diet – Page 4 – Myfrenchkitchen

A beetroot velouté, or creamy beetroot soup, is apart from delicious, also beautiful. Served as a starter in the way of a cappuccino, is a beautiful way to kick off an autumn or winter dinner. It is actually a good idea to always eta small starter of soup with any home dinner..it is healthy and helps fill one and so prevents over eating.

Pincée de sel:

Younger beetroots give a deeper colour, are sweeter and softer. If possible, use small beets.
Raw beets cab be replaced by ready cooked vacuum packed beets.
add different spices for a more wintery touch…cardamom seeds, star anis, cinnamon, croriander – add together in a small muslin bag so it can be removed afterwards.
To make froth with a machine: whisk a small amount(about 150 ml) milk in a high microwave proof) container. whisk vigorously until it starts foaming. Place in the microwave immediately. Heat the milk while keeping your eye on the milk all the time. The froth will start to rise high. Remove from the microwave and scoop the froth from the milk.
Use vegetable stock to make it a vegetarian soup.
A scoop of créme fraìche, or a scoop of whipped cream can be used, which will make the soup creamier and heavier.
Ideal for a starter.

…and November in reds.

The artist in my appreciates November as the most beautiful month in the year. It is the most challenging and gratifing time of the year for painting, photographing, hunting for mushrooms in the woods, watching the leaves turn form green to yellow to red to purple to brown and finally float to the ground. No other season gives us this fast forward motion action of change in nature and it passes before your eyes from one minute to another.

…The stinky mushroom, Anthurus d’archer in bright autumn/winter red…

..la vigne vierge with its leaves turning red in autumn and a artistic spiderweb blinking in the morning light..

..foliage of vigne vierge, the attractive seedheads of Cleramtis vitalba, and stinging nettle in their natural environment..

..the stunning reds of hydrangea leaves in November..

..Ivy hugging a fallen vigne vierge red leaf..

à al prochaine fois

Ronelle

Vegetables are part of our every day healthy diet, right? Five portions of different fruit and veggies every day. Yes, that is what we are advised here in France. I try my best to adhere to that..in any case, we love fruit and we love our vegetables. On the menu here are thus some carrots of all colours served with Greek yoghurt and a sauce flavoured with orange flower water.

Pincée de fleur de sel:

Serve the carrots warm in fall and winter as a starter on individaul plates.
Serve cold with salad leaves in summer.
The sauce can be kept in the fridge for about two weeks.
Add orange juice to the sauce with the vinegar and reduce to a syrup.
Use an orange flower honey if possible, but otherwise a wildflower honey can work too.

..parsnips can serve as “white carrots”..

..when using young and organic carrots, it isn’t necessary to peel, only wash and use..

*recipe adapted from “Les légumes de Monsieur Wilkinson; Matt Wilkinson.

Like the carrots, my chickens are rainbow coloured too. And I adore them, no doubt about that. Every day is a story that unfolds before me from the morning to the evenings when silence dawns finally on the chicken coop.

..keeping an eye on the cooking in the barn kitchen…