Author Jana Kolpen "The Secrets of Pistoulet" ~ A Fantasy Visit . . .

Welcome!
This week I'm joining the Novel Bakers as we share our impressions of three of Jana Kolpen's charming books,  beginning with "The Secrets of Pistoulet".

>>But first a notice<< 
This one is more picture intensive than my usual posts,  so depending upon the speed of my photo storage place, your server and your computer ~ there may be a delay while the pictures load. 
My apologies for any inconvenience, friends.



Click image to learn more about the book.

A little background information ~

From the publisher:

"Everyone who passes through Pistoulet has a story which unfolds. All who spend time there leave with their hearts and minds transformed. Some never leave.

There is magic and mystery in the farmhouse known as Pistoulet, nestled in the remote, untraveled southwestern French countryside. ... The Secrets of Pistoulet tells the gentle tale of the healing power of magical soups and foods, while celebrating the redemptive and sustaining nature of shared meals among friends and family. With fold-out letters, removable recipe cards and pockets, and special vellum pages..." 

and a brief synopsis from the publisher's site:

"Far away in the remote, untraveled southwestern French countryside, there is a small village which contains two homes, an eleventh-century church, and a very special farm known as Pistoulet." Thus begins The Secrets of Pistoulet, a charming and beautiful little book filled with food, magic, and love. Part fiction, part cookbook, this richly illustrated book is reminiscent of the popular Griffin & Sabine:  An Extraordinary Correspondence

, with its collection of letters to be removed from envelopes, and recipes tucked into their own little pockets. Drawings, photographs, snippets of diaries, and mysterious maps decorate this tale of Mademoiselle J., who arrives at Pistoulet with a broken heart. There she is welcomed by the farm's tenants: Madame Claude; Monsieur Andre; the black dog, Marcel; and a chicken that lays golden eggs. Soon, such soul-strengthening dishes as Potage of Babble (guaranteed to cease excessive chatter), Potage of Passion (Cooks beware: this soup has been known to result in marriage proposals!), and Tart of Sunshine (sure to heat both body and soul) have Mademoiselle J. on the road to recovery."

~*~*~*~*~


Okay, it's me again ... Mari ~

As you probably know I do not live in France. 
I live in a wet and wild area of the Pacific Northwest in the USA.



That being said ~ 


Help!  Please dig deep and engage your most 
concentrated and vivid imagination as I attempt to turn 
my home/property into a special, ancient 
place located in the South of France. 

Ya, sure.
*grin*


I invite you to pour a cup (or glass) of your favorite

beverage and come along as I share my (ridiculously loose) 
interpretation of some parts of this imaginative
little book into pictures  . . .

~*~*~*~*~

Ready? 

Here we go:

Please come to the back of the house, it's much cooler here
under the canopy of tall trees ~

A little nibble and chat before our meal ~

Some cheese and crackers, and perhaps a glass of chilled 
wine from our Terrior?

It's true, most of the roses have passed until the Fall flush, 
but here's a modest, casual bouquet of other flowers for our small table.







The blue cheese is local and the other is a creamy Boursin-style . . .

...  I made the Boursin-style cheese from thick yogurt and herbs from the garden,
it's creamy and tangy at the same time (and it's good for you!) Easy to make as well.








A closer look at the bouquet ...

And the local Blue Cheese ~

These are real, picked fresh from the garden, but . . .

These below are not. 

My hydrangeas are a couple of weeks
away from blooming. But this is a fantasy post, remember?!  *grin* :)

Well, the sun is beginning to shine on the table and
it's getting a little warm out here ~


Would you like to go inside to finish our repast?
It will be just a simple meal of Soup and Bread...

With freshly made butter, just for you.

And a bowl of a Potage of Passion ~ 

Vegetable Soup, with which I took a few liberties. For instance 

substituting white kidney beans for the potatoes in the recipe, and changing
up the herbs and vegetables a bit.

And we each get a herbed "Celestial Crouton"  (recipe from the book.)

My star and crescent cookie cutters are too large for these croutons, so I
made the crescents by cutting the bread into rounds with the rim of a glass,
then -off set-  cut a section (a bite) out  of the bread-round to form
 the crescent using the same glass.

Since the title of the book reminds me of the French condiment

Pistou (which I usually float as a garnish on soup), I offer a

little bowl of it to spread on our bread if you like, or you can put

it in your soup instead.

Just a humble vegetable soup, but soothing, healthful and very satisfying.

~*~*~*~

And for dessert (again, I veered away from the recipes in the book)...

But in the story we learn our main character Mademoiselle J. was invited by

"the very beautiful and gracious Nathalie to stay in her Paris 
home overlooking Notre Dame, moments from the 
best glaces in the world."


And we also learn that "Modemoiselle J. loves glaces."

