Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

The Dinner Party

We had a wee dinner party Friday evening.

So what does mon mari do early Friday morning, knowing that I had a list 10 miles long of things to do?

He rents a jackhammer for the day.

But that story is for tomorrow. 

Today's story is the dinner party.

We haven't done a lot of entertaining here, what with being a construction site and all, but there comes a time when invitations need to be returned.

I planned a menu that would require no last minute cooking.  

Since our dining room is still an unfinished spare room, we would be eating in the kitchen.  

Since our guests were not really the 'eating in the kitchen' type I didn't want to be cooking, as well.

Then mon mari had the brilliant idea of moving the furniture out of the den and using that as our dining room.

He redeemed himself for the jackhammer.

I unpacked, washed and ironed the tablecloth and napkins.

As I was setting the table, I had a vision of puppies tearing through the room at their usual breakneck pace, spotting the corner of the tablecloth hanging down, grabbing it and racing on, leaving a trail of shattered crystal.

I folded up the tablecloth, dug a little deeper and found placemats with napkins.

At the risk of spraining my arm whilst patting myself on the back, I was quite pleased with the menu.... Both how easy and stress-free it was for me and how well the dishes turned out.

• All of the prep work was done ahead, in under three hours.
• When our guests arrived I put the gratin in the oven
• Fifteen minutes later I put the pork in the oven
• Fifteen minutes later I turned the stuffed chard leaves on, plated and served the salad  

 The Menu - 6 courses

Apero

White Wine Sangria  

Macedamia Nuts (courtesy of s-i-l in Hawaii)

Roasted Chickpeas (recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen)

Chips

First Course

Smoked Salmon 

Caper and Chive Mini Frittata (recipe below)

Tomato Salad 

Main Course

Pork Tenderloin with Procsiutto and Pesto Rosso

Smoked Pasta

Courgette (Zucchini) and Tomato Gratin  Without cheese

Mushroom Stuffed Chard Leaves (recipe later this week) 

Cheese

White Cheddar

St. Aubin

Tomme

Walnut Bread

Dessert

I did it the French way - local Patisserie....

Coffee and Chocolates to finish

Photos: None of the cheeses; I was only allowed one of the main course, plated; the dessert was of the leftovers the next morning.  Some people just have no patience for the food blogger and her quest for the perfect pic.  Harrumph!

Caper and Chive Mini Frittatas

3 eggs
12 pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 tsp capers
6 tsp fresh, snipped chives
oil or butter

Butter, oil or spray a non-stick muffin (tartlet) pan - one that holds 6. I know it sounds redundant to butter a non-stick pan but these will stick if you don't. (Not necessary if your pan is silicone)
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well.
Place the olives, capers and chives in each cup, dividing evenly. Add the eggs evenly to each cup, ladling over the top. Bake at 400F (200C) 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 warm, cool or cold.

Tomorrow: Mon mari gets his rocks off. 

Chard and Yellow Tomato Gratin

First, let me just say that there was a nettle in my garden today.

We've had nettles in the woods, but never in my garden.

With all the rain we've had the past two weeks, the weeds along the fence have gotten rather high.  I decided it was time to tidy up.

I'd made my way around the entire garden and was grabbing the last handful... It pricked.

I assumed it was just a thistle, I didn't want to go back to the barn for my gloves, so I sucked it up and yanked. (Impatient, as always).

I tossed it in the bucket.

My hand was on fire.

I finally looked.

It was a nettle.

Six hours later my hand still hurts.

The two weeks of rain made everything in my garden explode.  Suddenly I have zucchini and chard and tomatoes and beans that all need to be eaten, frozen or composted every day.

The problem was that on those cool, rainy nights traditional summer food didn't appeal.

Think of this as 'summer comfort food'.

And, just so you know.... There really isn't 3 kilos of cheese on this.  It's the yellow tomatoes that make it look that way.

