My pastel-colored sneakers are in the washing machine before they go in the wardrobe for their winter sleep. Summer silks are being put to the back and autumn-cashmeres are coming to the front of the closet.
I must admit that the sky is still mostly blue here in Como and the temperature still allows me to wear my short riding pants, but it feels different. The light changed, the colors of the trees are turning.
There is one big, big advantage to the change of seasons...it means that my all time favorite veg is back in town...the Pumpkin! How I love Pumpkin!
Every year I try to think of new recipes with it, but I keep coming back to the heart warming soup. I'll post the recipe below.
To tell you about my summer, this summer we went to the Cote D'azur, not only with our bikes but also with a 'to eat list'. There are many things one can simply not NOT eat when in France.
'To Eat in France List'
- Baguette
- Eclair
- Tarte au citron
- Crepe
- Croissant, pain au chocolat, pain au raisin
- Tartare
- Salade chevre chaud
- Moules avec Frites
- bouillabaisse
- Salade vert avec vinaigrette
- Regional wine
Usually I manage to check at least half of the deliciousness on my list, but this summer I was very successful...
Fresh croissants and baguette with marmalade for breakfast at our little charming hotel in Gassin, looking out over the hills and the bay of St. Tropez.
A rich creamy coffee Eclair on the beach...I know this is a fairly odd place to bite into an Eclair but it was a surprisingly comforting experience to read a book, feel the warm breeze of the sea on your skin, and eat an Eclair.
Earlier that morning I discovered a patisserie in Lacroix-Valmer, even though I was just supposed to run into town to get some cash. But as soon as there is a bakery close by, this is the direction you'll see me walking, if not running, in.
That evening two growling stomachs brought us to one of the cute restaurants in the charming centre of Ramatuelle, another small village close to the coast.
On our last reserves we ordered a 'steak tartare avec pommes frites' with the seemingly stressed waiter.
After a lot of confusion and about one and a half ours later the waiter got so desperate that he did not know the difference anymore between pommes frites and fried potato slices....so he brought us both.
It was the best steak tartare I ever had I must say, so worth the wait.
As we were passing through Ramatuelle a lot to get to our hotel we stopped over to eat also the next evening. I had a mission that evening, I needed a salade chevre chaud, something I've loved since I first went to Paris with my parents.
This was a satisfying version and to keep on track we had a Crepe for dessert (and a scoop of after eight ice cream, but this no one needs to know).
The local dish Moules avec frites (how I love those pommes frites when they are done well!) we had in the heart of St. Tropez with our friends. And only because our friends speak French and know how to deal with these, sometimes, difficult French waiters. They were delicious as always, we all finished our plates within a record time of about 15 minutes (which is a big challenge as you're eating them one by one using a single mussel shell).
But as always I'm happy to be back home, in my own kitchen, cooking away!
The last two weeks we've practically been eating pumpkin every single day. Reading up on it, it proves to have high amounts vitamin A and C and the anti-oxidant Beta-carotene...not bad!
All you need for Pumpkin soup:
1 green or orange pumpkin or squash
2 cloves of garlic
a pinch of peperoncino (dried chilli peppers)
100 ml of cream
5 table spoons of olive oil
a small bunch of basil, finely chopped.
1/2 a liter of chicken stock
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven on 200 degrees Celcius.
Peel the pumpkin and take the seeds out. Cut it in big cubes and put on a baking tray with the olive oil, peperoncino, the garlic pressed through a garlic press and salt and pepper. Mix well together and put in the over for about 25 minutes until browned and soft.
Put the pumpkin in a soup pan and add all the oil on the trey. Add the chicken stock, so it just covers the pumpkin. Puree the pieces with a stick blender until smooth, see how thick it is and add stock if you want it to be more liquid. Add the cream and the basil and stir in well.
Taste the soup and see if it needs more seasoning, usually not.
In winter I love to eat this with some home made toast and Gorgonzola...Mmmmm!
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| Breakfast in Gassin |
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| Salade chevre chaud in Ramatuelle |
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| My own pumpkin plant, so pretty! |
