Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Picnic Pasta Salad; When the words don't work right....

When one studies a language in school or a class, one studies it as it should be....

Not as it is.

Take the, controversial, MessieurDame.

In France, one greets people with 'Bonjour Monsieur' or  'Bonjour Madame' upon meeting them for the first time, each day.

Here, in farm country, if there is both a man and a woman present, one hears Bonjour 'MessieurDame' to encompass both sexes or a group of people.

All of the Parisian wags instruct us non-native speakers to never, never, never say that.

All of the language gurus instruct us non-native speakers to speak the local language.

I was commenting on this to my s-i-l (who is visiting from the U.S.) and on other unexpected challenges.

Two weeks is not 'deux semaine'  when speaking, but 'quinze jours' or fifteen days.

Similarly, one week is 'huit jours' or eight days.

Then my s-i-l brought up a reference to time that mon mari and I can't agree on:

If today is Tuesday, is the day that is 5 days in the future 'This Sunday'?

Or 'Next Sunday'?

I maintain that it's 'This Sunday' and that 'Next Sunday' refers to the day 'one week from this Sunday'.

Mon mari maintains that the first Sunday in our immediate future is 'Next Sunday'.

As you might guess, we have some awkward conversations in trying to determine the specific day we are talking about.

Me: Are you talking about 2 days from now or 9 days from now?

Mon mari: I'm talking about next Sunday - what's so difficult to understand?  Sheesh!

Me; in an attempt to simplify: do you mean the 13th?

Mon mari: I don't know, I don't have a calendar.

Me, quietly in the corner, banging my head against the wall.....

But, really, what do you expect? 

You know we are still trying to agree on the definition of salad...

Someone ought to write a book telling us what all the words mean... Wouldn't that be a novel idea?

I bet lots of people would buy it...

I know lots of people that should.... But we'll leave that rant for another day. 

For this day, I have an old, favorite Pasta Salad, er, Dish. I've been making it for more years than I'm willing to admit, but, suffice it to say, at least 2 years before pasta salads were EVERYWHERE!

I actually quit making it for awhile.... Too 'common'.

I revived it the other day....Still good and a worthy pasta for Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights, which is back home at Once Upon A Feast this Friday.  Check it out!

Picnic Pasta Salad

6 oz (200gr) sliced, hard salami
1 red onion
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup Greek dry-cured olives
4 oz mushrooms
2 stalks (ribs) celery
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
2 cups farfalle
1 tbs olive oil
Italian Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, put into a large bowl (or back into the cooled pot) and toss with olive oil. Slice celery 1/4" (.5cm) thick, cut cherry tomatoes in half, and chop pepper. Add all three to pasta and toss lightly. Cut salami in half or into quarters. Peel and quarter the onion and slice thinly. Clean mushrooms and slice. Cut olives in halves or thirds. Put salami, mushrooms, onions and olives in another bowl and add vinaigrette. Allow to marinate, at room temperature, for 1 - 3 hours. Before serving add marinated vegetables to pasta and toss to combine. If not serving immediately, refrigerate to chill.

Italian Vinaigrette

1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white wine (tarragon) vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
5 tbs olive oil, the good stuff
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram

Place mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. When all oil is in and emulsified, add herbs.

BTW: to the Brits 1 week is a sennight, and 2 weeks a fortnight... But that makes sense to me.

And 'Next Monday' aka: the Monday following 'This Monday'?  Simple: 'Monday week'. 
Hmmmm, they may have sorted this out.....

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

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!

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad; The Hot Pink Shower

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The pink was gone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's pink" he said.

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

"The shower" he mumbled.

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

I laughed. 

He said "It's not funny" 

I quit laughing and ran outside. 

Sure enough there was a pink shower. 

Not just any old pink but bright, hot pink! 

It could not have been any more pink! 

It screamed it's pinkness!. 

I didn't now whether to laugh or cry. 

We carefully inspected it. 

Still pink!

It could have been any other color, but no!

Pink!

It was obviously a mistake. 

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

We must have misunderstood or misspoke. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once again, foiled by language.

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

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

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

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

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

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

Vinaigrette

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

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

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

Or not....

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

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

The Daily News:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What can I say?

Pasta Salad with Sausage and Chickpeas

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

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

Vinaigrette

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

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

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

Pasta Salad with Warm Goat Cheese; Larks v Owls

Are you a lark or an owl?

A morning person or a night person?

I had a roommate once who actually had the audacity to get out of bed at the crack of dawn and sing.

