Author name: Jim

Petites Histoires

Petites Histoires

Posted on

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to have eaten and drunk very well in France. Since my first visit in 1989, through the years of 1990-1991 when we lived in Paris, through frequent return visits after we were once again living in Seattle, until today, when we live full time in Orthez, some […]

Petites Histoires Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to have eaten and drunk very well in France. Since my first visit in 1989, through the years of 1990-1991 when we lived in Paris, through frequent return visits after we were once again living in Seattle, until today, when we live full time in Orthez, some

Tagged , , | Leave a Comment
Stuff

Time to fire up the barbecue!

Posted on

What a beautiful day in the sunny southwest of France!  Cool, misty morning, then sunny with clear skies, low humidity and not a cloud in the sky.  What else is there to do but to fire up the Weber kettle?  Locally, zuchini has been coming on strong for a few weeks, eggplants and peppers have

Time to fire up the barbecue! Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

What a beautiful day in the sunny southwest of France!  Cool, misty morning, then sunny with clear skies, low humidity and not a cloud in the sky.  What else is there to do but to fire up the Weber kettle?  Locally, zuchini has been coming on strong for a few weeks, eggplants and peppers have

Tagged , , | Leave a Comment
Recipes

Recipe Problems!

Posted on

It has recently been brought to my attention that some of the older recipe post on my blog no longer actually contain a recipe!  Opps! After a bit of research, it appears that the problems stems from a system update to WordPress (the site that hosts my blog) last fall. Anyway, the problem has been

Recipe Problems! Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

It has recently been brought to my attention that some of the older recipe post on my blog no longer actually contain a recipe!  Opps! After a bit of research, it appears that the problems stems from a system update to WordPress (the site that hosts my blog) last fall. Anyway, the problem has been

Leave a Comment
The Garden

Blueberries in June

Posted on

May was very wet throughout most of France, with the local news saying it is the wettest in 30 years!  And despite a few sunny days, June has started wetter than usual as well.  Good news for the ground water levels but not so good for our tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Oh well, there is

Blueberries in June Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

May was very wet throughout most of France, with the local news saying it is the wettest in 30 years!  And despite a few sunny days, June has started wetter than usual as well.  Good news for the ground water levels but not so good for our tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Oh well, there is

Tagged | Leave a Comment
Stuff

Trout from the Pyrenees with favas, baby artichokes and nettle pistou

Posted on

Here is one idea of how to serve nettle pistou. These favas where so young and tender, I didn’t bother to peel them.

Trout from the Pyrenees with favas, baby artichokes and nettle pistou Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Here is one idea of how to serve nettle pistou. These favas where so young and tender, I didn’t bother to peel them.

Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments
Sauces

Nettle Pistou

Posted on

Nettles pop up in our yard pretty much any place we leave to grow wild.  Which is fine by me, as nettles are not only very useful in organic gardening, they are also one of pleasures of the spring table.  We save the tender new leaves for recipes, and chop the tough, older stems and

Nettle Pistou Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Nettles pop up in our yard pretty much any place we leave to grow wild.  Which is fine by me, as nettles are not only very useful in organic gardening, they are also one of pleasures of the spring table.  We save the tender new leaves for recipes, and chop the tough, older stems and

Tagged , , | Leave a Comment
The Garden

Stawberries from the garden!

Posted on

Strawberries are THE quintessential fruit of springtime.   We enjoyed these with just a drizzle of heavy cream. Yum! I planted 6 strawberry plants spring 2023, but they didn’t really get much traction during their first year; the few strawberries that they produced got eaten by birds or slugs. This year, with the help of  anti-bird

Stawberries from the garden! Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Strawberries are THE quintessential fruit of springtime.   We enjoyed these with just a drizzle of heavy cream. Yum! I planted 6 strawberry plants spring 2023, but they didn’t really get much traction during their first year; the few strawberries that they produced got eaten by birds or slugs. This year, with the help of  anti-bird

Tagged | Leave a Comment
Stuff

Wild black pepper from Madagascar

Posted on

On a recent trip to our local coffee roaster, La Brûlerie du Béarn, I discovered a new spice that has since become a bit of a fetish for me. It’s wild black pepper from Madagascar, and if you are saying “yeah, black pepper, whatever”, I assure you that this wild black pepper has nothing to

Wild black pepper from Madagascar Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

On a recent trip to our local coffee roaster, La Brûlerie du Béarn, I discovered a new spice that has since become a bit of a fetish for me. It’s wild black pepper from Madagascar, and if you are saying “yeah, black pepper, whatever”, I assure you that this wild black pepper has nothing to

Tagged | Leave a Comment
Stuff

Spring onions, calçots and Mas Costa

Posted on

Spring onions, which we planted last fall from seed, are up and beautiful this April.  Along with nettles, bear’s garlic, asparagus and strawberries, early spring onions are, for me, an ingredient that fairly sings of spring.  Toss them in salads, sprinkle them on soups, over cold asparagus and grilled fish, fold them into mashed potatoes,

Spring onions, calçots and Mas Costa Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Spring onions, which we planted last fall from seed, are up and beautiful this April.  Along with nettles, bear’s garlic, asparagus and strawberries, early spring onions are, for me, an ingredient that fairly sings of spring.  Toss them in salads, sprinkle them on soups, over cold asparagus and grilled fish, fold them into mashed potatoes,

Tagged , , , | 1 Comment
Stuff

Thanks for asking, Bethany!

Posted on

Bethany Jean Clement, who writes for the Seattle Times and whom I count as a friend, was recently in touch with a question about a recipe for asparagus we used to cook at Le Pichet and Cafe Presse.  She was also kind enough to inquire about our new life here in France and has now

Thanks for asking, Bethany! Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Bethany Jean Clement, who writes for the Seattle Times and whom I count as a friend, was recently in touch with a question about a recipe for asparagus we used to cook at Le Pichet and Cafe Presse.  She was also kind enough to inquire about our new life here in France and has now

Tagged , , | 1 Comment
Scroll to Top