-Marinated Watermelon.

[3] Chevre Bleu d’Argetal With Dark Chocolate.

[4] Crottin de Chavignol, the best-selling French chevre (photo © Marmiton).

While U.S. cheesemakers produce terrific goat cheeses, the mother of goat’s milk cheeses is France, where goat cheese is called chèvre (SHEV).

France produces a large number of goat’s milk cheeses, especially in the Loire Valley and Poitou, where goats are said to have been brought by the Moors in the 8th century.

If you’re a goat cheese fan, some chèvres with which you may be familiar are Bucheron, Chabis, Chabichou du Poitou, Crottin de Chavignol (the most-produced A.O.C.* goat cheese AOC, photo #4), Montrachet, Pélardon, Pouligny Saint-Pierre, Pyramide, Rocamadour, Sainte-Maure de Touraine and Valençay [source].

We couldn’t find how many goat cheeses are made in France, but there many. To make it easy to select a few for Bastille Day celebrations, we offer three cheese pairings below.

France is the world’s #1 producer of goat’s milk cheeses. Some 3,000 artisan producers and about 60 large dairies craft more than 265 million pounds of goat cheese each year.

That’s a lot of cheese!

Collectively, French farmers manage the third largest goat herd in Europe, with 1,381,000 goats (with more arriving each spring).

That’s a lot of goats!

The secret to delicious French goat cheese is quality. This is where tradition plays a crucial role: French goat cheese has been developed and refined over centuries, so the cheesemakers know how to bring out the best in the goats’ milk and curds.

Discover more, including many recipes, at Goat Cheeses Of France.
 
 
WAYS TO SERVE GOAT CHEESE

We are never short of uses, from:

 
Styles of goat cheese vary from:

 
We love a dish of spaghetti dotted with fresh goat cheese and freshly-cracked black pepper†. While France doesn’t make a hard goat grating cheese, you can top it with parmesan or goat Gouda from Holland.
 
 
GOAT CHEESE PAIRINGS

These pairings are from Tia Keenan, a fromager, food stylist and the author of “Chèvre,” the first book dedicated to goat cheese.

 
While these pairings are great for Bastille Day, you can, of course, enjoy them any day of the year.

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*A.O.C or AOC, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. Controlled designation of origin in English, the A.O.C. mark guarantees, among other things, that the cheese (or other food) with this certification originates from a specific region of France, and has been produced in a traditional way. There are 35 types of cheeses carrying the A.O.C. mark, which guarantees that: (1) The cheese was produced within a specific geographical area, from milk from specific herds of animals in the same area and partly matured there. (2) The cheese was made using strictly defined methods that have been handed-down over several centuries. (3) The characteristics of the cheese that have been precisely defined—its size, type of rind, texture and minimum fat content—are adhered to strictly. (4) The producers submit themselves to review by a public control commission, which guarantees the authenticity and quality of the products. D.O. and D.O.P. are similar certifications from Italy and Spain.

†McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits, imported from the U.K., are slightly sweet. They’re one of the most popular biscuits worldwide, great with a cup of tea, too. You can find them at specialty food stores and at Amazon.

‡Use cubes of Selles sur Cher or dollops of a fresh log, along with fresh lemon zest, pine nuts and plenty of fresh herbs.

Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur from the Loire Valley of France, is a super-premium black raspberry liqueur known for its unique flavor and versatility in cocktails. Make one or more of them to celebrate Bastille Day.

> The recipes are below.

> The history of raspberries.

> Also below, the history of Chambord liqueur.
 
 
BASTILLE DAY HISTORY

July 14th (“le quatorze juillet”) is Bastille Day in France, officially called the Fête Nationale (“National Celebration”).

If you missed that lesson in European History class, it commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on July 14, 1789. It was a rallying point and symbolic act of rebellion in the French Revolution, which toppled the French monarchy (then ruled by Louis XVI, married to Marie Antoinette) and established the French Republic.

The Bastille was a fortress used as a prison for political prisoners who had challenged the King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette over taxation, food shortages, and other socioeconomic issues.

The royals had overtaxed the people to pay for their lavish lifestyles, and turned a deaf ear to their problems. You may recall that in answer to a warning that the starving people had no bread, Marie-Antoinette is alleged to have said, “Then let them eat cake.”

With cries of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité,” the citizens faced down the Gardes Françaises at the prison.

The rebellion resulted in two immediate legislative changes: the medieval system of feudalism was abolished, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was passed.

