Recipe for a french kitchen : artichoke with vinaigrette
Posted by LN, Monday 22 June 2009 at 17:02 - Recipes - Tags
The best season to eat this vegetable runs from May to November, for the one produced next to your door, in small Britain.
To choose a beautiful artichoke, a Breton one, le camus de Bretagne (green globe for US)… You have to recognize it : it is not the same as the mediterranean one, it is bigger (2 to 3 heads for a kilo). Then for a good one, you need to check the stem : it has to be fresh (not dry).
To cook it : you need to use two different boiling water
The first one is to wash it (the acidity will go), boil for 5 minutes and don’t cover. The water will be green.
The second is to cook it. Depending on the size of the vegetable, cook betwenn 15 to 30 minutes in boiling water. To know if it is cooked, remove a leaf and if it is tender, you can strain and wait till it is cold.
Recipe for french dressing :
3 tablespoons oil
1 of vinegar
a large teaspoon of french mustard.
Eat the leaves one by one dipped in french dressing. Savour the heart once you removed the inedible “choke”. You can also peel the stem and eat the tender center.
Be careful you have once cooked to eat it during the day because the artichoke oxidizes quickly.
Read it in French : Recette de l'artichaut à la vinaigrette
To choose a beautiful artichoke, a Breton one, le camus de Bretagne (green globe for US)… You have to recognize it : it is not the same as the mediterranean one, it is bigger (2 to 3 heads for a kilo). Then for a good one, you need to check the stem : it has to be fresh (not dry).
To cook it : you need to use two different boiling water
The first one is to wash it (the acidity will go), boil for 5 minutes and don’t cover. The water will be green.
The second is to cook it. Depending on the size of the vegetable, cook betwenn 15 to 30 minutes in boiling water. To know if it is cooked, remove a leaf and if it is tender, you can strain and wait till it is cold.
Recipe for french dressing :
3 tablespoons oil
1 of vinegar
a large teaspoon of french mustard.
Eat the leaves one by one dipped in french dressing. Savour the heart once you removed the inedible “choke”. You can also peel the stem and eat the tender center.
Be careful you have once cooked to eat it during the day because the artichoke oxidizes quickly.
Read it in French : Recette de l'artichaut à la vinaigrette
Read also :
Artichokes : a French speciality from Brittany
Posted by LN - Tags
The peak season for artichokes lasts several months : from May to November.
The artichoke is a domesticated thistle ... Have you seen it blooming ? The flower looks like the thistle’s one and it smells so good…
The reproduction of the artichoke is often done thanks to a rejection from an other artichoke that grows beside and must be replanted. The plant is almost a bush, which can reach 2 meters high and provides several artichokes (big ones) for 2 or 3 years.
.
Its name comes from the Italian language which took it from Arabic. Originally, the plant is Mediterranean. Already known in Italy during the 9th century, the marriage of the French King Henry II with the Italian Catherine de Medici (1533) who loved it made him popular in France.
Even if it is a Mediterranean plant, it grows well in Brittany- the culture began early 19th century-, specially on the North coast, where the climate is quite mild. The famous golden belt around Roscoff is the coast for early vegetables and 75% of the artichokes produced in France come from the area.
In France the favorite one is the camus de Bretagne,the largest species (2 to 3 kg per head), the one eaten peeled. The southern one is much smaller and often eaten like in Spain or Italy, in oil.
Read it in French : Artichaut de Bretagne
The artichoke is a domesticated thistle ... Have you seen it blooming ? The flower looks like the thistle’s one and it smells so good…
The reproduction of the artichoke is often done thanks to a rejection from an other artichoke that grows beside and must be replanted. The plant is almost a bush, which can reach 2 meters high and provides several artichokes (big ones) for 2 or 3 years.
.
Its name comes from the Italian language which took it from Arabic. Originally, the plant is Mediterranean. Already known in Italy during the 9th century, the marriage of the French King Henry II with the Italian Catherine de Medici (1533) who loved it made him popular in France.
Even if it is a Mediterranean plant, it grows well in Brittany- the culture began early 19th century-, specially on the North coast, where the climate is quite mild. The famous golden belt around Roscoff is the coast for early vegetables and 75% of the artichokes produced in France come from the area.
