In July we spent a week in our French friends' holiday cottage in rural France.  It was heaven! 

   The cottage is an outbuilding of a mill at a small river, surrounded by forests and fields.  There are no other houses. 
   You think time has stopped a long, long time ago.  The villages and small market towns consist of old stone houses and ancient churches. 

   Almost 2,000 years ago the Romans settled here and we drove across a nearby river, over the old Roman bridge that is 1,600 years old and still safe.

   There are flowers and wildlife everywhere.  Everybody seems to have time, but sadly, a lot of young people have moved to the bigger cities.

   We picked our own berries, collected firewood for the evening, ate wild mushrooms from the forests and bought wonderful farm products from the small local markets.

   Our friends' cottage is romantic and decorated with French antiques and fabrics.

   At night we listened to the barn owls and woke up to wonderful birds' singing.  It was a wonderful relaxing week and quite a contrast to flashy Paris!

   With four lemon trees in our garden, we always have fresh lemons for our salad dressings.  However, sometimes there are so many lemons that we have to use them in a different way.  One year we tried to make lemon marmalade.  That was good, but most members of the family did not like that bittersweet taste.  Then Dieter, who is in charge of desserts, found a wonderful recipe in one of our cookery books.

   The recipe was an instant hit.  The dessert is so delicious and light that you can even eat it after a huge dinner.  It has become our favourite family dessert.  Susan has named it Dieter's Lemon Fluff and requests it at every visit. 

                                      ZITRONENCREME
                                    Dieter's Lemon Fluff

1.  For this light fluff, separate four eggs.  With hand mixer, beat  four egg yolks with 100 grams sugar and some lemon zest until very foamy.  Soften three leaves of white gelatin in enough cold water to cover. 

2.  Transfer well-softened gelatin leaves (do NOT press out water)  to saucepan and combine with six tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice stirring over medium low heat.  This works  best with a shallow ladle that has first been rinsed in very hot water. 

3.  While whisking the egg yolk/sugar mixture with one hand, slowing add the lemon/gelatin liquid.  Warning:  The gelatin must be totally dissolved and running freely before adding to the egg yolk/sugar mixture so that it can bind properly.

4.  LIGHTLY whisk the egg yolk/lemon/gelatin mixture.  IMPORTANT:  Be careful to mix lightly so that no air bubbles build up.

5.  Beat the whites of four eggs until soft peaks form.  Stir 1/4th of the egg whites into the egg yolk/lemon/gelatin mixture, incorporating completely.  Fold in the remaining egg whites gently.

6.  Dieter's Lemon Fluff can be served in one large bowl or fill in individual bowls.   Refrigerate until firm.   Serves 4-6.