The festivities are the equivalent of America’s July 4th/Independence Day celebration. Several cities in the U.S. celebrate Bastille Day, too. (Is it the fraternité another reason to party?)

However: Don’t wish any French person “Happy Bastille Day.” That’s an Anglo-American term only used in the U.S. and the U.K., and not universally familiar in France.

Instead, say “Bonne Fête Nationale!” (bun fet nah see oh NALL).
 
 
RECIPES: DRINKS TO CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY

There are many ways to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14th. In our bailiwick, that means foods, wines and cocktails.

In the beverages department, Champagne is the de facto choice*, although many popular cocktails were invented in France, including the French 75, the Kir and the Kir Royale, the Mimosa and the Sidecar.

This year, we’re toasting with three different Chambord cocktails. Chambord is a raspberry liqueur brand, fashioned after a late-17th-century recipe from France’s Loire Valley.

The black raspberry flavor is rich and alluring, with layers of red raspberry fruit and a subtle note of vanilla.

You can:

 
In the winter, we use it to make a sauce for roast duck.
 
 
CHAMBORD COCKTAIL RECIPES

RECIPE #1: CHAMBORD ROYALE
 
Ingredients Per Drink

[1] Chambord Royale cocktail (photos 1-3 © Brown-Forman Corporation)

[2] The Chambord Spritz.

[3] Going to a Bastille Day party? Bring Chambord as a gift.

[4] Celebratory Champagne can be drunk straight, in a Chambord Royale (recipe below) or a Kir Royale (photo © Zsuzsanna kilian | iStock Photo).

POUR the Chambord into a flute glass. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a raspberry.
 
 
RECIPE #2: CHAMBORD SPRITZ

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

FILL a large wine glass with ice. Add the Chambord, white wine and soda. Stir lightly and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #3: CHAMBORD VODKA LEMONADE

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

FILL a tall glass with ice. Add the Chambord, vodka and lemonade. Garnish with the lime wedge.
 

[5] The beautiful Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley of France. It inspired the Chambord liqueur (photo © Château de Chambord | Facebook).
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHAMBORD

Chambord, created in the 1980s, was inspired by the story of a luxurious raspberry liqueur produced at Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley of France. The occasion was a visit by King Louis XIV (1638-1715) in the late 17th century.

The liqueur was sweetened with sugar‡ and honey and flavored with exotic spices—a luxury only the nobility could afford.

Fruit liqueurs trace back to 13th-century where they were often made by monks, who earned income through brewing and distilling, among other agricultural pursuits†.

Liqueurs were commonly made by macerating soft fruits such as cherries, gooseberries, strawberries, and raspberries in alcohol, to which distillates of spices or herbs and sugar were added.

Raspberry liqueurs increased in popularity during the latter half of the 17th century (the time of King Louis XIV), when it was common for the nobility to enjoy liqueurs and Cognac at the end of their fine meals.

Beyond France, historical records indicate that raspberries were used in alcoholic beverages in Scotland as early as the 18th century, often in homemade cordials and infusions. In fact, given that cordial-making was widespread in homes, by the 17th century raspberries had a fairly broad spread across Europe, and sugar was more affordable, we can imagine many people enjoying a glass.
 
The Chambord Brand

Chambord was launched in 1982, created by Norton “Sky” Cooper at his family’s cordial distillery, Charles Jacquin et Cie. Established in 1884, it’s America’s oldest cordial producer.

The multinational spirits firm, Brown-Forman Corporation, acquired the Chambord brand in 2006. While there are many other raspberry liqueurs on the market (including fine Scottish brands), marketing has made Chambord the best-known.

Thus, Chambord is a modern revival and commercialization of a much older European tradition of raspberry-based cordials and liqueurs (the difference).

And it’s delicious! You can enjoy a small snifter instead of (or with) dessert.
 
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*There are less expensive French sparkling wines called crémant (cray MONT). Ask your salesperson for recommendations.

†In monasteries of the Middle Ages, monks were devoted to the study of botany and alchemy, and diffused many distilled spirits with medicinal herbs. They established extensive gardens, including herb gardens, kitchen gardens, and orchards, to cultivate plants for various purposes. You may remember from high school biology that an Augustinian monk, Gregor Mendel, is the father of modern genetics. His groundbreaking work with pea plants laid the foundation for understanding how traits are inherited.

‡Sugar was introduced to Europe by Arab expansion from the Middle East into the Mediterranean, reaching Sicily around the 9th century and Spain by the 10th century. The Crusaders further facilitated the introduction of sugar to Northern Europe in the 11th century. It was very costly.