Bon appétit!

I love food - not only to eat it but also to read about it and to drewl over recipes (now that's a pretty picture) for inspiration and ideas, so to receive a food box every month from Kitchen Nomad focusing on different countries with recipes and ingredients representative of that country is an absolute dream. For a while now I've had a longing to go to Paris so imagine how happy I was to discover that this month's theme was French food - oh yum. If I can't explore the arrondissements for fabulous little bistros, then at least I can try and bring a bit of France to our dining table.

Ingredients

Sardine Fillets in Sunflower Oil

Traditional Sea Salt
Clear Honey
Puy Lentils
Mediterranean Salad Croutons
Dijon Original Mustard
Walnut Pieces

So what French delicacies can we cook up with these ingredients?

Starter:

Tomate Slices & Sardine Paté -  sardine paté made with cream cheese, parsley, capers and lemon, served on slices of tomato 
Carrot Tarte Tatin -  tarte tatin with carrots, honey and thyme

Mains:

Chunky Savoie Salad - rustic salad with radishes, apple, cucumber, bacon, cheese and croutons with a walnut vinaigrette

Beer-Doused Ham Hock - beer and lemon infused ham hock, roasted in the oven with honey, mustard, onions, carrots and celery and served on a bed of puy lentils

Dessert:

Walnut & Caramel Tarte - walnuts and salty caramel on bed of puff pastry

I love the Kitchen Nomad concept and always look forward to opening the new box every month, however I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in both the recipes and the ingredients of this month's box. France has such a rich and fantastic food tradition but the recipes included are very middle of the road, they could be from any European country with basic ingredients that I can pick up from any corner shop in the UK. With the exception of the Tarte Tatin I don't get the sense that the ingredients or dishes are very typically French and I guess that for me the element of the new, different and exciting is missing. Oh well, one disappointment out of the five boxes that I've received isn't too bad, but fingers crossed that next month's content is more up my street.