Rainbow Chard and Yellow Tomato Gratin

8oz (250gr) chard
2 yellow tomatoes (or any color)
2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
2 tbs fresh, snipped chives
2 tbs chicken stock
1 tsp olive oil
green Tabasco
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese

Wash the chard and trim any bad bits. Stack the leaves together and fold over, the long way. Slice into thin strips, about 1/2" (1cm) using both leaves and stems.  Roughly chop tomato.
Spread the oil in the bottom of a baking dish.  Layer the half the chard leaves, herbs, chard stems and tomatoes.  Repeat.  Drizzle wth chicken stock and sprinkle with Tabasco.  Cover with foil and bake, 400F (200) for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.  

Did I mention that as payment for all my hard work organizing our family reunion I demanded asked everyone if they would mind terribly to bring me a bottle of Green Tabasco (and a bag of Jolly Ranchers)?

I can now use Green Tabasco with abandon - and have been.  We can only get the red here, and it's too hot for me.  And the bottle or two I bring back on my annual trip doesn't last very long.....

Life is good!

Lettuce with Pork and Snow Peas, Ma'am?

Are you a Ma'am or a Miss?

A Sir or a Dude?

Do you cringe when total strangers get overly familiar or do you think it's friendly?

When we left the US, oh those many long years ago, people, for the most part, still treated other people somewhat politely.

It was the beginning of the 'Hi, my name is Twinkle Toes and I'll be your waitperson today' era, but that introduction was not yet taken as a sign that you were now best friends.

For the most part, here in Europe one never knows the first name of one's waiter or waitress. They refer to each other as colleagues and address the patrons as Sir or Madam.... Regardless of age.

I like that.

I find it extremely patronizing and irritating, when I'm buying something in the US and some young man, only just starting to shave, calls me 'Miss'.

Miss is a form of address used for little girls.... And, sometimes, for genteel, elderly, frail, southern women who have never married.

I am neither of those.

Young women, on the other hand, don't seem to do that - they don't use any form of address at all.

Until they see your credit card.

Then they have the unmitigated gall to give one a nickname.

My name, if I do not know you and you are merely looking at my credit card, is 'Mrs. Z____"

If you want to irritate me, call me 'Kathleen'.

If you really want to piss me off, to the point that I seriously consider inflicting bodily harm, call me 'Kathy'.

It's not the name (although the name is not mine) it's the presumption.

What I don't understand is why management (since I'm sure most of the blame belongs to them) gives such instructions.

I recently read that some women don't like to be called "Ma'am" because they think, somehow, it either makes them old or is a judgment on their age.

Just so you know... If you are 30, to the young man just starting to shave, you ARE old.  Him calling you 'Miss' won't change his opinion and he's probably snickering as he says it.

But that's only if he actually notices you. 

You're buying a coffee/sandwich/bag of groceries/whatever.... Do you really think these people take the time to look at you and make a judgement about your age?

The nicest thing about 'Ma'am' and 'Sir' is they're universal, one-size-fits-all signs of respect.  They're perfectly good forms of address, that have been around for ages - because they work.

To all of you women who think you are to young to be 'Ma'am'ed....  Don't you like being treated with respect?

If everyone accepted and expected to be addressed respectfully it would make life run so much smoother and be so much easier on all the people who deal with strangers on a daily basis.

Everyone would know....

Only four words to keep straight: Sir, Ma'am, Please, Thank you

Okay, that was five, but you get my drift....

On to the food...

There is one store that I shop at that occasionally has snow peas.

We love them... Stir-fries in winter; salads in summer.

