Dried hot chilies

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we grew habanero and jalapeño chilies this year, with some success.  That makes sense, given that we are only about 30 minutes from the area where piment d’Espelette is grown.  We planted six plants, three of each kind, in a part of our garden that not only gets […]

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, we grew habanero and jalapeño chilies this year, with some success.  That makes sense, given that we are only about 30 minutes from the area where piment d’Espelette is grown.  We planted six plants, three of each kind, in a part of our garden that not only gets

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Apple butter

Here is another recipe from my grandma’s favorite cookbook, “The Lilly Wallace New American Cookbook”. For those of you who are too young to remember apple butter, there is no butter in apple butter. It is, instead, like apple sauce reduced to the constancy and sweetness of jam.  My grandma flavored hers with warm spices,

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Here is another recipe from my grandma’s favorite cookbook, “The Lilly Wallace New American Cookbook”. For those of you who are too young to remember apple butter, there is no butter in apple butter. It is, instead, like apple sauce reduced to the constancy and sweetness of jam.  My grandma flavored hers with warm spices,

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Pickled green cherry tomatoes and pearl onions

I tasted my green cherry tomato-pearl onion pickles recently and I think they turned out very well.  So I am passing on the recipe. Note that this same method could be used for many veggies, such as green beans, cabbage and cauliflower.

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I tasted my green cherry tomato-pearl onion pickles recently and I think they turned out very well.  So I am passing on the recipe. Note that this same method could be used for many veggies, such as green beans, cabbage and cauliflower.

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Roasted tomatoes

Tomatoes from our garden, ready for roasting, to go into a soup made with roasted tomato and garlic, basil and a bit of crème fraîche.  If you are thinking “do we have to hear more about what Jim is growing in his garden?”, I can only ask for your indulgence.  I am a dyed-in-the-wool city

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Tomatoes from our garden, ready for roasting, to go into a soup made with roasted tomato and garlic, basil and a bit of crème fraîche.  If you are thinking “do we have to hear more about what Jim is growing in his garden?”, I can only ask for your indulgence.  I am a dyed-in-the-wool city

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Roasted figs for dessert

Figs, figs and more figs!  Our little fig tree has really over achieved this year! Big, fat, juicy green figs with the most succulent deep red interior.  A true taste of summer.  But we have sooo many! We have given figs to all the neighbors, I have made jam twice, we eat figs with the

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Figs, figs and more figs!  Our little fig tree has really over achieved this year! Big, fat, juicy green figs with the most succulent deep red interior.  A true taste of summer.  But we have sooo many! We have given figs to all the neighbors, I have made jam twice, we eat figs with the

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Photos from les Fêtes d’Orthez

The city festival for Orthez has come and gone for another year, and with its ending, it feels like the summer has reached its height. Everyone runs a little amok, then gets back to the business of life.  Ortheziennes are starting to talk about the upcoming return to work and school.  Here are a few

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The city festival for Orthez has come and gone for another year, and with its ending, it feels like the summer has reached its height. Everyone runs a little amok, then gets back to the business of life.  Ortheziennes are starting to talk about the upcoming return to work and school.  Here are a few

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Is it fall yet? The harvest has started.

Couple days ago, we pulled the onions we planted last winter, a yield of about 2 gallons of small onions, not bad for a plot of about a meter and a half on a side.  They are firm, crunchy and delicious…should last us for a couple months.  I think that they would have gotten bigger

Is it fall yet? The harvest has started. Read More »

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Couple days ago, we pulled the onions we planted last winter, a yield of about 2 gallons of small onions, not bad for a plot of about a meter and a half on a side.  They are firm, crunchy and delicious…should last us for a couple months.  I think that they would have gotten bigger

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Making use of storm loss

On a recent warm evening, a storm passed through Orthez, with wind and beating rain.  We were snug inside but the cherry tomatoes took a hit;  the next morning I discovered a lot of green tomatoes on the ground around the plants.  My mom used to make pickled green tomatoes using the same recipe she

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Slide 1

On a recent warm evening, a storm passed through Orthez, with wind and beating rain.  We were snug inside but the cherry tomatoes took a hit;  the next morning I discovered a lot of green tomatoes on the ground around the plants.  My mom used to make pickled green tomatoes using the same recipe she

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Country bread tartines with fresh goat’s milk cheese, marinated anchovies and grilled vegetable relish

This take on the Italian favorite bruschetta came about as a way to use leftover grilled vegetables.  I had grilled fish filets with summer veggies and had veggies left over.  Of course, you can start from scratch but it seems like a lot of work for what was, for us, a light summer supper.

Country bread tartines with fresh goat’s milk cheese, marinated anchovies and grilled vegetable relish Read More »

Slide 1

This take on the Italian favorite bruschetta came about as a way to use leftover grilled vegetables.  I had grilled fish filets with summer veggies and had veggies left over.  Of course, you can start from scratch but it seems like a lot of work for what was, for us, a light summer supper.

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