In France the favorite one is the camus de Bretagne,the largest species (2 to 3 kg per head), the one eaten peeled. The southern one is much smaller and often eaten like in Spain or Italy, in oil.
Read it in French : Artichaut de Bretagne
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Eating fruits and vegetables in Autumn : 5 a day at the right time
Posted by LN - Tags
Have you heard about the Copenhagen Summit... Of course... States and men have to act together to change the habbits we have for years...
One step can be simple : eat the right vegetable or fruit at the right time...
But as most of us don’t grow anymore vegies, we have forgotten when it is the right season to eat that kind of vegetables or this type of fruits…
And it is not just politically correct, it is also healthy (fresh vitamins) and wise (less expensive if you buy them when they're naturally mature.... cheaper...) to eat well and good (better taste)...
To help you through and to discover some of our regional products, I have done this calendar for the autumn production… October, November and December...
Some veggies can be kept through the year, if well preserved : beets, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions...
We often forget that exotic fruits are also related to the seasons.
Autumn is also the season to collect and enjoy fresh nuts (chestnuts,wallnuts...).
Enjoy the recipes and the local production clicking on links.
Vegetables
Artichokes, Beans, Beets, Horseradish, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Celery, Chicory, Cucumbers, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Romanesco cauliflower, Roquette Salad, Spinach, , Turnips, Zucchini
Fruits
Apples, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, Pears, Persimmons, Quinces
Almonds, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Pineapples
Vegetables
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Chicory, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Leeks, Lentils, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salad, Salsify, Spinach, Turnips Fruits
Apples, Grapes, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Chestnuts, Dates, Walnuts
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Horseradishes, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Almonds, Dates, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Bananas, Guavas, Lychees, Mangoes, Pineapples
Read it in French : Calendrier des fruits et légumes à consommer en saison d'automne
One step can be simple : eat the right vegetable or fruit at the right time...
But as most of us don’t grow anymore vegies, we have forgotten when it is the right season to eat that kind of vegetables or this type of fruits…
And it is not just politically correct, it is also healthy (fresh vitamins) and wise (less expensive if you buy them when they're naturally mature.... cheaper...) to eat well and good (better taste)...
To help you through and to discover some of our regional products, I have done this calendar for the autumn production… October, November and December...
Some veggies can be kept through the year, if well preserved : beets, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions...
We often forget that exotic fruits are also related to the seasons.
Autumn is also the season to collect and enjoy fresh nuts (chestnuts,wallnuts...).
Enjoy the recipes and the local production clicking on links.
OCTOBER
Vegetables
Artichokes, Beans, Beets, Horseradish, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Celery, Chicory, Cucumbers, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Romanesco cauliflower, Roquette Salad, Spinach, , Turnips, Zucchini
Fruits
Apples, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, Pears, Persimmons, Quinces
Almonds, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Pineapples
NOVEMBER
Vegetables
Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Chicory, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Leeks, Lentils, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salad, Salsify, Spinach, Turnips Fruits
Apples, Grapes, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Chestnuts, Dates, Walnuts
DECEMBER
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Horseradishes, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Almonds, Dates, Hazelnuts, Walnuts
Exotics Bananas, Guavas, Lychees, Mangoes, Pineapples
Read it in French : Calendrier des fruits et légumes à consommer en saison d'automne
Seasonal calendar for fresh fruits and veggies, Seasonal calendar for exotic fruits, Autumn calendar, Fresh fruits and season, Eating healthy food at the right price, Buy cheap and seasonal vegetables, Buy cheap fresh fruits at the right season, How to buy cheaper food, Fresh food and vitamins, Calendar for vegetables and fruits
French traditional recipe : vegetarian matafan.
Posted by LN - Tags
You can do it salty or sweet… It is an easy recipe, nice to do with children.
Several ways can be done : vegetarian with vegetables thinly sliced, with crumbs of tuna fish or sweet with fruits.
Ingredients :
50 g flour
2 yolks and 2 whites
150 ml milk
25 g melted butter
A large pan
Mix the ingredients. Add the whites softly.
Slice thinly your vegetables. Add them with a bit grated cheese.
Pour into a frying pan. 10 minutes for each side.
Eat it with a green salad.
