Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

My Anniversary Gift; Menu of the week

Asparagus with Prosciutto and Chevre

 Happy Anniversary to me....

Happy Anniversary to me....

Happy Anniversary dear me....

Once again, mon mari managed to spend our wedding anniversary in hospital. 

I can't decide if he's that serious about not buying me an anniversary gift; or if he's just enjoying the attentions of all the cute young (female) interns too much.  (Think Grey's Anatomy, but well coiffed and proper make-up... This IS France!)

I decided enough was enough.

I deserved something special for my our anniversary this year.

I'm more than capable of buying my own gifts.

Actually, if I do it myself, I'm guaranteed to get something I really like.

And I did.

So.....

What is it?

Jewelry?

Clothes?

Crystal champagne flutes and a bottle of bubbly?

Well....

I stopped at my favorite store: Monsieur Bricolage.

There it was.

It was perfect. 

A Black and Decker Electric Strimmer (weed whip).

Three feet long, lightweight, easy to handle... Perfect for me.

The one mon mari has is a six foot, heavy duty, gasoline powered monster.

If only it had come in lavender!

Why are power tool always bright orange? 

Is the theory that, because most men are continually misplacing whatever it is they are using, the bright orange color would make it easier to find?

Wrong!  Our barn is awash in bright orange power tools, garden tools, whatever.  It's blinding!

Can't find a thing!

I'd show you a picture but I haven't put it together yet.

Instead, drool over this:

Asparagus with Prosciutto & Chevre

12 asparagus spears thickness of a pen is best; 3" (8cm) tips only
1/3 box (2oz, 60gr) soft chevre (goat cheese) (the little cartons of creamy goat cheese, 5oz (150gr)
Chavrie in the U.S., Chevraux in Europe)
1 tsp water
1 tbs snipped fresh basil substitute 1 tsp dried
1 tbs snipped fresh chives substitute 1 tsp dried
3 thin slices of dry-cured ham, Prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne
olives for garnish optional

Snap off bottom ends of asparagus. If using white asparagus peel half way to tip. Cut off 3 inch (7.5cm) tips and put the rest of the stalks in water for another use. Bring a medium pan of water to boil and blanch the asparagus tips for 2 minutes if slender, 3 minutes if thick. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Snip/chop basil leaves (hint: I hold the leaves together and snip off with a scissors). Put chevre in small bowl, add 1 tsp water and the basil leaves. Stir to mix. Cut the ham in half the short way - you should have a slice that is about 2" X 3" (5cm X 7.5cm) - not important but you get the idea. Put a heaping teaspoonful of chevre mix on ham slice, add 2 asparagus spears so that half is sticking above the ham, and roll ham around bottom of asparagus and chevre so you have a little bundle with the asparagus tops sticking out the top. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Put 3 bundles on a plate, garnish with olives and serve.

Perfect for dinner parties - can be made a couple of hours ahead and refrigerated.

In addition to the above, for the week of May 29 we have Salmon with Warm Tomato Leek Salsa. Barbecued Sirloin Steak, Chicken Caesar Salad, Pork Chops with Ginger Barbecue Sauce and more....

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

For more recipes visit my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Chicken, Asparagus and Feta Salad; Cooking for one is not the same!

Chicken, Asparagus and Feta Salad

 I saw a cook book on Amazon the other day.  I don't remember the exact title but it was something to the effect of 'Cooking for One or Two'.

I've got news for the authors:  Cooking for one is exactly as different from cooking for two as it is from cooking for 4 or cooking for 12.

I have been cooking for 'one' this week.  I normally cook for 'two'.

Trust me.... Big difference.

For example:  Since I am without a garden at the moment, I buy lettuce.  I normally buy 2 heads.  When mon mari is here that is enough for a main-dish salad for dinner one night, plus a bit left for him to have for lunch the next day.

For me alone, it's the never-ending salad; enough for at least 4 consecutive nights.  It doesn't keep forever as we all know.

Or avocados.  2 avocados for the two of us is one evening meal, and breakfast (avocado on toast?) and lunch for him.

For me alone, it's 4 consecutive nights. 

It's not that I don't know better... I do.

It's part habit, part hunger and part embarrassment.

The asparagus looks so good - how can I just buy 12 spears?

And the new potatoes - I can't hardly be expected to buy only 6 of the tiny little things!