Lettuce with Pork and Snow Peas

12oz (350gr) pork tenderloin
Marinade
2 tbs Teriyaki sauce
1 tbs sherry vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ginger 
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salad
1 carrot, shredded with vegetable peeler
4oz (125gr) snow peas, trimmed, sliced in half or thirds
3oz (90gr) mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Teriyaki sauce
7oz (200gr) lettuce, enough for 2 main meal salads
Oriental Vinaigrette
2 tbs hoisin sauce
1 tbs Teriyaki sauce or marinade
1 tbs Sherry vinegar
1 tsp sesame or walnut oil
3 tbs salad olive oil

Pork:  Mix all ingredients for marinade.  Add pork, turn to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.  Cook on barbecue grill for 20 - 25 minutes, until done, basting with marinade. 
When done, slice into 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. 
Vegetables: Sauté mushrooms in oil and Teriyaki sauce for 5 minutes.  Add snow peas, carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes longer.
Salad: Prepare lettuce and put in salad bowl.  Add mushrooms, carrots, snow peas and 2 tbs vinaigrette.  Toss well to coat.  Arrange pork on top and drizzle with a bit more vinaigrette. Serve with any remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Vinaigrette:  Put all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.  

BTW, this post was triggered by another blog post I read this week.... I would give credit, but I don't remember... and my computer is in hospital (dementia) and I don't have the URL.  If whoever posted reads this - let me know so I can give credit where credit is due...

Summer Pudding; nothing new

There's nothing new, chez nous.

The weather has been horrid, cold and rainy.  

I finally succumbed to mon mari's pleading and lit a fire in the stove today.

It's JULY!  

The temperature outside is in the mid-60's. 

The temperature inside is in the low-60's.

And damp.

So, we have a fire and I can be warm and pretend it's summer.....

As to the work this week....

Nothing note-worthy and / or photo-worthy.

He chopped some more firewood and hauled it into the barn.

He hung some shelves in a corner of the barn and tidied up his work area.

He poured some footings and took the railing off of Juliet's Balcony in preparation of replacing it.

I hoed and mowed.

Do we ever lead a boring life these days.....

Even the puppies are bored. They're also wet, filthy and smelly.

It's hard to get excited about anything on gray, misty days.

So, I'll reminisce about another July and my favorite summer dessert.

And what it's not.

Bread Pudding. 

In my youth and inexperience, I could not imagine a poorer excuse for a treat. 

A sickly sweet concoction of soggy bread and stale, dried currents, I viewed it more as punishment than reward.  Even smothering it in chocolate sauce could not make it edible (but, at least, you could carefully scrape the chocolate off and have something!). 

Pouring rum over helped - not the pudding, but the eater. 

Our British friends were always in raptures over this Bread Pudding or that one. 

My epiphany came one warm July evening.  It was the first time we were in London in summer and our friends were talking non-stop about Summer Pudding.

They were calling restaurants before reserving a table to verify that it was being made and checking on the recipe to make sure it was up to snuff. 

I became intrigued. 

I was told that it was only made a few weeks out of the year, in the height of summer. 

I became more intrigued.

I was not told it was the dreaded 'bread pudding'. 

I am forever in their debt that I did not have that information or I never would have tried it...and I would have missed out on summer berry heaven. 

This is so good that I, a confirmed, take-no-prisoners, chocoholic, would give up (gasp!) chocolate. 

Really! 

It's that good.  

The old photo isn't (good) but, please, don't let that stop you.

Summer Pudding

1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
1 cup fresh blueberries (myrtles)
1 1/2  cups fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh red currants
1 cup peeled, finally chopped apple (adds pectin to help set)
1/3 cup sugar
6 - 8 slices white bread, crusts trimmed

Combine apples and sugar in medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar starts to dissolve and apples get tender. 
Add strawberries and blueberries and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add raspberries and currants and cook another 5 minutes. 
Fruit should be tender and releasing their juice but still holding a bit of shape - may need another few minutes. 
Drain fruit, reserving the juice separately.
Line a medium bowl (4 - 5 cup capacity, 1 - 1 1/4 quart/litre - ideally everything just fits.) with 4 - 5 slices of the trimmed bread, being careful to cover it completely but not overlap.  You'll have to cut pieces to fit - kind of like a jigsaw puzzle - or push into shape. 
Drizzle 1/2 cup of juice over the bread, covering as completely as you can.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.  Spoon in the drained fruit.  Cover the top with another layer of bread - 1 slice, then trim another to fit corners.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of juice over all.  Refrigerate any remaining juice. 
Lay cling film over the top and put a plate on the film - directly laying on the pudding and covering as completely as possible without touching the sides of the bowl.  Put a weight on the plate - a can of vegetables, box of salt, whatever, about 1 lb. 
Refrigerate overnight - or, at least, 8 hours. 
To serve, remove from fridge, remove weight and film and let stand 15 minutes.  Run a knife between the pudding and the bowl.  Put a serving plate on top and flip it over to unmold on the plate.  Use a bit of the reserved juice to cover any 'white' spots on the bread. 
Serve with Vanilla Yogurt (Healthier Version) or premium Vanilla Ice Cream (Decadent Version), with the remaining juice on the side.  Serves 4 - 6.    
Or, better, serves one, 4 - 6 times...... 
Note:  almost any berry can be used or exchanged - even cherries could be added.