The sweet recipe
Add 25 g of sugar to your dough. Slice thinly the fruits.
Add them. Same cooking time.
Read it in French : Recette de matafan végétarien à la mode de Bretagne
Several ways can be done : vegetarian with vegetables thinly sliced, with crumbs of tuna fish or sweet with fruits.
Ingredients :
50 g flour
2 yolks and 2 whites
150 ml milk
25 g melted butter
A large pan
Mix the ingredients. Add the whites softly.
Slice thinly your vegetables. Add them with a bit grated cheese.
Pour into a frying pan. 10 minutes for each side.
Eat it with a green salad.
The sweet recipe
Add 25 g of sugar to your dough. Slice thinly the fruits.
Add them. Same cooking time.
Read it in French : Recette de matafan végétarien à la mode de Bretagne
Typical recipe of buckwheat galettes in Brittany (France)
Posted by LN - Tags
Buckwheat is nice for food allergy : gluten free is the flour and the recipe does not use milk (and lactose !).
It is also a recipe vor vegetarians.
Ingredients
330g of buckwheat flour (Brittany produces organic buckwheat flour, you know !)
75 cl water
Salt
a bilig (or a pan)
15 minutes to a few hours
Pour slowly in a big bowl water into your flour. Mix with a wooden spoon and be careful with lumps.
You have to whip it 100 times with your wooden spoon. The more it will be whipped, the lightest it will be.
Wait 15 minutes to a few hours to use it.
In a pan, melt some butter and pour a laddle of your sauce.
When one side is done, grap the borders of the galette and flip it.
Add the fillings you want.
In Brittany, we don’t fill it a lot as we think we don’t enjoy the galette anymore when it has too much flavors.
Read it in French : Recette typique des galettes de blé noir en Bretagne
Ingredients
330g of buckwheat flour (Brittany produces organic buckwheat flour, you know !)
75 cl water
Salt
a bilig (or a pan)
15 minutes to a few hours
Pour slowly in a big bowl water into your flour. Mix with a wooden spoon and be careful with lumps.
You have to whip it 100 times with your wooden spoon. The more it will be whipped, the lightest it will be.
Wait 15 minutes to a few hours to use it.
In a pan, melt some butter and pour a laddle of your sauce.
When one side is done, grap the borders of the galette and flip it.
Add the fillings you want.
In Brittany, we don’t fill it a lot as we think we don’t enjoy the galette anymore when it has too much flavors.
Read it in French : Recette typique des galettes de blé noir en Bretagne
Recipe of salt fish in oven
Posted by LN - Tags
Easy recipe.
Cooking time : 20 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
A whole fish with thick skin (bass, sea bream, salmon ...)
Coarse salt
A trickle of olive oil
Preheat the oven (T 240°C / 8).
In a dish for the oven, place your whole fish. Add olive oil and a generous handful of salt. Bake the fish and cook according to the size of the fish (20 minutes to 30 minutes).
Once cooked, the skin comes off really easily. The fish is perfectly salted. Not bad with new potatoes.
Read it in French : Recette de poisson au gros sel au four
Cooking time : 20 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
A whole fish with thick skin (bass, sea bream, salmon ...)
Coarse salt
A trickle of olive oil
Preheat the oven (T 240°C / 8).
In a dish for the oven, place your whole fish. Add olive oil and a generous handful of salt. Bake the fish and cook according to the size of the fish (20 minutes to 30 minutes).
Once cooked, the skin comes off really easily. The fish is perfectly salted. Not bad with new potatoes.
Read it in French : Recette de poisson au gros sel au four
Home made recipe with flowers of sloe or blackthorn : oil massage and herbal tea
Posted by LN - Tags
Sloe or Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a small bush that grows in hedges in Brittany (France). It blooms between March and April. They can help against a difficult digestion or a light constipation.
No wonder as Blackthorn is the brother of the plum tree.
The fisrt recipe is done with fresh flowers.
Massage oil done with fresh flowers of Blackthorn (digestion).
Ingredients :
One third fresh flowers of Blackthorn
Two third of olive oil (better an organic one)
3 weeks
Once you picked the flowers, put them in oil. Open the bottle every day so that humidity will evaporate and the flowers won’t mould. Shake every day.