Avocados are 3 for the price of two.  Why not?

If I want a goat cheese, they only come in 7oz (200gr) logs, so I eat goat cheese for a few days.  Then I switch to feta - same weight.

I can understand why people buy prepared foods.  It's easier: open it, eat it, through away the container.  No planning required; no leftover bits to deal with.

The idea of it all is good; it's just the product I can't abide.....

By necessity, I'm getting good at using up the leftover bits.

It's called 'Salad'.

Chicken, Asparagus and Feta Salad  for one, not two

1 chicken breast
1/2 cup chicken stock
2oz (60gr) fresh spinach
2oz (60gr) mâche  lamb's lettuce
1.5oz (50gr) feta cheese
2oz  (60gr) cherry tomatoes
4oz (125)gr asparagus
1/4 cup Greek olives

Put chicken breast in a small skillet. Add the stock and enough water to come half way up the sides of the breast. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until done, about 12 minutes. Reserve stock for another use. Remove and slice.
Snap off ends of asparagus. If white use vegetable peeler and peel bottom half of stalk. Cut asparagus in 1 1/2 inch (4 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 if green, 3 if white. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
Cut the tomatoes and olives in half; the feta into cubes
Prepare greens and put into a large bowl. Add a bit of dressing and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust dressing. Arrange on a plate. Arrange chicken, asparagus, tomatoes, feta and olives on top.  Drizzle with remaining dressing.

French dressing
1 1/2 Tbs ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs oil
1/4 tsp oregano

Whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire and mustard. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. Stir in herbs.

To serve two: double everything.

To serve three: triple everything.

To serve four: quadruple everything.

That is one nice thing about recipes for 1.... They're very easy to increase....

Tuna and Chevre Omelet; It's a Kitchen!!!

Tuna and Chevre Omelet

 Finally!

I get to unpack the rest of my kitchen boxes.

Those of you who have moved can relate to the unpacking ritual:

One starts out carefully unpacking, welcoming each item into it's new home.

The cabinets are analyzed; plans made.

The wine glasses will go here, one thinks.

And the serving dishes here, next to the cook top.

There's so much room, one thinks; I won't have to stack everything, and twist and turn to make it fit.

Then one unpacks the second box.

By the time one gets to the 22nd box the rosy outlook has faded.

A broken wine glass barely elicits a raised eyebrow.  Stuff is getting shoved into whatever cabinet still has an inch of room.

By the 40th box, one is just stupefied at how one could have manged to accumulate so much useless crap. 

I'll let you know what happens with the last box.... I'm not there yet.

This is how it all looked when I started:

 

The cabinet over the main sink (white cabinets, wood shelves) is shallow, meant for glasses, wine glass, etc.  It will have glass doors.  It will have open shelving on the end - not built yet.

The rest of the cabinets have white shelves and the doors will be stained to match the ceiling.

The dishwasher fits in the space where the trash bin is.  Don't know were that will move to.

 

The big set of 8 drawers is finished - except for the fronts.  Like the doors, the fronts will be done next (after the current hospital stay - mon mari planned for easy, finishing work)

The wood shelved cabinet at the end will be open shelving.

One would think, with all this room, I would have no problem tucking everything away, neatly, with room to spare.

Apparently, one would be wrong.

It all fit into far less room in a much smaller kitchen in our last house.

Apparently, leaving things boxed up in dark places causes them to 'be fruitful and multiply'.

If only that would happen with my jewelry.....

Oh, I have my oven back again.  I haven't plugged it in yet.  I thought a few days of blissful ignorance was in order.

When I'm alone, as I am now, I have a difficult time calling a halt to my day.  There are so many things to do and I always have way to many projects lined up.

Without mon mari here to force me to stop I just keep working.  The dogs remind me to feed them at 9pm (Emma has an amazing clock that is always, precisely, 15 minutes fast). But I just 'have to do one more thing'.

Next thing I know it's midnight and I haven't eaten dinner yet. 

I'm tired, cranky and hungry.

This is comfort food.

This is (my definition) fast food.

The tuna part came from a Finnish friend. 

Really, tuna works very well in an omelet - especially with the chevre.

 

Tuna and Goat Cheese Omelet 
   Simple and ready in 5 minutes.

