I finally did it!

I spent this past weekend in Ohio celebrating the birthdays of my sister Susan, and her grandsons and my great nephews who are turning one today.

My niece has the perfect backyard for entertaining.  A new deck and outdoor kitchen were installed this year.

There's even a koi pond.

Kelsey made pizzas on the grill for my sister's birthday and I made salads with roasted goat cheese and a tomato vinaigrette.

Dessert was a carrot cake with buttercream frosting made by Kelsey.

The backyard was decorated with 150 helium balloons for the boys' birthday party the following day.

The twins each had their own GIANT cupcake.  Even after their bath we were finding chocolate cake under fingernails and inbetween toes.  More cake made it into their ears than into their mouths.

                             The adults ate smaller versions

... and fruit and salads, mini hamburgers and turkey burgers, etc., etc.  I'm amazed at what Kelsey accomplishes with two small boys under foot. 

I used a tomato vinegar that Susan purchased at a market in Provence this summer, to make the vinaigrette for the salad with roasted goat cheese.  I haven't located the vinegar here in the states, so I am posting a recipe by Lydie Marshall for her Roasted Chevre salad that I have made many times before.  Enjoy!

                      GREEN SALAD with ROASTED CHEVRE
                         from Chez Nous by Lydie Marshall

One 11-ounce cold Montrachet goat cheese, sliced into eight            1/2-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coarse homemade bread crumbs
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 pound arugula, large stems removed
1/2 pound red leaf lettuce

   Sprinkle the cheese with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
   In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
   Quickly dip the cheese first in the beaten egg, then in the bread crumbs.  Fry the goat cheese, turning it over once until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  The cheese should be slightly melted inside and crisp on the outside (the domestic Montrachet takes longer to melt than the softer French Montrachet).
   In a large mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar with the remaining olive oil, yogurt, and tarragon.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
   Toss the salad greens in the dressing.  Taste and correct seasoning. 
   Serve the salad on individual plates with the fried chevre on top. 

After a spring and summer of anticipation I am filled with more anticipation.  I can't remember a summer when I've waited longer to savor one of my home-grown tomatoes.  If I encounter another gardener, the topic of conversation is whether or not there are any tomatoes ripening on any of our plants.  This is followed by a combined sigh of relief once we confirm it's not an isolated misfortune, but a dilemma every gardener is dealing with this year.  I was finally able to pick several tomatoes yesterday, and yesterday was August 5th!  Previous years, August days have been spent strategically planning how to deal with the almost unmanageable influx of tomatoes.  That hasn't been the case this year... yet.

Last night we had my daughter's dear friend Allison for dinner.  Allison is moving to Washington D.C. this week to attend law school at George Washington University.  We're happy for Allison, but also very sad to see her go.  I was determined to find enough garden tomatoes to include in our meal.  I settled on Bruschetta Rossa.

Almost nothing says sweet summer tomatoes better than fresh tomato bruschetta.  Your kitchen will smell fabulous when you're making this.

                                    BRUSCHETTA ROSSA
                  adapted from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook

3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (firmly packed) basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and split lengthwise
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal 1/2-inch thick

1.  To peel the tomatoes, bring water to a boil in a large pot.  Prepare a bowl of ice water large enough to hold the tomatoes.  Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse them in the ice water until cool.  Using the tip of a paring knife, core and peel the tomatoes.
2.  Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze them gently to remove their seeds and excess juice.  Chop the tomatoes and place in a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper.
3.  Thinly slice the basil leaves and toss with the tomatoes.  Add the olive oil and all but 2 of the garlic halves.  Stir well to combine and marinate for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
4.  To serve, grill the bread until golden brown.  While the toast is still warm, rub each piece with the reserved garlic halves. 
5.  Use a slotted spoon to place a generous serving of the tomatoes onto each garlic-rubbed toast, omitting the garlic cloves.  Serve immediately. 

When I was in the south of France this summer I became fascinated by the cast-bronze doorknockers in the shape of hands.  The first hand I came across was in Maussanes, altho' it was mounted next to the door and was stationary.  Perhaps a symbol of welcoming?

When we arrived in Arles and strolled through the Centre Ville, I began to notice them frequently.  I don't know if the hands are unique to this area in France, or if they were just so abundant they became more obvious to me. 

                           They all bore an age-old patina.

          No mass production here.  Each hand was one-of-a-kind.

          Each cuff was unique and several of the hands wore rings.

I may need to log onto French eBay and see if any bronze hands are available in antiquities.

My kitchen is too warm and I've been gone too much this summer to participate in the July Daring Bakers Challenge, so I thought I'd take you for a tour of my garden. 

I have one lone eggplant after the resident bunny mowed down the other, but the remaining plant should provide enough for my summer ratatouille and eggplant parmesan.  The basil is still awaiting the ripening of my twenty heirloom tomato plants. 

I have two urns filled with rosemary and thyme.  They'll be transplanted into smaller containers in the fall and moved indoors for the winter months.

                       DILLED POTATO-GREEN BEAN SALAD
               (Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen by Lorna Sass)

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 pound just-cooked small new potatoes with skins on
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup tightly packed minced fresh dill
1 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam green beans for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.  Run under cold water.  Drain thoroughly.  Cut into thirds lengthwise.  Place in serving bowl.  Cut cooked new potatoes into quarters.  Add potatoes and walnuts to beans.  In a food processor or blender, combine oil, 3/4 cup dill, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper.  Blend to a thick, creamy dressing.  Taste and add more mustard or vinegar, if desired.  Toss dill-mustard vinaigrette into potato-bean mixture.  Let mixture marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.  Adjust seasonings before serving, adding more dill, if desired. 

