I am always unprepared for the intensity of this season, ruled by the sun and violent storms. The heat feels suffocating and damp, and when the wind blows, it is a hot wind. Every day the shining white clouds build up into flickering, violet storms piled high in the hazy sky, and where they break…
Tag: French recipes
CHANTERELLES: A French Recipe For Wild-harvested Mushrooms
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…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
LANGUE DE BOEUF EN SAUCE: Beef Tongue in Sauce
We recently culled some beef, and this time we managed to salvage the tongues. Tongue isn’t often eaten any more, although not so long ago it was an economical cut of meat at the grocery store. The first time I tried cooking a beef tongue, I was a little bit horrified at the graphic nature…
Sweet And Sour Turnips With Mizuna
In the garden there is currently an abundance of my two favorite kinds of turnips – Scarlet Ohno Revival and Purple Top. I love these varieties for their flavor, color, and prolific harvests – too prolific sometimes! Just last week I was asking a lady at the grocery store who was checking out with…
BOEUF BOUILLI AU LARD ET AUX POMMES DE TERRE: Boiled Beef With Bacon And Potatoes
If you have tried making serious broth, or have left-overs from a Pot-au-feu, you will likely find yourself with a cold boiled beef roast. It really doesn’t sound very appealing, but there many French recipes that incorporate cold boiled beef. This one could pass for a rich breakfast, a hearty lunch, or a satisfying dinner….
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 