Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Quinoa Pilaf and Lentil Salad; House Hunting Hints

Differences to note between the U.S. and France if/when you decide to buy here (or most European countries):

US:  Old is 50 years; new is 5 years or less.

France: Old is 300 years; new is 50 years or less.

US:  Central heating means (normally) forced air through ducts, which allows you to also have central air conditioning.

France: Central heating means a furnace that circulates hot water through radiators attached to the wall; usually one per room. 
Air conditioning is closing the shutters on all the doors and windows during the day to keep the heat out and opening them all up again to let the cool evening air in (before you close them against the evil night air).

US: All plumbing and wiring is carefully hidden within in the 4" thick plasterboard walls.

France:  All plumbing and wiring is on the face of the 24" thick solid stone walls.

US: There are closets in the bedrooms and cabinets in the kitchen.

France: There are no closets...anywhere.  There are no cabinets in the kitchen and there may not even be a kitchen; but always a fireplace.

US: 'On a nice lot near a secondary road' means that the house sits in the middle of a plot of ground,  usually square, all of which belongs to the house.  Said plot is adjacent to a road.

France: "On a nice lot near a secondary road' means one wall of the house is sitting on or so close to the pavement that if you stick your hand out the window (if there is a window) you run the risk of having it snapped off by a passing lorry.  There may be a yield sign painted on the side of the house.
The plot of ground that comes with it could be all on one side or the other, and may not even be contiguous.  One may have to go out of the house, cross the neighbor's property (or the secondary road) to get to part of it.  It could be in another village.

US: Partially restored.....HUH?????

France: Partially restored.... Ranges from:
'There's a roof' to
'The roof no longer leaks, there are doors and we got rid of most of the bats' to
'There is actually a room you can safely sleep in and a working toilet' to
'There are actual plans which are partly implemented'.

US: Realtor photos show views of the entire house and every room from every conceivable angle.

France: Estate Agent photos are so cleverly taken that, the fact that the neighbors piggery shares the wall with your potential bedroom and the local sawmill is less then 5 meters from your only door are not known until you've driven 45 minutes to see this 'charming, rural location'.

House hunting is hard.

We may be done with it though......

We may have found something.....

Negotiations in progress....

One of the things I try to do in summer is to cook ahead, particularly when it starts getting warm.

And, one of my favorite ways to do that is to make a Pilaf, then turn the leftovers into a salad.

This week I used quinoa as the base grain for the pilaf.  I love the nutty taste, and the fact that it's an almost perfect food. 

This is the second time I've contributed a quinoa recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging.

For more great herb, vegetable and grain ideas visit the archives at Kalyn's Kitchen.  For this week's new recipes visit Joanna of Joanna's Food.

Quinoa Pilaf

3/4 cup quinoa 
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
2 shallots
2 tsp olive oil
6 - 8 cherry tomatoes for garnish

Put quinoa and stock in a small saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until done, about 15 minutes (or whatever your package says).
Chop celery, carrots and shallots. Heat oil in a small skillet and sauté shallots, celery and carrots for 5 minutes. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. When quinoa is done, stir in sautéed vegetables. Spoon into a bowl and serve, garnished with tomatoes.  Refrigerate half of the Pilaf (or whatever is left but without tomatoes) for the Salad.

Quinoa and Lentil Salad

1 - 1 1/2 cups leftover quinoa pilaf
3/4 cup cooked small green lentils (Lentille Verte du Puy)
1 tbs fresh, snipped chives or garlic chives

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp sesame of walnut oil 

Snip herbs. Combine lentils and quinoa pilaf in a medium bowl. Put ingredients for vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Immediately pour over quinoa/lentils and stir to combine. Add chives, stir and serve.

And a final house hunting hint: Take your digital camera.  Some rooms in some houses are so dark, the only way you can see them is to take a flash photo, then look at the photo to see the room. 

Be prepared to back out fast.....

Tuna and Radish Salad; The Weekly Menu Plan

When we first moved across the pond I used to have people ask me, worriedly, if I was able to get sour cream.... Or peanut butter.

How would I ever manage without them?

Nut surprisingly, as we have moved from country to country, we have found favorite foods that we've had to leave behind, foods unique to a country and not found elsewhere.

Like these banderillas garnishing my Tuna and Radish Salad.

These little swords, with a small pickle, a piece of hot pepper, an olive, a piece of pimiento and a pickled onion, quickly became favorites when we lived in Andorra.  Unique to Spain, I stock up whenever I get to shop in Andorra.