2oz (60gr) goat cheese
5oz (150gr) tuna, packed in water
3 eggs
2 tsp olive oil

Slice goat cheese (1/4" thick, .65cm).  Open and drain tuna; break apart with a fork. In a medium bowl beat eggs well with a wire whisk. Heat oil in an 8 inch nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and swirl around to cover bottom of pan. When the eggs are almost set spread the tuna on 1/2 of omelet, top with goat cheese and with a spatula turn other half on top.
Leave in the pan another 20 - 30 seconds to finish cooking and remove to plate.

Had it not been so late I would have stepped put my door and snipped some chives.  Instead I just poured a glass of wine...

Did I mention that I now live in the tomato capital of France?  Those tomatoes, called Marmande, after our nearest little city, actually taste every bit as good as they look.  It's only May and I am feasting on perfect, garden-ripe, just picked tomatoes... That I actually buy.  Amazing!

Taco Salad, a la Française; Don't tell him he was right....

Taco Salad, a la Française

  He was right.

Not that I'll ever tell him, but...

He was right.

Remember, back in the beginning of time, when I was searching for plates and forks so we could eat?

I was complaining because he, apparently bored labeling boxes, ended up listing some of them as 'Stuff she never uses'.

I, of course, would neither acknowledge or admit that such a possibility existed in my kitchen.

Now that I have cabinets (photos tomorrow) I can unpack the rest of the kitchen boxes.

After 8 months of managing to cook very nicely with what I had to hand I am looking at some of these things a bit differently.

Today I unpacked:

1. Stainless steel upright asparagus cooker.

I manged to get through the entire asparagus season without remembering I owned this.

2. Hand-held electric onion chopper.

This would be very useful if I ever needed to chop 5 kilos of onions in under 10 seconds.

3. Angel Food cake pan.

Well, let me think a minute.... When was the last time I made an Angel Food Cake?  Hmm.....  It must have been....  Oh, wait.... I remember.
I've never made an Angel Food cake in my life!  Thank heavens I have the pan, though.... One never knows.

3. Set of six stainless steel nesting bowls, ranging from tiny to 'what the hell would I ever use something this huge for?'

I don't think these are mine.  He bought them and packed them just to prove his point.  I never would have had room in a cabinet for them.  I'm sure they're not mine.

4.  Corn-on-the-cob cooker.

We all know that one cannot cook corn on the cob in just any old pot!

5. Pasta cooker with strainer.

See Corn cooker.

6. Spring form pan for cheesecake; 18 cup cupcake pan; bundt cake pan; copper jelly pan; 2 pasta makers, one hand crank, one for the kitchen-aid; Jello molds; sausage maker; apple baker; ravioli press; electric orange juicer; set of 6 raclette plates....

Then the moment of revelation came:

I should retire from writing a food blog.  Actually, not only should I retire, I should first apologize to the blogisphere for perpetrating this fraud for so long.

Instead of unpacking each treasure, gazing at it lovingly and letting my mind race in happy anticipation of the next time I would create something utterly delicious with it....

I looked at whatever and had 2 other thoughts:

1.  What the h-ll did I keep this for?

2.  Where the h-ll am I going to put it?

I am not throwing anything out, though.  Maybe it's just the last 8 months that has dried up the creative juices. 

Maybe, once the kitchen is unpacked, the lawn mowed, the garden planted, the windows painted, the bedroom done, the house finished and mon mari stops taking his holidays in hospital (he'll be out in a mere 2 1/2 weeks).... Maybe, then I'll get inspired to use something.

Like that double-sided, hinged, Spanish tortilla maker...  I could do something with that.....

I can be creative....

Like this French Taco Salad:

Taco Salad, a la Française

1/2 lb ground turkey or beef
1/3 cup couscous
2/3 cup beef stock
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red and/or green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 avocado
16 oz (500gr) taco sauce, divided The jars I get are small - about 1 cup each. I use one 'mild' but and one hot, and divide between the meat and 'at table' .
8 slice goat cheese
Lettuce - enough for 2 main meal salads
French Dressing

Heat stock to boiling. When boiling, add couscous, remove from heat and cover. Uncover after 10 minutes and fluff with fork.
Chop onions, green pepper and celery. Mince garlic. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili powder and sauté briefly (30 seconds) Add onion, garlic, celery, pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Add turkey/beef and continue cooking until meat is done. Add 1 cup of the taco sauce - you want the meat mixture to be thick so don't add all of the sauce if it is not needed - serve the rest on the side. Take meat mixture off heat.
Cut tomatoes in half. Slice avocado. Make French Dressing. Prepare lettuce and put into a large bowl. Add some of the dressing and toss well. Taste, add more dressing if desired.
Divide salad and put on 2 plates. Divide couscous and make 4 little 'piles' on each salad. Top couscous with a spoonful of the meat. Lay a slice of goat cheese on top. Arrange tomato and avocado around salad and serve with any remaining salsa and meat sauce on the side.

