I remember having courgette soup (usually mixed with a bit of creamy cheese) during the Summer back in France. It was usually served warm and I thought it would be a good idea to have it cold instead as a more refreshing option.
Summer has been punctuated with more cold and rainy days than usual this year. But on the few actual sunny days we got, it was the occasion to quickly whip out salads and barbecue dishes before it all went away once again. This year, I have been particularly fond of chilled soups. There are so many delicious ingredients to use during Summer time that I tried my hand at various options and came up with my own recipes that I will be able to use the next time we get some warmer weather (hopefully sooner than later since I am headed somewhere nice and hot soon).
I remember having courgette soup (usually mixed with a bit of creamy cheese) during the Summer back in France. It was usually served warm and I thought it would be a good idea to have it cold instead as a more refreshing option.
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Let's talk about choux pastry and put it to good use.
I love choux pastry, from the process of making it to eating the choux buns and other delights it is used for: profiteroles, eclairs, Paris-Brest, chouquettes, croquembouches, gougères and many other recipes. Once you master the basic recipe, the choux world is your oyster. But first, let me tell you I had my fair share of trials and errors so if it does not work for you the first time, keep trying! One of my mistakes once was to add the extra egg yolk (meant for brushing the choux buns before baking) in the dough making process. It resulted in flat round puddles of cooked choux buns on my baking tray, they just looked ridiculous. So I laughed it off and sandwiched them two by two with pastry cream and drizzled the chocolate sauce on top, maybe I should have called them macaroneroles! Eventually, it became easy and I started making choux pastry for many occasions or just because I felt like it (midweek chouquettes for afternoon tea are such a lovely thing). One of the recipes I like making with it is a savoury version: gougères. A big bowl of spinach and goats cheese soup. Just what I had been craving after the many Easter indulgences (let's say I was given a whole lot of chocolate from France among many other delicious food gifts) and a month of April that does not seem to warm up much.
Click HERE for the recipe Since we moved to Kilkenny, E. and I are both working from home most of the time (he goes to Dublin once a week for work and I obviously get to travel around a bit with my photography job). This means we get to share more lunches together.
I decided that we should avoid super quick meals that would be tossed in the microwave and eaten in 5 minutes, or make easy sandwiches that would be eaten at the desk while still working at the computer (in French we say manger sur le pouce which means eat quickly). Instead, I am taking the time to leave my desk for a while, put a few ingredients together and create something tasty that we eat sitting at the lunch table. I feel like this is a healthier habit and means we go back to work refreshed and ready to tackle whatever job is awaiting. On 2nd February, a whole lot of delicious crepes will be devoured in France as people celebrate la Chandeleur (Candlemas). I have noticed this day is also now known in the English-speaking world as French Crepes Day. In my family, a big amount of crepes batter would usually be made, and there would be a choice of savoury (ham, grated cheese, tomato slices, fried eggs - usually cooked on the crepes - etc.) and sweet toppings (chocolate spread, jams, sugar, caramel sauce) on the table. There is also the tradition that each of the guests should try and flip a crepe. The way you do it is by holding a coin (gold, preferably) in your writing hand and hold the crepes pan in your other hand. Flip the crepe in the air and if it falls back perfectly on its other side in the pan, it will bring prosperity to you and your family for the year. Or in our case, it would mostly bring laughter for the rest of the evening when staring at a crepe that had gotten stuck on the ceiling (the result of some powerful crepe flipping). Occasionally, my mother would also make a bit of galettes de blé noir (buckwheat galettes) batter for the savoury fillings as it suited our palates better.
Buckwheat galettes are very easy to make and need only three ingredients: buckwheat flour, salt and water (we sometimes add one egg to get a bit of colour, but it is optional). After that, you can choose to fill it with what you want. My favourite topping when eating out in a French crepes restaurant is sauteed scallops with creamed leeks (I am hungry just thinking of this). If you are reading this from Australia, Melbourne in particular, make your way to Hardware Lane in the Melbourne CBD. There, you will find a super little crepes and galettes restaurant called Le Triskel. I have eaten countless galettes and crepes accompanied by little bowls of cider there during my three years living in Melbourne. The owners, Michael and Patrizia, are really lovely and friendly. I heard they now also have a little crepes stand (made of an old newsstand) on one of the main streets of the Melbourne CBD, lucky Melburnians! If I was still in Melbourne, I would definitely head there next Monday. But I am not in Australia or France whatsoever so I will be making my own crepes this Monday. Last year, I made buckwheat crepes with caramelised apples for Pancake Tuesday. This year, I want to make proper buckwheat galettes for some savoury toppings and then a batch of crepes batter to have with some delicious jam or sugar and lemon. To make things a bit different and not stick to just ham and cheese, I created a twist with a delicious roasted garlic and parsley crème fraîche to scoop on top. And it was so delicious I am sharing the recipe with you all! I have divided the recipes in three: the plain buckwheat galettes batter (so you can also make some to have with the toppings of your choice - and it is vegan when removing the egg), the flavoured crème fraîche (which I guess would also be delicious swirled through some pasta or in a soup) and the final recipe is the one assembling everything into delicious ham and cheese galettes with roasted garlic and parsley crème fraîche. I honestly cannot wait for Monday to make more of those, I may well have to make a small batch between now and then! Will some of you celebrate French Crepes Day? Or will you wait for Pancake Tuesday? Either way, I hope you give this recipe a try and bon appétit! Click HERE for the recipes Back in November, I shared a recipe for butternut and chestnut miso soup inspired by Fall and my recent trip to Japan. At the time, I also had two other lovely recipes ready to be shared so it is about time I give them to you.
The first one, sweet potato gyoza, was my first try at making dumplings. I really love gyoza and could eat tons of them every time I go to a Japanese restaurant. The ones I tried in Japan were really perfect, crispy and delicious, but the ones that always stick to my mind are delicious sweet potato gyoza dumplings I ate in a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, Australia (the area was Northcote so if anyone knows the place I mean, please share the name in the comments section). They were so wonderful and flavoursome! I realised that if I wanted to eat them again around here, I would probably just need to make my own and I did. I was really happy with how they turned out. The recipe might sound a bit long but it is not that difficult and the result is so satisfying that it is well worth it! |
Hello! I’m Yolene, a French blogger based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Welcome to my blog Crème de Citron. This is where I share lifestyle, travel and food stories. Copyright © Yolene Dabreteau, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. CATEGORIES
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