Some French Guy, a pizza knife and pesto

Je vous présente- I'd like to introduce you to- Some French Guy.  He came in a little green pouch (the same color as his striped pull) and was given to me by my advisees at the end of the school year.  In this photo, he is jauntily hanging on to both his baguette and the Eiffel Tower.  See his black beret and matching moustache?  My only complaint about SFG is that he is too quiet.  I cannot even ask him for the proper word en français.  Sometimes le bon mot just doesn't come to mind as quickly as I need it to and le petit monsieur is no help whatsoever.  But he is cute, so I will keep him and carry him around with me for good luck - la bonne chance.
He was in my purse this weekend when we made a quick trip to the mountains to visit my family in Spruce Pine.  We spent the night in Boone and visited the campus of my alma mater, Appalachian State University.  Go Mountaineers!  Here I am with Yosef, our mascot.

He is happy about our recent back-to-back-to-back football championships.
We ate at a restaurant named Char on Howard Street in downtown Boone. The owners call it a "modern, American restaurant."  We sat on the deck with a great view of the mountains and part of the ASU campus, sipped beer (a pale ale with a hint of blueberries) and ate calamari (panko crusted, lightly fried, served with basil aioli).  The Ex-Ex (he asked me to change his name) loves calamari, but the little guys with the tentacles made him a bit squeamish.  Pas moi!

It was delicious.  Vraiment délicieux.  This restaurant is a keeper.
We also shared a pizza at Mellow Mushroom.  We chose The Magical Mystery Tour.

Pesto base, mozzarella, spinach, feta, button and portabella mushrooms and jalapenos.  I confess that I removed the jalapenos.  I don't really care for them and I didn't want to mess with the pesto-mushroom flavors.  It was really good pizza.  We had a great view of the mountains, too.  (A lot of power lines, but hey, what can you do?  Mountain folks need their electricity, too.)

And now back to Some French Guy.  Thinking about the MM pizza, made me think about the pizza knife I got at the market in Arles in March.

I bought it just because I thought it was interesting and it matched the set of steak knives that I also bought.  But it works really well, due to the rounded blade.

They are so colorful!  They carry the name Laguiole on them.

And they have a bee on the top.  Inox means stainless steel, in French.

I strongly suspect that my little set is a knock-off, but I really don't care.  They make me happy.  When I am in Arles again next spring, I plan to buy the matching forks and spoons.

Next time I am ready to make pizza, I am going to try to make my own Magical Mystery Tour.  Forget the tomato sauce and go with pesto.

Basil Pesto
(makes 1 cup)

2 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1/3 c. pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine basil and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add garlic and pulse until smooth.  Add 1/2 c. olive oil in a steady stream while food processor is on.  Stop and scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add cheese and process until well-blended.  Season with salt and pepper.  (Start with a pinch of salt and adjust to suit your taste.)

You can freeze pesto for up to 3 months.  If you plan to do this, do not add the cheese.  Transfer it to an air-tight container, cover with about 1/4 cup more olive oil and seal.  When ready to serve, thaw and add cheese.

This is good on bread or on pasta instead of tomato sauce.

But if you happen to be in Arles on a Saturday morning, go to the market and don't leave until you find the couple who sell pesto- pistou vert.  They have lots of other spreads that are all delicious, but their pistou vert is the best.  I brought three jars home with me.  I did give one to the BFF.  I am able to share sometimes.

Bon appétit, Some French Guy and Yosef!

Tarte aux fraises

I've had a request from one of the girlies for a strawberry tarte- une tarte aux fraises.  I am only too happy to oblige.  I am going to post two different ones...

I found the first one in one of my favorite cookbooks, My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde.  Joanne Harris is also the author of one of my favorite books, Chocolat, which was turned into one of my favorite movies by the same name (Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche).  Oh là là!  Lots of favorites for so early in the morning.

Strawberry Tart
serves 6

For the almond pastry:
1-1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. (2 oz.) ground almonds (use a food processor-- SC note- I use a coffee grinder, one that I use just for spices or almonds)
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. (1-3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus softened butter for the pan
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
2 to 3 large egg yolks, beaten

For the filling:
1/2 c. red currant jelly
2 lbs. fresh strawberries, tops trimmed

Make the pastry.  Mix the flour and ground almonds.  Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.  (Remember-- cool kitchen and cool fingers, if you can.)  Mix in the brown sugar.  Using a round-ended knife in a cutting motion, add enough of the egg yolks until the ingredients come together into a dough ball.  Lightly knead the dough on a cool, floured work surface to ensure an evenly blended pastry.  Wrap and refrigerate to chill and rest for 40 minutes.