After three weeks, use it to massage your tummy when you have digestive disorders. You can use it for your children too.
Recipe of herbal tea with sloe flowers (constipation).
Once you’ve dried the flowers, you need : 2 teaspoons in simmering water. Let it infuse for 10 minutes. Drink it 3 times a day during a week.
Read it in French : Recette d'huile de massage et recette d'infusion à base de felurs de prunelliers
No wonder as Blackthorn is the brother of the plum tree.
The fisrt recipe is done with fresh flowers.
Massage oil done with fresh flowers of Blackthorn (digestion).
Ingredients :
One third fresh flowers of Blackthorn
Two third of olive oil (better an organic one)
3 weeks
Once you picked the flowers, put them in oil. Open the bottle every day so that humidity will evaporate and the flowers won’t mould. Shake every day.
After three weeks, use it to massage your tummy when you have digestive disorders. You can use it for your children too.
Recipe of herbal tea with sloe flowers (constipation).
Once you’ve dried the flowers, you need : 2 teaspoons in simmering water. Let it infuse for 10 minutes. Drink it 3 times a day during a week.
Read it in French : Recette d'huile de massage et recette d'infusion à base de felurs de prunelliers
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Home made red tomato and green tomatoes chutney recipe
Posted by LN - Tags
Green tomatoes left, what can I cook with them ? a nice chutney, a French recipe !!!
Ingredients for a small pot :
200 g of tomatoes (green and some redish)
1 tablespoon of honey
4 tablespoons of vinegar
Pepper
Ginger powder
2 tablespoons of Rum
Recipe :
Slice the tomatoes in small pieces, add rum and let macerate for an hour.
Put the sugar,honey, vinegar, pepper and ginger into a large pan. Bring to simmering point and simmer for almost an hour. It has to be thick and caramelized.
Eat it with strong tasty cheese such as roquefort or dry goat cheese. Or with poultry or foie gras. Pot them and sterilized them.
Read it in French : Recette maison de confit de tomates vertes et rouges
Ingredients for a small pot :
200 g of tomatoes (green and some redish)
1 tablespoon of honey
4 tablespoons of vinegar
Pepper
Ginger powder
2 tablespoons of Rum
Recipe :
Slice the tomatoes in small pieces, add rum and let macerate for an hour.
Put the sugar,honey, vinegar, pepper and ginger into a large pan. Bring to simmering point and simmer for almost an hour. It has to be thick and caramelized.
Eat it with strong tasty cheese such as roquefort or dry goat cheese. Or with poultry or foie gras. Pot them and sterilized them.
Read it in French : Recette maison de confit de tomates vertes et rouges
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Recipe of fish fillets and algae mustard sauce
Posted by LN - Tags
If you want an easy and quick recipe… here you are… with algae mustard…
Ingredients :
Fish fillets
The sauce :
- algae mustard (french strong mustard (moutarde de Dijon) is also ok, but don’t use sweet one !!!)
- double cream
- salt, pepper
an oven
Preparation time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes , oven to 7
Mix the same quantity of mustard and double cream. Brush the fillet generously with the sauce. Add salt and pepper. And bake for ... 20 minutes. It’s done.
Bon appétit.
Read it in French : Recette de poisson au four sauce moutarde aux algues
Ingredients :
Fish fillets
The sauce :
- algae mustard (french strong mustard (moutarde de Dijon) is also ok, but don’t use sweet one !!!)
- double cream
- salt, pepper
an oven
Preparation time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes , oven to 7
Mix the same quantity of mustard and double cream. Brush the fillet generously with the sauce. Add salt and pepper. And bake for ... 20 minutes. It’s done.
Bon appétit.
Read it in French : Recette de poisson au four sauce moutarde aux algues
Winter time : a calendar to eat fruits and vegetables
Posted by LN - Tags
Winter is the season for soups and stews, good simmered dishes and rich meals... Apple pies and roasted chestnuts are also part of the winter menu... and the excess of Christmas time...
It is also the season of cold, where diseases are more predictable ... Therefore vitamins of fresh produces and food are even more recommended ... to fight your bad cough... Fresh fruits or vegetables are the best natural source of vitamins... and the best way to loose weight after the plenty of New Year... Some days of a diet of fruits and veggies, that the best way to recover...
