This is what my counter looks like every few days. Well, not the peaches and nectarines… I buy those every week. My freezer is full. It’s time to get creative with tomatoes! Of course, I still have the zucchini, as well….. Zucchini (Courgette) and Tomato Gratin with Mozzarella Preparation and cooking time: 55 minutes Thin slices let the flavors meld together easily. Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini, 8″ long (20cm) … Continue reading →
If you pay any attention at all to cooking shows, food blogs, Twitter or Facebook you know that there are people in the world that are, shall we say, somewhat fanatical about bacon. I’ve seen bacon added to bread, vegetables, salads and pasta dishes…. All of which I do. I’ve seen it added to cookies, cakes, frosting and ice cream…. None of which I do. I’ve seen it added to … Continue reading →
One problem those of us with a potager have is an abundance of vegetables. The other problem is that everyone else has the same abundance. So…. When one has guests for lunch it's only logical to offer freshly picked produce from the potager. But, some how, some way, one has to come up with something a little different to do with it. One can only try. This was the zucchini … Continue reading →
I got the idea for these in one of my Greek cook books. It was called ‘kolokithópita’ or zucchini pie. (Similar to ‘spanakópita’ or spinach pie.) It served 8. I was thinking more along the line of tapas, samosas, mezze, little bites…. A first course for two. So I modified it ever so slightly. I was a little concerned that the moisture from the zucchini would make the phyllo soggy… … Continue reading →
Chard, or Swiss Chard, is a slightly bitter green, reminiscent of spinach. In the US the leaves are eaten. Here the stems are eaten. We eat it all. In the US green summer squash are called by the Italian name: zucchini. The other colors are simply summer squash…. Here, and in Great Britain, all summer squash are called by the French name: courgette. Green, yellow, white, striped – it's all … Continue reading →
When the temperatures turn cooler my thoughts turn to stuffing vegetables. My obsession started innocently enough, when I still lived in Minneapolis. I was at the local farmer’s market one autumn, planning a dinner party and looking at all the beautiful vegetables, thinking what fun it would be to stuff them all (and what a lot of work). My thoughts went to the usual routine: women in the kitchen gossiping … Continue reading →
One of the facts about living in a very old French farmhouse is that one rarely lives alone. We have dormice. We’ve heard scampering in the rafters since we moved in, but always assumed it was mice. Let me rephrase that…. We knew we had mice and we assumed we were hearing them. We assumed wrongly. We have dormice. In France this particular one is called a lerot. Here’s a … Continue reading →