Lightly butter a 10-inch tart part with a removable bottom.  Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then line the pan.  Refrigerate to chill and relax for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375F.

Line the pastry shell with parchment paper and dried beans or pastry weights and bake for 20 minutes.  Then remove the paper and beans, reduce the heat to 300F and bake for 25 minutes, until the tart shell is golden and set.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Gently heat the jelly in a small saucepan over low heat until thin and smooth.  Allow the jelly to cool a little.

Carefully release the cooled tart shell and transfer it to a large, flat plate.  Take care, as this pastry is fragile.  Cut any large strawberries into smaller pieces, then pile the fruit into the shell.  Spoon the warm jelly over the strawberries to give an even coating.  Leave to set for 1 hour, then serve.

This one is from Clémentine in the Kitchen by Samuel Chamberlain, another wonderful book.  It is about an American family, living in Senlis (we've had penpals and an exchange with a school in this town) and their French cook, Clémentine.


Tarte aux Fraises
serves 6

Pastry
(I usually cheat and buy one...we did this in Arles, too.  Get the refrigerated kind, let it warm up a little bit so that it is easier to work with before rolling it out and lining the pan.)

But if you want to make your own, here is Julia Child's recipe for pâte brisée-

"You must train yourself to work rapidly, particularly if your kitchen is warm, so that the butter will soften as little as possible.  Use very quick, light movements, and do not linger on the dough at all with the warm palms of your hands.  A pastry blender may be used if you wish, but a necessary part of learning how to cook is to get the feel of the dough in your fingers.  Il faut mettre la main à la pâte!"

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 sticks chilled butter cut into 1/2-inch bits*
A scant half cup of iced water, plus more droplets as needed

*Julia actually calls for 1-1/2 sticks of butter and 4 Tbsp. of chilled shortening.  I don't use shortening anymore when I cook so I use all butter.

Place flour, salt, sugar and butter in a big mixing bowl.  Rub the flour and butter together rapidly between the tips of your fingers until the butter is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes.  Do not overdo this step as the butter will be blended more thoroughly later.
Add the water and blend quickly with one hand, fingers held together and slightly cupped, as you rapidly gather the dough into a mass.  Sprinkle up to 1 tablespoon more water by droplets over any unmassed remains and add them to the main body of the dough.  Then press the dough firmly into a roughly shaped ball.  It should just hold together and be pliable, but not sticky.
Place the dough on a lightly floured pastry board.  With the heel of one hand, not the palm which is too warm, rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches.  This constitutes the final blending of fat and flour, or frisage.
With a scraper or spatula, gather the dough again into a mass; knead it briefly into a fairly smooth round ball.  Sprinkle it lightly with flour and wrap it in waxed paper.  Either place it in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator for about one hour until it is firm but not congealed, or refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.  Uncooked pastry dough will keep for 2-3 days under refrigeration, or may be frozen for several weeks.  Always wrap it airtight in waxed paper and a plastic bag.

Back to the tart:

Strawberries
Raspberry jelly

Use your favorite pastry recipe.  Line a 9-inch pie pan (or a straight-sided tart ring) with a thin layer of the pastry dough.  Prick the bottom of the dough well all over with a fork.  Press a sheet of aluminum foil over it and fill with dried beans.  Bake the pastry shell for about 10 minutes in a preheated 400F oven.  Remove the foil and beans and lower the over heat to 350F.  Bake the shell for another 7-10 minutes or until it is lightly browned.
Cool the shell and fill it just before serving with neat circles of raw hulled strawberries, stem ends down.  Have ready 1 cup of the jelly stirred thoroughly with 2 tablespoons of water.  Spoon this over the strawberries and heat the tart for 5 minutes in a hot oven.  Serve immediately.

Voilà!  Remember to take photos, la petite mère Catherine, if you make a tarte with your fraises and send one to me.

Bon appétit, la tarte aux fraises (and Johnny Depp)!

Where would you live?

I recently sent out an email to some of my friends (at least I hope they are still my friends) asking where they would live if money weren't an object.  Quite a few answered (anything to get out of averaging grades, writing comments, dusting, washing dishes, walking the dog, etc.).  Some have no idea, some would keep their present home and buy another one (or three) in Europe, at the beach, on a lake, in the mountains, or on a ski slope.  I would keep my Durham home, but I would have a little house in the middle of a lavender field in Provence.  No hesitation on that one.  And if the conditions were right, I would be there this very moment.  (For my 8th graders out there, here is the perfect setting to use the si + imparfait = conditionnel structure that I just taught you!  Si j'avais une petite maison au milieu d'un champ de lavande en Provence, j'y serais en ce moment.  I even snuck in an object pronoun-- quel bon prof, huh?)
Anyway, Chef Dorette sent a wonderful story.  She wrote it up for her blog and here's the link--
http://cestsibon.typepad.com/planting_cabbages/2010/06/a-world-of-lavender-boars-and-lamb-oh-and-a-bat.html.