Sing!

In a loud, CHEERY voice. 

She gave me a rare insight into comprehending violence.  Not that I did any...but I understood how one could.

I saw a bit on television once (therefore, it must be true) that humans, devoid of any external stimulation, would have a natural body rhythm of, roughly, 23 hours.   Our days would be just a touch shorter than those of the planet we live on.

Apparently I'm not normal in that respect either.

This morning, while sitting in the kitchen having my solitary dinner at about 1 am, I realized that my days were getting progressively longer.

The girls dogs were giving me the evil eye.  It was way past their bedtime and they wanted their final walk so they could hit the doggie sack.

I was wondering if I could stay alert long enough to do a few more tasks.

I have always been a night person; mon mari a morning person. 

Over the years we have reached a nice balance:
I keep him up late enough that he no longer gets up with the birds (Stupid birds....who decided they should be the arbiter of our rising habits?)
He gets me up early enough that I know longer am starting new projects at midnight.

In the 2 weeks that I've been on my own.... We'll lets just say that my true nature has reasserted itself.

I rather suspect that his will have also.

I'm a 'Jolt Cola and Peanut M&M's at 3 in the morning in front of the computer' type.

He's a 'Bran flakes and orange juice at dawn watching the news' type.

Could be interesting..... Poor dogs!

The one thing that we agreed to early on was the banishment of Velveeta from our lives forever.

Chevre (goat cheese) took a bit longer to insert itself as a pantry staple, but it now has a secure place in the fridge. 

If you want a super creamy cheese that melts like a dream.... Choose the real thing!

And then bake it, put it on some pasta, poor a glass of wine and contemplate the universe.

Because I'm in a generous mood this morning, I decided to spread the joy.  Mac & Cheese?  Never again!

For more pasta wonders check out Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights, at Once Upon a Feast. Round-up is every Friday.

Breading the cheese keeps it together while it melts. The goat cheese normally comes log-shaped (long, round), and wrapped in paper. It will have a thin rind that is an edible part of the cheese. You could substitute another, semi-soft cheese such as Brie or Camembert.

Pasta Salad with Warm Chevre

4 - 5oz (140gr) goat cheese 3 shallots, medium - large
3oz (100gr) Prosciutto, thinly sliced
4oz (120gr) cherry or grape tomatoes
3 tbs dried bread crumbs
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
4oz (125gr) spaghetti

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tbs olive oil.
Peel and roughly chop shallot. Cut Prosciutto into bite-size slices. Cut tomatoes in half. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add shallots and sauté until starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Add Prosciutto, and sauté 2 - 3 minutes longer. Add cherry tomatoes and heat through. Add vinegar and pasta, and stir/toss to combine. Remove from heat.
Slice cheese into 4 - 6 rounds. Each round should be between 1/3 and 1/2 inch thick (about 1cm). Put bread crumbs on a plate. Roll the edges of the cheese in the crumbs, then dip both sides, so it's completely coated. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, 400F (200C) for 3 - 4 minutes, just until you see the tops sink slightly or cheese ooze slightly. If it hasn't happened after 4 minutes, take them out anyway - they're ready.
To serve: Divide pasta between 2 plates. Top with rounds of cheese and serve immediately.

In case you had any doubts... I am an owl.

Cool note of the day:  I saw a gorgeous fox yesterday while taking the girls for their afternoon walk... about 10pm.  Maybe he's the one that ate my snake....

Salad with Grilled Turkey, Beans and Feta; More French Misunderstandings

Nurse: We're going to put votre mari to sleep.

Me: (Thinking:  I'd really prefer you didn't.  He's not that old or sick.... and I have rather a lot of uses for him yet!)
Me: (Speaking) What?

Nurse: He's having surgery on Monday.  The doctor wants him to sleep.

Me: Now?  He wants him to sleep now? (It's 10:00 in the morning, why does he need to sleep now?)

Nurse: The doctor wants to be sure he'll sleep right.

Me: The night before the surgery?  (That's logical, but why tell me?)

Nurse: (Slightly exasperated) He's having surgery on Monday.

Me: (More than slightly confused).  Yes, we know that.

Nurse: (Patiently) The doctor wants to talk to you about him sleeping.

Me: (Helpfully) What can I do about his sleeping?

Nurse: (Thoroughly exasperated) The sleeping doctor wants to talk to you about the surgery.

Me: (Thoroughly confused) HUH??????

