Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Left to right, Penny, Jane, Me and Mary

One of the perks of blogging is getting to meet special people.  On Wednesday I met with three talented bloggers for lunch in Asheville.  Of course Penny (The Comforts of Home) and I live near Asheville so getting together for lunch is a regular occurrence.  But we had two other blogger buddies in town for a visit.  Jane from Blondies Journal and Mary from A Breath of Fresh Air joined us.  Jane is visiting from Chicago and also has a lake house in Michigan a stone’s throw from where I grew up.  Mary lives in Raleigh and is a world traveler.  I enjoyed talking to her and her husband about France.  Jane’s hubby also came and it was good to see them both again.  Last year we did brunch at the cottage which I wrote about here.

We had lunch at Corner Kitchen, one of my favorite restaurants in Biltmore Village.  Since I am on an all French theme this month, it was obvious what I would pick from the menu.  The Au Courant Steak Frites was my choice.  Steak Frites is served in many bistros in Paris and I have no doubt that I will experience the French version soon.  The frites at Corner Kitchen were wonderful, as was the salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese.  The steak was a bit tough but very flavorful.  But the lunch was more about talk and laughter.  You get a bunch of bloggers together and there are endless things to talk about.

After lunch we did some shopping at The Screen Door, one of Penny and my favorite antique stores.  I so wanted that French bread box to come home with me.  I have the perfect place for it in my kitchen.  But, with our trip coming up soon, I don’t need to be spending extra money now.

Bloggers are special people.  And I will be meeting more of them over the Memorial Day Weekend.  Will keep you posted.  Enjoy the weekend.

We were invited to dinner last Saturday night.  We are so lucky to have such good and supportive friends.  And to think that we met them because of our respective blogs.  The “Other Penny”, as we sometimes refer to each other, has a lifestyle blog that has detailed her many talents in whispering houses back to life.  She and her husband both know what a house needs to make it a comfortable home.  Her blog, The Comforts of Home, chronicles the projects and ideas that can improve any house.  But she is also a fantastic cook.  Penny is well aware of our upcoming trip to France (Probably because that is all I talk about).  Both she and her husband  have been to France and have shared many tips with us.  For our Bon Voyage dinner Penny made a French meal.

One of France’s national treasures is the Gourgere.  These small cheese puffs are made from pate a choux dough.  In its sweet version the dough is used in cream puffs stuffed with sweetened whipped cream.  But when you want a savory appetizer you add Gruyere cheese to the dough and allow them to bake, puff and form a hollow center.  They melt in your mouth.  They are made all over France, but the Burgundy region claims them as their own.  They are served in many restaurants there as an appetizer with the local aperitif.  We had them with a lovely white wine.  Here is the recipe from Barefoot in Paris.

Coq au Vin, the classic French chicken in red wine is one of the dishes that I have served many times.  But Penny’s version, made with white wine, is a perfect alternative.  The one thing that has always bothered my about the original recipe is the burgundy color that infuses the chicken.  It just doesn’t look natural.  White wine is a good thing for this dish.  Penny also uses boneless chicken thighs which cook faster and retain their juiciness.  Her rendition keeps the smoky bacon flavor, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the silkiness of the onions.  It is winey and earthy at the same time.  The mashed potatoes (David’s favorite) and the braised carrots are the perfect  finishing touches.   You can find her recipe here.

Dessert was a spectacular lemon meringue tart.  The recipe came from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris.  The mood has been set and we are ready for our trip.  Thanks for a great meal Penny.

The flavors of Provence can be found in this Soupe au Pistou.  In the Provencal language, pistou means basil and the word has come to mean this soup as well.  It is a summer soup utilizing all the the vegetables from the garden.

This authentic recipe came from Antoine Bouterin in his book Cooking Provence; Four Generations of Recipes and Tradition. 

Bouterin,  the former chef of Le Perigord in New York City, grew up in his Grandparent’s 400 year old farm house in St.- Remy-de-Provence.  He learned how to cook watching his Grandmother turn out meals on her cast-iron, wood-burning stove surrounded by the aromas of drying herbs and citrus peel.  Each summer she would make this soup from the bounty of the farm with a generous addition of garlic and basil.

I had expected to like this soup, but I found it to be more complex than just a liking.  It has a depth of flavor to it that is soothing.  It makes you want to return your spoon to your bowl over and over again.  I am anxious to try it again when the tomatoes are at their peak.  It will be a regular summer soup at the cottage.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP (SOUPE AU PISTOU)

2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium-size turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 cups water
4 cups homemade or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, well washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used Yukon Gold)
1 cup canned flageolets, undrained (or cannellini beans)
1 cup broken pieces thin spaghetti
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large tomatoes, juice and seeds gently squeezed out and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the corn oil until very hot but not smoking, then add the onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and turnips and saute 2 minutes.  Add the water and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes.  Add the zucchini, green beans, leeks, and potatoes and simmer 30 minutes.

Add the flageolets and spaghetti and cook 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parsley and basil and set aside.  Just before serving the soup, add the tomato mixture and cook just until heated through.  Serve the soup hot or at room temperature.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Note:  You can prepare the soup up to the point of adding the tomatoes and refrigerate up to 3 days.  It will thicken in the refrigerator, so add a little water or broth as needed.

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The city of Bayonne is in the Southwestern region of France near the border with Spain.  The region is heavily influenced by the Basque language, architecture, and food.  It is known principally for its fine chocolates and Bayonne Ham, which is cured with the espellette peppers.  But these meatballs are also popular.

We will not be traveling to this region of France but this recipe sounded so good that I had to try it.  It was in the cookbook The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone.  I have found many good recipes in this book and this one did not disappoint.  There are lots of red bell peppers in the recipe and although the title suggests that it is spicy, I found it to be quite mellow.  The large meatballs were almost “fall-apart” tender and it was delicious served on a toasted sourdough baguette with a serving of kale on the side.

Although it was easy to do in the slow cooker, I see no reason why you couldn’t assemble it in a dutch oven and cook it in the oven at a low temperature.  It can also be served over rice or orzo.  I used orzo for our second meal (it makes a lot!) and it was a perfect combination; kind of like spaghetti and meatballs.

MEATBALLS BAYONNAISE WITH SPICY TOMATO AND PEPPER SAUCE

1 28-ounce can tomato puree
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup crumbled French bread
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds ground beef chuck (I used lean ground beef)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Freshly ground pepper

Stir together the tomato puree, peppers, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf.  Pour half of the sauce into a large slow cooker.

In a small bowl, soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes.  Lightly squeeze the bread and discard the milk.  Spread the flour on a piece of wax paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the soaked bread, ground beef, parsley, garlic, egg, cumin marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste.  Moisten your hands and shape the mixture into 2-inch balls.  Lightly roll the meatballs in the flour.

Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker and top with the remaining sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meatballs are cooked through.  Discard the bay leaf and serve hot.

As a side note I found it interesting that mayonnaise was purported to have been first made in Bayonne.  Its name is a corruption of Bayonnaise.

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