I could make them... But it wouldn't be the same.

These are the last of my stash... Time to go shopping~

Tuna and Radish Salad

1 9oz (270gr) tuna, drained
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle optional
2 tbs snipped chives
1 tbs snipped tarragon
lettuce leaves
Tarragon Vinaigrette

Boil the eggs. Combine tuna, radishes, celery, pickle and herbs in a medium bowl. Add Vinaigrette to tuna and mix gently. Set aside until eggs are done and you are ready to finish. Before serving peel and chop eggs. Add to tuna and mix gently. Spoon onto lettuce leaves on small plates and serve.

Tarragon Vinaigrette

1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs white wine tarragon vinegar
1 tsp snipped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup olive oil - the good stuff

Combine mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add tarragon and mix.

In addition to the above, for the week of June 20, we have Courgette Timbales, Grilled Scallops, Grilled Magret de Canard (Duck Breast) Chicken, Pepper and Avocado Salad, Tuna and Radish Salad, and more...

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Life is Different Here: French Weddings; and Big, Stuffed Burgers!

We're off house hunting again, 3 days this time.  The contract for our house has finally been signed (only took 6 weeks) so the panic is official.

Since one of my favorite themes is "Life is Different Here" let me tell you (once again) about French Weddings:

It's summer!

The streets and roads have been filled with honking cars and the night skies with fireworks. 

No, it's not the World Cup or Tour de France or even gas-price protests.

It's Wedding Season! 

We were invited to the wedding of our neighbor's daughter shortly after we moved here, or should I say, part of the wedding. 

Weddings here happen in many parts and one can be invited to one, more or all of it. 

There is the civil ceremony (which is the actual marriage);
The blessing of the marriage in church;
The toast in the local hall;
The reception/lunch;
The reception/dessert; (yes, one can be invited just for dessert)
And, finally, the dance. 

Oh, and if one is invited to the dance one may (or may not) be invited for The Soup.

We were invited to the blessing, the toast and the dance. 

It was, as expected, different to the typical U.S. wedding. 

There was no Wedding Party as such: no bridesmaids in matching dresses, groomsmen in tuxedos, etc. 

The bride had a proper, lovely white wedding dress and the groom was in a ‘morning coat’ – quite dashing. 

A young aunt of the bride had on a long dress and appeared to be a witness along with  the brother of the bride but there was no wedding processional up the aisle.  The whole group – family, friends, bride & groom, just milled into the church together. 

On the way out the bride & groom hung back a bit and then walked out of the church door through a flowered arch held up by their friends.  That was followed by the family photos in the church doorway.  And that was it – very informal with lots of kissing and laughing and no wedding planner with 6 inch thick spiral book in sight!

We skipped the toast as our French ‘small talk’ was exhausted by this time and it was barely noon. 

We met up with the wedding party again at the dance.  They had all had the Toast, the Lunch, the Dessert, and, I'm sure, copious amounts of wine and probably a nap. 

The dance, again, was unlike what I am used to.  There were no tables for people to sit at, have drinks, chat and watch. One was expected to dance!  And everyone did. 

The bride dutifully came over to greet us, receive her 4 kisses and congratulations. 

There was a live band that was quite good and an open bar outside. 

About 2 hours into the dance we had ‘la brioche’….yes the bread.  A huge brioche, weighing about 15 kilos I am told, was brought in on a large wooden platter with handles – about 4 feet across.  The bridle couple held it above their heads and everyone, starting with the parents danced under it.  Then the parents held it, then the aunts and uncles…Apparently it brings good luck and long marriage to hold the brioche and then to dance under it.  (Later it was cut up passed around on trays). 

Then Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs appeared;  Snow White being the bride’s brother very fetchingly decked out in a short dress.  The ‘best man’ is always in charge of the entertainment at the dance and there are always skits, normally expounding on the virtues/foibles of the newly wedded couple. 

There were several costume changes and skits done by the group – we hadn’t a clue what was going on but there was lots of loud laughter, loud stomping, high kicks and wild dancing. 

We left about 1:30 – and were invited for onion soup at the bride’s parent’s house – for 4:30. 

The onion soup is a long tradition: in the old days, when the young couple would still be living with the parents after they were married,  they would be sent off to consummate the marriage while the family stayed at the dance.  After an appropriate amount of time their friends would go to the house with a kettle of onion soup to ‘wake them up’.  Then the rest of the party would come to celebrate and finish the soup.  We skipped that, too although we heard everyone else arrive – and leave (It was the farmer that lives behind us) 

The next day the parents hosted a small lunch for 100 family members....and the wedding was officially over! 

