Bouchons are little chocolate cakes that you will see in patisseries all over Paris.  Very much like our chocolate brownie, they are given a taller, elongated shape when baked in a timbale mold. 

They can be dressed up with whipped cream and fresh berries, or eaten my favorite way, plain and out of hand with a glass of cold milk.

                                           BOUCHONS
             from Paris Boulangerie Patisserie by Linda Dannenberg

4 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter twelve 2-inch timbale molds or a muffin tin with twelve 2 3/4-inch cups.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until blended.  Add the butter and cocoa and whisk until well blended and smooth.  Add the flour and whisk until nearly blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips just until the mixture is blended.
   Spoon the batter into the molds or cups, filling them about three-quarters full.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes.
   Cool briefly and unmold.

Finally... finally I have the dilemma every day of what to do with all of my tomatoes.  Today I will cook up more of my tomato risotto sauce to freeze for the upcoming winter.  Tonight we will eat the fresh, uncooked tomato sauce over pasta that fills my kitchen with the smells of pungent garlic and sweet basil.  Yesterday afternoon, for a quick lunch, I sliced Purple Cherokee and Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes from my garden for Insalata Caprese.  Layered with fresh mozzarella and finished off with a healthy drizzle of balsamic, my best olive oil, and a sprinkle of coarse salt, all you need to add is some good bread to soak up the juices at the bottom of your plate. 

This is the tomato tart I wait all year to make--only in August with heirlooms from my garden.  I could eat this every day and never tire of it.

                         TOMATO, CHEESE, and OLIVE TART
                    adapted from Chez Nous by Lydie Marshall

1 unbaked 10-inch tart shell
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 egg
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Gruyere cheese
Enough tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick, to cover bottom of tart shell
Several Nicoise olives
1 tablespoon olive oil (I pull out my Nicholas Alziari for this tart!)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Whisk the mustard and egg together, then spread on the unbaked tart shell.
Sprinkle the cheese over the surface and decorate with the tomato slices.  Add several olives,  Dribble the oil over the tomatoes.
Bake in the lower part of the oven for 30-40 minutes.(I like my crust to be golden brown).
If the cheese is not golden brown, set the broiler on high and lightly brown the top of the tart for a few seconds.
Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper on the tart and serve right away.

I spent this past weekend in Ohio celebrating the birthdays of my sister Susan, and her grandsons and my great nephews who are turning one today.

My niece has the perfect backyard for entertaining.  A new deck and outdoor kitchen were installed this year.

There's even a koi pond.

Kelsey made pizzas on the grill for my sister's birthday and I made salads with roasted goat cheese and a tomato vinaigrette.

Dessert was a carrot cake with buttercream frosting made by Kelsey.

The backyard was decorated with 150 helium balloons for the boys' birthday party the following day.

The twins each had their own GIANT cupcake.  Even after their bath we were finding chocolate cake under fingernails and inbetween toes.  More cake made it into their ears than into their mouths.

                             The adults ate smaller versions

... and fruit and salads, mini hamburgers and turkey burgers, etc., etc.  I'm amazed at what Kelsey accomplishes with two small boys under foot. 

I used a tomato vinegar that Susan purchased at a market in Provence this summer, to make the vinaigrette for the salad with roasted goat cheese.  I haven't located the vinegar here in the states, so I am posting a recipe by Lydie Marshall for her Roasted Chevre salad that I have made many times before.  Enjoy!

                      GREEN SALAD with ROASTED CHEVRE
                         from Chez Nous by Lydie Marshall

One 11-ounce cold Montrachet goat cheese, sliced into eight            1/2-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coarse homemade bread crumbs
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 pound arugula, large stems removed
1/2 pound red leaf lettuce

   Sprinkle the cheese with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
   In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
   Quickly dip the cheese first in the beaten egg, then in the bread crumbs.  Fry the goat cheese, turning it over once until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  The cheese should be slightly melted inside and crisp on the outside (the domestic Montrachet takes longer to melt than the softer French Montrachet).
   In a large mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar with the remaining olive oil, yogurt, and tarragon.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
   Toss the salad greens in the dressing.  Taste and correct seasoning. 
   Serve the salad on individual plates with the fried chevre on top. 

          ITALIAN TUNA SALAD with WHITE BEANS and ARUGULA

Three 7-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained and lightly flaked
One 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3-4 cups of arugula, long stems discarded

In a large bowl, toss the tuna with the beans, tomatoes, onion and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, fold in the arugula.

After a spring and summer of anticipation I am filled with more anticipation.  I can't remember a summer when I've waited longer to savor one of my home-grown tomatoes.  If I encounter another gardener, the topic of conversation is whether or not there are any tomatoes ripening on any of our plants.  This is followed by a combined sigh of relief when we confirm it's not an isolated misfortune, but a dilemma every gardener is dealing with this year.  I was finally able to pick several tomatoes yesterday, and yesterday was August 5th!  Previous years, August days have been spent strategically planning how to deal with the almost unmanageable influx of tomatoes.  That hasn't been the case this year... yet.