French Dressing

1 1/2 tbs ketchup
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Mix ketchup, vinegar chili powder and mustard. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.

Back to work; I wonder what treasures I'll unpack tomorrow

Grilled Cornish Hens with Lemon, Honey, Mustard Glaze; the creepy crawlies win again

Grilled Hens with Lemon, Honey, Mustard Glaze

 Do you ever have one of those days when you're sure the creepy, crawly, slithery, slimy occupants of the planet are determined to take over?

Not the whole planet.... I'm quite certain that, at least statistically, they already control Earth.

I mean the little patch of this lovely blue planet that you want to call your own.

Yesterday was one of those days, chez moi.

It started with our morning walk.  It seemed like every step I took resulted in a slight but distinct crunch.

The snails were everywhere.

As were the slugs, but they don't crunch when one steps on them.... They squish.

After the walk I spent a few enjoyable moments picking the little critters out of my herb garden and seeing how far I could throw them.

I was justified.

They were nibbling the basil.

Then there was a snake-in-the-hedge sighting.  Just a grass snake.

Larry, the Lounge Lizard, who is sharing the house with us, is going to get the boot.  The deal was that he keep the spiders and centipedes under control.

He's not.

Just as I started unpacking some kitchen boxes (Yes, I'm unpacking...) I noticed a monster spider on the wall above the fridge.

Fortunately, I had just found some 'heavy duty spider spray; at the local DIY. 

I sprayed.

The spider ran.

I had so been hoping that it would just drop dead, like the wasp spray I also bought.  The wasps just fall out of the air dead at the touch of a button.  Not the spider.

I sprayed again.

The spider ran again.

It finally ran behind the fridge and I convinced myself it was dead.

I took a deep breath of relief and went to put the can down.

Of course, I can't help myself doing a ceiling check first.

Giant centipede right above the bed.

Centipedes live for 5 years, and they just keep growing.  This house has been empty for 3.  Need I say more?

I sprayed the centipede.

The centipede ran.

I sprayed again.

The centipede ran again.

Now he was kind of running like a drunken sailor and he ended up running into the inside shelf of my nightstand.

Yeah, like I'm ever going to sleep with him next to me. 

I did the only logical thing: fetched the Hoover.

I vacuumed him right up.  Then I decided, as long as I had the vacuum out, I might as well get the Daddy Long Leg in the corner and the ants on the window sill. 

As I was, courageously, sucking up these critters with the long hose attachment I saw a giant centipede trying to escape the nozzle. Either the first one was stronger than I thought, or I rousted up another one.

I put the vacuum outside, lest any of the critters escape in the night.

I poured myself a bottle glass of wine and tried to convince myself that all was safe.

I stopped at the DIY store to stock up on spray today. 

See... Here's the deal. 

Intellectually, I know they are in this house.

Intellectually, I know they really have better things to do than scare or harm me.

If they stayed out of sight I would be perfectly happy and they would be perfectly alive.

But, once I see them, raw fear takes over and out comes the spray...

Now, I have to stop thinking about them or I'll be back at the wine....

Speaking of wine, I suggest a nice, crisp Chablis to go with these hens...

We don't actually have 'Cornish Game Hens' here, but we do have 'poussin' or little chickens.  We make two, so we can have the leftovers for lunch.

Grilled Cornish Hens with Lemon, Honey and Rosemary Glaze

2 Cornish game hens or poussin (little chickens)
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs honey
2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary substitute 2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Rub birds with 1 tsp of the oil. Cook on barbecue grill over indirect heat (either charcoal or gas), covered, for 45 - 60 minutes, depending on size or until done. Poultry is done at 160 F (70C) on your meat thermometer and/or the juices run clear when pierced with knife.
Chop rosemary. In a small bowl mix remaining oil, lemon, mustard, honey, rosemary and garlic. During last 30 minutes of cooking baste with sauce 2 or 3 times.
When done, remove and serve - don't forget finger bowls (it's messy) and bone bowls (to keep your plates tidy).
Or they can be baked in a shallow roasting pan in a 400F oven for 45 - 60 minutes, until done. If baking, start basting immediately.

