SWEET PEA FLAN

Spring peas at the table!

Spring has finally pointed its nose, and in turn, all of the dainty little veggies that go with it. Last night when I got home Bastien was making these little pea pyramids and laughing about it because he is usually a meat and potatoes chef. He was quick to explain himself:  ”J’ai vu la recette et on avait tous les ingrédients pour une fois!” (I saw the recipe and we had all of the ingredients, for once!)

In France, peas are often paired with bacon and little onions. In the UK, mint is a common addition. This recipe combines both worlds and leaves no one wanting.

Serve as a light lunch or dinner, or as an appetizer.

Wine pairing: A dry white wine with good acidity, perhaps something based on Sauvignon blanc, or a côtes-de-gascogne (as suggested in the recipe). We enjoyed it with a simple dry white wine from Languedoc, a blend of Roussanne, Vermentino, Viognier,  and Muscat Petit grain.

recipe for sweet pea flan (from magazine Cuisine et Vin de France N°145)

For 4 people

1 kg fresh peas (in their pods)

2 large eggs

20 cl sour cream or heavy cream

4 tbs mascarpone

4 slices of smoked bacon

7 sprigs of fresh mint

8 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

….

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.

Remove the peas from their pods and cook in salted boiling water for 12-15 minutes.

Drain. Reserve 100 g of peas and mix the rest with a soup mixer or in a blender to make a creamy purée. Add the eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper and whip until well mixed.

Pour the batter into silicone muffin tins (or paper lined muffin tins) and bake for 25 minutes. (Bastien’s flan is a pyramid because we have pyramid-shaped silicone muffin tins).

Wrap the bacon slices in waxed paper and bake on a baking sheet with the flan.

Prepare the mint dressing by whipping together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sliced mint leaves.

Remove the flan from the oven, serve on a plate garnished with a spoonful of mascarpone, the bacon, and the mint dressing.

Delicious warm or cold so if you need a good recipe to prepare in advance, this one is great.

ASPARAGUS ON A BROKEN PLATE

Yesterday, seated on my staircase amidst power tools and insulation, I tasted the first asparagus of the season, with two eggs over easy, parmesan cheese crunchies, and a couple thick slices of wood-oven baked bread on a chipped dinner plate. It was divine.

I welcome spring with insurmountable enthusiasm and a big sigh of relief.  This winter was cold and unsteady.

News of the natural disaster in a country that I love dearly is quite frightening. Luckily my friends are safe, but the situation is devastating. I think often of the generous people I met during my time in Japan, and now hope that everyone is doing his or her best in the face of such trying a situation.

My little house has no heating yet and the tile floors are synonymous with ice cubes. Just as spring began to sprout, and the day after Japan’s tsunami, four days of non-stop rains bombarded my region in the south of France and my very old leaky-roofed house. A part from staining some walls and ceiling, no harm was done.

The first part of our renovation began over a month ago, with the destruction of a very old dividing wall. Bastien and I have since learned about plumbing at midnight, electricity with no flashlight, building flat walls over bendy ones, and small house planning. We have just about made it through the toughest part, but cooking without a kitchen has led to the following casualties: 1 handmade terracotta olive oil bottle, 3 dinner plates, 1 Pyrex dish, 1 flower-pot, 1 watering-pot, and a few glasses. To my delight, the baby fig tree in the flower-pot survived without a scratch.

Though we try very hard not to break things, it happens. Initially startled and disappointed by each crash of ceramic and glass, I can only think of these things as trinkets when compared to what so many people are going through.

Keep those chins high and dry.

Tip for cooking asparagus:

If you haven’t got a special asparagus saucepan, and want a no-hassle solution to evenly cooking it, use a large open frying pan. Fill halfway with water and bring to a boil. Pose the asparagus stalks partially in the water with the tops resting on the side of the frying pan, as if they are in a hot tub. Cook for a minute or two before pushing the stalks the rest of the way into the water and finish boiling for another couple of minutes. Avoid over-cooking, taking them out of the water while they still have that fresh green color.

OKRA SEASON IN THE SOUTH

Delaware roosters bask in a sunny fall day

Bastien and I were helping our friend in Atlanta, Farmer Joe, with his CSA (community supported agriculture) drop-off last week, when a little girl approched our stand.

“Have you got any strawberries?” she inquired.

“No, they aren’t in season,” I told her.

“They’re in season at Kroger,” she informed me, as she walked away.

Speechless, I could not help but laugh, and hope that someone will teach children about seasons.

…

*Kroger is a supermarket

…

We are visiting my family in the United States and discovering the local and organic varieties of food.  We have tumbled upon gigantic elephant garlic, pak choy, pink and green collard greens, sweet potatoes, peanuts, green peppers, purple peppers, hot peppers, Jerusalem artichokes, spotted lettuce, baby turnips, peppery arugula, tiny red beets, goat cheeses, the most beautiful and friendly white chickens, and even these crazy little flowers called electric buttons that rightly deserve their name when popped in the mouth.

