My my, how July passed in a blur of work, family weekends, catching up with friends and a four day long weekend to Deauville. What I notice to be strange right now is how I am now getting used to typing on the French keyboard and the one on my laptop feels weird now...
From the work kitchen...
My new workplace is next to a forest, so I've been taking my plate down to the forest at least once a week to eat by the pond. It's a lovely peaceful pond with a walking track around it, so it's pretty amazing to eat there next to the ducks, with many dogs walking by as well. The hospital gives us a pretty good lunch (it's the same as what patients eat), there's always a couple of salads for entrée, choice of two mains, bread and cheese, and fruit for dessert.
Leek tart, vegetables, tomato mozzarella salad and some kind of beef.
Roast pork, yellow beans and potatoes. Carrot salad and zucchini salad.
From our kitchen...
Our friends came from China with these fresh rose pastries - can you believe they are stuffed with candied roses!
Our other friends came from Vietnam with these mooncake like delicacies stuffed with bean paste and salted egg, and durian flavoured crumbly sweets that looked like gold bars.
We found this tempeh in a bio shop one day while out walking, I've never had tempeh d'Okara before - the flavour was amazing!
Mr Picard continues to help us out on those busy nights where we don't have time to cook. Here these steamed veggie dumplings were actually really good
Fancy Friday continues, at least in the wine department!
Chinese people always have noodles for birthdays - we had biang biang noodles his year from my favourite noodle place, La Taverne de Zhao which is Frenchified Chinese food but still very good handmade noodles
When S went to pick up my birthday noodles he picked up their chilli paste as well
Weekend in Deauville...
So all of France goes on holidays in July/August, it's effectively shut. I arrived in the hospital one day to see that they had even turned off the lights in the corridor, probably because they thought no one was coming! S invited his friend to come and nerd with him in Paris all summer so we are here all summer as well, but we did manage to get away for a long weekend in the nearest beach, also nicknamed the 21st arrondissement of Paris because so many Parisians go there. We even somehow chanced upon the Patrouille, the incredible airshow that the military put on. Our airbnb has to be seen to be believed, panoramic views over the sea and we watched the airshow directly from the couch!
A local cider - you can just glimpse our magnificent ocean view from our airbnb
Fresh oysters and prawns at the Trouville fish market
Incredible grilled gambas, cost us an arm and a leg but worth every cent!
A simple meal at "home" - veggies with vegan meat bbq style, and a salad of heirloom tomatoes...
A couple more local delicacies - onion flavoured crisps and apple biscuits
Onto the curveball...
I leave you all with my lovely little monster who just adores the sea. Deauville faces the UK so the weather is similar - rainy, variable, cold / bloody freezing for Aussies. He didn't show a single skerrick of hesitation before he dived right into the freezing water. He would have stayed there all day if we let him!
Sending this to Sherry who hosts the monthly IMK series, have a lovely August everyone and see you all soon xxx