In addition to the above, for the week of May 22 we have Asparagus Avocado Salad, Greek Olive Mini Frittatas, Grilled Tuna, Chicken and Egg Salad on Spinach, Caprese Pasta Salad and more....

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

For more recipes visit my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Pasta Primavera with Tuna; play nice with your phone!

Pasta Primavera with Tuna

Question:

You're standing at the service desk in a store.  Said service person is taking care of your problem when his/her phone rings.  He/she immediately turns away from you and answers the phone.

Is this rude?

Or not?

In my opinion, it is not rude if the person answers the phone, speaks for a moment, then puts it down / on hold / whatever, and finishes taking care of the human that is physically present.

In my opinion it is rude if the person spends the next 10 - 20 minutes talking on the phone, ignoring you or only giving you half their mind.  Many of them don't have enough to begin with and half is certainly not adequate.

This has happened to me twice in the last week - thus the musings.

In the first case, getting my oven repaired (again), I barely noticed that he answered the phone.

In the second case, it was my local fishmonger, who proceeded to talk rather than pay attention to me, throwing the fish I asked a question about into a bag and handing it to me, without answering the question... Forcing me to stand there while he finished the conversation, hand him back the bag and tell him I wanted something else.

He was not pleased.

Neither was I.

I'll not return to that shop!

Questions #2:

How about interrupted personal calls?

If you are talking to someone on the phone, and they get another call, should they answer?

If they do, doesn't it imply that they are hoping for someone 'better' to talk to?  That you are uninteresting / not worthy of their time / a bother?

In my opinion it is not rude if they say: Can you excuse me for a minute, I've been expecting a call, let me see if this is it?'  And actually wait for you to respond.

In my opinion it is rude if they say: 'Oh, I've got another call' and you hear a click before you can utter a word.

It's particularly egregious if they have called you in the first place.

Is it simply a case of the unknown always holding more excitement than the known?

Is everyone so afraid that they're going to miss something important?

Are people worried that if they don't answer the call, the caller will never, ever call back?

And don't even get me started on 'text'ing / talking / eating at the same time.

Technology is wonderful.... But, just because it exists doesn't mean we have to use it constantly.

It's supposed to be a tool for we, mere mortals, to use to make our life easier and better.

It's not supposed to be the master that permanently enslaves us.

Damn, this soapbox is getting high....

I did a Pasta Primavera Salad a few weeks ago.

Never being one to let anything alone I changed it from a salad to a warm main course...

Added some tuna....

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feas, and hosted this week by Kitchenetta, of Got No Milk.

The round-up will be posted on Friday - don't miss it!

Pasta Primavera with Tuna

I've made this Primavera' a little more 'spring-like' and added some tuna to make it a full main course, rather than just a hearty side dish.  It's finished with a light egg/Parmesan sauce.

1 1/4 cup bite size pasta, penne, rigatoni
6oz (200gr) asparagus
1/2 red bell pepper
2/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry or grape tomatoes
4oz mangetout, snow peas
9oz (270gr) tuna, canned
2 tbs olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan plus
1/4 cup (1oz, 30gr) for sprinkling

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Grate Parmesan. Open and drain tuna.
Trim snow peas and cut into half or thirds, diagonally. Cut red pepper into matchsticks. Cut tomatoes in half. Snap off asparagus ends. Peel if using white. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2" (4cm) lengths.
Bring a medium saucepan half full of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add asparagus and boil for 2 minutes (3 for white). Remove, drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add red pepper and sauté 2 minutes. Add asparagus and snow peas and saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add tuna, breaking it into large chunks.
In medium bowl whisk egg well. Add Parmesan and whisk.
When pasta is done, drain, reserving 1/2 or all of the cooking water. (We only want 1 tbs, but we want it boiling hot.) Immediately put pasta into skillet with vegetables and toss well. Slowly pour 1 tbs of hot pasta water into egg mixture, whisking. Pour egg mixture over pasta, tossing well. Toss in skillet 1 minute, to heat through, then quickly put into a serving dish. Add tomatoes, herbs, combine and serve, remaining Parmesan on the side.