Speaking of summer.... how about a giant burger?

Big, Stuffed Burger..... for 2

12oz (350gr) ground beef (mince)
1 onion
2 tsp olive oil
3 tbs dry bread crumbs
1 tbs ketchup
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2oz, (60gr) sliced or shredded cheese I use Colby
If cooking on the barbecue: wire grill-basket or onto a mesh grill pan
If cooking in the oven: baking sheet

Chop onion and sauté in olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until golden, about 7 minutes. Oil grill basket or baking sheet. Divide beef in half. On plates or waxed paper pat each half into a thin patty, about 6 inches in diameter.  Put the 'bottom' patty in the grill basket, pan or on the baking sheet. Mix bread crumbs, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard and garlic powder and immediately spread over 1 patty to within 1/2 inch of edge. Spread fried onions on top of bread crumbs mixture and cheese on top of onions. (It gets rather 'high' but it works) Flatten the second patty a bit more and carefully put it on top and work the edges together with your fingers to seal. If using the barbecue grill for 8 - 10 minutes over medium-high heat, carefully turn and grill another 8 - 10 or until done. If using oven bake at 400F for 35 - 40 minutes or until done.
Hint: when cheese starts oozing out the edge I consider it done. Remove to platter, cut into wedges and serve.

This time I'm going prepared for our house hunting adventure.

I've put the Wellies in the car.

And my stick.  (As in walking stick - useful for agitating long grasses to scare snakes and for sticking in dark corners of cellars.  House hunting in France is not for the faint-hearted)

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad; The Hot Pink Shower

Looking at houses has caused this brief meander down D.I.Y. (memory) lane:

When we first talked about moving to France a friend warned us not to close the door when inside a room without taking careful note of positioning.  Since the French tend to wall paper everything, including the doors and ceilings, one could be trapped forever, wandering the room, counting the flowers, looking for the door....  

One of the first things we did to our current house was to convert three bathroom 'rooms' into one, slightly more modern bathroom. 

It would seem that the proper French do not think that one should bathe in the same room that one sh**s, or brushes ones teeth, for that matter. 

We had a lovely toilet in one of the tiny rooms (none of them had enough room to swing a cat!), a bizarre, child-size, 2-level bathtub in another and a sink with a mirror in the third.

They were all papered in various themes of pink flowers, and tiled in different shades of pink tiles, no two tiny rooms the same.  

To get to them we walked down the 'bathroom hallway' which was papered, top to bottom, ceiling and doors  in a vivid green, jungle motif with peach birds and apricot ferns (still don't know why the pink bathrooms...)

Mon mari gutted the 3 little rooms, tore down the walls and built a lovely, modern bathroom, complete with new toilet, large shower, double sinks with cabinets, a corner linen shelf, and walls covered in a pretty, pale, sea green Italian ceramic tile to match the jungle paper. 

The pink was gone.

Even with the combining of three former rooms, it was still a small bathroom and oddly shaped as well. 

There was no room for a bathtub let alone a tub and a shower, which is what we had hoped for. 

We opted for the largest prefab shower enclosure we could find. 

Since we would be without a proper bathroom (we had a toilet in the garage) for the duration, we didn't want to spend the time building and tiling one (we being mon mari doing the work and moi complaining about the lack of amenities). 

Off we went to the D.I.Y shops, and, after much searching, found the perfect shower.  We loaded it up, took it home and stored it in the garage until the right moment. 

When said right moment arrived I was in the kitchen scrubbing cabinets.

Mon mari walked in with a stricken look on his face.

"It's pink" he said.

I gave him a blank look "What's pink?" 

"The shower" he mumbled.

I assumed he was teasing me since I had been ranting and raving about how much I hated those pink bathrooms for weeks.

I laughed. 

He said "It's not funny" 

I quit laughing and ran outside. 

Sure enough there was a pink shower. 

Not just any old pink but bright, hot pink! 

It could not have been any more pink! 

It screamed it's pinkness!. 

I didn't now whether to laugh or cry. 

We carefully inspected it. 

Still pink!

It could have been any other color, but no!

Pink!

It was obviously a mistake. 

We hadn't noticed any pink ones in the showroom. 

We must have misunderstood or misspoke. 

Our French was not very good but surely I would have not said 'rose' when explaining what we wanted. 

This was beyond my capabilities to explain so we called a friend who called the store to explain that we would be returning it because it was pink. 

