Jacques ..my talented chef..has started making bacon.. pastrami..and pancetta.My fave so far is the pancetta..OK the pastrami straight out of the oven was sublime..but the pancetta? Well just fabulous to me..
I happened to find a beautiful bunch of leeks at the same time..and prior to that some Italian plums..
When friends came for dinner..I pre-Halloweened..with just 2 wee things ..a pumpkin I painted white and adorned..and a bottle of water..with a whole stem and leaves of lemon balm..identified no less with Arsenic:)
such cute graphics I found:) From Cathe Holden..at Something I made~Thank you and go see:)
Not related at all to that evening..we made good use of the pancetta and leeks:)
I made a quiche with the leeks and pancetta:) easy peasy.. 3 lightly beaten eggs..I pan fried pancetta ..leeks..and shallots..some garlic...kale I had blanched and frozen...added the mix to the beaten eggs..some cream..some seasonings.. mes herbes salées mostly..swiss cheese:) and topped all w/ blanched Leek that I shaped into flowers and leaves..a;; placed and tucked into a French quiche plate that was papered and buttered in Phyllo dough~
.. and a cream of leek and potato soup ensued.. with Jacques' pancetta in Mary's bowls:)The plum cake I have showcased here before..I think I made a whole post on it:)I just did a different twist this time~
I think Jacques favors his pancetta most also.
Fall is a season of bounty..and the colors in the trees bring a sense of..utter gratitude for experiencing such riches.
October IS Awesome♥
Apart from saying goodbye to our gardens.
....but honestly..I have already started to cut back the gardens..for their winter sleep.. they suffered so much through this summer's drought..they were looking more than forlorn..Still have many to go..but the ones I did do..look fresher and cleaner.
Not my best gardening year at all.
Footnote..one meal I love to make at this time of year..is Martha Stewart's Sesame Chicken in Acorn Squash..we had it tonight..but by the time we ate..dusk had set in:( The nights are getting shorter~
It's such a pretty fall recipe..It's in one of my Martha Stewart's Quick Cook books..It is delicious.
I did find the recipe here also..and thank you poster~ for you if you want to enjoy it:)
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It all sounds good. I am surprised that you had a drought way up there. I guess I thought the summers were cool with ample rain.
ReplyDeleteThose look like some great recipes.
ReplyDeleteYour mosaic is so pretty:)
Hope your winter is kind to you.
Ours was the worst by far for South Africa..
Jacques pancetta sounds fantastic. How great that you found a beautiful bunch of leeks. Sometimes our leeks at our store look tired, probably tired of waiting for someone to purchase them. They are so popular in France, but not so much where I live. A shame.
ReplyDeleteHope your winter is uneventful.
Sam
Your mosaic is lovely, Monique. Most of my lovely linens came from my MIL and her mother. I treasure them. The present generation can appreciate them (my daughter loves mine) but they just don't have time to care and love them. (I notice that with silver too.)
ReplyDeleteBarbara..I wonder if our silver will ever get polished:)
ReplyDeleteBut maybe my mom wondered that about me..Hard to tell I was 19..young women..are not as taken with old things as we are..except some.
Here young women prefer modern..sleek ..
I treasure my grandparents/parents things also..
Leeks are so reasonable right now..it's really amazing what you can do with so little..
Shel..sorry about your winter:(we are hoping ours will be milder..cause we're older I think!
Summers are usually warm and humid too sometimes here..with just enough rain for farmers and gradeners..exceptionally dry this yr..Our grass is brown and burlap like in many spots..Pas beau du tout~
How very lucky you are to have a husband who makes his own pancetta!!! I cannot imagine Todd doing anything such as this. He is so NOT culinary inclined. He likes to eat. That's all. Cooking is not his forte! It's a good thing it is mine! Everything as usual looks beautiful. Oh, what I would give to be a guest at your table and in your home. That would be just wonderful! xxoo
ReplyDeleteYou are the queen of seasons Monique!
ReplyDeleteWho can keep up with you.
Trick or treating at your house has to be the best.
Une superbe photo qui fait honneur à ce mois d'octobre... Une tarte aux poireaux qui me fait saliver... Et une belle ventrèche pour cuisiner...
ReplyDeleteJe rentre après deux jours de cueillettes de champignons! On pourrait mêler le tout avec ce que j'aperçois et quel régal !...
Une jolie publication.
Gros bisous à toi ma chère Nana et merci pour ton gentil commentaire.
It is a great pleasure to be a guest/friend at Monique's house!
ReplyDeleteAnd you can never keep up to what she makes or even her crafts....
And you are so lucky to have Jacques and his cured meats! You make a great duo with you on desserts :) We reached 77F here today but things are changing quickly.
ReplyDeleteLovely fall collage!
I really have to make the Sesame Chicken in Acorn Squash. That looks so yummy. Love all of your pictures. So many nice dishes!!! Happy Thanksgiving week-end!
ReplyDeleteWonderful food! You are lucky to have Jacques. I love cured meats so much...
ReplyDeletePretty tablecloth!
Have a great Friday.
Cheers,
Rosa
So lucky:)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day too everyone..C'est bon bon le plat de Martha Stewart:)
It was so bleak yesterday with heavy fog..the sun should come out in bits today..
Yes it's Thanksgiving here this weekend..so much sooner than our American friends!
Pancetta is bacon's sophisticated, globe-trotting aunt. It's amazing!! How wonderful to have a homemade version!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks delicious!Love the plum cake. :D
What a beautiful collage of everything delicious. Your photos and recipes are divine! Can't wait to try them.
ReplyDeleteJody
Wonderful post and collage! We didn't have a good gardening year here, either dur to the drought...though we tried to keep things watered...Next year!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Anne
A mosaic full of goodness! Did you celebrate your birthday????? If so, happy belated birthday, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteNo..no birthday Sarah:) It was our friend's ..
ReplyDeleteThey came for dinner....Happy weekend to you.
I agree that October is awesome.
ReplyDeleteOooh, it's all so lovely. Jacques' pancetta looks fabulous! And I love your way of using Phyllo dough
ReplyDeleteinstead of pastry crust ~ lighter! And your adornment on the quiche is so clever. :) It's all beautiful.
Thank you for the heads up about Martha Stewarts' Sesame Chicken... going now to look it up (I'm sure it will be on the menu here, soon.) Love you Nana! ~m.
Xxx
ReplyDelete