For more recipes check out my internet 'cook book' Easy Gourmet Dinners

Salmon Patties with Tarter Sauce; our house with a buzz-cut

Salmon Patties with Tarter Sauce

It was rather exciting getting our property all cut. (Before photos)
We were hoping it would end up all neat and tidy lawn.

I think I've mentioned my great expectations in the past....

Still, I can now walk the girls all the way around our house - and see where we're going.  That's Lady Hamilton (Emma) having a sniff at a rabbit hole.

We decided to leave a little stand of trees at one end - someplace for all of the displaced rabbits and snakes to go - rather than our cellar.

The whole area was filled solid with these young trees and blackberry brambles before they cut.

Here is our new little woods as seen from our house: (the big trees behind belong to the neighbor)

We saw a few big grass snakes slithering for cover and the guys killed 2 vipers.  I'm really hoping with all the grass and brush gone the serpent all move on.

Mon mari got so enthusiastic about it all, he found a flat patch, got out the roto-tiller and dug over a wee patch for my vegetable garden.

For comparison - the photo below is of the same area as the first 'before photo' .

Our only disagreement with the workers was when they tried to convince me that all the cut grass was good mulch/fertilizer.

They wanted to leave it.

I agreed that it would be good mulch/fertilizer if it hadn't been so long... And they still needed to cut off the tree stumps and clear the brambles.

I wanted them to clean it.

I won.

One of them left for a few minutes and came back with a carload of teenagers armed with rakes.

When they left, every one of them came up and shook both my hand and mon mari's and said a proper goodbye.  I'm always so impressed by how very polite the young people are here.

Now... We have to mow it....

I like fish.

Mon mari really doesn't

I think it's important to eat fish.

Mon mari really doesn't.

I normally fix it on Friday - part old habit and part because that's the day I do the shopping and I like it fresh.

Every Friday I ask him what kind of fish or seafood he would like.

Every Friday he tells me fish sticks.  You know, the frozen, breaded, no-name molded fish.

With tarter sauce.

He really just wants the tarter sauce.

Friday, I finally gave in.

Salmon Patties with Tarter Sauce

8oz (250gr) salmon, net weight
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs chopped capers
2 tbs snipped chives
3 tbs bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tbs olive oil

Drain the salmon and put into a large bowl, breaking it up with a fork. Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Add mustard, capers, chives and breadcrumbs, mix well. Add egg mixture to salmon and gently mix. Divide into 4ths. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, forming into patties.  Fry, 7 - 9 minutes, until starting to brown. Carefully turn with a spatula and sauté another 5 - 6 minutes. Remove and serve, tarter sauce on the side.

Tarter Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
3 - 4 tbs chopped dill pickle (2 medium - index finger size)
1 tbs chopped capers
1 tbs snipped chives
1 tbs snipped tarragon
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients,  Best if made at least 15 minutes early to allow flavors to blend.

When I was at university we used to order onion rings with tarter sauce at the local restaurant.... And pretend we were eating batter-fried shrimp.

Next week: Kitchen Cabinets. 

Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce; The return of the Bunny Slayer

Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

Sedi, the Bunny Slayer has returned.

When she managed to catch a bunny at our house in the Vendée two years ago, I thought it was a one-off lucky move.

I didn't think the old girl had it in her then; I certainly didn't think she had it in her now.

But....

Apparently she, unlike mon mari, reads my blog.

After my last post, about Supermarket Sticker Shock, she decided it was time she did her part in supporting the household.

We girls were on our usual, late afternoon walk through the fields.

I noticed her sniffing at something in the drain pipe by the house, but ignored it.

Dogs deserve some privacy after all... And I would normally rather not know what they were, um, sniffing.

Next time I looked back she was gone; I assumed to return to the house.

I was right.

As the story goes, she ran through the barn with barely a glance at mon mari, racing on into the kitchen.

Mon mari heard her crying and assumed she had slipped on the tiles and hurt herself.  She's a bit of a baby and cries at every little thing - including when she scratches herself.

But, the crying didn't stop.

It got worse; more pathetic.

When he finally got around to investigating he found a young rabbit on the kitchen floor, shaking and crying.

He was just getting the shovel out of the barn when Emma and I returned.  He hadn't yet decided if he should kill it or just get it out of the house.