My dreams of a hot shower were not to be fulfilled. 

The next day our friend called back.  (F.Y.I.: Our friend is not a D.I.Y. person) 

In between fits of laughter he explained the the 'pink' was actually a protective layer of film over the properly white material.  

They made the film hot pink so that people would notice it (kind of hard not to) and remember to remove it after installation. 

Perhaps if we had read the directions (in French, and they were directions anyway, so naturally mon mari immediately tossed them out) we would have known. 

Once again, foiled by language.

Think of all the new adventures waiting for us..... 

In the meantime, it's summer and salad time.

I love roasting vegetables on the grill, tossing them with some pasta and a light vinaigrette.  It makes a great salad to go with simple grilled meats.

Check out Presto Pasta Nights, started and hosted this week by Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast, on Friday for lots of great pasta recipes.

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

1 1/4 cups bite-size pasta 1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 large onion
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) black, dry-cured, Greek olives
2 stalks (ribs) celery (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbs fresh snipped basil
2oz (60gr) feta cheese (about 1/3 cup)

Vinaigrette

3 tbs olive oil - or walnut oil if you have it (even better)
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard

Cook pasta according to package directions. Slice peppers and onions, thickly. Put olive oil and Balsamic vinegar in a large bowl, add peppers, onions, and toss well to coat. Put into 'grill pan' (a metal or foil pan dedicated to use on the grill) or onto a mesh grill pan (the idea is not to have the stuff fall through the grate into the fire....) Cook over medium heat on barbecue grill for 10 - 15 minutes, until they have a nice color. Snip large basil leaves, leave small ones whole. Cut olives in half. Slice the celery at an angle. Put mustard in a small bowl, add vinegar and oil and whisk well. When pasta is done drain well, rinse briefly with cold water, drain well again, and put into a large bowl. Add peppers, onions, celery, basil, olives, feta and vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine.

I have got to get off this feta and Greek olive kick!!!!

Or not....

Note: This post is a combination of 2 earlier posts.... Time is getting away from me....

Asparagus, Two Ways; The Joys of House Hunting!

When we sold our house in the U.S. we were told to:
    Remove anything personal;
    Pack away all decorative stuff;
    Replace anything obviously worn;
    And, in general to 'tart it up a bit' and keep it looking as good as possible.

The philosophy here, apparently, is: When you can no longer find the floor through the clutter and the sink is hidden under mounds of mold, close the shutters and put it on the market.

Do not, I repeat, do not clean it first...or ever again!  Sell it and let the new owners handle all that.  I mean, why would one want to clean someone else's house?

We looked at 8 properties with 2 agents... or, at least tried to.

Day 1; Agent 1:

House 1: Not bad.  Hadn't been lived in for about 5 years but still had food in the cupboards. It was stuffed to the gills with furniture.
Only three bedrooms, but filled with 6 or 7 big, antique beds and some huge, gorgeous old armoires and sideboards. I have no idea how they got some of the furniture into the house, and have a sneaking suspicion the intention is to not try to get any of it out.... Windows only on one side.

House 2: Agent couldn't get the key to work.  But, from the outside, we had a hard time trying to figure out what was house and what was the neighbor's barn.  We passed.

House 3: This was a long barn that had been divided into three sections.  We only had a key that worked in the first section which was the 'main' house, consisting of 3 small rooms.  It hadn't been lived in (we were told) in years, but there was a pile of (very) dirty laundry in the corner as well as miscellaneous bits laying around.  There was no bathroom, but a toilet, bidet and sink in the bedroom  You had to step over and around them, carefully, to get to the bed which had the thickest duvet on it I've ever seen in my life.  Something told me that the fireplace was not the most efficient heat source come winter.  Only 2 windows.
But it had a bread oven outside....

House 4: Agent didn't have the key.

Day 2; Agent 2:

House 1:  Big house, high ceilings, windows on three sides, empty and almost completely cleaned out.... Which allowed us to see the rotten floorboards.  Equally rotten staircase in the attached barn led to a second floor tobacco storage loft.  Gorgeous beams, solid barn, good roof... No kitchen and the ugliest , most dysfunctional bathroom in the galaxy..... Possible... Possible.... Thinking....

House 2: Perfectly nice house.  Where's the fun in that?  Oh, and the neighbor's house, while not attached, was less than 12" (30cm) away.  Only windows on one side.

