Fish – Myfrenchkitchen

When the temperature starts to warm up, the days become sunny and warm, the desire to eat al fresco lights up and the shade of the lime tree invites to linger. Simple and cool is always a winner on hot days and a salmon sandwich is just the thing. Perfect for lunch and made from leftover salmon makes it quick to serve.

Place cold flaked salmon to a bowl. