Stuff

Green figs from the garden!

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The nice surprise of the summer:  our fig tree has produced a lot of lovely, sweet green figs! We have always had a little fig tree, but in the past, it has never yielded much because it was basically buried by bamboo growing into our yard from the neighbors.  This spring, I got ambitious and […]

Green figs from the garden! Read More »

Slide 1

The nice surprise of the summer:  our fig tree has produced a lot of lovely, sweet green figs! We have always had a little fig tree, but in the past, it has never yielded much because it was basically buried by bamboo growing into our yard from the neighbors.  This spring, I got ambitious and

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Fish and seafood | Recipes

Baked tomatoes stuffed with sardines, roasted peppers and capers

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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 »

Slide 1

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

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Stuff

Patou at work

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Somewhere along the GR10 in the central Pyrenees mountains, a Great Pyrenees sheepdog protecting its troop of sheep.  Know as a “Patou” in the local dialect, these are guard dogs, not herders.  That job falls to another dog, usually a border collie or other herding specialist. Thanks to Doug McDonnal and Lisa St. George (who

Patou at work Read More »

Slide 1

Somewhere along the GR10 in the central Pyrenees mountains, a Great Pyrenees sheepdog protecting its troop of sheep.  Know as a “Patou” in the local dialect, these are guard dogs, not herders.  That job falls to another dog, usually a border collie or other herding specialist. Thanks to Doug McDonnal and Lisa St. George (who

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Stuff

Melons de Lectoure

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It’s a cliché, but a perfectly ripe melon and a perfectly dry-aged ham are an incomparable combination.  If you really want to gild the lilly, add a chiffonnade of fresh mint and serve with a sweet white wine from Jurançon, a dry sherry or even an off-dry sparkling wine. The season for melons de Lectoure

Melons de Lectoure Read More »

Slide 1

It’s a cliché, but a perfectly ripe melon and a perfectly dry-aged ham are an incomparable combination.  If you really want to gild the lilly, add a chiffonnade of fresh mint and serve with a sweet white wine from Jurançon, a dry sherry or even an off-dry sparkling wine. The season for melons de Lectoure

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Fish and seafood

Sardines en persillade “a la plancha”

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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 »

Slide 1

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,

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Stuff

Happy Quatorze Juillet!

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Happy Bastille Day everyone!  Here I am firing up the Weber and doing some BBQin’ for two: steak, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and more, all washed down with a nice bottle of Burgundy!  It is 36 degrees C here (which equals VERY HOT in degrees F), which explains the bandana.

Happy Quatorze Juillet! Read More »

Slide 1

Happy Bastille Day everyone!  Here I am firing up the Weber and doing some BBQin’ for two: steak, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and more, all washed down with a nice bottle of Burgundy!  It is 36 degrees C here (which equals VERY HOT in degrees F), which explains the bandana.

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Recipes | Savory Dishes

Pork cheeks braised with Normandy apple cider and violet artichokes

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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 »

Slide 1

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

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Stuff

Transhumance in the Vallée d’Aspe

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The transhumance is the practice of moving livestock to high mountain pastures as the weather warms in early summer.  As I learned when I visited the Fromagerie Écologique Agour Irati, this ancient practice has economic and culinary roots. Moving the flock to communal mountain pastures in the summer allows the farmer to use his land

Transhumance in the Vallée d’Aspe Read More »

Slide 1

The transhumance is the practice of moving livestock to high mountain pastures as the weather warms in early summer.  As I learned when I visited the Fromagerie Écologique Agour Irati, this ancient practice has economic and culinary roots. Moving the flock to communal mountain pastures in the summer allows the farmer to use his land

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Recipes | Veggies

Fava Bean Hummus

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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

Fava Bean Hummus Read More »

Slide 1

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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