On medium heat, add oil, then leeks with some seasoning. Add a couple of smashed garlic cloves. Cook until leeks are translucent. Add zucchini and herbs. After about 5 minutes add half & half along and vegetable broth. Simmer until very soft. Purée in a blender until smooth. Put back in warm pan and taste for seasoning or herbs. Lastly, add a splash of sherry vinegar. Then cool in the refrigerator until an hour before serving.
What a lovely savory dish that seems to be perfect every time. This method of cooking duck came after I made a slow roasted Duck with Green Olives in Provence. I wanted to perfect the recipe once I came back to Portland. But here in Portland, I made a wild mushroom sauce instead of a green olive sauce, and a demi-glace, which is simply divine!
Duck is simply my favorite food. In my Provence countryside kitchen, I decided on this rich and luscious menu for my Portland friends stay.
Every year I look forward to hosting this group of friends here in Mison. Like me, they are all foodies and love good wine. So no matter what, we always have a great time!
Artichauts Farcis - Stuffed Artichokes Provençal
An elegant first course for my dear friends here in Mison. Every summer when I’m in here in Provence I look forward to seeing and cooking for a few friends that live here in Mison. Once I met them years ago, we became fast friends. We all have a huge appreciation for good food and good wine.. and we all enjoy entertaining.
Why Not turkey in Provence
After all, this region is known for different kinds of fowl. This recipe came from the Aquitaine region in the Southwest of France, same as Bordeaux.
My Birthday landed on the hottest day of the year! I changed the venue at the last minute because it was 116 degrees in Portland!! Thank goodness for air-conditioning!
I’ve cooked paella for as many as 45 people for a birthday dinner party, and as few as four in the countryside of Germany. Generally when I make paella, it’s for 12 to 25 people (see recipe at the bottom). This past week I took my paellera and fire set-up to the south of Portland for an elegant dinner of eight in which I was not only the paella chef, but I was also a guest.
I’ve missed cooking for all of you during this pandemic. This was a fun way to cook together and see you all in your own kitchens!
Combining Thomas Keller’s roasted chicken brine with cooking on a rotisserie on the big green egg made the most sublime chicken !
Brining or not has been a big question for many, including me. Well, it really depends on what kind of time you have. To me, air drying is more important.
The Italians know how to make these beans with elegance!
Serve by themselves, or with a crispy skin white fish that is in season!
Three important elements to this dish…
Poisson for the last two 5-course dinners before heading off to surgery
January 5th and 7th, 2020
This dinner sold out within a couple of hours once I posted it. So, I added another one on Tuesday, two days later with the same menu.
Boeuf Bourguignon was on the 5-course dinner party menu served with potato parsnip purée
December 15th, 2019
Wow, what an evening! I had a blast in the kitchen with two of my favorite girlfriends who have so generously offered their time to help me pull off this Fine French dinner!
New friends and lots of laughter!
Twelve happy dinner guests enjoyed poulet confit as part of this 5-course dinner party
Over the years, I’ve enjoyed getting to know some good friends of my parents that visit annually from the states. They are such gracious guests! The first time I met Larry, he asked if he could go to the store with me. He wouldn't let me pay for my groceries. Extremely generous!
Mirabelles grow like a weed here on our property. They are small plums without as much moisture as normal plums, and have a firm skin which gives a nice amount of acidity. They are great for making mirabelle confiture!
In the south of France, tarts are a staple, either savory or sweet. For my guests, I serve a tomato tart with an aperitif in the garden or salon before dinner. They are also great with a salad for lunch. And, because they are served at room temperature, they make a perfect dish for outdoor gatherings. They always look impressive, and are very Provençal!
I'm planning my summer trip to Europe and have been thinking about Nice. When I'm at my France studio, I need a vacation from the countryside. It's an easy drive to Nice in which I spend a lot of time. I love the markets on Cours Saleya and I love Old Town Nice!
Ten lovely guests came for an evening of delight this past Valentine's evening. People seemed to have a great time! I know I had a great time preparing all of the food. Especially because my friend Santha came and helped. We had so much fun together in the kitchen making this fabulous feast!
This winter, I met a friend in a wine group that knows everything about every wine made! I wanted to host a dinner with the flavors from Provence, and asked my wine friend, Chick Wells, to pair each dish with wine. It was fantastic.
I love the sweetness of roasted carrots. These glazed carrots are put in a sherry syrup and butter after they were roasted, adding another depth of flavor and sweetness. The recipe is based on Portland's Beloved Naomi Pomeroy from Beast. She roasts them first to get a little char.
I’m surprised how much I love these little green French lentils, also known as puy lentils. When I was a child, I hated lentils, mostly because of their texture. So, as an adult, I never took the time to prepare them. For whatever reason that I can’t remember years ago, I decided to give them another try.
Portland has a lot of great mixologists. In my neighborhood, I visit Aviary regularly. They have a beautiful bar menu and a great staff! One of my favorite drinks on the Happy Hour menu is the “Rattlesnake”. I love the frothiness from the egg white. They pour over ice in an old fashioned glass rather than up.
I love starting with a cold soup to get the pallet warmed up for the meal. You could use the puréed soup recipe with other vegetables if you want. But I longed for the flavors of Provence, and fennel is one of them! I served it with fennel fronds and a chive-parsley oil. It was paired with a chenin blanc.
I love quail, and decided it was the perfect food for this special day. The one above I made in the spring with fresh morel mushrooms.
A perfect starter for any dinner party. These shrimp endive leaves have a brightness to them, and are always the hit of a party. Great appetizer ideas!
I had a real desire to make beet purée after seeing a beautiful image on @cookniche’s instagram post. The color was intense, and made the plate beautiful. So, I worked on making a beautiful and tasty beet purée to pair with duck breast for a dinner in which I was developing a menu. It was lovely! I played around with how much water – bay leaf, or no bay leaf. Garlic or no garlic. I was happy with the outcome.
This has been a much loved salad in our family Thanksgiving dinner. I think my mother loved the idea that all of these things could be made ahead of time. And this salad is better with time sitting in the refrigerator. She has changed it, added different things, and made it her own over the years. I have done the same thing.