Nurse: (On the verge of physical violence) The doctor wants to come and talk to you.

Me: (Somewhat enlightened) We already spoke with the surgeon.

Nurse: (Ready to commit heinous harm) Not the surgeon; THE SLEEP DOCTOR!!!!!

Me: (Total enlightenment) Do you mean the anesthéstiste?

Nurse: (Staring at me in astonishment) Yes.

For some reason, she assumed that, as I did not speak French to her standards, she must explain things to me as if I were an idiot.

Me, reacting like an idiot, was listening so carefully to the words, that I didn't 'step back' and hear.

I even said, at one point: I understand everything you're saying but I don't understand what you're telling me.

The result: The anesthéstiste would not talk to us without a translator present, because, while he spoke English, he did not speak American.

As it turned out, we never did talk to him as he was called away on an emergency.  The same nurse that I wowed with my use of a medical term took the history, and was continually amazed that, asked an intelligent question, I could give, at least, and intelligible answer.

The surgery was this morning, mon mari dutifully slept through it, and was awake, assuring me that he was completely lucid, 4 hours later.  An uneventful recovery is expected, with a return home in 10 days and full resumption of lawn-mowing duties in about 4 weeks.

And in other news: My blog is TypePad's Featured Blog today!
Yippee!!!!!!!

Lastly, it's raining.  I never thought I'd be happy to see rain again, but, now it means that I absolutely cannot mow lawn for at least 2 days.

Life is good!

So was this salad:

Salad with Grilled Turkey, Beans and Feta

10 - 12 oz turkey cutlets (300gr) 
1/2 green pepper (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry  tomatoes
8oz (250gr) red kidney beans
8oz (250gr) white beans
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) Greek olives
2oz (60gr) feta, crumbled
2 tbs fresh oregano, snipped if large leaves
Lettuce - enough for 2 main meal salads
Marinade for turkey
White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Make the marinade and spoon on to turkey, set aside. Make the vinaigrette. Open and drain the beans. Clean and slice the pepper.  Cut the tomatoes and olives in half. Tear the lettuce and put into a large salad bowl along with the oregano.
Cook turkey on barbecue grill or sauté in nonstick skillet until done, 4 - 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove and let rest while assembling the salad. Add half of the vinaigrette to the lettuce and toss well to coat. Add beans, peppers and the rest of the vinaigrette, toss well. Slice turkey into strips. Add turkey, tomatoes and olives, toss gently. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and serve.

Marinade
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs ketchup
1 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Mix all ingredients well and spoon over meat.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Crush garlic.  Mix garlic, vinegar and mustard. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.

I think I deserve a glass of wine.... Two, actually, since mon mari can't drink his, I'll have to do THAT for him, too!

Sigh.....

Pasta with Peanut Sauce; The Boot Sale

These past few weeks have been full of new experiences for me:

Hitting a curb, blowing out 2 tires and discovering we didn't have a 'real' spare, only an inflatable thing-y... That had to be inflated.

Learning how to use a power lawn mower (I'd only ever used the old, hand, push kind.... Sheesh, what did you think!   I have mowed lawns in my mis-spent youth)  BTW, my new best friend's name (the lawnmower) is Izy.  It's right there on her front in little white letters.

And now: Boot Sales!  Aka: garage sales.

Not only have I never participated in one before, I've only ever been to one.  I bought a lovely antique Welsh dresser....

Oh wait, that wasn't a garage sale; that was an estate auction.

I've never been to a garage sale.

I've walked past them but never gone in, so to speak.

I've always considered them to be the ultimate in recycling: I'll buy your junk if you buy mine.

And, frankly, I have rather enough junk.

Facing my 5th major move in 11 years, I am trying to only buy what I really want.... And to only want what I really, really need.

That, and the minor little detail that I have been without a house-cleaner for the past 4 years.

(To make you all jealous - I had a maid come in once a week and thoroughly clean my house in Andorra...for less than $20.00 per week.)

Faced with not only moving my cherished goodies, but dusting them on a regular basis, I have decided it's time for them to become (in the immortal words of Douglas Adams) an SEP: Somebody Else's Problem. 

My treasures are going on the block.

If you think about it, there probably doesn't need to be anything newly manufactured anywhere in the universe ever again....we can all just keep selling it to each other.
 
Boot sales/garage sales were not big among the Andorrans.  Their wealth was new enough (and sufficient enough) that they would never consider buying something that had been 'previously owned'.  That included antiques.

