Salade Nicoise

Many years ago, in a resort in the south of France about this time of year, we ate at a beach restaurant among the bare-except-for-a-bikini-bottom women and other assorted "types."  We had Salade Nicoise and a whole bottle of wine (bad, bad) and it was altogether lovely. 

It was the first time I had boiled potatoes with Salade Nicoise, and they made a tasty addition.  Mine contains tomatoes, tuna (natch!) olives, potatoes, green beans, hard cooked eggs, and a soupcon of red onion, of all on a bed of lettuce.  It feeds the eye as well as the stomach. 

Love live summer! 

More Dogfights in Hummingbird Land

This afternoon we had four humming birds in the garden at once time. Bear in mind that the flower garden part of the garden is a planter box about 6 x 6. Crazy aerial dive bombing and then everyone takes off.

I have discovered that what I called "butterfly bush" or butterfly weed" in my garden is actually something call "Joe Pye Weed." It's a perennial with purple blossoms and the little hummers can't get enough of its nectar. They were also seen today on the red geraniums, the red impatiens, the fuschia, and one of them loves to sit on a wee branch of the pole bean plant. It must fit his tiny feet.

The Joe Pye Weed also attracts butterflies and of course, bees. I have lots of flowers the bees like, esp. the oregano blossoms and the sage. Most of my bees seem to be bumblebees. As a kid I was afraid of them, but they seem mostly benign.

My garden makes me happy. We tossed a handful of our own cherry tomatoes into our salad and garnished it with cilantro, croutons and feta. Yum! The tomatoes and the herbs along with the beans are so tasty now. I planted spinach and more cilantro.

The orange yogurt bread I baked yesterday looked spectacular. Must have been the fancy Greek yogurt. I wrapped it in foil and froze, thereby forgetting to take a photo. How dumb can you be? Just imagine it perfect!!!

We're going to the Berkshires this weekend. The cats have their sitter/nurse and we'll fill all the bird feeders in the morning. Have to nuture our feathered friends.

Grapeshot

Clafouti's Rock!

The nectarine clafouti in all its glory. Tasted like a dream. I can't even tell you how fast this goes together. Peel the fruit and slice, (2.5 nectarines) measure the milk,sugar,eggs, vanilla, salt and flour into the blender. Blend for 60 seconds. Pour a very thin layer into the heat-proof dish and set over a low burner for a minute or so. When that is almost "set," pour in the fruit and then pour the contents of the blender over the fruit. Smooth with the back of a spoon. Put in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.

Admire and eat. We each put a spoonful (any more is piggy) of heavy cream over the top. Makes 6 servings, and eating two at one sitting is tempting but would also be piggy.

Apparently the new interest in Julia Child's recipes has spurred gasps and palpitations from the low-fat freaks who blanche at the words "whole eggs" "butter" and, OMG, "heavy cream." Why do you think it tastes so good, dummy?

I confess that 2% milk, which is what we usually have, does not impair the clafouti. I buy whole milk to make ice cream. The NY Times (or was it the Globe) had a dynamite recipe for a black berry (be still my heart) clafouti.

Kids, this is a fab easy recipe for the dog days of summer when you don't feel very ambitious, but you have to do something with all that fruit you overbought. Google any recipe. Mine calls for 3 eggs and is plenty rich.

Off to do some writing, and then to bake the orange yogurt bread I found on the web. I'm taking it to our weekend hosts. Can freeze in the meantime to avoid last minute frenzy. Hate that last minute frenzy. I bought some fancy whole milk Greek yogurt, and have a beautiful naval orange. I've blogged about it before, so seek and ye shall field.

Tra la! Tra la!

Grapeshot who is feeling frisky and energetic this morning--about half her age, actually.