Sedi, having done her job of fetching it into the kitchen for us, had absolutely no further interest in it.

By the time he got back to the kitchen the decision was out of his hands.  The poor bunny was dead... probably of fright.

It was summarily disposed of.

I went out to check the drain pipe.  There is at least one, if not 2 more living there.  They were displaced, I assume, when we did the mowing.

Sedi is laying out by the fence now.... Watching....

As to other critters in the house. looked what peaked out at me the other day as I was working at my desk:

The stone walls inside the house are covered with an insulation-backed sheetrock.  Larry, the Lounge Lizard (of course I named him....) had gotten into the house through the barn last week and promptly disappeared.

There are slits like this in all the walls so the electrical and phone wires could be strung on the inside of the sheetrock.  Eventually, they'll be plastered over, but for now it gives Larry a window on the world.

Maybe he'll eat the centipedes.

The green asparagus has given way to the white, here in our area.

I thought I'd add a dash of color to it.

Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

12oz (350gr) white asparagus
1/2 red pepper
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 - 4 tbs chicken stock
1 tbs sherry vinegar

Snap off ends of asparagus. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom half of stalks. Put into a skillet big enough to hold them without cutting, add water to cover bottom by 1/4 inch, cover and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook just until done, 8 - 12 minutes, depending on thickness, adding a bit of water if needed.
Clean pepper and cut into big pieces. Roughly chop onion and garlic.  Put pepper, onion, garlic, 4 tbs chicken stock and vinegar into a small saucepan.  Cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and purée , using as much chicken stock as needed to make a thick sauce.
To serve: spoon some Red Pepper Sauce onto a platter, arrange asparagus on top, drizzle with a bit more sauce.

Isn't spring grand?

Roasted New Potatoes with Butter and Chives; Supermarket sticker shock; Weekly Menu

New Potatoes with Butter and Chives

What the hell just happened??!?

The recurring supermarket nightmare:

You stop at the end of the checkout lane, you and your half empty trolley, while you frantically go over the cashiers receipt looking for some gross mistake.

I mean, you want to find it right then and there - so the stupid cashier can fix it, right?

But....

There's no mistake.

You slowly push your trolley towards your car, trying to figure out what you just spent all that money on.

I mean, you didn't need anything; you didn't buy much.

It was barely three bags!

How did the total become ever so much greater than the sum of the parts?

Then you start itemizing all the things you don't 'normally' buy, trying to wrap your mind around the outrageous food costs.

Things like toothpaste; bathroom cleaner; laundry detergent.

Then you realize that you do normally buy it all, just not every week.

Sigh....

Sound familiar?

I was feeling so good about the shopping today. 

I went to my favorite green grocer and came away with oodles of great veggies for a really good price.

I went to my favorite butcher and came away with some great cuts of meat for a really 'not bad' price.

When I left the supermarket, where I just needed a few odds and ends to round it all out, the tab was easily double what I was expecting.

I'm a careful shopper.  I use a list.  I don't buy junk.  I don't buy prepared foods or packaged foods.  I don't buy treats.  I rarely buy on impulse. 

(Okay, okay, okay!  Today I bought a sweet onion because I've never seen them here before.... and 2 rather than 1 box of strawberries.... Shame, shame!)

I'm an incredibly boring shopper.

Yet, this happens to me week after week.

My conclusion is that real inflation bypassed what my mind can grasp as reasonable inflation some months ago.

I may never catch up.

I do need to stop blocking the checkout lanes, though.  Those darn trolleys hurt when they're rammed into the back of the knees.....

I read once, that it's much less expensive to eat crap prepackaged stuff full of additives than to eat fresh, real food that one actually prepares oneself.

Weeeellllll......

I may never buy another pair of shoes.... But I ain't giving up my asparagus!

So there!  Thpppt!

I'm not giving up my new potatoes, either....

There's just something about these little darlin's I can't resist.  New potatoes are early, tiny, immature potatoes of any color, usually 1" (2.5cm) or less in diameter. They have a high moisture content, are very creamy and usually cooked whole.

Roasted New Potatoes with Butter and Chives

14 - 18 new potatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tbs fresh chives, snipped
salt and pepper

Leave potatoes whole and unpeeled. Just wash lightly. Toss with oil, lightly salt and put into a baking dish large enough for them to be in a single layer. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Stir half way through baking time. Remove from oil and put into a small dish. Add butter and chives, toss to coat and serve.

