Tuesday 25 March 2014

Spring Progresses...and yet some more quick recipes!

Weather permitting I will be found in the potager doing all sorts of totally important tasks which needed to be done the previous week! So quick and easy meals are still paramount on our menu. I saw a lovely jar of white beans in the fridge.  I saw a ripe avocado framed in a patch of sunlight beautifying the kitchen table. Soooooo...the beans were rinsed and drained then mashed with a dribble of olive oil and minced garlic while the avocado was seeded (cut lengthwise to halve, insert blade of a knife into large seed, twist a bit, and remove it) and intimately united with lemon juice and a smidgen of crème fraîche. Spread each on a slice of bread, in our case, sourdough rye The Calm One got that morning.


Bring them together to make a fresh-tasting and substantial lunch resembling at first glance a chicken avocado sandwich!

Though the soft mushiness was delightful, I suspect toast could be subbed for some welcomed texture

Another speedy meal is penne drenched in an olive-oil based sauce of cèpes, garlic, and capers. While the cèpes are rehydrating, bring water to a boil and throw in the pasta. Shortly before the penne is done, saute minced garlic, chopped cèpes, and capers in olive oil for a few minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of the pasta cooking water and an equivalent amount of the cèpes liquor. Drain the pasta and toss into the skillet, stirring everything together and heating for a minute or two over medium heat. Salt and grind freshly ground black pepper to taste.


Cèpes impart a robust accent in taste and looks.


Freshly grated Parmesan increases that robustness.


Making leftovers into fritters is still a common occurrence. So this became...

A simple meal of bangers (Toulouse sausages in this case), mash, and stewed tomatoes

...this!

Well sloshed with soy sauce

Mince the well drained tomato and sausage. Add some flour, the mashed potatoes, an egg, a half a teaspoon or so of baking powder, and salt.


Mix well.


Drop by heaping tablespoon into hot oil and brown on both sides which takes about eight minutes in total.


In the potager, fifty of the seventy-five seed potatoes have been planted.


Jeannette, a late early and mid season variety sprouts the most gorgeous coloured buds--turquoise fuzz splashed with amethyst.


The peas sowed about two weeks ago are showing off their tender, green sprouts.


There are still some more seedlings which need to be transplanted from flats.

Tomato, melon, cucumber, squash, zinnia, Black-eyed Susan, and herb seedlings

In the flower garden, deep purple irises are showing off.


Species tulips are finishing up their blooming.


Elmo the Cat loves the lawn which is festooned with English daisies.

The wolfish one enjoying himself


À la prochaine!

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Detailed instructions on how to make fritters