This post is for my husband.  I've been trying to get him to sit down and look at the photos I took of this golf course in France, but it hasn't happened. 

It wouldn't be truthful if I said we entered the grounds of this golf club to take photos for him, altho' I have been trying to lure him to the south of France on the premise that he could play golf while I'm exploring cafes, markets, patisseries, and antique shops.  Susan and I stopped when we saw "restaurant" on the sign.  We were getting hungry.

I'm not sure what the buildings of this golf club were originally.  Maybe part of a farm? 

                    A simple, but elegant interior.  Very French.

I thought it was interesting that each table had opened bottles of red wine, ready to go.  Also very French.

     Was the chilled champagne for a golfer celebrating a hole-in-one?

I've always said, "You'll never get me to live on a golf course!", but I wouldn't mind living next to this place.

I am always in search of olive oil when I am in France and usually haul home several.  This past trip was no different.  Two of the oils I bought were purchased at an outdoor market.  One was purchased in Malaucene and the other in Carpentras.  Our friends Maria and Dieter have spoken often of their favorite olive oil that is produced in France near the charming Provencal village of Maussanes Les Alpilles.  Since Maussanes was on our way to Arles, where we spent our last night in France before returning to Germany, we naturally planned a stop to visit the mill and salesroom where the oil is produced and sold. 

Once you reach Moulin Mas Des Barres, you drive through the grove of olive trees...

until you reach the buildings that house the mill, salesroom, commercial kitchen and dining room.   I peeked into the kitchen where they  were assembling desserts.  We were told that Mas Des Barres prepares lunch for tours of 30 or more people.

I would have been very happy sitting at this table with a  French baguette and a glass of wine.

      The cafe table and chairs were covered by a canopy of fig trees.

How I wish figs would grow in Minnesota!

There was a charming salesroom (I could find a place for that cupboard somewhere in my house!)...

                               that sold regional food items...

                             soaps in the shape of olives...

and of course, Moulin Mas Des Barres Olive Oil.

Owner/manager Rene Ouenin spoke with us (or I should say my daughter, since he spoke no English) about this area of Provence.  His home is right next door.  I tried to imagine what it would be like waking up every morning on this incredible property.  He seemed very proud and rightly so.  If you're driving through the Alpilles between St. Remy de Provence and Marseilles, I urge you to take the small backroads through the mountains and explore this special area of France.

Susan and I have just returned from our visits to France and Germany.  It was an incredible trip, first staying with our friends Maria and Dieter in Germany, and then flying to Marseilles for a week in the south of France.  It is hard for me to say what my favorite part of the trip was....waking up each morning in Maria and Dieter's beautiful home, full of light, amazing collections, Provencal furniture and good food was definitely a highlight.  Jumping into our car each morning in Provence and heading out to markets in breathtakingly beautiful hilltop villages was a dream (plus, Susan did a superb job of driving our rental car each day, many times under stressful conditions and on the edge of perilous drops to nowhere!).  The weather was perfect with extremely cool nights and warm, sunny days.  I took hundreds of photos, as I had planned, and am torn between which ones to use for my first post on my return.

Right before we left on our trip, my friend Maureen sent me an article from the May 18th issue of the New York Times Magazine, titled PROVENCE PROFOUND, and it mentioned CHEZ SERGE, located in Carpentras, the town we made our home-base.  It did not disappoint! 

We were the first ones waiting that noon at the iron-gated entrance, and were able to be seated on the picturesque outdoor patio. 

In a matter of minutes, every table was taken, forcing later arrivals to be seated indoors. 

My entree consisted of guinea fowl in a morel mushroom sauce, potatoes and a molded carrot puree.

                         My daughter dined on French pizza.

I chose the lemon tart for my dessert (I always choose lemon if it's on the menu), but the winner was my daughter's choice; panna cotta with fresh strawberries that Serge had purchased that morning at the Carpentras market.  We all agree that our meal at Chez Serge was our favorite meal that week in France.

I haven't been in my kitchen baking lately.  The weather is slowly starting to cooperate and I've been spending my time outdoors planting my vegetable and flower gardens. 

After being outside, bending, lifting and hauling, I'm ready for a simple dinner; something that can just be pulled from the refrigerator, or prepared and left at room temperature.  I make pasta salads a lot this time of year.  All you need to add is a good bread and a glass of wine. 

              PESTO GREEN BEANS and PASTA CHICKEN SALAD

salad:  salt
            1/2 pound Penne pasta
            1 pound green beans (haricot verts, if possible)
            3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
            2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
                                
dressing:  25 basil leaves
                 15 parsley leaves
                 1/4 cup mayonnaise
                 3 tablespoons pine nuts
                 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
                 2 garlic cloves
                 salt & freshly ground black pepper
1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a pinch of salt and the pasta and stir.  When pasta is cooked within 2 to 4 minutes of doneness (you will need to determine this by the size of your green beans), drop in the beans.  Cook just until the green beans are tender.  Drain; refresh immediately with cold water.
2.  Turn the pasta and beans into a large serving dish.  Add the chicken, reserving the 2 tablespoons pine nuts for garnish.
3.  For the dressing:  Place basil, parsley, mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy.  With machine running, pour in oil; blend well.  Drop in the garlic and blend briefly.  Season with salt and pepper.
4.  Pour dressing over ingredients in bowl.  Toss to combine.  Sprinkle with reserved pine nuts.

We are extremely fortunate to have the best neighbors anyone could ever hope for.  They're like family (and better yet, very good cooks!).  We make a point of getting together often to share meals on our patios.  Last night we kicked off the season, dining al fresco in our neighbor's back yard.

                                   Izzy also enjoyed it!