So I made Fresh Peach Sorbet with a hint of sweet almonds,

I think it's close enough to a glacé. *wink*

Peach Sorbet
Just a very few ingredients, and if you have some sort of
ice cream maker this recipe is soo easy!

This recipe is identical to the one I make, which has been around for years. 

For a change I added a few drops of pure almond extract 

along with the good vanilla extract in the recipe. Almond pairs
so beautifully with the flavor of peaches.

You can make this with either fresh or frozen peaches.

Sorbets are dairy-free if you have lactose issues, 

and if you have dietary concerns about sugar 

you can sweeten it with a Stevia product.



Thank you, my friends, for coming to visit and play today!
(The next time you come by perhaps the real hydrangeas will be blooming.)

Good bye faux flowers, until I need to pull you

out of storage again.  :)

Ending with a quote from the sheath of  this sweet book:

"The earth gives us food to nourish our bodies and we prepare 
the food with love to feed our souls and we serve it 
with compassion to make us whole."

~ Le Tresor of Pistoulet"

~ gros bisous, mes amis ~

Au Revior until Wednesday when we'll be visiting
Italy.

~*~*~*~*~

And a big thank you goes out to the Novel Bakers for 

inviting me to play along with such talented ladies.

Here are links so you can visit their blogs about Jana Kolpen's books:

Home is Where the Boat is 

Rattlebridge Farm

A Quiet Life

Creamy Corn Soup with Fresh Basil (You can make it low-fat . . . or not)

With the crazy weather we've been having, one night it might be dinner  from the grill, enjoyed al fresco, the next night it might  be a warming bowl of soup to ward off the chill. 
Very unpredictable!




Damp, chilly weather is what prompted me to make this soup the other  evening for dinner.   It's simple to put together and doesn't benefit from long  simmering as some soups do, so it's good for a busy day.



Not one to strictly follow a recipe, particularly when it comes to soup ~  I don't use exact measurements, but the method I follow is  nearly identical to this one, with the following changes: 
I use fresh corn, when in season (cut from the cob),  or frozen organic corn when it isn't in season. 
You can reduce or omit the bacon in the recipe.
You may substitute another type of oil for the butter,  and use skim, low-fat, or whole milk in place of the  half and half (light cream.)  You can substitute the dairy with additional stock if you prefer.
This time I pureed about 3/4 of the soup (in blender, or using an immersion stick blender) for a smoother texture.


Sometimes I garnish with fresh thyme, sliced scallions,  diced red or green bell pepper, or a little grated cheddar cheese  instead of the fresh basil.
If you give this one a try, I hope you love it!
The veggie garden would appreciate more sunshine ~ but apparently we're due for rain in the next few days.
The poor tomatoes and peppers aren't growing much, but the cabbage plants love these overcast, cool days, so that's the upside!  :o)

I hope you have a great weekend, friends!
xo~m.

Individual Garden Veggie Frittatas

We always have lots of chicken eggs on hand, thanks to our flock of chickens ~ so there is always a place for eggs on the menu for any meal.  Here's one way I like to use them . . .

I love making these individual frittatas, they are delicious, budget friendly (great for using up odds and ends from the refrigerator).  Plus you can assemble them ahead, cover with cling film, place on a tray in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight), then just uncover and place them, still on the baking tray in a 325º(F) oven until cooked through, but still a little jiggly in the center; they'll continue cooking a bit when you take them from the oven.


(I didn't include the cream/milk, or salt or pepper in the photo.)


As far as ingredients, almost anything goes. Good time to use up bits and pieces!
These are the ingredients I used this time ~ Rainbow Chard, sliced/chopped into smallish pieces Broccoli, cut into small pieces  Zucchini, quartered and thinly slices Bell Pepper, small dice Chopped Scallions (white & green parts) Julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil A little grated Jarlsberg cheese Some grated Parmesan cheese
Eggs, (about 2 to 3 eggs per person depending upon the size of your ramekins) milk or cream, salt and pepper Optional: Herb/s of your choice.
Just a method! No recipe needed:
Butter ramekins Heat a little olive oil or butter in a small frying pan Add zucchini saute for a minute or two, add small broccoli pieces, stir for another minute or two. Then toss in the chopped Swiss Chard, stir for a moment then cover pan and allow Chard to wilt a bit.
Remove pan from heat, and allow to cool a bit. In a bowl beat the eggs, whisk some whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream. Stir in the cooled, par-cooked veggies, then add the chopped scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, the grated cheeses, fresh or dried herb(s) of your  choice, a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine ingredients, then ladle or pour into the buttered ramekins, filling about 3/4 full.
May cover and refrigerate at this point until you're  ready to bake them off.
To finish ~
Bake on a shallow rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 325º(F)  oven until egg mixture is set around the edges, but remove from the oven while centers are still slightly soft set to avoid a tough frittata.  Serve with salsa or fresh chopped herbs  if desired.



