On the Menu in August

August is finally here, and for most people in France this important date means that les vacances have finally arrived. For me, August means that it's time to enjoy cherries, apricots, peaches, melons, nectarines, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and all the delicious produce of summer.

The season is short, so I plan on getting into the kitchen and making the most of it!

Chilled Tomato Soup with Basil
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pomegranate-Sumac Dressing (the Kitchn)
Tarte Dijonnaise
Cheese and Tomato Galette (Eat. Live. Travel. Write. and Dorie Greenspan)
Zucchini Carpaccio served with a Mozzarella Tomato Salad (Life's A Feast)
Stuffed Tomatoes
Eggplant Parmesan
Watermelon Sorbet (NY Times)
Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
Cherry Mess (David Lebovitz)
Cherry Clafoutis (Ann Mah)
Fresh Peach Tart


Do you have any summer recipes to share?



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Suddenly Summer

Summer is upon us. Suddenly. Many would say, "finally." 

It's been pretty perfect here in the Calvados region - days warm enough to hit the beach and even (if you're brave enough) get in the water. Nights cool enough to let the heat escape from the house and enjoy dining under the stars. Every so often there's a random thunderstorm that brings relief to the heat and humidity that precedes it.

Our neighbors went on vacation and left us the keys to their raspberry patch, making us promise to pick and enjoy as much as we could. Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers and melons from the market are enjoyed almost every day. In our garden the pear and apple trees are loaded with fruit. I'm already looking for recipes to have on hand so we don't let a single fruit go to waste this autumn.

Summer took a while to get here this year, but now I'm loving every minute.


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Photo du Jour - Summer Colors

Dressed up in the colors of summer.


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Surviving Summer in the South of France - 10 Things You Should Know

1) It's HOT.
You probably already knew that, right?
Well, you'd be surprised by how many people come here and are shocked by how intense the heat can be in June, July and August.

2) Air conditioning is a luxury.
A good fan is worth its weight in gold.


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Les Tomates Farcies

Every summer, gardens explode with an abundance of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and string beans. At the same time every food blog and cooking website explodes with an amazing variety of tomato, zucchini, eggplant and string bean recipes.

Boredom is not an option.

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Summer

sangria

cerises

sea and sand

Serrano

cerulean

Saint Félicien

cigales

salad

 sun (and siestas!)

 scarlet

succulent

shade

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Autumn's Arrival

The intense, blinding heat of summer is over. My mental cobwebs have cleared.
I feel inspired again.

The vendange is in full swing and that means the vineyard leaves are slowly turning shades of orange, crimson, yellow.
I am so ready for autumn to arrive.

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Chicken Salad - Two Ways

Did I mention that it's hot?

Not just "baby, it's hot out there," hot. But a relentless, mind-numbing, hovering-around-100-degrees-every-afternoon kinda HOT.
(yeah, yeah I know you're probably sick of listening to me grumble about the heat - thankfully it is due to break soon and then I'll stop whinging)

In the meantime, my Big Cooking Adventure last week was to poach a load of chicken breasts in the coolest part of the day possible (around 1:30 am, with my current schedule) and come up with clever ways to use them in meals that don't require even getting near an oven.

My solution: Chicken Salad.


Lemony Chicken Salad with Zucchini, Dried Cranberries and Almonds
serves 4

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 2 lemons
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 medium zucchini (2 pounds), cut into 3-by-1/2-inch sticks
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 poached skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or shredded into large pieces
  
• 1/4 cup whole, blanched almonds
  
• 2 cups lightly packed arugula
  

In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, cumin, lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
Add the zucchini and cranberries and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a shallow glass or ceramic dish, combine the minced shallot with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the remaining lemon juice. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a small skillet, toast the almonds over moderate heat until golden brown. Cool and chop.
Add the chicken with its marinade, the chopped almonds and arugula to the marinated zucchini and cranberries. Toss everything together.
Serve immediately.

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Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad (Goi Ga)
serves 4

Dressing

• 1 small, red chili, minced (and seeded if you want to temper the heat)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Set aside.

Salad

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 4 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded Napa cabbage
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, slivered
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, slivered
• 2 tablespoons unsalted and roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Place the chicken breast in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, tear the meat into long, thin pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, mint and cilantro to the bowl.
Pour the dressing over and mix everything together.
Serve immediately, garnished with the optional peanuts.

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Sunday Reading

We're having a heat wave. A south of France heat wave.
And I am sick of it!
Staying cool has become an obsession.


The perfect, icy pick me up to beat the heat on a sizzling afternoon. Or to wake you up on a muggy morning.

Refreshing and zesty. One of my favorites.

Soup in the summer? Absolutely! Especially when its full of garlic, almonds and sherry vinegar.
This lemongrass infused version also looks fantastic.

One of the most amazing, most refreshing salads. Ever.

How I long for central air on days like these.
We own a little, mobile air conditioner, but it only cools a small space, so we keep it upstairs in our bedroom. It is heavenly on those sweltering nights.




If anyone has a favorite beat the heat recipe to share, I would love for you to share it with me! Pin It

Photo du Jour - Salade de Roquette aux Tomates et Copeaux de Parmesan

Keeping it simple. Keeping it cool.
Or trying to anyway. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Au Revoir Summer

As I sit here looking at this photo of golden, juicy peaches piled high at the Olonzac market, the chilly, early autumn morning air is spilling into our kitchen through the open window.

Good memories of another summer. Our sixth summer here in France.

The days of blinding heat and siestas are over for another year. How quickly the seasons turn.
I actually need a sweater this morning.

It's almost time to stop drinking rosé.
Well, almost. Pin It

Photo du Jour

Vivid colors of summer. Pin It

Photo du Jour

Shade
So necessary during the height of summer. Pin It

Tomatoes and Basil - The Classic Summer Duo

Thank god/budda/zeus/shiva/(insert name of favorite deity here) for recipes like this!

Our kitchen gets pretty darn hot in the summer. These beautiful, thick stone walls seem like they would stay cool but definitely start to warm up when the sun beats down on them day after day. And turning on the oven to do any baking or roasting certainly doesn't help matters! If I do need the oven I try to use it only in the morning. We usually eat cold food and salads in the summer anyway.

This Tomato Soup with Basil recipe is one of my new favorite's. It's fresh, simple and ultra flavorful. You can enjoy it warm, at room temperature or cold.
And in the height of summer, when tomatoes are ripening on the vine and basil is in abundance, there's nothing better!



Tomato Soup With Basil
from Patricia Wells At Home in Provence

• 2 cloves
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 pounds (1 kilo) firm, ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 4 plump. fresh garlic cloves. peeled and quartered
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups (50cl) water
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
• 4 tablespoons basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into julienne strips
• Several tablespoons cream, of a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish (optional)

Press a clove into each half of the onion and place in a stockpot. Add the tomatoes to the stockpot along with the garlic, salt, celery, oil, water, thyme and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Remove the onions, thyme and bay leaves, and discard.
Pass the soup through the coarse blade of a food mill into a bowl.
Taste for seasoning.
The soup can be served either hot or cold, sprinkled with fresh basil.
For a richer soup, swirl in cream, or olive oil, if desired. Pin It