pea soup with spring onion, leeks + bacon

The first time I went to Lucie’s house for dinner, my husband told me to expect a feast because Lucie is the family gourmet. The youngest in a family of 6, she is my husband’s aunt; full of zest, a love for life and an exceptional mastermind when it comes to cooking, baking and pretty much everything else.

I’ll never forget walking into her dining room that first night and seeing her table immaculately set with fine linens, beautiful hand-cut flowers and delicate place-settings. It was a page out of a home and garden magazine. Absolute perfection. I knew at that moment the evening would be full of amazing surprises and I was right. Her first course was a soup medley she created with vegetables from her garden. Peas with mixed herbs, and I can still recall how deliciously the flavors melded together. The rest of the evening continued with more scrumptious cuisine, amazing wine-pairings, an extravagant dessert and lots of laughter.

Lucie is a foodie in every sense of the word. Her culinary creations are more amazing than I can describe and she really believes in using fresh ingredients to showcase her fare. She harvests her own food and has an enormous greenhouse where she grows herbs and vegetables. Fruit and blossom trees grace her garden- a true oasis of greenery, delicate flowers and glorious trees. If that weren’t enough, she’s an award-winning pastry chef, sews her own clothing, plays the violin and has traveled the world as a nurse providing medical relief in developing countries. I know. It doesn’t even sound like I’m talking about a real person. Of course the truth is, Lucie is much more than a glamorous self-taught connoisseur. She’s quite possibly the kindest and gentlest soul I’ve ever met and we are ecstatic that her and her husband are going to be visiting us this summer. It will be dreamy to have her here for so many reasons but mainly; I’m excited to cook with her. And the thing I love about Lucie is that she loves sharing her recipes. She’s not one of those people that keeps good things a secret. 

“ la bonne nourriture devrait être partagée.” She always says.

(good food is meant to be shared.) And she’s so right. 

 

refreshing lemon water

summer is almost here!