It's a girl...NO...it's a BOY.....

And lots of them, so that means we will be making Squash Blossom Beignets!

Every morning, the squash plants are checked for girl vs. boy flowers.  The girls have fruit so we leave those behind to grow into zucchinis, but the boys bear no fruit so they are destined for beignets.  In the right photo,  he would be the top flower. Can you see the squash beginning on the base of the lower flower? That's our girl!  Click on photo to enlarge.

Squash Blossom Beignets

1 1⁄2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TSP. SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
2 CUPS WATER
1 TBS. OLIVE OIL
1 EGG, SEPARATED
18 LARGE or 36 SMALL SQUASH BLOSSOMS
VEGETABLE OIL


optional seasonings:  FRESH BASIL, MINCED or FRESH PARSLEY, MINCED or HERBES de PROVENCE

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk in water, olive oil, and egg yolk.  Whip egg white to stiff peaks and fold into batter.  Add any optional seasonings, if desired.

Heat 1'' vegetable oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Dip flowers in batter, coating them well.  Fry 1–3 minutes, turning frequently. Drain on paper toweling. Sprinkle with salt and serve.  Beignets freeze very well.  Once cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze in ziploc bags.  Reheat until crisp in 350 oven or toaster oven.

How to slideshow......Click to enlarge

Glorious LAVENDER

What extraordinary lavender we saw this year!  It came early....at least 3 weeks early.  We packed our picnic and struck out early for the Valensole plateau above the Gorges du Verdon and Lac Ste. Croix (another extraordinary place to blog about later). 

The group was excited, and we were too, as we got our first glimpse of what our day was going to be!  This was only the beginning!

It only gets better

Breathtaking!

Different intensities in color....different varieties.  The pale grey is actually the true and most precious lavender....

WHAT NEXT?

DISTILL IT  to make lavender oil.  Again the essence of lavender is different depending on which lavender is distilled. The true (lavandula augustifolia) is my favorite. Aspic lavender (lavandula latifolia) and lavandin (a hybrid of the two) can have a bit of a camphor scent...subtle but there.

or MAKE LAVENDER WANDS to add fragrance to your closets, your drawers or even in a vase in a room.

CLICK HERE for STEP by STEP photos on how to make a lavender wand.

or DECORATE A TABLE 

and PRACTICALLY SPEAKING....

• put a few drops in your hand with some bath soap, lather it in your hands and add to your bath water for a relaxing 'homemade spa'
• have a scratch or a bite, lavender oil will take out the 'bite'
• glue left behind on a bottle label, rub with a spot of lavender oil and 'VOILA!'
• a spot or two on a cotton ball tucked into the corner of a room or in your car is a favorite of mine
• a small drop of pure essence in sugar cookie dough for a yummy treat
• and last, but not least.....a great aftershave men's cologne

We hope you enjoyed our day in the lavender fields of Provence! 

à la prochaine,

MJ and X

THE TABLE IS SET.....

for the French neighbors to come for an American supper.....

The menu centers around Ribs....or Travers de Porc.....cold salads, cornbread.....and Peach Crumble.

It is all a huge hit even though X had told me that they might not buy into the cold salad idea.  

Wrong! 

They loved it.  

Another big hit is the Tabasco rack.  Thanks to our friends at Tabasco, we have the complete complement of Tabascos....Everybody is trying a different kind.  Fun!

Great evening.....now I just have to figure out what I will prepare the next time we have 16 French speaking people around the table.

Suggestions??

RIBS 101

This is the practical side of things.  I love this menu because it can be done 100% ahead of time....important when entertaining this many people.   I, being in France, also have to think about availability of products.  There is no Costco or Sam's where I can go pick up a few packages of ribs.  I have to place an order with Daniel, the butcher.  And we just happened to be there when they delivered the pork.  Daniel trims out the 2 slabs and then he has another for me.....this would definitely not be enough if I were serving 16 Americans but X reassures me that we will have plenty. But honestly, we thought we were going to have 13 but invited extras at the last minute....

Two days ahead, I rub the ribs down with  Dragon Rub, place them on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add water to just below the rack.  Cover with plastic wrap, yes plastic wrap, then heavy duty foil, being sure to tuck the plastic wrap into the edges of the foil when you crimp around the edge of the pan.  Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 2 1/2  hours...If using non convection, you may need to go to 3 hours.

Ready with the Dragon Rub, on rack over water...Now cover as described above.

Out of the oven, refrigerate overnight.

 After grilling and ready for reheat!

Next day, coat with Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce  and head to the grill.  Grill just to set the sauce.  You can do this part at the time of your party or you can do it ahead as I did. Then at the time of your party, put them on a sheet pan and reheat in the oven.

NOTE:  The Dragon Rub and the Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce are essential traveling companions.  Asian flavored recipes take so many special ingredients that are hard for me to locate in France.  So thank you to my New England manufacturers that make life easy.  Follow the links above to their websites.  Of course, you can change up your rub and your sauce to create different flavor profiles.

It is also possible to freeze them on a sheet pan, then bag and pull them out as you need them.  So yes, they can be done weeks ahead

PARMESAN TRICK

On the 4th of July, in FRANCE, celebrating AMERICA, X made his fabulous ITALIAN bolognese sauce... But he topped it off with Parmesan rinds....yes, rinds.  Remember the fabulous Parmesan I blogged about a few weeks ago.  Well, we have been eating away on it and unbeknownst to me, he was saving all the pieces of rind.   What in the world for?   Soup??? noooooo.  It is even better than that.  He took these small pieces trimmed into 1" lengths (see photo) and slowly sauteed them in a small amount of organic shortening .....He worked on and off the heat for about 30 minutes, being careful not to scorch or burn....on and off the heat is crucial here.  These little jewels along with some fresh peppers from the garden, some pasta, and our Tabasco Reserve made for a fabulous dinner.  Gave us just what we needed to get our own little concert going......God Bless America.

Just had to share this Parmesan trick....when done, they were cheesy little pillows!