I think I'll go in search of berries tomorrow.... 

Tomato Salads and more tomato tips

Like the dreaded green garden monsters lurking under the giant leaves (zucchini), tomatoes can go from "Are they ever going to be ripe enough to eat?" to "What am I going to do with them all!" in what seems to be, a matter of seconds.

This was my haul the other day.

And it doesn't include the cherry tomatoes, which were all immediately popped into bags and into the freezer.

Freezing any size tomato whole is simple: put in a bag and freeze.  The peels will slip off when you thaw it to use - in cooking, of course, not salads. The only reason I don't freeze the big ones is they take up more room whole and round than chopped.

BTW: That big yellow and red mess in front is one tomato - an Ananas.  No idea why they got so huge... or so gnarly...

I peel them, chop them and freeze them... by color.

In the past, I cooked them slightly before freezing.  I really couldn't remember why, so I quit.  Works just fine without the extra work.

I do keep them separate by color, though... Red tomatoes for red sauces; white tomatoes as a surprise in 'white' sauces... or white chili...

Not sure what the Green Zebra's will be for.

I use the yellow tomatoes in my Smoked Salmon Lasagne

Here are more tips on freezing tomatoes and tomato juice.

But it IS summer and we don't want to freeze all of the bounty.  We want to eat lots and lots of wonderful, vine-ripened tomatoes while we can.

Since it's summer, we also want easy recipes...

Like the salad made with orange tomatoes and goat cheese.

Tomato Salad with Chevre (Goat Cheese)

1 - 2 large tomatoes
aged goat cheese (chevre) 3oz (90gr) usually comes in small logs with an edible white rind
2 tbs fresh, snipped chives
2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
1 1/2 tbs salad olive oil
1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar 

Cut tomatoes into large chunks. Cut cheese into slices, then quarter the slices.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently. Spoon onto plates and serve.

Or a salad with another garden favorite - cucumbers:

Tomato Cucumber Salad

2 garden ripened tomatoes
1 small cucumber
fresh basil leaves
Tarragon White Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
2 tbs good olive oil

Peel and slice cucumber, about 1/8" (1/4cm) thick. Slice tomatoes.
Vinaigrette: Combine mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
To finish: Arrange tomatoes, cucumber and basil nicely on large plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Or, just maybe, something warm...

Baked Tomatoes with Pesto (and a story: Crime and Punishment in Andorra)

Those hard, tasteless, store-bought tomatoes are just a distant memory.

At least, for some of us....

Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre; crashing Firefox

Ever jump out of bed, salivating with the thought of hot sticky, barbecued ribs for lunch, get to the kitchen, start whipping up the sauce....

And discover that first you have to go out to the barn and butcher the pig?

That's how my day felt.

I was full of energy this morning.

I was starting a new project.

I had done the prep work, organized my thoughts, downloaded the necessary software and was ready to hit it hard.

There was just one slight glitch I needed to fix first.

Firefox.

It started crashing a few days ago.

By yesterday, it was crashing almost constantly.

I downgraded.

I had upgraded to Firefox 5 about a week ago.

To digress a minute....

I was not at all happy when I finally succumbed to the constant nagging by Firefox to upgrade only to find out that it didn't support some of my extensions... Most importantly, the Google Toolbar. 