In addition to the above, for the week of May 15 we have Asparagus with Quail Eggs, Warm Lentil Salad, Brined and Grilled Pork, Orange Glazed Pork Chops, Salads, Pastas and more....

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

For more recipes visit my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners

Shrimp, Avocado and Olive Pasta; Green Bean Casserole

Shrimp, Avocado and Olive Pasta

Question: Can one actually ruin Campbell's Green Bean Casserole?

Answer:  Apparently I can.

In my post yesterday, at Easy Gourmet Dinners, I was praising the art of adding small amounts of, shall we say, assertive foods to dishes to add interest without adding calories.  Things like Prosciutto, anchovies, Greek olives...

As I was typing | remembered the day I 'ruined' the Green Bean Casserole by adding (gasp) thyme.

In the Midwest, when I was a child (and, perhaps, even now) it was a universal staple at holiday tables. 

One could say of a lot of classic food (Cassoulet, for example, or Minestrone) that there are as many recipes as there are cooks. 

Not true of GBC (Green Bean Casserole). 

There is only one recipe and curses are rained upon the head of any 'so-called fancy cook' (ahem) who dares make a change.

I was entrusted with the task of preparing it at my sister's house for a family gathering (in my honor, as I was visiting from 'Europe').  I sprinkled a bit of thyme into the mix and, maybe, just a touch of basil.... There might have been some garlic...  I seem to remember a drop or two of Worcestershire... 

It was roundly scorned and, for the most part, untouched. 

I ruined dinner with my 'foreign ways'.  

I have to admit that I (apparently) never had the official recipe. 

I realized this later while visiting a friend.  She was bemoaning the fact that her daughter insisted on GBC every time she was home for a visit.  My friend wanted to be daring - maybe serve carrots, with the Easter ham.  Horrors!  You'll ruin dinner!  Absolutely not!

She found the perfect gift for her daughter.  Campbell's Soup Company (the perpetrator of GBC and the maker of the 'condensed' soups that haunt American childhoods) has made a casserole dish just for GBC.  Imprinted on the bottom of the dish is the recipe - so people like yours truly can never muck it up.

Campbell's Soup Green Bean Casserole Recipe: 
1 can green beans (15.oz)
1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup (10oz)
1 can French Fried Onion Rings
1/2 cup milk
dash of pepper
1 tbs soy sauce
Drain beans.  In a large bowl mix beans and 1/2 of the onion rings.  In another bowl mix soup, milk and soy sauce.  Add to beans and toss lightly to mix.  Put into a casserole.  Do not deviate from this by adding herbs or other fancy seasonings....such as garlic.  Top with remaining onion rings and bake at 350F (175C) for 30 minutes.   Remove and serve to happy Midwestern diners.   
One final note:  Julia Child once said that there are two types of people in the world: feeders and eaters.  No comment.  Tater Tot Hot Dish, anyone?

After that.... a few photos?

Here is my morning view from my desk...

 

And the evening....

Just thought we could all use a little visual relief....

Well, I know this is no Green Bean Casserole.... But, I try.

As it is pasta I'm sending it over to Patsy at Family, Friends and Food, the host for this weeks Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Patsy will have a round-up of all the wonderful pasta dishes from around the world on her blog on Friday.

Shrimp, Avocado and Olive Pasta

10oz (300gr) cleaned shrimp
4 green garlic, sliced, app 1/2 cup, (1.5oz, 45gr)
1/3 cup Greek olives (1.5oz, 45gr)
1/3 cup green olives (1.5oz, 45gr)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (3oz, 90gr)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs capers
2 tbs olive oil
1 avocado (6oz, 175gr)
1 tbs fresh basil
1 1/4 cup pasta - (3.5oz, 100gr)

Cook pasta according to package directions
Clean shrimp if needed.
Trim and thickly slice green garlic, using as much green top as possible or slice green onion and mince garlic. Slice olives in half or thirds. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Snip basil. Remove avocado from shell and cut into large cubes.
Heat 1 tbs oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Add green garlic (or onion and garlic) and sauté briefly. Add shrimp and sauté until cooked through (they will turn opaque). Add remaining 1 tbs oil, lemon juice, capers, olives, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes just start to get soft. Add pasta, stir well to combine and heat through. Add avocado, basil and serve.

Go forth and flavor!