House 3: One of the most interesting houses I've been in.  2-story entry with a balcony going around 2 sides and bedrooms off the balcony.  A  huge 'French farm' kitchen, with curtains rather than doors on the 2 cabinets.  A loft with a ladder going up for the main bedroom and bathroom.  Lovely bathroom with huge tub and shower - that they hadn't bothered to actually hook-up to the septic system.  It just drained into the back garden... as did the toilet.  And the front garden?  That didn't belong to the house, only driveway rights.
Interesting...but don't think so....

House 4: Perfectly nice house. Perfectly nice garden.  Completely ready to move in and live.  Only about 50 years old.  I repeat: Where's the fun in that?

That took 2 full days: leaving at 5 on Thursday morning and getting back at 8 Friday night.

I might add that, after looking at tons of stuff on the internet, we have learned: thanks to digital cameras, wide angle lenses and photoshop, what one sees on the internet bears only the vaguest resemblance to what it actually looks like. 

Ninety-five percent of the time, reality is very disappointing. 

If the photos actually reflected reality, no one would every buy anything....
And they would have to clean them up.... The houses, I mean.

Maybe that's why we had trouble finding keys....

Amazingly, I found asparagus last week, three whole weeks after I thought the season had ended. 

Green asparagus; the nicest I found all year!

For one last hurrah, in case you get lucky (with asparagus), here are two of my favorite ways of fixing it.

Asparagus has been enjoyed for over 2,000 years, as both a food and medicine source.  It's full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins K, C, and A, and Folate.

For those of us who love it... Asparagus season is always worthy of celebration.

Weekend Herb Blogging, Started over 2 1/2 years ago by Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen is being hosted this week by Astrid of Paulchen's Food Blog.

Roasted Asparagus Balsamic

16oz (500gr) asparagus 
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Snap off ends of asparagus. If white use vegetable peeler and peel bottom half of stalk. In small bowl whisk olive oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Pour it onto a plate or the baking sheet and roll the asparagus in it, thoroughly coating (use your fingers!). Grill, using a pan, over indirect heat for 8 - 10 minutes, until lightly browned or roast in 400F (200C), oven for 15 minutes. Remove and serve.

Chinese Asparagus Salad

3/4 lb green asparagus
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds

Snap off ends of asparagus. Roll cut asparagus in 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths. Fill large saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling drop in asparagus and parboil for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Spread them on paper towels and pat dry. In a bowl big enough to nicely hold the asparagus mix soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Add asparagus and toss lightly to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Best if allowed to sit for 15 - 30 minutes.

I also have Fried Asparagus,  made Tarts, served them with Quail Eggs and made Soup.

Oh, and only 1 out of the 8 houses had a lawn that had been mowed in the last 12 months.

Bon Weekend!

Ginger Barbecue Sauce; The Weekly Menu Planner

Last week I shared my Barbecued Salmon recipe.

As it's Dad's Day in the U.S., (and early days in the barbecue season) I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes for barbecue sauce.  Add the full 2 tsp of mustard and ginger to make it a bit spicy/hot - or add hot sauce.

It's equally good on chicken and pork.  For beef I usually substitute Worcestershire sauce for the soy sauce.

Ginger Barbecue Sauce 

1 cup tomato sauce, 8 oz (240gr)
2 tbs molasses
2 tbs cider vinegar
1 - 2 tsp dry mustard
1 - 2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbs soy sauce

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer just long enough to combine all ingredients.

In addition to the above, for the week of June 13, we have Quinoa and Lentil Salad, Grilled Tuna with Mustard Sauce, Barbecued Flank Steak,  Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad, a Stuffed, Grilled Burger, and more...

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Pasta Salad with Sausage and Chickpeas; Notes from "She who has been replaced"

The Daily News:

"She who gives cuddles and pets" has been summarily replaced by "He who gives toast and sandwich crusts" in the hearts of our devoted canines.  They never really bought into the whole diet routine I put them on.... Fat bitches!

Mon mari has gone from lounging in a hospital bed to rampaging about the countryside on his lawn tractor, giant weed whip and trailer in tow.  I have been summarily replaced on this front as well.  I think he's better.

Now that the lawn has been beaten back into shape, the weeds whacked into submission and the hedge given a buzz cut, it's time to turn our attention to finding a place to live or we will be homeless come the end of summer (assuming nothing happens to quash the sale in the next 7 days - cooling off period.  Six weeks to sign the compromis then 1 more to cool off.... We don't want to rush into anything, now do we?)

Last night, sipping wine and feeling smug about all that's been accomplished in the past few days, reality hit and panic set in. 

