July.
When we lived in the US that meant evening gin & tonic cruises on the lake, weekend picnics, and late-night swims.
Here it means unexpected storms that come barreling through with high winds, drenching rains and manage to do lots of damage in about 10 minutes.
We lost power late yesterday afternoon. It was restored just before lunch only … Continue reading.....
When we lived in MN we used to go to a popular restaurant on the lake we lived on.
In the summer we went by boat, which was a great way to end the day.
Sorry, lost in the memories there for a moment….
Their house salad was justifiably famous. It had a fantastic dressing but my favorite part was … Continue reading.....
This is not my mother’s Tuna Salad.
She would have never put tomatoes in it. Both the pepper and celery would have been minced and even then only a small amount.
She might have been adventurous and added the olives but certainly not the white beans…..
I can hear her say ‘Heavens!’ at the very thought.
Most importantly, she would … Continue reading.....
Salad season has started.
Sort of….
I planted 24 lettuce sets earlier this spring to give us a head start while waiting for the lettuce seeds to grow.
All but 4 died / were killed immediately. The same thing happened last year, so I wasn’t surprised, but they are so cheap I just can’t resist.
The 4 that survived are … Continue reading.....
We still have spinach….
I pulled one row out the other day.
I made a salad with some and soup for winter with the rest. It was bolting in the heat.
Spinach and white beans with a light vinaigrette and topped with crispy shallots makes a lovely, first course or light lunch salad. The shallots should be brown and crisp … Continue reading.....
One more green bean recipe.
The plants are having a last hurrah at the moment but I won’t be here to enjoy it.
This is similar to the one I made a few weeks ago except for one key ingredient change: sage rather than basil.
Fresh sage is at its best right now, giving a ‘fall’ flavor to the dish.… Continue reading.....
Some foods simply belong together.
Hamburgers and French Fries.
Fish and Chips.
Pot Roast and Potatoes.
Tomatoes and Basil.
For me Roast Lamb needs Lentils and Confit of Duck….
Maybe it’s the Cassoulet connection, but I couldn’t think of anything more fitting with the Roast Duck Confit than one of my favorite white bean dishes.
I love risotto.
Since the first time I had it in Venice I have been smitten.
That year, for Christmas, mon mari gave me a cookbook: ‘Risotto’.
A simple title for a simple book… Just recipes for classic Italian risotto.
Nothing fancy, nothing creative or innovative or cutting edge.
This is the first one I made. It’s still my … Continue reading.....
