COOKING WITH GRANDMA CHRONICLES PART 3

QUICK RATATOUILLE Grandma likes to use a wok for this quick ratatouille, a family dish for summer when eggplant, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes are at their best down at the Mas in Languedoc. The wide cooking surface of a wok spreads the vegetables so they cook more quickly and are easy to toss in the

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The Forgotten Sauce

Whether you call it by its classy French name Béchamel, from the 18th century French Marquis of the same name, know it as “cream gravy” as they do in Texas and much of the South, or simply call it White Sauce as the English like me do, I’m struck by how it’s become the forgotten sauce.

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Fresh Fava Beans with Bacon

Fresh favas are a favorite big bean, one of the first arrivals in early spring. They have one fault: a thick skin that needs peeling. It is a fiddly job but the bright green, slightly crunchy bean that emerges is ample reward. Even better, when fresh lima beans are in season, they can replace favas

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Spring Gratin

  As a way to present vegetables, enhanced but not hidden by their golden brown crust, a gratin seems to me ideal. Even when dressed in a white sauce, the color and shapes of the vegetables still show through, and nuts, chopped herbs and other flavorings only add to the riot of color. The special

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Leeks in a Bread Crust

As the name suggests, flamiche is Flemish, a reminder that in the 14th century, the Dukes of Burgundy ruled as far as Flanders and the North Sea. Flamiche is a robust version of quiche made with bread dough instead of pastry and it needs a pungent filling. Personally, I like to work with generous amounts

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Gratin of Summer Vegetables in Mint Pesto

At home we make this recipe all summer long with vegetables from the market. Then, in early September, the magic moment arrives when every ingredient comes from our own garden. The name pesto comes from the Italian ‘pestare’, to pound, as with a mortar and pestle. Basil is the traditional choice of aromatic herb but others, such as flat leaf parsley or cilantro, are just as good. Mint is my particular favorite an underestimated herb, I think.

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Winegrower’s Red Beans with Red Wine

Kidney beans mature shortly before the wine harvest in France – an invitation for grape-pickers to consume vast casseroles of ‘haricots rouges vigneronne’ (literally wine-grower’s red beans), often in the vineyards. A cheap, fruity local red wine lends gorgeous color to the beans. The whole piece of bacon with the rind here gives a delicious flavor – you should be able to order it from your butcher. Alternatively, you can omit the bacon and stir a cup of oil-cured black olives into the beans at the end of cooking.

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Asparagus with Mushrooms in a Tarragon Cream (Asperges et Champignons à la Crème d’Estragon)

The Loire Valley, with its temperate climate and sandy soil, is a paradise for fine vegetables. When they reach the kitchen they are often combined, for example the green peas, lettuce and scallions in Petits Pois à la Française, or this appealing dish of asparagus and mushrooms flavored with tarragon, great as a first course or accompaniment to roast chicken or a luxury meat such as veal. This recipe does not take long and is best prepared just before serving.

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Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese (Tomates Farcies au Fromage de Chèvre)

I was given this recipe by a producer of goat cheese, a savvy marketeer who hands out recipe leaflets with every cheese he sells. Ironically named Monsieur Cochon (Mr. Pig), he is an idealist, raising his herd of 150 goats on herbage from his own farm, with the help of his wife, Véronique. “We are producers from start to finish, from raising the goats to making the cheese to meeting our customers, that’s what I enjoy,” says Jean-Marie Cochon. For these stuffed tomatoes, blue cheese or soft cream cheese can be substituted for the goat cheese.

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Leeks Vinaigrette (Poireaux Vinaigrette)

Leeks are sturdy, surviving all winter through hard frost. Marinated in vinaigrette, with some chopped hard boiled egg to pick up the color, they are a popular appetizer all over France. They are best served slightly warm.

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