We called the 'Pension Canine' and, not only do they have two doggie rooms available, they asked me to tell the girls that the doggie swimming pool was filled and ready for them.  (In winter they have heated floors in the bedroom of their 2-room suites, the other room being a covered terrace.)  Such deprivations our dogs suffer when we leave them!

I managed to find adequate, but probably not as nice, accommodation for us, so we are off, prior to the crack of dawn tomorrow, for 2 days of intensive house-hunting.  In case you missed my opinion of these early risings.... Larks v Owls. 

Realtors don't work weekends here... People can't be bothered to show their houses then.

Before we left I wanted to be sure to get my Pasta Post done. 

Presto Pasta Nights, started by  Ruth, of Once Upon a Feast is being guest-hosted, for the first time this week.

 I didn't want to miss Keven's, of Closet Cooking, debut.  Be sure to visit his blog on Friday to see all of the wonderful pastas from around the world!

As to the pasta... I've been on a bit of a feta kick lately...

What can I say?

Pasta Salad with Sausage and Chickpeas

1 1/4 cup bite-size pasta, rigatoni, penne, etc.
10 - 12 oz (300gr) sausages
15oz (450gr) chickpeas, garbanzo beans
4oz (125gr) feta cheese
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 3oz (90gr)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
2 tbs fresh snipped chives or garlic chives
2 tbs fresh snipped marjoram
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, put into a large serving bowl.
Cut peppers into strips. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Heat oil, vinegar and soy sauce in skillet. Add pepper, chickpeas and tomatoes, and sauté 5 minutes, just to warm the chickpeas and soften the tomatoes.
Cut feta into half inch cubes (1.25cm.) Snip herbs. Make vinaigrette.
Cook sausages on barbecue grill or sauté in nonstick skillet, before doing peppers, etc., on stove until done. Remove sausages and slice into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths.
To assemble: Put drained pasta in large salad bowl. Add vegetables and vinaigrette, and toss well to combine. Add sausage to pasta along with feta and herbs. Toss gently and serve.

Vinaigrette

2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp Soy sauce
4 tbs olive oil, the good stuff
1 tsp ketchup

Put all ingredients in small bowl and whisk well to combine.

Now I'm going to go panic some more.
Signed
"She who works well under pressure"  Or better start!!!!!

Burgers & Beans; The saga continues: The Visiting Nurse

Another example of two people talking about different things together: Do  you walk to school or carry your lunch?

Mon mari was discharged from the hospital on Saturday morning.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? 

He comes home and mows the lawn (which he is doing as I write this, but I digress).

The French, after investing 17 days in your health and well-being, are not simply going turn the maintenance of said health and well-being  back to your, obviously incapable, hands. 

They do not want all of their hard work to be wasted on an incompetent ingrate.

After paying the bill (16.97 euros for the T.V. and phone - we don't know what else we'll have to pay yet), we left the hospital with a sheaf of prescription papers and were told to get them all filled. One cannot go off meds cold turkey, after all! 

The nurse would come that night and take care of everything.

The nurse?

Yes the nurse.  We were shown the paper that said the nurse would be there at 7:00 pm.

We dutifully went to the pharmacy on the way home and handed over the stack of papers.  We were then inaugurated, officially, into the French Rx system.  Being always conscious of waste and recycling, we were given our own, reusable, cloth Pharmacy Shopping Bag, which they then filled to the brim with goodies.

One area in which the French are not particularly conscious of waste is in pharmacuticals.  Everything is given fresh, all the time.  If one has a cut finger in May, one receives a large bottle of disinfectant, a large roll of bandages, a roll of tape, etc.  If one cuts another finger in June, even though only 2 % of the earlier supplies have been used, one gets an entire new supply.

The pharmacist looked at the 'prescription' for the nurse, nodded, and assured us that she would take care of everything.

That evening we waited for the nurse.  One of the things she was supposed to do was give mon mari an injection - a continuation of a treatment started in hospital that goes on for 1 more week.  (The French are also very fond of injections rather than pills.  They also like suppositories... but, touch wood, no personal experience in that area yet...)

She never came.

We waited the next morning.

She never came.

Nor did she come in the afternoon or evening.

Finally we took the syringe and went to the emergency room.

The ER nurse said: Who's your nurse?

I said: I don't know; she never came.

ER nurse: Well, did you call her?

Me: I don't know who she is; how could I call her?

ER nurse: Well, if you call her, she'll tell you, than she'll come and do it.

Me: (Head spinning, once again) Okay... But, as it's Sunday night, could you just give him the injection... Or show me how and I'll do it.

