Gathering at La C….rie

The sun came out for the family lunch that MD had planned. She made a delicious Moroccan Lamb Tajine.

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La Ferme de Nouray

We drive to a nearby farm for fresh produce.

The Cheese Keeper

Ahhh, back in France.

This was our abundant cheese board at lunch today at MD’s. The Le Mothais goat cheese wrapped in chestnut tree leaves was remarkable for its flavor and my favorite. When finished, we set the whole cheese board in a small garde-manger used as a garde-fromages where it fits perfectly. The cheeses are kept in a cool pantry by an open window, not in the refrigerator, so that they are ready to eat and not too cold to taste.

Tasty Food

We love the tasty, healthy food at Casa de Luz, which we have frequented since the early '90s. Walk through the bower to the co-op restaurant. A very Austin experience.

Sweet Spring

On a lovely Spring morning, we picked strawberries at Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. We ate strawberries, strawberries and ice cream, strawberries on pancakes...and more strawberries. They were fresh and delicious, but not as sweet this year. We had good moisture but the weather may have been too cool. The picking and the eating were a treat, in any case.

What's Cooking

Apricot-Walnut Whole Wheat Bread

Plum Tart

Galette d'Amandes
Tante Jacqueline's Recipe for Almond "Cake"

Steak au Poivre

The Reduction

Et Voilá!

Only in Austin

Drying fragrant thyme and oregano on the dashboard of Glen's pick-up truck.

The truck smelled delicious when we next drove it, plus I can cook with the herbs.

Truck Dried Herbs and Truck Dried Tomatoes

June and July in Austin, Texas, have set records for the warmest 30-day periods from 1898 to 2009. There have been more days over 100̊F than most can remember. Well, if you can't lick the heat, you might as well take advantage of it. I was inspired to make Truck Dried Herbs by a recent article in the Austin newspaper.

FOOD & LIFE - A heat stroke of genius: truck-dried tomatoes

Heat brings out the flavor of boring Juliet tomatoes.

By Renee Studebaker , American Statesman Staff
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

   Lately, I've had a change of heart about the heat.
   When I check the local forecast and see that several consecutive days of 100-plus temps are expected, I don't groan.

When I visit my neighborhood grocery store, I don't drive around searching, praying, for a tree-shaded parking spot. I just pull into the first hot, sunny place I see.
   When I park my little truck in front of my house, I no longer curse the city for over-pruning my pecan tree and taking away my shady curbside parking.
   And no, in case you're wondering, I'm not suffering from heat stroke. I'm sun-drying homegrown Juliet tomatoes - on a cloth-covered-baking sheet wedged between the windshield and the dashboard of my truck. Really.
   Trying to harness the heat of the summer sun to cook things is nothing new. Maybe you know someone who has tried to fry an egg on a burning hot sidewalk. I know a few people who have experimented with dashboard cookies and cakes. Fun stuff to try and then laugh about. 
   But what I'm talking about here isn't just for laughs. I know, "truck-dried tomatoes" sounds just as gimmicky as "eggs over-easy on a hot sidewalk," but there's a difference. I'm actually using my little truck as a solar-powered oven, eating what I cook and even serving it to family and friends.
   So much for tradition.
   I considered drying my bumper crop of Juliet tomatoes in more traditional ways:

• On the lowest setting in a gas oven. In fact, I tried this and found that it produces a slightly superior-tasting dried tomato, with a deeper, more concentrated flavor. But I really hate to heat up the house if I don't have to.
• On a cheesecloth-covered screen in the backyard. With all the trouble I've had with critters stealing vegetables from the garden, this does not sound like a smart option. Sort of like setting out a picnic for the neighborhood squirrels and raccoons. And although the birds might not be able to uncover the tomatoes, I feel certain they would poop all over them trying.
• In an electric dehydrator. Don't have one and don't really want any more small electrical appliances. I have enough trouble as it is finding space to store my various processors and blenders. 
   So now back to the truck-drying method. As I said, it works really well. Maybe a little too well. I started drying my first batch of sliced and salted Juliets on a Saturday afternoon. By late-morning Sunday, the edges of the tomato halves were starting to curl. I moved the baking sheet to the passenger seat so it wouldn't capsize, drove to yoga class and parked in a sunny spot.
   After class, the whoosh of hot air that hit me in the face when I opened the truck door smelled a little like pizza - minus the bread and Italian seasonings. I peeked under the cheesecloth and saw that the tomatoes were indeed drying and shrinking. The needle on the oven thermometer I had placed on the dashboard told me it was 150 degrees in the truck. By the end of the workday on Monday, when I climbed into the truck to drive home, the tomatoes were done. As I headed down Riverside Drive toward Interstate 35, I was bathed in the aroma of the little shrunken tomato bites. I decided to taste one. It was good. Very good. Dry, but still soft and pliable, with a satisfying burst of strong tomato flavor. I decided to have another. And then another.
   Did I mention that after the tomatoes are dry they're really quite small? By the time I got home, I had eaten all but a small handful of the bite-size chewies. I would have to dry another batch before I would have enough to make the dried-tomato dish I had planned to photograph for this column. Luckily, I still had plenty of Juliets in the garden.
   The Juliet - a little hybrid cousin of the Roma - is one of most reliable and prolific tomatoes I've ever grown. But when eaten fresh, it's not the best tasting. I would even describe it as bordering on bland, especially if compared with other homegrown favorites such as Celebrity, Sun Gold and Purple Cherokee, which I would never consider drying. In the garden, the Juliet is my emergency backup tomato. It is easy to grow - even in the heat- and it often produces until the first frost. (A bland homegrown tomato is still better than no homegrown tomato at all.)
   But now that I know how easy it is to dry Juliets and how amazing they taste after they're dried, I plan to plant an extra Juliet in the fall garden. And when the weather cools, and the truck doesn't heat up enough to dry them, I'll use the oven.

