Paula Wolfert called this dish “one of the great combinations of Moroccan cookery”, and its hard to argue with her. Its a very satisfying dish indeed, especially when made with the legs of older, free-range farm chickens, full of flavor. And be sure to use lemons you have preserved yourself (see my recipe for preserved …
Chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemon Read More »
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The perfect recipe for summer, when tomatoes and sardines are both in season. Note that you can replace the fresh sardines with canned tuna, sardines or mackerel, which makes the prep a lot easier. This recipe can be made ahead to the point of the final bake then held in the fridge and baked just …
Baked tomatoes stuffed with sardines, roasted peppers and capers Read More »
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Simple, quick and delicious, grilling on the plancha is perhaps THE arch-typical cooking technique of southwestern of France. A plancha is a heavy, flat-topped grill, and in the southwest, one cooks most everything on it. Sausages, whole fish, shellfish (if you see razor clams on the plancha on a menu, order it!), chicken, duck hearts, …
Sardines en persillade “a la plancha” Read More »
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Tiny violet artichokes are one of the joys of late spring. The pale green new leaves are tender enough to eat whole, especially if slowly braised. Pairing them with rich, meaty pork cheeks simmered in Normandy apple cider, is a sure winner; the region of Normandy is known for pork, apples and artichokes so it …
Pork cheeks braised with Normandy apple cider and violet artichokes Read More »
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Still another way to enjoy fava beans during their (too short!) season. Thanks to my good friend Kelly Lillis for this recipe, which I first enjoyed at her home. This recipe works great for fava beans that have started to get starchy, save tender young favas for another use. The recipe is very quick and …
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When planting fava beans for ground cover and to add nutrients to poor soil, one tends to forget that, with very little work, you may end up with a whole bunch of fava beans. One of the beauties of favas is that, not only are the beans delicious, but the leaves and flowers are edible …
Pork chipolatas sauteed with fava beans, fava leaves and green garlic. Read More »
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Living need the Pyrenees, where sheep’s milk cheese is king, inevitably means spring lamb. Ewes need to have lambs to continue producing milk, and the male lambs are of very little use on a dairy farm. Thus in the spring, when they are between 30 and 50 days old, the male lambs are culled from …
Spring lamb sweetbreads with cream and leeks Read More »
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Green asparagus from Les Landes were in the market for the first time this spring, a true cause for celebration. The area of Les Landes is just north of the Béarn, and is known for its sandy soil (and in 2022, for its terrible forest fires!) that is perfect for asparagus. Les Landes asparagus is …
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After the longest of winters, spring always arrives…it just seems to take a long, long time years! So the first spring vegetables to grace the market tables are always a cause for celebration. Last Saturday, I found spring green garlic, which I snapped up, along with last of the season Jerusalem artichokes. The two ended …
First signs of Spring Read More »
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Late winter-early spring is a lean time at the farmer’s market (wow, hearing myself say that, it is hard to believe that it is already turning toward spring!). The last of the fall harvest – winter squashes, pears, apples, onions, garlic – are getting old and a little rough looking. Spring veggies are still just …
Gratin of green chard Read More »
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