So let's see what we can eat... to enjoy the winter production without worrying ...
Some vegetables are edible all year long if they are well kept : Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions.
Same thing for nuts...
Exotic fruits, even if they are produced in warm lands, are also connected to seasons.
Better than eating food supplements in winter, try the natural vitamins and the right minerals...
Links are connected to recipes or specific vegetables and fruits produced here ...
JANUARY
Vegetables
Beet, Horseradish, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Crosne, Fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Salad, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Dates Nuts
Exotics Banana, Grapefruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Salads, Salsify, Turnips, Watercress
Fruits
Apples, Blood oranges, Clementines, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandarins, Pears
Nuts
Exotics Bananas, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Pineapples
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Leaves, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Salsify Spinach,Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwi, Mandarins, Oranges
Exotics Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples
If you want to eat the right products at the right time, the easiest way to do it is to go to the market next and buy the vegies and fruits produced in your area.
You'll discover vegies that we do not eat often anymore and you need just a bit of imagination to accommodate some vegetables! Bon appétit
Read this post in French : Fruits et légumes de saison : calendrier d'hiver
It is also the season of cold, where diseases are more predictable ... Therefore vitamins of fresh produces and food are even more recommended ... to fight your bad cough... Fresh fruits or vegetables are the best natural source of vitamins... and the best way to loose weight after the plenty of New Year... Some days of a diet of fruits and veggies, that the best way to recover...
So let's see what we can eat... to enjoy the winter production without worrying ...
Some vegetables are edible all year long if they are well kept : Beets, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Onions.
Same thing for nuts...
Exotic fruits, even if they are produced in warm lands, are also connected to seasons.
Better than eating food supplements in winter, try the natural vitamins and the right minerals...
Links are connected to recipes or specific vegetables and fruits produced here ...
JANUARY
Vegetables
Beet, Horseradish, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Chicory, Cress, Crosne, Fennel, Jerusalem artichoke, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Salad, Salsify, Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwis, Mandarins, Oranges, Pears
Dates Nuts
Exotics Banana, Grapefruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple
FEBRUARY
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Salads, Salsify, Turnips, Watercress
Fruits
Apples, Blood oranges, Clementines, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandarins, Pears
Nuts
Exotics Bananas, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Pineapples
MARCH
Vegetables
Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Leaves, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radish, Salsify Spinach,Turnips
Fruits
Apples, Clementines, Kiwi, Mandarins, Oranges
Exotics Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapples
If you want to eat the right products at the right time, the easiest way to do it is to go to the market next and buy the vegies and fruits produced in your area.
You'll discover vegies that we do not eat often anymore and you need just a bit of imagination to accommodate some vegetables! Bon appétit
Read this post in French : Fruits et légumes de saison : calendrier d'hiver
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Homemade chestnuts flour blinis recipe
Posted by LN - Tags
It is a really easy recipe.
Ingredients for 8 blinis (10 cm) :
A yoghurt (used as a measurement)
1 egg
Flour (one yoghurt…)
Half a yoghurt water
Baking powder
A small frying pan (10 cm)
Preparation time : 10 minutes and leave the batter one hour before frying.
Mix in a bowl the ingredients one after the other. Leave the batter for one hour.
When the frying pan is warm enough, brush it with oil or butter. Pour a small ladle into the pan and wait till it makes holes. Then flip it over and cook it on the other side.
You can add chocolate chips, pieces of dried apricots, sultanas to the batter before cooking…
Read it in French : Recette de facile de blinis à la farine de châtaignes
Ingredients for 8 blinis (10 cm) :
A yoghurt (used as a measurement)
1 egg
Flour (one yoghurt…)
Half a yoghurt water
Baking powder
A small frying pan (10 cm)
Preparation time : 10 minutes and leave the batter one hour before frying.
Mix in a bowl the ingredients one after the other. Leave the batter for one hour.
When the frying pan is warm enough, brush it with oil or butter. Pour a small ladle into the pan and wait till it makes holes. Then flip it over and cook it on the other side.
You can add chocolate chips, pieces of dried apricots, sultanas to the batter before cooking…
Read it in French : Recette de facile de blinis à la farine de châtaignes
French