rstudebaker@statesman.com; 445-3946

Orzo and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 quarts water
1-11/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
6 or more pieces of fresh ginger, crushed
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters
1/4-1/2 cup basil, washed and torn
1/4-1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, washed and rough-chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil. Add salt and then slowly add the orzo and stir. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (not mushy).

While the orzo cooks, quickly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until they have a little brown color to them. Remove them to a bowl for later. Add olive oil to the hot pan, then add the crushed garlic and ginger and reduce the heat. While the garlic and ginger release their flavors into the oil, cut up the sun-dried tomatoes. Wash the basil and parsley and tear the basil into pieces and give the parsley a rough chop.

When the orzo is cooked, drain the water from it and let it sit a moment while you remove the pieces of garlic and ginger from the oil. Add the drained orzo to the pan with the garlic-ginger-infused olive oil, followed by the tomatoes and heat through. Add the pine nuts, basil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Tastes even better the next day (if there's any left). Serves 2-4 as a side dish, depending on the serving size.
Note: This is an easy, quick dish to bring to potlucks; it's always a hit.

- Cecilia Nasti, gardener, foodie and producer ad host of the weekly gardening show `Growing Concerns' on KUT radio. Her Soil to Supper blog appears at foodfemmefirst.blogspot.com.

Truck-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Torte with Basil Sauce

8 oz. creamy goat cheese (Wateroak Farms Chevre, available at Boggy Creek Farm, works great in this dish)
About 1/2 cup dried tomatoes, chopped fine (recipe follows)
8 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cups loosely packed sweet basil leaves
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
Sprig of fresh basil for garnish
Sea salt to taste
Cucumber slices
Baguette slices

Blend tomatoes, 4 Tbsp. oil and lemon juice in processor or blender (I like to use an immersion blender) and then refrigerate. Consistency should be like a thick paste with small bits of tomato still present. Spread 1/2 Tbsp. oil on bottom and sides of two small ramekins. Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap into each dish, with an inch or so of extra paper hanging over the sides. Spread and press evenly divided portions of the tomato paste into each dish. Next, spread and press goat cheese evenly on top of the tomato layer, until the dishes are almost full. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour, or as long as 24 hours if you're making this dish ahead of time. When you're ready to serve, puree basil leaves, remaining oil, garlic and a couple of pinches of sea salt until smooth and set aside. Remove covering from ramekin dishes, invert on serving plates and carefully pull away paper or wrap. Use a knife to smooth sides and top of cheese if necessary. Spoon basil sauce on top and garnish with basil sprig. Serve with sliced baguette and cucumber slices.

Note: This dish works well as an appetizer or a cold lunch. Depending on how dry your tomatoes are, you might want to add a little more oil. Taste your basil first to make sure it's sweet. (End-of-season basil that has had several rounds of blooms pinched off often develops a sharp, bitter flavor .)

- Renee Studebaker

Truck-dried Tomatoes

For oven-dried tomatoes, place sheet of tomatoes in oven at lowest setting possible. (I dried mine at 175 degrees). Takes about 8-10 hours.

Tomatoes are done when they're shriveled, about half their original size and no longer juicy. They should still be soft and pliable (Crispy, dried-out tomatoes aren't as tasty).

The dried tomatoes keep in the fridge for up to a week, or can be stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.

- Renee Studebaker

Slice Juliet tomatoes (or other small, meaty tomatoes) in half and place cut side up, not touching each other, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place a couple of orange juice-size glasses in the middle of the tray and drape cheesecloth or a thin flour-sack towel over the tomatoes. Wedge the baking sheet between the windshield and the dashboard, close the doors, roll up the windows and park in the sun. Time needed for tomatoes to dry varies depending on temperature, humidity and how many times you open and close the truck doors. Mine took about 21/2 days. Take your tomatoes in at night if a cool, humid night is expected. Otherwise, just leave them in the truck.

Restaurant in Tours on the Loire

On Wednesday M and I ate at a restaurant that was outstanding for the quality and freshness of its seafood, as well as for the attractive presentation of the dishes.