ER nurse: Of course, and very nicely gave him the jab and me the instructions.

Me: Thank you.

ER nurse: Call your nurse!

Me: Yes, Ma'am!  (muttering 'How the F*** can I do that if I don't know who or where she is?')

I realized, somewhere along the line, a crucial bit of information went missing. 

Everyone: doctor, hospital staff, pharmacist, ER staff; assumed that I would know about the nurse.  Nowhere was there any information to give me any clue that I needed to do anything at all.

I assumed, since everyone: doctor, hospital staff, pharmacist, ER staff; kept telling me about the nurse, that it was a standard arrangement handled by the hospital.

Turns out we were all wrong: I hadn't a clue what to do and they didn't supply the nurse.

I was meant to contact the home-care nurse for our commune.  To find out who that is, I ask the maire (mayor) whose office is not open on Saturday, anyway. 

Apparently every little town and village has at least one nurse on call, always.

Apparently every French person knows this, as home visits by the nurse for an illness, or after a hospital stay, are standard and and an expected part of ongoing health care.

We called this morning.

She was here an hour later.  Gave mon mari a quick once over, read all the papers, explained what she needed to do (a couple of periodic blood samples in addition to the injections), and said she'd be back tonight - for the 7pm jab. 

She left; he went back to lawn mowing.

Apparently it never occurred to any one, that we, being Americans, might not know this part of the system.

Now we do.

Oh....doctors still make house calls here, too.

And, now to the Burgers and Beans....thought I'd never get there, didn't you?

Simple Summer Cooking!

When we lived in the U.S. we did these with ground venison. They would also be good with ground turkey. If your beans have a very watery tomato sauce (like mine) drain them first. Otherwise use as much of the sauce as you like.

Burgers and Beans

12 oz (350gr) ground beef
1 large onion - preferably red or sweet
1 can barbecue or baked beans or 'beans in tomato sauce'
4 tbs ketchup
4 tsp Dijon-style mustard
aluminum foil

Tear off 4 squares of foil (1 1/2 times as long as the box is wide). Peel onion, cut into 8 thin slices and put one slice in the center of each foil. Divide ground beef into fourths, patty and place a patty on top of each onion slice. Top with another onion slice. Spoon beans on top of burger patties dividing evenly. Put mustard and ketchup on top of beans - dividing evenly. Bring long ends of foil together and fold over. Fold in sides, loosely. Cook them on a gas grill for about 15 minutes. When done - unwrap and put on plates. Serve with Brown Rice or quinoa.

The other advantage to having a visiting nurse: Everyone, from the mayor on down, knows everything.  Significantly shortens the regular gossip grapevine.

'Composed' Salad; How to tell a Cow from a Bull

Between driving to and from the hospital, mowing the lawn and walking the dogs my brain has had rather a lot of downtime lately.

For those of you who don't know, my mind has a disconcerting tendency to wander down little-trodden paths at the best of times.

Here are a few of the random thoughts and observations that have tripped across the neurons of late:

What happened to the 'Second World' countries?
The pundits talk about First World and Third World.... What happened to Second World? 

Why do Europeans insist on driving standard transmissions?  Since the technology is available (automatic transmissions) why hasn't it been accepted?  After spending 15 minutes in stop & go traffic on a hill yesterday.... Why would anyone want to do that when they don't have to?  It's only fun for the first day or two, after that it's a pain in the ass.  All the cars have cup holders; why not automatics?

Farmers keep bovine families together here.  The bulls are right in the same field as the cows and calves.  I've never seen that in the U.S.  Yes, they are proper BIG bulls, and, usually, several of them.
On a mountain hike in Andorra, we were passing through a large herd in one of the upper pastures.  A woman walking near me (a proper lady from the American south) was a little afraid and had heard that bulls could be dangerous.  Attempting to be prepared, she asked me how to tell a cow from a bull.  She was 50 years old.
I kindly explained that, from the front they are about 50% more massive than the cows, and from the rear.... Well, LOOK!  (You stupid twit!)
She figured it out.
She blushed.

Europeans (at least, some) take driving seriously. One drives on the right and passes on the left.  If one is in the passing lane, and not passing quickly enough, the driver behind flashes lights to gently encourage one to get the f*** out of the way.  They would never consider moving into the non-passing lane to get around.
The other day a car was merging next to me.  I moved over into the left lane to pass and allow him to merge.  He was already going faster than I was (bad lad!) but, rather than pull ahead, he braked and waited for me to move back into the proper, right lane.  Than he pulled out and passed me like I was standing still... But using the proper lane.
We never see two conscientious drivers going side by side at exactly the speed limit here.