But the English, like the Americans, are ever searching for the treasure in the attic.

At least, I'm hoping they are.

Next weekend, I'm loading up the boot (trunk) and heading off to dump sell whatever anyone will buy.

Talk about being the new girl on the street - I haven't a clue even how to price anything.....

But, I'm sure, no one will try to take advantage of the new, dumb kid!

I've  heard that people who frequent garage/boot sales are the milk of human kindness; generous to a fault.

Wish me luck! 

But luck isn't necessary to find great new pasta dishes.

Just head over to Presto Pasta Nights, at Once Upon a Feast. 

Ruth has a great round-up every Friday.

Pasta with Peanut Sauce

1 cup uncooked pasta - fusilli, penne, farfalle
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs dry sherry
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbs fresh snipped chives
2 tbs fresh snipped oregano or marjoram

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Snip herbs. In a small saucepan heat chicken stock, peanut butter, soy sauce and sherry, just until peanut butter melts, stirring well to combine. When pasta is done, drain well and put into a bowl.   Immediately pour sauce over and stir well to combine. Let rest 5 minutes. Add herbs, stir well and serve.

To those who have asked:
The toe was just a smoke screen.  The real problem is diverticulitis.  The surgery is Monday; expected hospital stay an additional 2 weeks; return to full lawn, hedge, vine and garden duties, 6 - 8 weeks.

Did I mention my new best friend is Izy?  I haven't met Bert yet (the strimmer/weed whacker)... Soon, very, very soon.

Salad with Spinach, Ham, Avocado and Pasta, and 1,2,3 You're IT

I was tagged awhile back with a rather interesting meme (At least, for readers, it is).

Both Tanna, of My Kitchen in Half Cups, and Pat, of Pat's Food Blog tagged me for the 1,2,3 Meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Since I was tagged by two lovely bloggers.... And I am reading two books.... we'll play twice:

First: "Don't Sweat the Aubergine", by Nicholas Clee:  What works in the kitchen, and why.

Leave out the nutmeg and mustard, if you like.  If you don't like mustard, you might find it worth trying anyway: you'll be surprised by how it loses its heat in the sauce, and enhances the flavor of the cheese.  Why you do it....

Second: "The Orphan's Tales: In The Cities of Coin and Spice", by Catherynne M. Valente.

"I am sorry for you," she said, and her voice moved against me like a stone crushing millet.  "But if you would not waste to less than an old brown leaf in this place, come to my bedchamber on the third day of the new moon."  She set down her cup and put her hands to my face, the light in them terrible and wonderful, like a judgment, like a promise.

Now to the food portion of our program.

May is Osteoporosis Month.

Susan, of Food "Blogga" is hosting an event to raise awareness for this, potentially debilitating condition. 

She is highlighting both the foods we can eat to help build bone, and the activities/exercise/lifestyle we can strive for to minimize bone loss and help increase/maintain bone density.

Calcium rich foods are key and this salad has spinach, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, yogurt, oregano and whole-wheat pasta.

All those lovely, calcium-rich foods.... and it's good, too!

Salad with Spinach, Ham, Avocado and Pasta

8oz (250gr) ham, cooked
1 avocado
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes
6oz (180gr) fresh spinach
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
1 tbs marjoram or oregano leaves
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby)
3/4 cup dry, bite-size, whole-wheat pasta
White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
While waiting for the water to boil, prepare salad:
Make Vinaigrette. Slice ham into large strips. Sauté the ham if you like, set aside. Wash spinach if needed and spin dry.  Cut any large leaves in half. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Cut avocado, slice it thickly, then cut into chunks. Snip/strip herbs.
When pasta is done, drain but don't shake every last bit of water off.
To assemble salad: Put spinach into a large bowl. Add hot, drained pasta and toss lightly to combine.  Add half of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the ham, avocado, herbs and tomatoes, toss lightly. Taste and adjust vinaigrette, adding more if you like. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, any remaining vinaigrette on the side.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
3 tbs Greek yogurt
5 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Place mustard, vinegar and yogurt, in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. It should be thick and emulsified when finished.

Visit Food "Blogga" for all of the recipes for Osteoporosis Health and Prevention after the end of May.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken; More Shopping

Note to self:  Don't forget to look for closet space!!!!!!

We sold our house.... We think.

Nothing is as easy here as it is in the U.S. 

Or as fast.

We've been trying to sell our house for 3 years.  Two weeks ago today we 'agreed a sale'.

Then we arranged for the house inspector to come.