I like the Google Toolbar.

I use the Google Toolbar.

I found a 'work-around and went on my way.

It all worked fine for awhile; then it started crashing.

I disabled the extensions.

Still crashed.

I downgraded to the previous version.

Still crashed.

And crashed and crashed.

I gave up.

Last night I made the switch to Google Chrome.

Would you believe that Google Chrome does not support the Google Toolbar?

Back to this morning....

I was going to spend 10 minutes setting up Chrome before getting to work.

At about minute 9 it crashed.

Really crashed.... The Blue Screen of Death.

Long story short, I spent the rest of the morning getting back to where I started at 7:30.

By that time, I had to train and feed the puppies, do the weekly hoeing in the garden, tend to the tomatoes... where I found lots of ripe ones which needed to be peeled, chopped and bagged for the freezer.  I exercised, showered and it was time to train and feed the puppies again.  Back to the garden to get the lettuce and chard for dinner and here I am.... 

Day is done and project not started.

I believe a glass of wine is in order.

And an easy potato salad to go with the fish...

Warm, crisp, sautéed potatoes, mushrooms and garlic enveloped in creamy, melted soft goat cheese; finished with lots of fresh basil and chives, this is not your ordinary potato salad. Full of complex flavors, it is best served with simple, grilled meat of fish. 

Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes 

2 medium potatoes, about 10oz (300gr) total 
3oz (90gr) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1/3 container soft goat cheese (chevre) (2oz, 60gr) my 'brand' is Chevraux, I think in the U.S. it's Chavrie; it comes in a square-ish cardboard or plastic container, 5.5oz (150gr). 
handful fresh basil leaves - about 3 tbs 
2 tbs fresh chives, snipped 
2 tbs olive oil

Slice potatoes into quarters the long way and then 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. Trim and slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. 
Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Do not cover. 
Add remaining tbs oil and potatoes to skillet. Toss a bit to coat potatoes with oil, then cover and let cook about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir and let sauté, turning occasionally. You want them nice and brown. If they start getting too brown before you are ready to finish just turn the heat to low and keep warm in the skillet. 
When ready to finish add potatoes to mushrooms and garlic. Add chevre and toss to coat - the cheese will melt a bit from the heat of the potatoes.
Snip basil and chives with scissors and add, stirring to combine. Serve.

In addition to this, for the week of July 22 we have Barbecued Tuna, Lamb and Vegetable Kebabs, Turkey and Bean Pasta, Chicken Tarragon....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Puppies turn 4 - months

I realized the other day that the biggest thing we are lacking at our house is an adult dog to train the puppies.

One puppy, paired with an adult, will follow the lead of the older dog and (theoretically) be trained quite easily.

One puppy, alone, will pay more attention to its human and be trained eventually.

Two puppies pay attention to each other and ignore the humans.

Where one goes the other follows, jumps into the lead, and so on.

I've started working with them, doing a bit of puppy training.

The first problem: When I have them both outside, all they want to do is play, totally ignoring me.
When I leave one in the house, the one inside cries and barks and the one outside totally ignores me and lunges towards the house to get to her sister.

The second problem: When I put the training collar on them they immediately flop down.  How do you teach a puppy to heel, or even walk on the leash when you can't even get them to stand up?

I solved the second problem by just using their regular collars.  We'll work into the training collar.  They are only 4 months old, after all.

Oh yes, the third problem: me expecting them to perfectly heel, sit and stay after the 3rd day.

I really don't know how long it will or should take, but I decided it would be a work in progress for a very long time. 

After one week, Guapa heels fairly well, usually sits with a only subtle reminder, and can stay for 5 seconds.  We're talking very short times for everything..... 10 step walks, etc.

Bonnie heels - but about 2 feet behind me, sits very well and will stay for 10 whole seconds.

But that's all on a good day.

The biggest achievment, however, is they now come willingly to be put on the lead. I'll give it another week or two, then try the training collar again.