Good hot, or served at room temperature. They are great for breakfast/brunch, lunch or dinner.

~~~~~~~~
Just a note:
We've switched to uncured bacon. I really like Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked, it's my favorite so far.
(No compensation from the Niman Ranch folks... just my honest opinion.)

~*~*~*~*~
Question!

Along with fresh thyme, the little flowers I used to garnish the plates are from volunteer plants.



They popped up inside of the little heart-shaped garden bed a few years ago. I love them, but I cannot decide if they are Camomile (perhaps Roman?) or Feverfew?
Does anyone have a clue? I would love to know. Thank you in advance if you can help me solve the mystery! 


Thank you for coming by today friends, I hope you are doing well.   xo ~mari

Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites, Double Drenched with Dark Chocolate Ganache (Kahlua is optional)

Only 1.5-inch (38mm) in diameter, the perfect 2-bite portion. These brownies are all dressed up and great with tea/coffee or as a finish to a nice little dinner party.
You can make these in a mini-tartlet pan, but this time I baked the batch  in a 8"x8" square pan with straight sides. When the brownies cooled I used a 1-1/2 inch (38mm) round cookie cutter to cut them, cut as closely as possible to each other. 
You can also just cut them into squares, rectangles or triangles, etc. any size you want. It is just a matter of preference  (they will taste just the same!)



If you are a box-mix brownie person, by all means use your favorite brand.
For the brownies shown here I used THIS recipe  ... it is a favorite of mine. I omitted the nuts to make cleaner cuts with the cookie cutter.
Or you can use the recipe for my signature brownies, which I  posted about way back in 2008.
and you can click below for
a printable copy of the recipe
(Just substitute the Ganache for the icing in the original recipe.)



To drench the brownies in ganache:
When the brownies are cooled and cut, chill them in the refrigerator until cold. (Chilling them helps the ganache to adhere to the brownies.)
Place the chilled brownies on a wire rack  (placed in a rimmed baking sheet, or placed over parchment or waxed paper to catch the  excess chocolate as it drips off.)



Allow the ganache to cool just a bit so it thickens slightly, then spoon the it over the tops of the brownie and allow  it to drip down the sides.  
For even more of a chocolate punch, after the first coating of chocolate sets up slightly, repeat. :o)
*~*~*~*~*
I  used the traditional recipe for Ganache:
9 ounces of Chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger Bittersweet, Dark) and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Use your favorite chocolate for the ganache, I just happen to love dark. In a pinch you can even use chocolate morsels.

 

Serve the brownies just as they are, or decorated any way you like. I added viola blossoms (use organic blossoms and they are completely edible.)
If you give this method a try, I hope you love them as much as we do!




Thank you for stopping by today ~ I would love it if you would leave me a comment so I know you've visited and  I can visit your blog too.

I hope you're having a good weekend everyone.
~mari



  

Italian Chicken Chimichangas ... baked, not fried!

I love this time of year ~ everything in the garden is bursting with fresh new growth, and the tender, fresh basil is abundant ~ practically calling out to be included in many dishes as possible.
This one is a take-off on Mexican Chimichangas, which are usually deep fried. You won't miss the extra fat in this version because the assembled burrito is simply brushed with vegetable oil then baked until the tortilla is flaky and crispy, the filling  heated through ~ and the cheese is oozing . . . Yum!
You can cook chicken specifically for this recipe, or use leftover chicken if you prefer. (Shredded rotisserie chicken works particularly well here.)

Italian-style Chimichangas

So easy to assemble and bake ~
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 425º(F)
Place burrito filling on a flour tortilla (plain white, whole wheat or spinach wrap) :

 Layer in this order:

- Mozzarella cheese directly on the tortilla, then
- a dollop of Ricotta cheese, which has been thinned  slightly with a little milk or cream, then mixed with minced  fresh basil, minced parsley, dried or fresh oregano) salt, pepper (minced garlic-optional)
-A spoonful of marinara if desired (I didn't this time)
- Shredded chicken
Then fold up burrito style, brush outside of each burrito generously  with vegetable oil, with seam side of burrito down,  place on parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, space  one or two inches apart so they brown evenly.
Bake in preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until as crispy and browned as you like.
Serve with your favorite warmed marinara (and pesto sauce if you like) for dipping.

Note: You can assemble these early in the day, (don't brush with oil yet), refrigerate, covered until baking time.   Remove from fridge about 10-15 minutes, then brush with the oil and bake as directed. You may need to reduce oven temp to 400º(F)  and increase baking time by a few minute to  compensate for the cold filling.
Something a little different ~ simple and very tasty!
If you give this one a try, I hope you like it too.


Thank you for coming by for a visit today ~ I love to hear what's on your mind and invite you to leave a comment.
Have a happy week everyone!
~mari