I am now off to the kitchen to experiment with Julia Child's recipe for Épinards à la Crème or Creamed Spinach.  Wish me luck.  Bonne chance!

Bon appétit, Dorette et la Provence!

New blog!

This photo was sent to me by Gary, the world's best handyman/locksmith/garden helper/etc.  His mom, Judy, took it, with no staging.  I love it-- the curtains, the chair covering, the lace tablecloth and the beautiful, shiny peppers.  They just look plain old happy, don't they?  My grandfather used to make delicious stuffed peppers when I was a little girl hanging out in his kitchen.  I miss you, Papa.  I wish we could cook together just once.  I am a great assistante!
A friend sent a link to a neighbor's food blog--
http://girlinanapron.blogspot.com/
Great recipes and beautiful photos from Asheville, NC!!  A mountain girl, no less.  Check it out!

Bon appétit, Girl in an apron and Judy!

Lavender photos

Arles Lucy and I took a short road trip on Sunday.  We went to northern Orange county for Sunshine Lavender Farm's harvest celebration.  I just finished writing about it for next week's newspaper article, but I just have to post some of the photos I took of our afternoon.
It was a beautiful day.  Hot, but it's hot in Provence during the summer, too, so that's appropriate.  The heat of the sun releases the heavenly perfume of the flowers.  

We ate chocolate lavender ice cream from Maple View Farms first.

Trop bonne, la glace au chocolat à la lavande.
Lavender flowers can be white.  I did not know that!

Annie has a drying barn for her lavender.

She surrounds herself with beautiful lavender objets.

Lucy bought a wreath made by Annie's mom who also grows lavender at her home in Virginia.  This one is made with flowers from the Hidcote variety of lavender.

We felt it was our duty to try the vanilla lavender ice cream, too.

La glace à la vanille à la lavande -- très bonne aussi.
There are a few resting spots on the farm...

More lovely lavender...

I just couldn't stop snapping photos.

In the barn, the photo on Annie's calendar was the Abbaye de Sénanque.  Arles Lucy and I let out a long sigh as we remembered our trip there...

Merci, Annie for a wonderful day!

Annie's Old Fashioned Chocolate Lavender Ice Cream(makes 4 quarts)

2 -2/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
6 c. milk
4 eggs, beaten
6 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 -1/3 c. half and half
2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. or one small tea ball packed with lavender florets, fresh, dried or culinary

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan.  With tea ball suspended on edge of saucepan, gradually stir in milk.  If using loose florets, just add them to the milk.  Cover and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs.  Add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes).  Stir in melted chocolate.  Beat with a whisk until mixture is smooth.  Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla.  (You may remove the tea ball now or strain the florets out with cheesecloth for a lighter lavender taste or leave in during the cooling process for more flavor.**)  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Freeze as directed.

Annie's note:  "If I am making ice cream from scratch, I splurge and go the rich and creamy route.  Some folks need a lighter, lower fat version, so here ya go!"

For lower fat recipe:
Substitute 1% milk for whole milk, whole milk for half and half and evaporated skim milk for whipping cream.  Higher fat dairy products - such as whipping cream- create a smooth, rich and creamy dessert.  Lower fat dairy products create a lighter dessert with a slightly different, less smooth texture.

** My note:  Maple View Farms ice cream had little bits of the lavender florets still in the ice cream.  I like it that way.  I grind my lavender pretty finely in a coffee grinder before I cook with it.

 Bon appétit, Annie et la lavande!


**Maple View ice cream still has small pieces of florets in it and I really liked it that way

Baby goats!

One of my now former students (he moves on to high school in the fall), invited me to his farm on Sunday to visit the goats he and his family raise.  He knows how I love them and their cheese!  His family doesn't raise them for the milk, though.  They raise them for meat.  Goat Boy has also won prizes for his prowess in training his goats for shows.  He most recently competed at the 65th Annual Central Piedmont Junior Livestock Show and Sale in Orange County.  He took his Boer goat named Bob and placed second individually in the Skill-a-Thon and first place in the Junior Showmanship Meat Goat class.  Goat Boy is a third-generation member of the 4H.