Last night we had my daughter's dear friend Allison for dinner.  Allison is moving to Washington D.C. this week to attend law school at George Washington University.  We're happy for Allison, but also very sad to see her go.  I was determined to find enough garden tomatoes to include in our meal.  I settled on Bruschetta Rossa.

Almost nothing says sweet summer tomatoes better than fresh tomato bruschetta.  Your kitchen will smell fabulous when you're making this.

                                    BRUSCHETTA ROSSA
                  adapted from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook

3 large vine-ripened tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (firmly packed) basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and split lengthwise
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal 1/2-inch thick

1.  To peel the tomatoes, bring water to a boil in a large pot.  Prepare a bowl of ice water large enough to hold the tomatoes.  Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse them in the ice water until cool.  Using the tip of a paring knife, core and peel the tomatoes.
2.  Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze them gently to remove their seeds and excess juice.  Chop the tomatoes and place in a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper.
3.  Thinly slice the basil leaves and toss with the tomatoes.  Add the olive oil and all but 2 of the garlic halves.  Stir well to combine and marinate for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
4.  To serve, grill the bread until golden brown.  While the toast is still warm, rub each piece with the reserved garlic halves. 
5.  Use a slotted spoon to place a generous serving of the tomatoes onto each garlic-rubbed toast, omitting the garlic cloves.  Serve immediately. 

When I was in the south of France this summer I became fascinated by the cast-bronze doorknockers in the shape of hands.  The first hand I came across was in Maussanes, altho' it was mounted next to the door and was stationary.  Perhaps a symbol of welcoming?

When we arrived in Arles and strolled through the Centre Ville, I began to notice them frequently.  I don't know if the hands are unique to this area in France, or if they were just so abundant they became more obvious to me. 

                           They all bore an age-old patina.

          No mass production here.  Each hand was one-of-a-kind.

          Each cuff was unique and several of the hands wore rings.

I may need to log onto French eBay and see if any bronze hands are available in antiquities.

    ROASTED RED POTATO SALAD with ARUGULA and GOAT CHEESE
            (adapted from Spring Evenings, Summer Afternoons
                             by Barbara Scott-Goodbody)

Potatoes:
3 pounds small red new potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
8 unpeeled cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Vinaigrette:
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
3 cups arugula
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper

1.  To cook the potatoes, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2.  In a roasting pan, toss the potatoes with the garlic cloves, salt to taste, and olive oil.  Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the potatoes are fork tender.
3.  To make the vinaigrette, whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl.  Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette thickens.
4.  To make the salad, take the potatoes from the oven and scrape them into a large bowl.  Pour the vinaigrette over the warm potatoes and gently toss them with the dressing.  Add the arugula and toss again. 
5.  Spoon the potato salad onto a large platter.  Sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the top.  Season with pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 
                  

My kitchen is too warm and I've been gone too much this summer to participate in the July Daring Bakers Challenge, so I thought I'd take you for a tour of my garden. 

I have one lone eggplant after the resident bunny mowed down the other, but the remaining plant should provide enough for my summer ratatouille and eggplant parmesan.  The basil is still awaiting the ripening of my twenty heirloom tomato plants. 

I have two urns filled with rosemary and thyme.  They'll be transplanted into smaller containers in the fall and moved indoors for the winter months.

                       DILLED POTATO-GREEN BEAN SALAD
               (Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen by Lorna Sass)

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 pound just-cooked small new potatoes with skins on
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup tightly packed minced fresh dill
1 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam green beans for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.  Run under cold water.  Drain thoroughly.  Cut into thirds lengthwise.  Place in serving bowl.  Cut cooked new potatoes into quarters.  Add potatoes and walnuts to beans.  In a food processor or blender, combine oil, 3/4 cup dill, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper.  Blend to a thick, creamy dressing.  Taste and add more mustard or vinegar, if desired.  Toss dill-mustard vinaigrette into potato-bean mixture.  Let mixture marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.  Adjust seasonings before serving, adding more dill, if desired. 

This post is for my husband.  I've been trying to get him to sit down and look at the photos I took of this golf course in France, but it hasn't happened. 

It wouldn't be truthful if I said we entered the grounds of this golf club to take photos for him, altho' I have been trying to lure him to the south of France on the premise that he could play golf while I'm exploring cafes, markets, patisseries, and antique shops.  Susan and I stopped when we saw "restaurant" on the sign.  We were getting hungry.

I'm not sure what the buildings of this golf club were originally.  Maybe part of a farm? 

                    A simple, but elegant interior.  Very French.

I thought it was interesting that each table had opened bottles of red wine, ready to go.  Also very French.

     Was the chilled champagne for a golfer celebrating a hole-in-one?

I've always said, "You'll never get me to live on a golf course!", but I wouldn't mind living next to this place.