Then France had a Thursday holiday, followed by a Monday holiday, which translates as a 1 week holiday because everyone who possibly can will 'faire le pont' , that is, 'make the bridge': take the intervening days off.

The contracts went to the buyer late last week.  He'll read them, sign them (we hope) and send them back.

Then we read them, sign and return them to him. 

Then he has 7 days to think about what he's about to do.

Then he sends us a deposit.

We accept the deposit.

THEN we have sold our house....maybe... Pretty sure, anyway.

At which time we'll know when the closing will be: July 31st or August 31st.

The earliest possible it can be is the end of July.  Any country property has to be offered to the Agricultural Commission for purchase at the agreed upon price.  They have 60 days to decide if they'll step in or not.  I've never heard of it happening, but there you have it... Must be done.

Once the 31st of July has passed, nothing can happen until the 31st of August because the entire world is on holiday.  No work gets done, anywhere.

Which means that, in case we actually sell, and, in case we actually close on July 31st, we have to find a place to live so we can move on July 31st.... And it's already too late because no one will take the job that close to August.  It could interfere with getting ready for the holiday.

So, we thought we just might start looking at houses today.

We looked at four.

I was on the third one before I remembered to look for closet space.

We're looking at older, country properties; stone houses.

Stone houses don't have closets.

If I want more than a 3' wide wardrobe to hang clothes in (sharing) there either needs to be a space for mon mari to build a closet (which he did in Andorra) or a tiny room that can be converted (which we did here - less you think I have a walk-in closet, it's only 30" wide by about 4' deep.  I slide along the wall with a flashlight in my teeth when I'm looking for something.)

On the other hand, one of them had really gorgeous old beams and an outdoor brick barbecue....

We'll be eating a lot of quick and easy pasta dishes over the next few weeks, while we find a new place to lay our heads (and paws).

Come to think of it, maybe a wee bit longer: there might be some odd packing to do.

Thankfully, there's always a lot of great dishes at Presto Pasta Nights, started by Ruth, of  Once Upon a Feast.  And here's my contribution to this week:

This is not the prettiest salad, pesto usually isn't... But the taste is wonderful: the feta and Greek Olives adding just the right amount of contrast to the chicken and pasta.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Marinade for chicken breasts:
1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried basil

3oz (100gr) cherry tomatoes
3oz (100gr) feta
3oz (100gr) Greek or Kalamata olives
2 tbs fresh snipped chives

1 1/4 cups pasta: gemelli, fusilli, penne
2 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
4 tbs pesto
1 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Mix Worcestershire, vinegar, basil and oil in a small bowl. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate a few minutes. Cut tomatoes in half. Cut feta into small cubes or crumble. Pit olives, if needed, and cut in half or thirds. Snip chives.
Cook chicken, either on barbecue grill or nonstick skillet, 7 - 10 minutes per side, or until done. When done, remove and slice
In pasta bowl, mix pesto, oil and yogurt. When pasta is done drain, rinse lightly with cool water, drain and add to pesto in bowl. Toss to coat. Add chicken, tomatoes, olives, feta and chives, toss gently to combine and serve.

Note to self: Don't forget to find out if the house has heating other than the fireplace.

Couscous Feta Pilaf and the Weekly Menu Plan

Mon mari has never been a big fan of couscous.... No substance; no flavor; he claims.

This may have converted him....

Couscous Feta Pilaf serves 2

1/2 cup couscous
3/4 cup chicken broth
6 cherry tomatoes
6 olives
1 ounce (30gr) feta
1 tbs snipped chives
1 tbs snipped basil
2 tsp olive oil - the good stuff

Heat chicken broth to a boil. Put couscous in a medium bowl. When broth is boiling pour over couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes...Do not stir it. Snip herbs. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Pit olives if needed, then cut in half. Crumble feta. When couscous is ready, uncover, add remaining ingredients, including olive oil, fluff gently with a fork to combine and serve.

Note: The easiest way to pit olives is to lay them on a cutting board or counter, put the blade of a large knife flat on top and whack the flat blade with the heel of your palm. The olive will split, and you can remove the pit.
This is also the easiest way to peel garlic.
Plus it's a great stress reliever.... Do remember to keep the blade flat.

In addition to the above, for the week of May 9, we have Warm Leek Salad with Prosciutto, Baked Salmon Dijon, Steak with Cheesy Oven Fries, Asian Chicken and Cabbage Salad, and more...

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Bon Weekend!