The first crop to stand out though, was the okra.

Joe’s Okra Salad

Okra won’t let just anyone pick it, and makes this point with sharp little hairs that prick poking fingers. It grows in high rows that tower over my head.  To harvest, we wore gloves, and I tipped my head down to avoid prickly hairs falling into my eyes. At lunch, Joe would slice up a few okra pods and eat them in a raw salad. Delicious!

To make this salad, just add some olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and pepper and toss.

If you are not a fan of okra’s slimy seeds, try them pickled.

Iola’s Pickled Okra

Iola, an elderly friend who grew up in the South gave us a jar of her fabulous pickled okra.  They are an exciting alternative to a pickle or cornichon and would please even those who don’t like okra’s slimy seeds.

To make pickles, you need:

Empty jars and lids, sterilized in boiling water

Okra

Mixture of half water half vinegar and a spoonful of salt

Garlic cloves

….

Stuff the rinsed okra and a clove of garlic into the jars as tightly as possible.

Bring the vinegar, water, salt mixture to a boil and pour into jars.

Tightly close the jars and place the jars in a saucepan of boiling water, making sure they are completely submerged. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for about 5 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool.

…

A few weeks have passed since the last of the okra plants were torn out of the ground to make way for next spring’s strawberry plants.

Collard greens are another local flavor.  A thick leaf that is usually cooked, we learned of another way to eat them which turns out to be quite refreshing.

Natalie’s Massaged Collard Greens

Natalie, and intern on a farm where we spent a few days, had just learned this recipe from a raw food specialist.

To make:

Chop the leaves very thinly. Squeeze the juice of a lemon on them. Add a spoonful or two of olive or grapeseed oil. Wash your hands really well, then use them to massage the leaves with the lemon juice, making sure to crush them well. Wait a few minutes before serving.

…

Steamed Collard Stems

I quite enjoy collard green stems as well. Just steam and serve with a pinch of fleur de sel, or salt.

A special area of southern American cuisine goes to hot peppers. They are used to make hot sauce, pickled peppers, pizza toppings, salsa, chili, and many other things.  Beware of harvesting and handling them, as we discovered!

Mary and Christie’s Hot Pickled Peppers

Hot peppers can burn your skin just as fire. We used gloves to pick and slice these peppers.  After slicing a few pounds, our throats began to burn and itch, so we opened the windows.  Upon removing my gloves, I happened to rub my cheek, which promptly turned bright red and tingled for the rest of the day.  Needless to say, I kept my hands away from my eyes for about 3 days after this!

A taste test revealed these babies to be sweet… then dangerously hot! We couldn’t help but eat more and more, until all of our throats were burning. Yummy little devils!

We made these in the same way we made the okra above. We are also experimenting with lacto-fermentation and so far this technique results in a delicious treat as well with a sweet and spicy brine.

Our American southern foods extravaganza continues for another month before returning to France. Next, I plan to explore the sweeter side of American cooking…

ROASTED EGGPLANT & TUNA WRAP

Little packets of roasted eggplant and tuna

Summer is in full blast. The thundering roar of the sun pours into the Mediterranean, sea and soil. Tomatoes, eggplant, melons, peaches, nectarines, plums, green beans, garlic, and zucchini ripen and make their ways to the plate with a splash of olive oil and a dash of pepper.

This is the kind of cooking that must be accompanied by a crusty baguette. Purpose: soaking up the delicious juices and olive oil that rest on your plate just when you think you have finished.

Serve on a bed of fresh green beans sautéed with tomatos, olives, onions and garlic

Recipe for roasted eggplant and tuna on a bed of green bean sauté:

This is a basic explication open to your own creativity. Don’t go overboard with ingredients. Keep it simple.

You will need:

onion

garlic

tomato

eggplant

green beans

canned tuna

capers

olive oil

salt

pepper

fresh basil leaves

…..

Mix the tuna with a teaspoon of capers, some olive oil, salt or soy sauce, and pepper to taste. Set aside or in the fridge.

Put the thinly sliced onions in a frying pan with a good amount of oil and a little salt over low heat and allow to caramelize, partially covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Put the green beans in a frying pan with a little water and oil. Cover and cook just until the color starts to change. Add the caramelized onions, the sliced tomatoes, and thinly sliced or pressed garlic. Cook for another minute or two. Season to taste.

Thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven at 350°F flipping once and taking care not to let it burn.

When the eggplant is cooked, take two strips and place on a plate like a cross. Place a nice spoonful of tuna in the middle and fold in the sides to close. Serve on or with the green beans.

Don’t forget a basket of bread on the table.

This dish is nice with a cool glass of rosé on the veranda.