Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Menu for the Week

Not really a post - just a place for you to leave comments about the menu in the side bar... And have a preview of what we're eating!

For the week of August 31 the menu features Courgette Timbales with Pimiento Sauce, Pasta with Shrimp and Avocado Sauce, Summer Herb and Tomato Soup, Brined and Grilled Pork Loin Roast, Herbed Potatoes a la 'Two Fat Ladies',  Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Prosciutto and Chicken Satay on Sesame Brown Rice with Chinese Green Bean Salad and Warm Peanut Sauce (pictured).

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(Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Pasta with Shrimp and Avocado Sauce; sans Aphrodisiacs....

I've been reading about Jann's travels in China and admiring her photos of the foods. 

I've always wanted to visit China: walk on the Great Wall, see the Terra Cotta Soldiers, follow the Silk Road, get to know, albeit briefly, a culture so different from my own.

Then I start to think about the food.  I love our Westernized version of Chinese food but, sadly, I must admit I am not a very adventuresome diner. 

Oh, with the help of a glass of wine or two, I have enjoyed eaten sweetbreads, haggis, tongue, tripe, horse, and many, many things my family would never even consider eating. 

It would take more than a bit of wine before I could tuck into monkey testicles.  Or panther penises.  Or any species eyeballs.  Or even the more socially acceptable deep-fried scorpions and silk-worm cocoons.   

Yes, I know that the majority of people in China do not eat these things on a regular basis - or ever.  I also know that, were I there, said items would find there way to my table.

I'll place the blame for my delicate sensibilities squarely on my mother (Sigmund would be pleased).  She was a picky eater and trained her family well. 

A well-traveled, worldly, relative brought a large bowl of iced shrimp to a family gathering when I was a child (remember, we lived in Wisconsin). 

He thought he was bringing a rare treat. 

My mother said they looked like grub worms and that was that. 

Had I not been introduced to shrimp and scallops in their normal, unrecognizable, beer-battered Midwestern form, served with a heaping bowl of pickle-infused tartar sauce, I probably would never have eaten one.   Once I've eaten something in one form, and enjoyed it, I can branch out to other preparations.

And then there are tomatoes.  My mother tells the story (often, whenever anyone mentions tomatoes, actually) that when she was young she didn't like tomatoes.  Her mother made her eat them and, eventually, she learned to like them.  Thus, she maintains, you (meaning, her children) can learn to like anything.

My mother now claims to like tomatoes.  She peels them, slices them, sprinkles them with lots of sugar, salt and pepper, then smothers them in Wishbone French Dressing.

I maintain that not only did my mother NOT learn to like tomatoes, she still doesn't like tomatoes ....nor does she have any idea what one tastes like. 

For some reason she didn't feel it necessary to learn to like the shrimp.

My entry this week for Presto Pasta Nights, founded and hosted by the lovely Ruth of Once Upon A Feast has shrimp in it. 

Sorry Mother!

Pasta with Shrimp (Prawn) and Avocado Sauce

12 oz large shrimp (if cleaned, 16oz if not) (350 gr cleaned prawns)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
Fresh pasta - I use 8oz (250 gr) of fettuccine
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
1 avocado
1/4 cup milk
2 tbs chopped fresh chives.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Clean shrimp if necessary.  If not, rinse and drain.  Mix chili powder, garlic, lemon and olive oil in a bowl.  Add shrimp and toss to coat.  Cut avocado and remove pit.  Scoop it out of the shell and put it into your blender.  Add chicken stock and vinegar and puree until smooth.  Add oil and puree just until blended, then add milk and puree a few seconds more.  Cook shrimp in a grill pan on the barbecue grill over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes, until they start to curl and turn opaque.  You could also sauté in a skillet in another tablespoon of olive oil.  Either way, when done remove.  It's not necessary to have them hot for this dish.  When pasta is done drain and rinse lightly with cool water.  Put into a large bowl and add avocado sauce, shrimp and chives.  Mix gently and serve.

This is based on a recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Pasta Collection. The avocado makes a wonderful, creamy sauce for the pasta with only the 'good' fat.  Grilling the shrimp adds another dimension to the dish, but you could just poach them quickly in a skillet in a 1/2 inch of water with a bit of lemon and pepper or use pre-cooked.

Be sure to stop by Once Upon A Feast on Friday to drool over all of the wonderful pasta dishes

I wonder if I put sugar, salt, pepper and French Dressing on Cilantro I would learn to like it?  Might have to add Tabasco Sauce.... Hmmmm....

Yellow Zucchini, Lemon Thyme, and a Party on the Patio!

Terrace.  Balcony.  Veranda.  Deck.   Courtyard.   Porch.  Loggia.  Lanai.  Aerie.  Stoop.  Garden.   

Regardless of what we call it, when the weather is nice it's where we want to be: eating, drinking, relaxing with friends.  It's what summer is all about. 

In the Midwest we had porches.  Two of them actually: one off the kitchen where we had most summer meals; and one overlooking the lake where we had the rest.  They had to be screened-in, of course.   A popular form of  summer greeting in those parts is: "How are your mosquitoes?"   Trust me, it's not an altruistic concern about the health and welfare of flying bloodsuckers!

In Andorra we had terraces, extending out from the mountain the house was built into.  Fantastic views but not for people with vertigo. 

In Spain, in the cities, everyone lives in apartment blocks and everyone has balconies, some large some small, almost all with gardens.  Actually, in Spain it's legal to grow pot (marijuana, wacky tobacky, cannibas) for personal consumption.  Next time you're in Barcelona, look up and admire the lush green balconies everywhere in the city....and smile.

Our friend, living in the mountains in Spain, has a tiled aerie.  There's a roof over part for shade on hot days, to sit, sip a chilled rosado  and admire the mountains.  Just don't walk to close to the low wall...it's a long way down to the valley.   

Here, in French farm country, we have a tiled patio or terrasse.   It's next to our huge mulberry tree, just off the kitchen.  No view but very peaceful.

The French don't need anything particularly formal for dining al fresco.  If you ever drive in France during the warm months you will notice a uniquely French phenomena: at precisely 1:00 all of the French cars on the road pull over to the shoulder and park.  Trunks are popped open and out come table, chairs, table cloth, bottles of wine and water, picnic baskets laden with quiches, ham, cheese, fruit and a sweet tart along with proper plates, flatware and napkins.  The table is set up on whatever level ground they can find, preferably not the roadway, and everyone sits down to a proper, hour-long lunch.  Some things are sacred!

I have no idea why, but it's an almost universally accepted truth that food tastes better when eaten al fresco - even whilst inhaling diesel fumes.  All that being said....there's a Party going on! 

Hosted jointly by Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis of La Mia Cucina, it's the party of the summer and everyone's invited.   Potluck, of course. 

I'm contributing  (please don't throw things at me)  zucchini, courgette, summer squash, the green menace (or, in this case, yellow menace)...

The one, easy requirement for contributions is that they be (mostly) seasonal and local. 

So, let's see:  Yellow courgette?  Check, my garden.  Lemon thyme?  Check, my garden.  Lemon basil?  Ditto.  Walnuts?  Well, they're last years 'cause this years haven't fallen yet, but they're mine, so check.   Butter?  It's local.  Olive oil?   Close enough...

Sautéed Courgette (Zucchini) with Lemon Thyme and Walnuts

1 yellow or green courgette (zucchini), 8 inches (20cm) long
1 oz walnut halves
several sprigs of lemon thyme or regular thyme
1 tbs lemon basil or regular basil
2 tsp butter, divided
2 tsp olive oil

Slice the blossom end off of the zucchini, then slice it into 1/2 inch (1 cm) rounds.  Heat 1 tsp butter and the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  The skillet needs to be large enough to hold all of the slices flat.  Add zucchini slices and fry 8 - 12 minutes.  Check after 8 by lifting up with tongs and looking at the bottom; it should be getting brown spots on it.  If not, fry some more; if yes turn and fry the other side.  The other side won't take quite as long.  When they are done, the slices will have nice, browned patches on both sides and be tender.
While the zucchini is frying, heat the remaining tsp of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add walnut halves and sauté 10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally.  When done, transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.  Snip basil and pull the thyme leaves off the stems.  When zucchini is done, remove to a platter, arranging nicely.  Sprinkle with herbs, chopped nuts, salt and pepper if desired, and serve.

Come along to the party!  You'll be able to browse the groaning buffet tables on Sept. 9, at Cream Puffs in Venice and La Mia Cucina.   

Happy End of Summer!

Vegetable Smilies, Thanks and Summer

Smilies!  Most days I really hate those damn yellow things!  But, make one out of vegetables and that puts a whole new face on it!

I found my Smiley here and was told to pass it on.  Ever the dutiful blogger here is my very own vegetable Smiley, from my very own garden (with a little help from the market...been a bad summer):

To see a hilarious slide show of Vegetable Faces (complete with music) check out The Great Big Vegetable Challenge.   

And next time you're in the kitchen faced with an abundance of produce, go ahead and make your own face.

You know you want to.

It's really is okay to play with your food!

Really!

I spent the weekend playing with fruit; apples and pears to be specific.

We picked them last weekend and they've been feeding my guilt every since; a big table piled high with the little devils, screaming for attention.

I had no choice but to make jam.

I hate making jam.  It's one of those precise kitchen things that just never seems to work well for me.  It's Pear Ginger Jam in the photo.

Couple that with the fact that it's the end of August and it was not going to be good. 

Allow me to explain what August has to do with it all for those who do not live in Europe, or, more specifically, the Mediterranean countries.
August is the month when factories and businesses shut their doors and all of the workers go on holiday. 
Allow me to explain further:  We were remodeling our bathroom and were in a shop looking at tiles.  It was the end of May.  We were told to have our order in no later than the first of June because everything closes in August.
In other words:  If it wasn't in by June 1 it wouldn't be scheduled for shipment before July 15, at which time nothing is scheduled for shipment because that means the lorry drivers would be on the road on August 1, the day the holiday starts.  So if it wasn't ordered by June 1 we wouldn't get it until sometime in October, because if it couldn't be shipped before August there was no sense scheduling it, now, was there?  Got that?

What does this all have to with making jam? 

Lids.

Lids for the jam jars.  You can reuse jars but need fresh lids each time you make jam and process the jars.  There were no lids, anywhere.  No pectin and very little sugar.  Poor planning on my part.  I should have bought the stuff in June...or I could wait until October.  Tell that to my fruit!

Fortunately I had some left from last year and I found a good recipe for freezer jam...

This photo is for those of you who can.  That is my canning kettle sitting on the canning burner attached to a gas tank.  The set-up is in the outbuilding that also has the wine press - you can see it in the back corner.  The canner is designed to hold multiple layers but I haven't figured that out yet.  I can get one hell of a flame under it though, the burner is huge!  The canner is too big to go on a stove top but having it out here keeps the heat out of the kitchen!

Lastly, but most importantly, Tanna, from My Kitchen in Half Cups, has very kindly given me the following two awards:

The Power of Schmooze Award is for bloggers who “effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way.  They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well.  They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.

The Thoughtful Blogger Award is for “those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs.  For the people who take other’s feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous.  Also for those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping other bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites.  This is for those generous bloggers who think of others.”

Thank you, Tanna.  They really mean a lot to me.  All of the food bloggers I have gotten to know in the past 18 months have been wonderful.  I hope I can be as welcoming and gracious as they all are to me.

And in the same spirit I get to pass on the award.....Yay!

I hereby pass on both awards to:

Lydia at The Perfect Pantry

Chris at Mele Cotte

Mimi at French Kitchen in America

Wendy at A Wee Bit of Cooking

Nora at Life's Smörgåsbord

Now, I'm going to see if I have any ripe sweet corn...and say 'Hey' to Boris!  (Yes, he's still there, hasn't moved more than 10 inches in any direction).  We've had three days of summer this weekend...

Green Beans for the Olfactory Impaired

You reek!

Other people might have greeted us with the more common "Hi", "Hello" or even a formal "Good Morning".  My sister prefers more descriptive terms.

"You reek!", she repeated.  "What in God's name have you been eating?" (Note she said 'eating' not 'doing')

We siblings were all at my mother's for Sunday lunch.  At this point, while I had been allowed out of the car, the door to my mother's house was still being blocked by my sister.

Fruit and cereal for breakfast?  No, that couldn't be the culprit.

Asparagus with Garlic Chips for dinner the night before?  That could do it.

Just as some people have an anti-cilantro gene, causing it to taste like soap, could others have a garlic-detecting gene?  I've never noticed it myself.  Maybe those of us who eat a lot of garlic are immune to the odor emanated by ourselves (naturally) and other garlic lovers (fortunately).   

My family was divided on the issue: my sister and one brother made certain to keep their distance and stay downwind all day; my other brother and mother couldn't understand the fuss.

I'll be forever grateful that mon mari is an immune garlic lover.

Today's entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, is not about garlic.   It's about beans.

Green Beans. 

This weeks Herb Blogging, the smashing event founded by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen is hosted by Scott at Real Epicurean. 

Green Beans!   This poor, but lovely summer vegetable is often overlooked. 

People complain about the abundance of the zucchini, gloat about the abundance of the tomatoes, rejoice in the sweet corn and put peppers into everything.  The poor green bean just trudges along, the forgotten veg. 

Well, no more!  It's season is here.

Green beans are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals.  A cup of green beans gives you 25% of the DVA of vitamin K which is necessary for strong bones.  It's also a good source of vitamins C, A, B1, B2 , folate, potassium, manganese and iron.  I could go on, but you get the picture.  Beans are good food!

The best way to treat them is to put them into a steamer of boiling water for anywhere from 4 minutes for crunchy to 10 for well done.  Remove and finish immediately, or plunge into cold water to preserve color and texture, and finish later.  How can we not like such ease and versatility?

And then you can add Garlic Chips...

Green Beans with Prosciutto and Garlic Chips
I used the flat, Italian beans for this but any tender green bean will work.

6 oz (180gr) green beans,
2 slices Prosciutto (2oz, 60gr)
10 - 12 fresh sage leaves
4 cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil

Put an inch of water in the bottom of your steamer and bring to a boil, covered. Cut the stem end off of the beans, leave whole, with tail on.  Add beans to steamer, cover and steam for 10 minutes. Remove beans and place on serving dish.
While beans steam, peel and slice the garlic cloves as thinly as you can.  Roughly chop the Prosciutto.  Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and fry until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes total.  Add ham, sage leaves and sauté until starting to crisp, another 3 - 5 minutes.
To finish, spoon ham, sage and garlic chips on the beans, then drizzle the oil over all and serve.
Note: If making in advance, when beans are done plunge into cold water to preserve color.  Remove and drain.  When ready to finish put beans on a baking sheet and into a warm oven, 220F (100C) to warm for 5 - 10 minutes.

Stop by Real Epicurean on Monday to see all of the wonderful foods from around the world!

Bon Weekend!

Menu for the Week

Not really a post - just a place for you to leave comments about the menu in the side bar... And have a preview of what we're eating!

For the week of August 24 the menu features Prosciutto and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes, Barbecued Salmon, Sautéed Courgette with Celery, Potatoes with Sage and Brie, Tortilla de Calabacín Green Beans with Prosciutto and Garlic Chips and Tomato, Mozzarella and Avocado Pasta Salad.  Add in some easy cooking from the grill and we have another week of summer cooking!

Don't you love the way the Brie left white 'stripes' on the tortilla?  The rest just melted into the eggs...

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menus, recipes and shopping list delivered (in easy-to-print format) to your inbox each Thursday.

(Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Ham and Green Bean Pasta Salad and Mountain Walks

This past week I've been sighing with envy as I read about the lovely walks in the mountains taken by Meredith of Poppy Fields and Ulrike of Kuchenlaten.  I miss my Monday Walks in Andorra.

It was good exercise, a chance to catch up on the local gossip, solve the world's problems and have the occasional run-in with a handsome young man toting a semi-automatic rifle.

You see, in Andorra, up until just a few years ago, smuggling was legal.  Not only legal but a time-honored profession worthy of being listed as an occupation on your Andorran passport.  It was lawyers that were frowned upon in Andorra. (Lawyers weren't allowed in the country until around 1944).

The problem of course, was that it wasn't legal in either bordering country.  Andorra is not in the E.U. so there are still borders and still import/export laws.

It was on more than one occasion that, after a several hour walk up a steep, barely identifiable trail, we would round the final boulder at the top to come face to face with the unflinching gaze of a gun-toting Guardia Civil or Gendarme. We would immediately know 2 things: 
1. Which border (Spain or France) we were NOT going to be crossing (we normally didn't hike with passports) and
2. Apparently we had found yet another smuggling run.

There were many smuggling runs in the mountains of Andorra.  There was one that went almost by the front door of our house.  We know that because one morning, about 4:00, after hearing 2 trucks go up the mountain (Andorrans do not work at night unless they're smuggling) we heard 2 cars racing up behind them followed by gunshots.  It was likely two rival smuggling clans discussing trail rights.  The police came, everyone was questioned, nothing came of it.

Rumor has it that a few years earlier there had been another bit of discussion regarding that particular trail leading over the mountains into Spain.  In the end, a body was found, drowned, at the bottom of a mountain lake, tied hand and foot, securely wrapped in carpets and weighted down with rocks. 

It was officially deemed a suicide. 

In a sense, it was.

What were they smuggling that was so valuable?  Gold?  Money?  Precious Gems?  Pasta?

Nope, cigarettes.

I could eat more pasta when I walked in the mountains once or twice a week - that's what I really miss. (Although there's something about a handsome man in uniform with a high-powered rifle ...)

This weeks marks the 6-month birthday of Presto Pasta Nights, founded and hosted by the talented and busy Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast. 

Six whole months of pastas, now that's something to celebrate; more than 400 recipes!

My entry this week is yet another salad.  Pretty soon, with fall fast approaching I'll switch to cool weather cooking which means hot sauces.  But, I'm not quite ready to let summer go.....

Ham, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad

1 1/4 cups pasta, I used farfalle
1 tbs olive oil
1 thick slice deli-style ham, about 8 oz (250 gr)
6 oz (175gr) green beans
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes - any color
1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2oz, 60ml)
1/4 cup plain or Greek yogurt (2oz, 60ml)
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs fresh chives, snipped
2 tbs fresh basil, snipped

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse in cold water and toss with olive oil.  Top and tail beans and cut into 1 inch lengths.  Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add beans and blanch for 3 minutes.  While the beans cook fill a large bowl or pan 3/4 full of cold water.  When the beans are done, drain and dump into the cold water.  Swirl around until cool then drain and set aside.  Snip herbs.  Cut cherry tomatoes in half.  Cut ham into inch squares (or cubes depending on how thick) - or larger if you prefer.  In small bowl whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice.  Put pasta, ham, beans, herbs and tomatoes in large salad bowl.  Add mayonnaise dressing and toss lightly to combine - a tongs works well.  Serve.

               Happy 6 Months Presto Pasta Nights!

Be sure to check out the party at Once Upon a Feast on Friday! The more the merrier!  And bring wine!

Rainy Days and Mondays, II: Favorite Summer Foods

When I was a little girl I decided to write a book.  It couldn't be that difficult, I thought; after all, I had learned how to write!

I laid the story out in my mind.  It was going to be a detective story, like the Bobbsey Twins, who I had just discovered in my new third grade library. It was going to be sooo exciting!  I was going to be famous before I turned 8 1/4!

I found a clean notebook and a pencil with an eraser (I hadn't graduated to ink pens yet), shut my older sister out of our bedroom and sat down to write the first chapter.

An hour or so later I had a whole page full of writing.  I was so proud! 

The problem was I had also told the whole story.  In one page. 

Apparently I needed more words.

I struggled for another hour or so (I was 8, remember?), working on fleshing it out a bit; adding some more words (some talking would be good); maybe an adjective or two (except I didn't know about adjectives yet).  I ended up with a page and a half.

Apparently writing a book wasn't quite as easy as I'd thought. 

Then it quit raining, the sun came out, the neighborhood kids came by (all two of them, I lived in a very small town) and my thoughts of being a famous author were put on the shelf, along with my notebook.

What brought that memory back today?  It's raining (again).  After I visited Boris and made pickles I sat down to write this post.  There were no words. 

Some days it's just like that: there aren't any  words.

Without further ado let me share photos and recipe (links where useful) to some of my favorite summer foods.  Summer's almost over, cook'em while you can!

Gazpacho with traditional garnish.

Something to do with all of those tomatoes that everyone in the world but me has. 

I have cucumbers, though, lots and lots of cucumbers!

Trade ya!

Potato Salad with Basil and Chevre.

Loosely based on a recipe from an old Williams Sonoma book (either 'Salads' or 'Potatoes'), it has my favorite summer things:
Grilled potatoes, lots and lots of basil, and creamy chevre (soft goat cheese).
Toss in some sautéed mushrooms and a bunch of chives.... potato salad heaven. 

Who doesn't love Caprese Salad?

When I found these cute little fresh mozzarella balls, exactly the size of cherry tomatoes, I couldn't resist!

Rather than serve them as a starter I got bought some cherry tomatoes, picked a couple of big bunches of basil and tossed the lot with some couscous.  A drizzle of good olive oil (I will not say EVOO, or even Extra Virgin; why would you use anything else?) and:

Voilà! 

Couscous Caprese Salad was born!

As long as we have all of those cute little cherry tomatoes why not a simple Tomato Salad?

Start with 2 or 4 or 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.  Let them sit in a tablespoon or two of olive oil (see previous disclaimer) while you slice the tomatoes in half and snip the basil.  Toss it all together, sprinkle on some sea salt and Bob's your uncle. 

It's good right away, better if it sits a bit (kind of like me).  When I have a garden I just keep eating and adding tomatoes all week.

Might as well finish up with more of the nightshade family: Grilled Peppers, Onions and Potatoes.

More difficult summer food from the grill.

Let's see, where to start...

Okay, cut the peppers, onions and potatoes, toss with some olive oil (again), put into an old grill pan and cook on the barbecue grill until browned, lovely and done.  Eat.

I used green and orange pepper, red onion and small potatoes.  Use whatever you have.

I'm out of words. 

Boris says "Hey".

Stuffed Tomatoes and Toads

Many, many years ago, in a land far, far away a wise elder told me that it is important to learn one new thing each day.

Today I learned that the ugly, mottled brown, slimy, dead leaves near the ground in my pickle patch  can, in fact, be ugly, mottled brown, slimy, LIVE toads.   Big toads.  Toads the size of a small car.

The little cornichons that I like for pickles are shy creatures.  They're green, the same color as most everything else in the garden, which makes them difficult to find.  Plus they like to be hidden, making me move aside leaves, both green and dead, in my search.  That's how I happened upon Boris.

I'm not at all afraid of toads.  They're perfectly harmless.  I do, however, startle easily.  Once I had disentangled myself from the dill and apologized to the pickle plants (?) where I had so precipitously landed on my ass, I went back for a closer look. 

Did I mention that he was huge?  He was exactly the color of the dead leaf he was sitting next to.  The only difference was the gentle movement of his breathing...and his big beady eyes.

I stared at him for a bit.  He stared back.  He told me his name: Boris.  I told him I'd try not to step on him (I was wearing sandals...ewwww!) if he would give serious thought to moving under the beans, where I don't have to walk. I assured him that he could have all of the slugs and snails he wanted.  He promised not to mistake my toes for same.  We both left feeling strangely uplifted by the encounter and, over all, at peace with the world.

My day is complete.  I have learned something.  I can now think about food.  And my favorite food to think about this time of year is tomatoes. 

Despite the fact that there is a big empty spot in my garden where my tomatoes ought to be I am managing to satisfy my cravings quite nicely at the markets. 

Tomatoes are one of nature's wonder foods.   They are loaded with lycopene which has been shown to be protective against a whole list of cancers in humans, including colo-rectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic.  Scientists have discovered that it's not just lycopene but the lycopene combined with the rest of the nutrients in the tomato that is the most effective.  Here's the real kicker: they've studied the effects in actual HUMANS, not just rats (and toads).

Isn't it nice when something we love loves us back?

Isn't it nice when something we are all (or most of us) eating tons of is good for us?  And low in calories to boot?

Weekend Herb Blogging, founded by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen is being hosted this week by Zorra, of Kochtopf.  I am honoring the tomato.  I did not stuff it with a toad.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Ham and Herbs

2 large garden fresh tomatoes
1 - 2  slices dry-cured ham, Prosciutto, Bayonne, Serrano, (1oz, 30gr)
2 tbs snipped fresh basil
1 tbs snipped fresh chives
2 tbs dried bread crumbs
3 tbs shredded cheese
whole basil leaves to garnish

Slice the tops off of the tomatoes and scoop out the center.  Chop the ham.  Combine the ham, herbs and bread crumbs.  Spoon the mixture into tomatoes, pressing it down to fit.  Divide the cheese and place on top of each tomato. Put onto a baking tray and bake at 400F (200C) for 20 minutes, until tomatoes are hot and cheese starts to brown.  Remove and serve.

These are so easy I'm almost embarrassed to  submit  the recipe... but they're so good I feel duty-bound to share.

Be sure to stop by Kochtopf on Monday for the complete round-up!

Now, the girls and I are going to go visit Boris and pick the evenings veg....

Menu for the Week

Not really a post - just a place for you to leave comments about the menu in the side bar... And have a preview of what we're eating!

For the week of August 17 the menu features Warm Zucchini Cups, Grilled Halibut with Pesto Butter, Vichyssoise, Veal Chops with Lemon, Lemon Thyme and Tarragon, Grilled Polenta and a couple of summer salads: Niçoise Pasta  Salad and Ham, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad.  Add in some easy cooking from the grill and we have another week of summer cooking!

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menus, recipes and shopping list delivered (in easy-to-print format) to your inbox each Thursday.

(Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!