One of their does recently had triplets.  The mama then developed health problems and died so now the babies have to be bottle fed.  I learned that kids eat whenever they catch the mom standing still, but only a little bit of milk at a time.

GB and his mom have their hands full keeping the little guys fed and relatively clean!  The mama goat usually takes care of that chore, too.

I had a very hard time getting all three of them in the same place at the same time!

Aren't they adorable?
This one is a little bit older.  I can't remember his name.  I don't think it is Bob because Bob has little horns already.   But maybe you just can't see them in this photo.

I was also treated to lunch.  Goat Boy's parents have a Mexican restaurant here in Durham, Tienda Mi Pueblo.  I've had their burritos before and, oh my gosh, are they good!  This time I was treated to tostados.  These are made with a deep-fried tortilla as the base.  Then all the goodies are added.  My first one was with chicken and the second was with pork.  I had to try them both, of course!  The ingredients were layered-- the tortilla, refried beans, the chicken or pork mixture, lettuce, pico de gallo, and two kinds of cheese, a crème fraîche-type cheese and then a sprinkled one.  I need to remedy the fact that I know very little about Mexican cuisine (except that I love to eat it...).  You pick it up and eat it with your hands.  My favorite way of eating.  A little messy but all the better, in my humble opinion.

I was served horchata, a cinnamon-rice milk that was heavenly.  Very refreshing.
It was such a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Here's a recipe for a cheese spread from the Home Fries and Wine Authorities cooking class held at the Durham Farmers' Market on May 15.

Cheese Spread
(serves 4 adults or 6 kids)

4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1/2 fresh lemon
1-2 oz. milk or heavy cream
1 Tbsp. finely chopped herbs such as rosemary, oregano, tarragon, thyme
Pinch Kosher salt
Pinch black pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped
20 large croutons
Olive oil

Blend cheeses, lemon juice and herbs with salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth.  Add a touch of milk or heavy cream to help get the blade spinning.  Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with scallions and serve with toasted bread croutons brushed with olive oil.

Bon appétit, Alejandro Goat Boy et les chèvres!

We're parents!

Yes, the BFF and I have a baby in our garden!  A tiny little pepper.  We are so proud.  Everything else is coming along, but I am worried that our garden does not get enough sunlight.  We shall see.  At any rate, we've registered the little fellow at Stone Brothers & Byrd in downtown Durham.  Maybe we need a support group?
We planted eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette) and tomatoes (tomates) because I want to make ratatouille this summer using my own vegetables, if possible.  Once again, we shall see.
The tomatoes on my deck are growing.

The oregano is thriving.

As is the rosemary.

So even if I have to buy my vegetables from the farmers' market, I will make ratatouille eventually.

This dish, one of Chef Érick's specialties, uses basically the same ingredients as ratatouille, but has a different taste since the vegetables are cooked separately.  If there are leftovers, however, and they are refrigerated, the flavors will mix and become more ratatouille-like.

A tian is a red clay baking dish of Provence.  They are perfect for baking in the oven.  I own one, a gift from the kitchen in Arles.   I brought it home from my sabbatical in my carry-on bag.  I was taking no chances on breaking it.

Le Tian Provençal de Légumes d'Été -- Mixed Summer Vegetables Provençal

2 fat eggplant
3 zucchini
4 tomatoes
1 bell pepper (color of choice)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
Coarse sea salt
Thyme or herbes de Provence
1/2 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. grated cheese (Swiss, Emmental, or Gruyère)

Cut the eggplant in rounds and salt liberally.  Set aside to sweat for an hour.  Cut the zucchini in rounds, the tomatoes likewise, set aside.  Mince the onions and chop the bell pepper in small pieces, set aside.

Pour olive oil in a large frying pan, heat and lightly fry the minced onions and bell peppers, simply melting them down, reducing them, to a smooth caramelized mixture.  Remove with a slotted spoon and layer on the bottom of an oven-proof dish (tian).  Next fry the zucchini rounds, a minute per side, in the oil.  Drain on paper towels.

Rinse the eggplant rounds of their excess salt, tap them dry and then fry them a minute on each side and drain on paper towels.

Crush and chop the garlic.

To assemble the tian:  Place the onion and pepper mixture on the bottom, make a layer of eggplant, then tomato slices, a bit of the chopped garlic, crumbled bay leaf, a little salt and thyme and then a layer of zucchini.  Continue layering until you've used all the vegetables and the tian is full.  Sprinkle the top with cheese and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 375F/180C.  Be sure there is enough liquid in the dish to prevent drying in the oven.  Add a little water, if necessary.

Bon appétit, légumes d'été and our new baby!