The goats have been escaping. They are penned in with electric netting in an area of about five woodland acres, loaded with new, brushy growth and grape vines. It should be goat heaven, but they can’t stand to stay in for more than a few hours. I am going in, walking the fences to…
Category: French recipes
DARNE DE SAUMON A LA MAITRE D’HOTEL: French Grilled Salmon
For my birthday recently my mom bought a whole premium Scottish salmon from Northwest Seafood. We brought some of it home to try out this delicious grilled salmon recipe in La Cuisine. It’s simple, rich, and delicious. Usually I re-write the recipes to be in a more modern format, but this recipe is…
OEUFS FARCIS: French Stuffed Eggs
It’s so fun dyeing eggs for Easter, that we always hard boil at least 3 dozens. Twelve eggs for each child seems to be a satisfactory number for dyeing, but then we are left with the question – what do we do with them once we are tired of egg salad? Yes, there’s egg salad…
FRICASSEÉ DE POULET: Chicken Fricassee
This chicken recipe wasn’t too involved…if you don’t mind quartering a chicken, and taking several steps during the cooking. So yeah, it wasn’t the easiest recipe by any means….but it was really, really good. The flavors were just excellent, and you have a chicken frame to put into broth afterwards, so it’s a budget-stretcher as…
ÉPINARDS À LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL: Spinach, The Butler’s Way (or beet greens)
Confession: I’m terrible at growing spinach. It just doesn’t like my garden, or maybe it just doesn’t like me. I like spinach, but I just can’t seem to grow it. I’ve tried starting it at different times of the season, in different conditions, with either coddling or neglect (some plants do better with one of…
BETTERAVES EN SALADE: Beet Salad
I have found beets difficult to grow here, so I am pleased to have a decent crop this spring. They just don’t grow well in acidic soil, and I have found that sprinkling lime on just after I plant the seeds helps them actually grow. I grew out a beet trial this year, with five…
OMELETTE AU JAMBON: Ham Omelet
We finally roasted the ham we had curing in brine for several weeks. The best part about ham, I think, is leftover ham. There’s so much you can do with it. Ham sandwiches, added to quiche, diced up with potatoes. Still, there’s nothing that goes together so well as ham and eggs. With all the…
SOUPE AU POISSON: Fish Soup
Fish is one of those special “boughten” foods we don’t get to enjoy often. With a freezer packed full of home-grown grassfed beef, pastured pork and chicken, it’s hard to justify buying fish. But fresh fish is just SO good (with emphasis on fresh)! I’ve gotten some disappointing grocery store fish, so look out…
POTAGE CRÉCY: Carrot Soup
I got into a whirl this spring, and didn’t thin the carrots until it was too late. They are gnarly-looking, but turned out very sweet. Three different kinds were grown out in a sort of carrot experiment: Oxheart carrots, Chatenay Red Core, and an interesting red carrot that I intend to save seeds from…
FOIE DE BOEUF SUR LE GRIL: Grilled Beef Liver
Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense parts of the animal, and I am always collecting good liver recipes and suggestions. Because it creates enzymes and is tied in with the gall bladder, even with careful handling it retains a slightly bitter flavor from the gall. This, to date, is my absolutely favorite liver recipe. …
TARTE AUX FRAISES: Strawberry Tart
Happy Valentine’s Day! Fresh strawberries and rich pastry crust make this delicious and simple recipe a perfect way to celebrate! This recipe starts with the crust. Adding the strawberries is simple and is translated below, along with US measurements for the ingredients. I didn’t have enough strawberries to make a large tart, so I made…
NAVETS A LA BÉCHAMEL: Turnips With Béchamel Sauce
Turnips Béchamel, or turnips in a creamy white sauce. La Cuisine details the choosing of a good turnip: “You must choose turnips that are white and firm, not too large, but heavy (because many are hollow).” This being The Year Of The Enormous Turnip in the garden, I had to skip over the “not too…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 