The rescue

Thankful for friends that drop off nectar to spice up my boring dinner. #100daysofsummer #2015yip #theyearthatis2015 #225/365

A photo posted by Nazila (@nazilam) on Aug 13, 2015 at 8:59pm PDT

Sometimes you have to thank the friend  who shows up on your doorstep bearing directly from the oven-  roasted tomatoes, some of which he picked from your garden. It makes your dinner of toast with feta cheese much better and for this I am grateful.

Recipe can be found here. 

This recipe with a bit of florence fennel thrown in for good measure was a staple of my time in Rome. It was a great way to get rid of bits and bobs and was great on bread or pasta. I can't wait to toss this bunch with pasta for dinner tomorrow.

A photo posted by Nazila (@nazilam) on Aug 10, 2015 at 5:07pm PDT

And this on quarter of the tomatoes we've harvested. If tomorrow's forecast hold true - I'll be able to make sauce and not die of heat stroke.

Foodie Fraudster: The diary of a vegetable avoider

When you have two back to back trips, things happen. #theyearthatis2015 #2015yip #100daysofsummer #hangry #197/365

A photo posted by Nazila (@nazilam) on Jul 22, 2015 at 8:44pm PDT

This summer I've craved approximately four foods and could  do eat them day in and day out just like a four year old.  My diet consists mostly of peanut butter filled pretzels, hand tossed margherita pizzas, cold watermelon and ripe peaches.  For someone who waxes poetically about eating locally,organically and keeping things healthy, this seems like a pretty lame and not very balanced diet.

Why is it that I can't seem to get into cooking or eating anything that I have growing in my garden. Is it like the cook who can't eat her own cooking after being in the kitchen all day? Is it that the soil prep, tending the crops and then harvesting them turns me off of all the vegetables we have grown?

I don't know.

I feel like a foodie fraud.

Tomorrow is another day and I'm out of peanut-butter filled pretzels, so I'll eat carrots instead.

Posh marshmellows, chocolatier Foucher, Paris, October 2007.

I'm knackered, it is the time change.

Ernest goes by his own clock, so up he was at 6 am and now he's down at 6:30.

He's a by the book kind of guy.

I have nothing of real import to report, I'm a bit sad today. One of our family friends is putting her husband in a nursing home. There is that subtle shift between the acceptance of your elderly relatives needing to leave home when their husband/wife/partner or caregiver can no longer provide them the care they need and when it becomes the person that introduced your father to the practice of medicine.

I can't even imagine what my parents are going through today. They went to go see them today.
On a happier note, some of my pics are up from our last trip to Paris, London, Brussels. Go check them out. I have yet to tag them properly. We found a lovely new chocolatier on rue st. Dominique (Jen, you must check him out) and all the favorites were just fine.

My risotto is burbling, my artichokes are as well, TH is setting the table and its time for dinner.

nm

What I had for dinner

Sorry, no pictures.

In my other life I play an harried overweight cranky person (hah, had you fooled) that cares about what she eats. Today I had a great message board exchange about roasted chicken that ended with a recipe and some tips on making the perfect roasted chicken.

We eat roasted chicken once a week. TH likes dark meat, I prefer white. We eat it the first night and then make something with the leftover meat - usually some sort of casserole. The body goes into stock and is seen in a soup or base for chicken pot pie.

Recently my chickens have been a disaster - not very flavorful, too juicy (strange), undercooked or just blah. I started to loathe the idea of that bird for dinner.

My pal, Lili, turned me on to Sunset magazine's roast chicken recipe. This recipe was simple, tasty and everything cooked perfectly. I'm not one for big roasters, since there are only two of us most nights, but honestly, with these results, I'll be reaching for a six pounder next week and trust me, I'll never baste again. We served the chicken with a steamed artichoke and baked delicata squash from the fall harvest. Delicious!

Thanks Lili for the tip. We're on a streak here chez floraandflying, over a week with decent dinners and creative leftovers.

nm