We work about 5 minutes each, twice a day.

And then play.... And play some more.

I also don't know at what age they should be expected to not pee during the night.

Yes I know...Crates.

Well we don't have nor will we have crates.

They're confined to a small room 6' x 4'.  I use the same bed pads I used for old Sedi (as we also don't have newspaper).  I put two down, and each is pee'd on, once, most nights.... But not every night.

I've taken up every other rug in the house as they seem to think those are acceptable alternatives to 'outside'.  I'm hoping after a couple of months I can, safely, have rugs on the floors again.

I learned a few things last week at the vet's that may be of interest....

The booklet that the vet gave me, along with their paperwork, said that dogs can be sterilized after 8 weeks, and the younger the better.  I went in to make an appointment.  He said absolutely not and where did I read that? 

I showed him. 

He was not pleased.

He said it was his practice to do it between 6 and 8 months.

Then I asked him about the dew claws.  Bonnie has single dew claws and Guapa has double dew claws.  On my St. Bernards, in the US, they were removed.

The vet told me that it was illegal to remove them in France - and it was also illegal to crop ears and dock tails. 

Dogs are meant to be as they are meant to be.

I rather like that.

Grilled Salmon with Chive Sauce; Training: husband or puppies?

Remember when we went to get our puppy and came home with two puppies?

Remember that it was mon mari who decided that we should have two puppies?

Remember how I just went along with it?

What the hell was I thinking!?!?!?

I should have taken the opportunity to get a signed document... kind of a 'puppy prenup', outlining his duties in the rearing of the little darlings.

I, foolishly, did nothing more than ask if he would help with the extra work.

I, foolishly, accepted his assurance that he would.

This is what he does:

Teaches them to beg by feeding them little bits of toast at breakfast.

Teaches them to catch food by tossing them little bits of cheese at lunch.

Teaches them that dog treats are in the upper cabinet in the pantry and that, if they jump, they can almost reach them.

This is what he doesn't do:

Feed them.

Give them water.

Do the daily 'poo-pick-up' from the front lawn.

Let them in when they are outside and it starts to rain.

Let them out when they wake up from their frequent naps and need to pee.

Clean up the resulting pee on the floor when he ignores them. (Thankfully, that is a rare occurrence as I'm pretty vigilant - crazy, but I would like our puppies house-trained.)

Why, you may wonder, doesn't he do any of these things?

Because I'm here.

Why, you may wonder, does this come as a surprise to me?

It doesn't.

Why am I suddenly complaining?

Guapa just walked up to him (he's sitting at his computer), looked at him, and peed at his feet.

What did he do?

Absolutely nothing.

I'm reconsidering where I'm going to dispose of tomorrow morning's bucket of poo.....

I'm also increasing his dreaded 'fish-night' from one per week to two.... or more.

That'll show him!

Or not.... He rather liked this.

Grilled Salmon with Chive Sauce

Chives add a mild onion flavor to sauces, add a snip of tarragon for a great, light sauce for fish.

2 salmon fillets, 6oz each (180gr each)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs olive oil

Brush salmon with the oil, sprinkle with herbs and spices.
Cook on barbecue grill 10 - 12 minutes, depending on thickness.
He doesn't turn the salmon, but usually adds a handful of soaked wood chips - either directly on the coals or wrapped loosely in foil, with a few holes poked in. Keep the fish off of direct heat and the grill cover closed and vented or propped open an inch or so.

Chive Sauce

2 tbs snipped fresh chives
2 tsp snipped fresh tarragon
2 tsp white Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbs salad olive oil

Mix all vinegar, mustard, yogurt and oil with a whisk.  Add herbs.

Now I have to take the puppies out....

Bread Baking Babes' Bodacious Buns

Yes, you read that right...   

This month the Bread Baking Babes are showing off their Bodacious Buns.

Compliments of Sara, of I Like to Cook, we have the perfect recipe for mid-summer:  Hamburger Buns.

Complete with sesame seeds.

You have to come up with your own special sauce.

You can make them full size or the adorable, slider size.

