I can't believe I just typed September... The French say metro - boulot - dodo (subway - work - sleep) and maybe this is how life just passes us by? Let's take a look at the last month in my kitchen...
My dad arrived from Australia with a hand of bananas from his garden (I know.. highly dodgy, but extremely delicious)
I finally bought a new bread knife along with a stainless steel frying pan. I've been baking two loaves on the weekends (one for us and one for my dad).
I've also gotten into this seed mix which I bought from the local supermarket while we were visiting Padova last time.
I found the French equivalent of sav blanc! I will never go past a Pouilly Fumé again
Our neighbour got us these from a popular chocolaterie Jeff de Bruges. We have never had anything from there and they are really decadent and rich
My dad has been bringing us dinner twice a week and it's an incredible help. Here was one of our dinners - rice with steamed fish, home-sprouted sprouts (he's been growing them from mung beans) stir fried with tofu, and green veggies.
The other days of the week we have meal prep meals - here coconut taro, dal and cabbage tomato stirfry. I was so moved because I got home from a 24 hour shift at the hospital and saw S had prepared the plate for my lunch along with my favourite beer and a pistachio tart from downstairs. What a stellar husband!
Picnic in the park with an eggplant omelette (unusual, but delicious), camembert with baguette, chickpea tomato salad, and fava bean mash.
Dumplings at home - these were filled with a combination of TVP, cabbage, carrot and coriander
Another day, another amazing Cyril Lignac pastry
In the summer holidays we have been going very often to the blind school garden across the road from our place, where we have had a whole summer of blackberries, mulberries, strawberries and tomatoes. Here was a particularly beautiful strawberry
In the work kitchen...
One of the nurses brought in these gorgeous grapes from her vine at home
You know you live and work in France when the physiotherapist brings in home made macarons. The shells were incredibly light and the filling of salted caramel was *chefs kiss*.
I love Picard the frozen supermarket and as cliché as it can be, their frozen meals are actually really good. Here is one I had for one of my on calls.
We had an excess of bananas one week so I made these "healthy cookies" with banana, oats, chia seeds, almond meal and sunflower oil. They were the perfect mid-ward round pickup and G also loved them for his afternoon tea
Wild blackberries from the hospital cemetery
The curveballs..
I excuse myself for having two food related curveballs...
The first is this vending machine of fresh produce from local farmers within a 100km radius of Paris, pretty crazy idea right? I wonder how they keep the stuff fresh..
And the second is my little monster eating blackberries off the vine at the local park. Eating berries with him all summer has been a truly wonderful experience of motherhood.
I'm sending this to Sherry who hosts the monthly IMK series. Thanks for visiting and have a great September everyone!
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It looks like August was a wonderful month in your kitchen. Everything looks delicious and the picture of your son eating the berries in the park is adorable. Happy September!
ReplyDeletethanks for visiting Lori, it was a glorious summer of berry eating in the park for us!
DeleteWell that last photo is a keeper! I am impressed at how important excellent food is in France, I am hoping that here in the USA, we will make a U-turn and get back to food worth eating. Sorry, off rant and back to your lovely blog post. I have to say the different food made by everyone is stellar, but the comment about the blackberries from the cemetery brought back great memories of my own blackberry adventures in CA when I was a kid! There is nothing like fresh (and often warm from the sun) blackberries!
ReplyDeleteoh I completely get that fresh warm from the sun berry feeling now.. funny that it's my first season of eating berries too (not just my son!) and now that I know about the cemetery blackberry vine, I'll be looking out for it earlier next year, maybe if you pick it early it makes it grow more berries??
DeleteWhat a busy and marvellous month you had! Love the photo of Baby G! Blackberry picking was a big part of my childhood; happy memories there. Love that beautiful red pastry, and what about that vending machine?! Amazing. There must be a story to that name "Jeff de Bruges"; doesn't sound very French. And the 24 hour shift sounds like a killer. Thanks so much for joining in again this month. Your life sounds super busy indeed! Have a great September.!
ReplyDeleteI think Jeff de Bruges might be slightly Dutch or Belgian ,just a slight suspicion.. Thanks for hosting as always Sherry!
DeleteLovely photo of your little one eating blackberries and sounds like you made so nice memories. I don't think I would eat wild berries from anywhere in the US- everything here is subject to spray for mosquitos or the ground was once used for industrial purposes. Scary! I do remember when I was young the joy of finding wild berries and picking them and eating them. Everything you made looks so good. . The banana cookies are similar to a recipe that used to make for the kids. Have a great month!!
ReplyDeleteit's funny that there were plenty of people telling me I had to wash the berries because they are "not clean" but I'm not sure that anyone bothers to spray wild berries? Anyway I figure it couldn't be as bad as the supermarket! have a great month too
DeleteSo much goodness in one post! I don't think I've ever worked in place with a staff room filled with as much deliciousness as yours! The dumplings look divine and how good have the blackberries been this year?! Your dad has outdone himself with his dinner deliveries :)
ReplyDeletewell our staff room usually has treats from the boulangerie that some nurse or other has brought in.. and I'm rapidly expanding horizontally as a result of all the deliciousness!
DeleteFresh berries, beautiful patisserie bakes, home made macarons at work, great sourdough, sharing food with your dad, dumplings, chocolates and home grown bananas from Australia - you are living the good life! though a 24 hour shift sounds intense, even with a stellar husband at home. Glad you are able to take time out for picnics and fruit picking with G.
ReplyDeleteyou've summarised my month better than I could have! I do feel very grateful for all the delicious food and wonderful people in my life :)
DeleteI love those vending machines! We have seen ones with oysters, and even potatoes :) Hope to see you at the end of the month!
ReplyDeleteahhh so sorry that your visit falls on a clinical week so it will be too much juggling! hope you have a blast on your trip x
DeleteI loved reading your post, and I will be on the lookout for Picards when we visit France next year hopefully. Your dumplings look amazing, and so wonderful to have the support from hubby after a 12 hour shift, that is too long. Your Dad sounds like great value in the kitchen, what a treasure. Oh to have those berries, such a special time with your little one. Take care.
ReplyDeletePicard is apparently the most loved French shop according to surveys - and it's well loved for a reason! so many great products there and it's just a great solid choice for things like night shift :) have a great month!
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