Prescription drug are all sold in small, pre-packaged, dated, blister cards here, 30 days maximum.  There are no loose pills in the pharmacies,  no impossible to open child-proof plastic bottles.
Plus, the pharmacists are trained in mushrooms!  You take your haul in, they'll sort through, getting rid of the poisonous ones (if any) and give you a mini-lesson.

There will also be a chart of edible, local plants, herbs and flowers... so one can pick a salad whilst walking the dogs and staring down bulls - the country version of multi-tasking.

We eat a lot of lettuce and other greens in spring and early summer. Because we eat local produce (normally, from my garden), we don't eat salads during the rest of the year.

So, if it seems like I'm stuck in salad gear, it's because it's salad season!

We eat salads for first courses, light lunches and hearty dinners. 

We add meat, fish, potatoes, rice, pasta and just about any vegetable that's in the fridge.  They replace risotto as my favorite way to use up leftover bits.

And I always make my own dressing with fresh herbs from the garden, usually tarragon and chives.

Tarragon has a slight anise flavor to it, and it works wonderfully with fish, chicken, and (for me) anything with mustard.  If you want to grow it be careful to get French Tarragon, which you need to buy as a plant.  Most seeds are really Russian Tarragon which is a gorgeous plant but almost tasteless... not worth the effort to snip!

This salad and vinaigrette are being submitted to Weekend Herb Blogging, started by Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen and hosted this week by Maninas, of Maninas: Food Matters. Visit her blog on Monday for the complete recap.

This is a 'Composed' rather than a 'Tossed' salad. The ingredients are arranged (artfully) on a bed of lettuce, and the dressing is drizzled over the top.

Composed Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

lettuce
2oz (60gr) ham
2 eggs, hard boiled
6 cherry tomatoes
1/3 red pepper
1/2 avocado
1 oz feta cheese
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Cook eggs. Slice ham into strips. Clean pepper and slice 1/3 of it into thin strips. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Wash and dry lettuce, leaving leaves whole if possible. Cut the avocado in half and remove pit  Wrap half in cling film and place, cut side down, on a plate and refrigerate. When eggs are done, cool, peel and slice or quarter. Make Vinaigrette.
To assemble: Lay lettuce leaves flat on 2 large plates. Arrange ham, pepper, tomatoes, eggs and avocado artfully on lettuce. Crumble and sprinkle feta over the top. Drizzle with 2 tbs of dressing and serve, remaining dressing on the side.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp honey
1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
4 tbs olive oil - the good stuff
1 tsp snipped fresh tarragon
1 tsp snipped fresh chives

In a small bowl whisk mustard, honey and vinegar. Add olive oil and whisk until incorporated - this will get very thick. Add tarragon, chives and stir well to combine. This will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

Mon  mari is home, the girls are happy... And I'm still mowing the damn grass!

Barbecued Salmon; The Weekly Menu Planner

One of the things that has changed for me since leaving the U.S., and, in my opinion, for the better, is that I no longer have access to many commercially prepared foods. 

Ketchup: yes; mustard, lots (Dijon?!?); mayonnaise, bien sur!.

But things like barbecue sauce, Ranch (or any other) salad dressing, Teriyaki marinade; are just not available here.  Occasionally we'll see something come in as a special 'American' item, but, for the most part, if I want something I have to make it myself.

The good part?  I know what's in it! 

The bad part?  Anyone know how to make corn syrup?

Barbecued Salmon

2 salmon fillets, 6oz each (180gr each)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs ketchup
2 tbs sherry
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In small bowl mix all ingredients except salmon and paprika. Sprinkle paprika over salmon. Put salmon in a grill basket if using barbecue grill or on mesh grill pan if you don't have a basket. Brush fish with part of the barbecue sauce. Grill for 5 - 7 minutes a side, depending on thickness basting with the rest of the barbecue sauce towards the end. OR put on baking sheet and roast in 400 F oven for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness. In both case salmon will be done when it flakes easily; slightly pink in the center is fine. Remove from heat and serve, sliding it off the skin if needed.

In addition to the above, for the week of June 6, we have Couscous Pilaf, Green Beans with Celery, Grilled Pork Chops Diablo, Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad and more...

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Bon Weekend!

ps: I saw the helpful critter that ate my snake (I think): a gorgeous red fox loping through the fields....towards the farmers hen house...who may not share my appreciation of said fox.