Gourmet Chinese Cuisine

Gourmets and Chefs, this short slideshow will surely inspire you:

La Fine Cuisine de la Chine

Mangiare in Sicilia!

Eating in Sicily

Blood oranges: I love them. Octopus
Spaghetti a la siciliana

On Figs in Montenegro

The figs we ate in Montenegro are lime green, with the plump tender skin of a young girl. You press them to your lips and tongue and gently push through the skin with your teeth to the surprise of bright pink and delicately sweet pulp within. To the texture of the skin and the sweetness of the pulp add the crunch of tiny, tender seeds for an extravagant gustatory experience. Never have I tasted figs so sweet or partaken of them in such abundance. They were offered in large bowls and we plucked them off roadside trees. The Adriatic figs of Montenegro.

Zagreb, Croatia

Today we arrived in Zagreb from Frankfurt via Air Croatia, a flight which I appreciate being uneventful. Initiating this post was interesting since in Croatia the blogspot site comes up in--what else--Hrvatska (which as anyone can tell means Croatian in Croatian).

We are staying in the Hotel Esplanade (far left) in Zagreb. We join up with the Victor Emanuel group in the hotel tomorrow.

This afternoon we had lunch in a restaurant about 6 blocks away where locals go to eat Croatian food. First we had a delicious salad with finely grated and seasoned fresh cabbage, carrots, some radicchio and more. Then we had a veal dish cooked in traditional style: it is placed a very large and shallow cast iron pan, covered with a cast-iron bell top, and then red coals are heaped on top. The veal is cooked slowly for a long time. It is tasty, moist, fork tender and served with potatoes. Grilled vegetables that included wonderful eggplant made a perfect side dish. For dessert--I thank Glen for weighing in pro dessert--we had fresh plum strudel with an espresso. See http://vinodol.inet.hr/chooser.html

A Weighty Question

LBS?? KILOS?? After eating our way through Portugal, Spain and France and back through Portugal and Spain, what on earth do we weigh? I think I am the same as when I left-- maybe a pound or two less--but I am afraid the latter may be wishful thinking. Scales in Austin will bring the moment of rude reckoning. --PS 30Jun07 -- Not down, but up, 2 pounds, but 3 days back took care of it.

Vitoria / Gasteiz, Spain

We spent last night in the capital of Basque Country. There is a medieval walled city in its center that is interesting. Peaches are in season--fresh, perfectly ripe, and dripping with juice. We bought some last night and have eaten them all. This morning we head west...

Flashback: Ventenac / Carcassonne

We enjoyed our time with Bob, Claudie, Clara and Remy. Good food, good company, and a lovely house overlooking Carcassonne and the Pyrenees!
PS - Claudie's recipe for roasted Vegetables à la Carcassonne with midi spices has been a hit with my epicurean friends.

The Superb Oysters of Marennes

We are at Maryvonne L. and Alain's in Vaux-sur-Mer near Royan on the Atlantic coast. This is only minutes away from the oyster beds of Marennes-Oleron, which produce the best oysters in Europe. For lunch we went to Marennes and ate oysters just out of the water. They were a gustatory delight. Maryvonne had taken me there before. *****PS on June 15: I stand corrected. Marennes produces the best oysters in the world.

A Perigourdin Dinner

Foie gras paté, aiguillettes of duck with cèpes mushrooms and a walnut cream torte were the highlights.

The French Cherry Monsters

Well, we have again, while in France, debunked a common myth. It is not possible to consume enough fresh ripe cherries to get a stomach ache even if you chain-eat constantly for an hour while picking from the tree(s). Last week we worked on this research project while at Elisabeth's brother's house, and yesterday we found an overladen tree on the side of a country path we hiked. ****We also ate Guinea Fowl (pintade) for lunch today, so the poor guys are not just ornamental as some say. Delicious!

Internet Center in Brantome

Every few days, we drive 24 kms to Brantome to an internet center with good facilities to check email and keep you posted. We also hike on trails out of Brantome. Of course, then we have to stop for a cafe along the river and also go by one of the ubiquitous boulangeries to check out the fresh bread and pastries. Tough duty, but someone has to do it. *****PS - The internet center is open a few afternoon hours Monday, a few hours each morning and afternoon Tuesday through Friday, and a few hours Saturday mornings. On walking out today, I need to check to see if the hours correspond to the legislated 35 hour work week in France.

Cave Paintings: Lascaux II and More

Monday--rain again, but only when we were inside the caves, as J-L predicted. We spent the day with Jean-Louis and Elisabeth. The exact, full-size replicas of 90% of the Lascaux cave paintings were incredible and a must-see for me. I now can close my eyes and play the cave images in actual size and color across the screen of my mind. Jean-Louis made a fresh cream, cheese, and ham torte in flaky pastry for our picnic--from our first visit to France we learned to love the French concept of food for picnics. Returning from Lascaux, we stopped in hamlets across the countryside and close to Montagrier visited 2 more family mansions. Elisabeth's family, we learned, has been in this area for at least 800 (sic) years.