Kitchen Stories

I will dig out some recipes from my memory of France ... like the first time I came in contact with cous-cous , that was another roadtrip back in the late 70s - a bunch of friends on our way to Greece , actually my first visit to Myconos ... as we passed the Cote d Azur which is lovely in itself , but you could also find a lot of different lovely plates with couscous & a whole new range of tastes , I remember that with great joy - lots of food - much fun - a crazy trip one of the guys got robbed in Paris and later the car broke down ..

this lovely pic of the car is borrowed from pinterest .. but we did drive this kind of car in the same colour ..

We all came back home safe and sound ....

Give me a bed , a stove .. and I could probably be living happily ever after in this gorgeous bathroom from stiljte.se

Olive and mustard will be my colours for late summer and autumn in my den .. The wardrobe as in my clothes will be the same .. chic , bold and sassy hippie style as always which is perfect for islandlife ....

15th of August .. what a date this year , 50 years since Woodstock and if you think about it nearly 500.000 young people gathered in one spot for 3 days ... no violence , no bad things , no rapes ... which is the first thing they report from festivals now a days , back then only the best music - peace - and love !

We also have Aquarius Full Moon , the moons influence on our planet is strong , she moves the tides , determines the crops and even has an effect on many womens feminine cycles .. she also shines her light on anything in our lifes that was once hidden in the shadows ...

" The moon is the only woman I adore " Nikos Kazantzakis

And Dekapentavgousto - the 15th of August - the Assumption of Mary , the day when troops of pilgrims drop to their knees and start crawling towards the Panagia Tinos which is crowded with lights , and incense - while there are white doves flying across the azure sky as Tinos is a place that breeds and welcome them ...

Simple and quick Cherry Tomato Sauce

In a skillet warm up 1 cup of olive oil on medium heat , add 5 minced garlic cloves and when they are nearly golden you add 1 kg cherry tomatoes cut in halfes , reduce the heat slightly and stir well .. now add about 2 sprigs of fresh basil and a sprinkle of sea salt , cook for about 20 min. stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened , remove the basil sprigs and add salt to taste , serve with cous-cous or your favourite pasta , the sauce can also be stored until later.

Green Gratin from Provence 175c

Cut 1 aubergine , 1 squash and 2 peppers in thick slices

Slice 2 onions , 4 garlic cloves and 3 tomatoes

Fry all except the tomatoes but apart in oil until light golden , in a round oven proof layer it starting with the aubergines , squash and peppers season with salt & pepper , add some grated parmesana cheese and thyme add the onion more parmesana and thyme top it all with the tomatoes and the garlic , press it lightly and place in the middle of the oven for 50 min.

Let it cool off and cut in cake slices , this goes well with anything grilled or alone with some sourdough bread plus cheese .. !

Green Beans Almondine

This is a classic French dish from my time in Evian les Bains & Lausanne .

In a large pot of salted boiling water blanche 1 kg trimmed haricot verts for 4-5 min. until they are crisp-tender , meanwhile in a skillet add 1/4 cup of sliced almonds in 2 tbsp melted butter till golden brown , reduce the heat and add 2 finely diced shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves saute for 1-2 min. now transfer the blanched green beans from the boiling water directly to the skillet , gently tossing the beans in the almond mixture until combined add zest from 1 lemon & 2 tsp fresh lemon juice + sea salt and black pepper from the mill serve immediately & enjoy !

Warming of the soul Coconut Basil French Green Lentil Soup

This is a new recipe and I came across it not so long ago @calizona and was quick to adopt it ....

Rinse 2 cups of French green lentils

In a pot melt 2 tbsp coconutoil and fry half a sliced onion till soft , 2 minced garlic cloves when golden add 1/3 cup white dry wine and a bouillon cube let it simmer until syrupy , time to add about 8 cups of water and the lentils , cook until lentils are soft around 20 min. add some lime juice & ca 1 tsp each of black pepper , cayenne , paprika , seasalt , turmeric some chili oil and a can of fullfat coconut milk , 2 cups of fresh basil , let boil for another 10 min.

Newly baked bread from the oven is a fantastic company to this soup ...

Interesting news for us women , current finds at Birka from recent diggings shows that some of the high in rank viking-bosses where ladies ....

I had some good old music to listen to , while writing this post ... sweet memories !

The Beatles Happiness is a Warm Gun

Bob Dylan I want You

Bruce Springsteen The Ties that Bind

Eagles Take it Easy

Jackie Wilson Your Love Keeps Lifting me Higher & Higher

Some small quotes to get you going ....Xxxx

Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction - Intimacy is not purely physical , it is the act of connecting with someone so deeply , you feel like you can see into their soul. - The problem with mistakes is that sometimes they are really good kissers - Self sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesnt happen - I love sarcastic people with high vocabularies - Inhale the good shit Exhale the bullshit .....

Lets try to be the best version of ourselves - smiling faces .. dancing .. hugging .. kissing .. helping someone .. be a friend .. be kind to yourself and others ... and love ....

Chris

from

GrammasKitchen

at the moment in beautiful Sörmland