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Smoked Salmon, Salmon Salad; Quest for a Wine Barrel

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It's not always easy living in France (or any 'other' country). 

We don't really understand 'them'. 

They don't really understand 'us'.

Most cultural mores are ingrained in childhood and we don't understand our own let alone someone else's. 

So, we all get frustrated at times...which is what makes it interesting. 

A lot has been written on the rudeness of the French; but, they can be very nice, overly helpful, even.

It was the summer of 2004, shortly after we moved to our place in the Vendée and it was time to pick the grapes; make the wine. 

We decided that we would like a new oak barrel for the white wine.  I looked up wine-making in the 'pages jaune' and found a likely looking address for supplies.  Off we went. 

Of course, we couldn't find it. 

We drove around for a bit, having the the usual marital discussions that take place when lost, then stopped at the local tourist office. 

I did the required 'Excusez-moi pour vous deranger mais j'ai une petite probleme' and proceeded to explain, as best I could, that we had just moved to the area, had wine grapes that were almost ready and we needed to buy a new wine barrel.  (I'd been told it helps to give personal information about the problem so that the person you are asking for help 'knows' you). 

Then I showed her the name and address of the shop we were looking for. 

'Non, non' she said.  That is a commercial site and they only sell very large, professional equipment. 

I gave her a smiling 'Merci' and we headed for the door.  

She called us back and said her cousin made wine, maybe he would know where to buy a barrel.  If we would wait a minute, she'd call him. 

She called the cousin, who wasn't home. 

His wife was, though, and she suggested that the mayor's secretary might know. 

So the nice Tourist Office lady called the mayor's secretary, who didn't know of anyplace either, but hang, on...the mayor ought to know. 

Well the mayor didn't know where to buy the barrel, but he wanted to know if we knew anything about making wine.  The question was relayed and we admitted complete and total ignorance.  'Mais non!'  How could they (being Frenchmen) allow us to mishandle the vendange!  We must be helped!  The mayor knew of a friend of his nephew's that might be of help. 

We had been in the tourist office, trying to leave, for 45 minutes.  The tourist lady now tried to explain about the friend of the nephew and what he could do for us and my French had a complete collapse.  I, smilingly, thanked her profusely and once again we started to leave. 

As we got to the door a young man walked in.  The lady behind the desk greets him (as required) and asked him if he spoke English as she was trying to help us but we had reached a language impasse.  He looks at us and smiles, which requires greetings all 'round. 

He then explained that he didn't speak any English, but his girlfriend did and if we'd wait right there he'd go fetch her. 

10 minutes later he is back with the girlfriend, who speaks less English than I do French - in other words, no help at all. 

We struggle on, but the quest has changed:  Now we are no longer looking for a wine barrel but are looking for someone to instruct us in the fine art of wine-making.  The situation has gotten totally out of hand but I can't think of a nice way to stop it. 

It's like a runaway train with no brakes! 

Every time I think of a way to say thank you and leave someone else has a friend of a cousin of an uncle of a friend that would be happy to help.  The Tourist Lady has the phone permanently attached to her ear.  My only hope is that it's getting close to 1:00 - lunch time.  No French person ever misses lunch. 

Life, traffic, everything comes to a halt. 

We have now been in the tourist office over 2 hours. 

The lady, finally puts her hand over the receiver and joyfully tells us that she has found someone who will come to our house (45 minutes away) that very night and teach us how to make wine. 

Now what do we do?!? 

Mon mari is absolutely no help - he's over staring out the window, having clearly established that he speaks no French.  I manage to think to tell her that we had something planned and then, finally, a thought entered my feeble brain (in a timely enough manner that I could express it in French before the subject changed): 
I just remembered (I told them) that the nephew of our neighbor's friend's father (it seemed important to make and/or express the relationship in the most complicated way possible) would be visiting on the week end and he spoke English.  I'm sure that our neighbors would then be able to answer our questions/properly instruct us. 

It was happily agreed by everyone that it would be much better for our neighbors to help us than an outsider.  We all exchanged the 4 Vendéen kisses (we're all friends by now), we promised to stop back at the tourist office and tell her how the wine turned out and we are free to leave. 

Nearly 3 hours later we are back on the road, exhausted....and still no clue as to where to buy the new wine barrel....

From the archives, summer of 2006.  We did eventually find a small oak barrel, at the garden store... Where else?  Grapes grow on vines in the ground, right?  Stuff that grows in the ground is a garden.....

On to the food: The secret to easy summer meals is planning.  As long as I'm cooking, might as well make enough for something else.

Salmon with Lemon and Herbs, Lightly Smoked

3 salmon fillets,  8 oz each   2 for dinner, 1 for the starter the next night
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme leaves
1 tbs snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp rock salt
wood chips for smoking - apple is nice

In small bowl whisk together lemon and oil, it should get thick. Add herbs. Spread marinade evenly over salmon and allow to marinate 10 - 15 minutes.
Soak a small handful of wood chips in water for at least 15 minutes.
Charcoal: Put some charcoal in the barbecue, off to one side and light it. When the coals are glowing, add the salmon, either in a basket or on a grill mat, to the other side - in other words, not over the coals. Throw some wood chips on the coals and cover. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes
Gas grill: Only light one side of the grill. Wrap the soaked wood chips loosely in foil. Poke a few holes in the foil and place on the grill. Keep the fish off of direct heat and the grill cover closed and vented or propped open an inch or so. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes.

In all cases, fish should flake easily but not be dry. Slightly pink in the center is perfect. Remove from heat and serve, sliding it off the skin if needed.

Salmon Salad

6oz (180gr) smoked or cooked
1 large, ripe tomato
2oz (60gr) feta
black pepper
Lettuce
Creamy Herb Dressing

Prepare lettuce - wash and spin dry. Tear and put into a medium bowl. Add 1 - 2 tbs dressing and toss to coat. Arrange on 2 plates. Slice tomato and arrange around lettuce. Cut or crumble feta and add to plates. Flake or cut salmon and add to salads, arranging nicely. Drizzle with a bit more dressing. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) Greek or plain yogurt
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
1 tbs fresh snipped tarragon
2 tbs olive oil - the good stuff

Snip tarragon and chives with scissors. In small bowl whisk yogurt, mustard and lemon juice. Add oil, a bit at a time and whisk well. Add herbs. This will keep a week.

Now, back to packing.... Fascinating details of current escapades on Wed.....

Sautéed Courgette (Zucchini) with Balsamic Vinegar; Hobs & Ovens

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Gas or Electric?

It was really, really close but gas hob with electric oven won by 18 votes.

Induction got 1 vote.

Electric trailed induction by a wide margin.

The reason I like best came from another expat living in France:

When the power goes out one can still eat - using the gas cook top (hob).

When you forget to fill the gas cannister on a holiday weekend you can still eat - using the electric oven.

Now that I know what kind, I can head off to the big stores with my tape measure and figure out which one.

Yes, with my tape measure. 

My current oven is the largest oven I have had since moving across the pond.

For those of you who bake, imagine a standard American 'cookie sheet' (flat baking tray).  Now imagine putting it into your oven.  The ones I have are rectangular with a raised edge on one short end as a handle of sorts. In the U.S I put it in my oven straight on, handle end toward the oven door, plenty of room.

In Ireland and Andorra I had to take the oven racks out and slid the cooking sheet into the rack runners, sideways.  I could just barely get the oven door closed.

In my current oven, it still needs to go in sideways, but there is an inch (almost) to spare all around.

In Ireland and Andorra I could bake a chicken - solo.

Here I can bake a small (10lb) turkey - solo.

In the U.S. I could bake a 22lb (10 kilo) turkey, with all the trimmings and maybe a pie or two.

You see why I shop with a tape measure: even 1 centimeter can be critical.

As to the cook top: In the U.S. a 10" (25cm) skillet is standard equipment. 

In Ireland 1 skillet took up almost the entire cook top.  I cooked with one skillet and one small saucepan.

In Andorra, I could actually boil water for pasta and make the sauce at the same time - provided I didn't also use the oven, 'cause that always blew a fuse....  I did have to have the pans partially off the cook top, but I could do it.

Here, I have what's called an 'American' cook top - meaning it's almost 30" (75cm) wide.  I can have two 10" skillets completely on the cook top at the same time.... And two small saucepans, as well.

It's been less than a week and mon mari is already tired of hearing my compare the virtues of various kitchen appliances.

Good thing I'm not excited....

Something we can all get excited about (or very, very afraid, depending on your point of view) is the return of the prolific green devil, aka: zucchini, courgette, green plague...

There was a time when I didn't bother eating zucchini.  Everyone that I knew used it up in bread, rarely as a vegetable, and did nothing but complain about how many they had.

I just assumed that they were tasteless and of little nutritional value.

Wrong on both counts.

They have a longer list of vitamins and minerals than most vegetables and contribute to a healthy cardio-vascular system.

The only problem I have with zucchini now is how to work in all the fantastic recipes during one, short, zucchini season!

Weekend Herb Blogging is back home with our fantastic founder Kalyn, at Kalyn's Kitchen this week.

I know she likes zucchini....

Visit her site on Monday for the recap for veggies and herbs from around the world!

Sautéed Courgette (Zucchini) with Balsamic Vinegar

1 medium zucchini, about 8" (20cm) long
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
1 tbs fresh basil, snipped
1 tbs fresh parsley, snipped

Thinly slice zucchini (courgette). Heat oil in medium, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add whole, peeled garlic cloves and cook until golden. Remove garlic and discard (or chop and add back at the end). Add zucchini slices and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 10 - 15 minutes, flipping and stirring occasionally.  Add the vinegar and the herbs, and sauté 1 minute longer.

I hate complicated recipes.

Shortly after I moved to Andorra I saw a 25 lb turkey on sale for Christmas.  I figured, in order to cook it, I would have to cut it all up in small pieces, then stuff it in the oven, without a pan or any racks, and slam the door shut fast.  Not a pretty thought!

I'm going shopping... as soon as I find my tape measure....

Bon Weekend!

Gas or Electric? Help me decide; Healthy Summer Salad and the Weekly Menu Plan

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For any and all who have not been breathlessly following my every adventure (you know who you are) let me bring you up to date...  Oh, never mind.... It's not necessary for the current discussion.

Suffice it to say I will not have a kitchen come September 1.

I will have a large, perfectly square, totally empty room that will be a kitchen, someday.

My question to all of you wonderful food bloggers / cooks / chefs / kitchen mavens out there:

Should I go gas or electric?

In  the U.S. I had a JennAir, electric.  My choice and I loved it.

In Ireland I had a teeny, tiny gas cooker.  Not my choice but perfectly fine.

In Andorra I had a ceramic cook top and electric oven.  The cook top had 2 halogen burners. Not my choice but it was great.

Here I have a ceramic cook top with 2 halogen burners.  My choice and it's only okay.  Kind of slow to get going.

What I like about electric: I can have the heat really low for slow, barely simmering pots. I can turn the burner off and let the residual heat finish the job

What I like about gas: It's quick to get hot and get a pot boiling faster.  It responds quicker.

What do you think?  What should I get?   HELP ME!!!!!

I can't face another decision...

BTW: Induction (which I would love to try) is out because none (hardly any) of my current cookware would work.

So. please leave your opinions / suggestions / votes in the comments.   Please????

In the meantime.... Here's a salad to use up whatever leftover bits are in the fridge... I had some cannellini..

Lettuce with Walnuts and White Beans

lettuce, enough for two small salads
7oz (210gr) white beans
1/3 cup creamy herb dressing
1/4 cup (.5oz, 30gr) shredded cheese - any flavor
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) walnuts halves

Prepare lettuce and put into a medium bowl. Add a bit of dressing and toss to coat (use tongs, it's easier). Taste and add more dressing if desired. Add, beans, cheese and walnuts, give it another toss or two and serve.

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/2 cup Greek or plain yogurt
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
1 tbs fresh snipped tarragon
3 tbs olive oil - the good stuff

Snip tarragon and chives with scissors. In small bowl whisk yogurt, mustard and lemon juice. Add oil, a bit at a time and whisk well. Add herbs. This will keep a week.

In addition to the above, for the week of June 27, we have Smoked Salmon, Tomato Scented Orzo, Rosemary Lamb Chops, Southwestern Salad with Grilled Sausages, Pasta with Avocado Sauce 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!

Now.... Opinions, please.  I know you have them.  Share!

Pasta with Fresh Avocado Sauce; Must Adjust Marriage.... Life it Still different

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We need to adjust our marriage.

If your intent is to leave all your worldly goods to your cat, or even your grandchild or favorite nephew,  don't move to France... 

Or Spain...

Or any other country that ascribes to the Napoleonic Code.

For that matter, don't try bequeathing your possessions to your life partner, significant other or spouse, either.

The code is quite specific.  It governs; not a Last Will and Testament.

Up until a year ago it was simple:
   If one had one child, that child inherited 50% of the property
   If one had 2 children, each child inherited 33% of the property.
   If one had 3 or more children they equally divided 75% of the property.

If there were no children, the surviving parents received 25%  And then the surviving brothers and sisters each got a portion.

Anything left could be distributed at will - to the favorite nephew.... Or the surviving spouse.

Oh, there was some consideration given to the 'surviving spouse', normally assumed to be the wife.  She could continue to live in the family home for the duration of her life.

But she couldn't sell it and buy something smaller.

She couldn't get a mortgage on it to fix the leaky roof.... or put food on the table.

Only the heirs could do that.

The children ruled.

Best hope one was on good terms.

It is not possible to disinherit children under Napoleonic Code.

Best get along.

That's why there are such bizarre parcels of land all over France. 

A 2 acre vineyard in Burgundy can be owned by 40 different people:  One person owns half of a row of grape vines, another owns 3 1/3 rows, etc.

Our property here in the Vendée consists of more than 25 small parcels, all properly surveyed, marked and numbered.

Back to our adjusted marriage:

A year ago the law inched closer to the modern world, at least in France.  It is now possible to make the children wait until the death of both spouses to inherit.  The spouse can now inherit property, and use it as they chose, children notwithstanding.

But the children are still protected.... and will get their paws on it, eventually. 

Cat's and dogs still can not inherit (sorry, girls).

They are 3 types of unions or 'Marital Regimes' here in France:
    1. Marriage, en Indivision:  Property can be separately owned.  Any property purchased within the marriage is considered to be equally owned, each person owning a share. 
Upon the death of one spouse, their share is inherited by the children.

If you do not state otherwise, it is assumed your marriage is of this nature.

    2. Marriage, Communauté Universelle: All the property in the marriage is community property, belonging,  jointly, to both.  Upon the death of one spouse, nothing happens as the other spouse is considered as already owning it. 
Upon the death of both spouses the children inherit.

   3. PACS:  A legal arrangement, not quite a marriage, and with some, but not all, of the legal benefits (and restrictions) of marriage.  Easier to get into and out of, available to any and all couples/partners, etc.

Since we have never 'declared' we were under the first regime.

Now we are under the second.

And 600 euros poorer.

Don't you just love the law?

Not as much as I love pasta!

Mon mari and I had our annual summer discussion on the definition of 'Salad' the other day.

So, In deference to him, (because I'm feeling magnanimous this morning), I shall not call this a salad...

Make your own decisions, but do try it.... It's a lovely summer side dish or top it with some grilled chicken. 

For more pasta ideas visit Hillary at Chew On That on Friday. 

She is this week's guest host for Presto Pasta Nights, started by Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast.

Pasta with Fresh Avocado Sauce

1 1/4 cup dried pasta 
1 ripe avocado
1 garden ripe tomato
2oz (60gr) Greek or plain yogurt or 1/4 cup milk
1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
1 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Cut avocado in half around the pit and twist halves - they come apart neatly. Remove pit by inserting a medium-size spoon under the avocado, on one end, as if you are lifting the avocado out of the shell. You will see the pit loosen; just tip the avocado over and it will fall out. Remove each half by scooping with a large spoon.

Roughly chop avocado. Heat oil in a small saucepan. Add the avocado and heat, mashing with a fork or potato masher, chunky is fine. When mashed to your satisfaction, stir in yogurt (or milk) and vinegar. Stir well to combine and remove from heat.
Roughly chop tomato. Put pasta in a bowl, add avocado sauce and stir to combine. Add tomato and mix in gently. Serve.

Now, we are off to find a moving company... for August.  Yes, we have stepped into the Twilight Zone!

Oh, and brothers and sisters are no longer entitled to inherit anything...nor are aunts, uncles or cousins!

Ham and Cheese Mini-Frittatas; Blogging for Bri

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It's raining.... Can't work in the garden.

Emails to movers sent off.... Waiting.

Papers to buy our intended house sent to Notaire.... Waiting.

I think I shall do something I haven't done in a rather long time: Spend some quality time with my computer.

A few weeks ago I saw a post on Kalyn's Kitchen describing both this month's Click event and a fund raiser.

Both are organized on behalf Brianna Brownlow of Figs with Bri

Bri is battling breast cancer.  As in any war, one must focus on the fight and not the funding.  This is a call for food (and other) bloggers to help raise money so that Bri can seek out and access the treatment she needs.

Insurance only does so much.... and that often/usually does not include alternative treatments and/or those not approved by the Powers That Be.

Bri needs to be able to choose her own course of care.  Amazingly, all she needs for 1 year is 12,000 dollars!  That's a lot for one person.... but if we all give a just little.....

The event is being coordinated by Jai and Bee from Jugalbandi, Manisha from Indian Food Rocks, Garrett from Vanilla Garlic, and Shankari from Stream of Consciousness.

This is their message and this is how you can contribute for Bri and bid on some fabulous prizes!

In keeping with the Fight Against Cancer, and the LiveStrong Foundation, the theme for this month's Click is  "Yellow ".

This is the first photo that I have entered in Click.  This event is through the month of June and there is an archive of past events and photos.

I couldn't think of anything in my kitchen more yellow than a farm fresh French egg.

Ham and Cheese Mini Frittatas

1.5 oz (45gr) ham
3 eggs
1.5 oz (45gr) shredded Gruyère cheese
1 tbs shredded basil
1 tbs snipped chives

Roughly chop ham. Butter or spray a non-stick muffin (tartlet) pan - one that holds 6, or use a silicone pan.
Divide ham and put into the 6 cups.  Divide basil and chives and put on top of ham. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk well.  Using a ladle or spoon divide mixture evenly between the cups. Top with the cheese. 
Bake at 375F for 12 - 15 minutes or until set.
Frittatas will puff up considerably and then fall when removed from oven. Allow to cool 5 - 10 minutes before removing from pan - they will start to come away from the sides of the pan as they fall making them easier to get out.
Serve with a garnish of olives or sliced cherry tomatoes, warm or at room temperature.

On another note:

I started going through my paperback books yesterday, in preparation for the vide-grenier (literally: empty attic) aka: car boot sale; garage sale; yard sale.

I have well over 1,000 paperbacks.

I have a very difficult time parting with books.  I might want to read them again.... Someday.

But, the hardest part, I am discovering, is breaking up 'authors'.

If I like an author, my anal retentive self requires that I buy every word said author has ever written.

If any of you do the same thing, you will understand my complaint that most prolific authors, over time, loose whatever bit of ability they had that got them to the 'top' in the first place.

With some I actually can recognize passages that have been used in earlier books.  It's as if they just cut and paste to get the latest drivel to the publisher.

I know this.

I know I'll never read the crap again.

And yet... I find it hard to get rid of them.

My plan is to take each author and keep half of their books, only the ones I actually enjoyed.

But... Then I won't have a complete set...

And... Won't they get lonely without their siblings?

Note: Once, when I had fewer paperbacks I reread all of them....in alphabetical order....

Anal retentive?  Not me.....

Quinoa Pilaf and Lentil Salad; House Hunting Hints

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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!

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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

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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!

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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!