I wear the same “little black pantry dress” you do! I relish anticipating guests and shopping my farmers’ market without a plan. It never fails to
Inspire and fall into an unorchestrated summer feast. Latest obsession is plucking tender yellow zukes from my garden ( it’s a race !) and micro- planing to serve like carpaccio:with a spritz of lemon juice, peppery CA. olive oil, salt and cracked pepper. Top with a mound of any chopped greens, dress again, shower with roasted pistachio halves and feta, if you like.
Hope you both feel better, hear better and survive this phase of eldercare. It won’t last forever. 💪
I've been making pan bagnats with a baguettes from a "French" bakery in Needham, Mass., (pretty good, actually), hollowed out a bit, a can of tuna, olive oil and red wine vinegar, whatever is fresh at the organic farmstand down the road. Yesterday it was basil, big red radishes, tomatoes, green peppers. Add sliced hard-boiled eggs and marinated artichoke hearts. Slice everything super thin and smush it all together and put it in the fridge for a while. Et voila. (Don is sorry we don't have anchovies in the house.)
LOVE pan bagnat. Do you know the MFK Fisher/John Ash pan bagnat story? He arrived at her house for lunch, she made a big (traditional) pan bagnat, wrapped it well in plastic, and sat on it while they had cocktails. "Mary Frances, what are you doing?" he said. "Pressing the sandwich," she said.
I wear the same “little black pantry dress” you do! I relish anticipating guests and shopping my farmers’ market without a plan. It never fails to
Inspire and fall into an unorchestrated summer feast. Latest obsession is plucking tender yellow zukes from my garden ( it’s a race !) and micro- planing to serve like carpaccio:with a spritz of lemon juice, peppery CA. olive oil, salt and cracked pepper. Top with a mound of any chopped greens, dress again, shower with roasted pistachio halves and feta, if you like.
Hope you both feel better, hear better and survive this phase of eldercare. It won’t last forever. 💪
Loving pistachio on everything ---
I've been making pan bagnats with a baguettes from a "French" bakery in Needham, Mass., (pretty good, actually), hollowed out a bit, a can of tuna, olive oil and red wine vinegar, whatever is fresh at the organic farmstand down the road. Yesterday it was basil, big red radishes, tomatoes, green peppers. Add sliced hard-boiled eggs and marinated artichoke hearts. Slice everything super thin and smush it all together and put it in the fridge for a while. Et voila. (Don is sorry we don't have anchovies in the house.)
LOVE pan bagnat. Do you know the MFK Fisher/John Ash pan bagnat story? He arrived at her house for lunch, she made a big (traditional) pan bagnat, wrapped it well in plastic, and sat on it while they had cocktails. "Mary Frances, what are you doing?" he said. "Pressing the sandwich," she said.
This story is perfection.
I had my first one in France when I was 19 doing my hitchhike around Europe thing and it was a revelation.
every time I read a column like this one, I remember why I subscribe. thank you.