Visit Sara's blog for the recipe and the details on being a Bread Baking Buddy this month.

Natashya's buns

 
 
Lien's buns

   

Astrid's buns
   


Tanna's buns

      


   Elizabeth's buns

    


Elle's buns

 


Sara's buns

  


Susan's buns

Gorel's buns

Karen's Buns

Mary's buns

As usual, we have some very busy Babes at the moment.....

But just so you know: We're all still BABES! 

(You can tell by the panties....)

And the Babes are:

 The Bread Baking Babes

Bake My Day - Karen
blog from OUR kitchen - Elizabeth
Canela and Comino - Gretchen
Cookie Baker Lynn - Lynn
Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle
Grain Doe - Gorel
I Like To Cook - Sara
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya
Living on bread and water - Monique
Lucullian Delights - Ilva
My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna
Notitie Van Lien - Lien
Paulchens FoodBlog - Astrid
The Sour Dough - Breadchick Mary
Wild Yeast - Susan

From the BBBBB (Bitchin' Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire).

Pork Tenderloin with Prosciutto and Pesto Rosso; the update

There is no major focus to the work, chez nous, at the moment.

The big push to accomplish stuff before the family arrived is over. Now the goal is to finish all the little bits that were pushed aside and to do all the outside work while the weather is nice.

Of course, it would all be much more fun if the weather actually was nice, but there you have it.

Today felt much like Ireland.  A typical weather forecast when we lived in Ireland went something like this:

Cloudy with the sun peaking through from time to time to warm things up a bit and periods of light rain with possible heavy winds bringing in cooler temperatures.

That's what our weather has been like the last few days.

But some work has progressed.

The back wall has been repaired and re-surfaced.

After a bit of drying and curing time, it will be painted.  We're thinking a shade or two darker than the house....

This is the current work area - note the wheel barrow, cement mixer and wood pile.

He finished the area in the barn where he wants to store firewood (started last summer... too dark and creepy for photos).  He decided to get all of last year's firewood cut and hauled inside before winter -  Actually, before September when more will be deliverd to take up residence on the concrete slab, waiting it's turn in the stove.

Speaking of dark and creepy....

I have only been in our cellar twice - once, before we bought the house, and once, when my s-i-l was visiting.  Mon mari was lazing about the hospital and it was up to me to conduct the house tour. That was two years ago.

On both occasions I walked through rapidly, looking around as little as possible.  One knows that spiders the size of small cars lurk down there and the centipedes resemble tractor-trailers....

It has a dirt floor and a tall person can't stand upright in parts of it.

It has exposed beams with stuff hanging from them.

Okay, you get the picture.....

Anyway, I had to go down there the other day.  Our wine (we live in France, of course we have wine) has been stored down there, awaiting the day mon mari builds a proper cave (wine cellar).

I refuse to buy more wine when we have cases stored... So I grabbed my flashlight and went down to get some wine.

I had to move some of the boxes to get what I was looking for.

There were bones on the floor.

Old bones.

Old bones that I did not recognize as, say, chicken bones.

I was thoroughly creeped out.

Hmmm.... Seems there wasn't much focus to this post, either.

On to the food!

Pork Tenderloin Laced with Prosciutto and Pesto Rosso

1 pork tenderloin
2 slices prosciutto
1 tbs pesto rosso
handful of basil leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1 avocado
2 tbs white balsamic vinegar
1 tbs pesto
1 tbs chicken stock

With a sharp knife, slice pork into a spiral and lay it flat.  Layer the Prosciutto, pesto rosso and basil leaves.  Roll the tenderloin back up and tie with kitchen string. Sprinkle with chili powder.  Lay on a baking sheet and bake, 25 minutes at 400F (200C).  Remove, cover loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Puree avocado, vinegar, pest0 and chicken stock.
To serve: Cut pork into 1" (2.5cm) slices.  Spoon avocado sauce on plates, arrange pork slices on top.

The two different 'pesto' sauces tied the pork and the sauce together nicely.