rustic fish soup with potato, leek+dill

Kara is leaving for the south of France in two days. I’ve given her a list of products to pick up for me (thanks to this post, I’ve sort of become obsessed with French pharmacy beauty finds.) What I really wish she could bring back however are: baguettes, semi-soft unripened cheese, wine and champagne, madeleine’s and pain au chocolat. Years ago, my in-laws did an in- depth tour of France and they said one of their favorite things to do was sit in the park, drinking wine and eating bread, cheese and chocolate.  They’d watch people pass by on their bicycles and couples swooning over afternoon coffee. It’s the way I’ve always pictured France.  Doesn’t that sound perfect?  I’ve been dreaming of doing that very thing ever since they described their amazing adventure. My mother-in-law is heading back there in a couple of weeks and I was doing some online research for her on new restaurants to try and new places to visit. A food and wine tour of France might just be my ultimate dream. I sort of wish she’d take me with her. I am her only favorite daughter-in-law after all. I was inspired and hungry after reading the delicious menus and decided to experiment by making a rustic fish soup with lots of crusty bread to soak up every last bit!

I hope Kara has an amazing trip. I hope she drinks lots of champagne, eats deliciously rich French food, has time for cheesy poses in front of famous landmarks and buys fashionable pieces to accent her wardrobe.  In the meantime, here is the recipe for the soup.  It’s so easy and flavorful and your children will eat it! Mine did.

 

marinated flank steak with salsa verde

If I could throw dinner parties for a living, that’s what I would do. I love the entire process. I suppose it's because I absolutely adore cooking for family and friends-the people that mean the most to me. I love filling their bellies with good food. Delicious food. I obsess over the menu for days-weeks even. My sketchpad is a list of recipes and menu ideas with scratches and scribbles and notes on the side. The great part about planning a menu for family and friends however is that they are very forgiving when things don't go as planned,they always pitch in and they rarely complain about anything. This flank steak recipe is very easy and if cooked perfectly, the meat is very tender. I roasted brussel sprouts and carrots with aged balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sea salt and fresh pepper. They caramelized in the oven and turned out crispy and delicious. The potatoes were roasted with shallots and parmesan and I also blanched fresh green beans that I picked up at the market and then sauteed them with brown butter and toasted almonds. I kept the dessert simple- pan-roasted pineapple with brown sugar, frangelico and vanilla bean ice cream. Best of all, the children played and we enjoyed great conversation, lots of laughs and good wine. Perfect evening.

sweet watermelon syrup

My children have been ill. Coughs. Stuffy noses. Fevers.Their spirits are low. What to do? They don't want to eat. Or drink. Or play. *sigh* I  tried bribing them with grape flavored kool aid ( I know. Who feeds that to their babies?!) I was desperate. When my 7 year old daughter announced  that she wanted watermelon, I dashed to the market to find the plumpest, juciest one I could get my hand on. I brought it home and chilled it for several hours before slicing into it. Perfect. It was a deep, crimson-pink color, sweet, watery. It smelled like summer. They ate bowls of it. I ended up with loads of leftover watermelon so I made a deliciously sweet watermelon syrup that formed the perfect foundation for breakfast mimosa's. I added fresh lime juice, crushed mint and prosecco. It was refreshing and the simple flavors melded well together. My mom dropped in and we ended up lounging all morning, sipping mimosa's and eating asparagus and feta omelets. Not a bad way to spend an otherwise dreary Saturday morning. Yay for moms! Yay for children who are on the mend and yay for summer mimosa's on a rainy spring day!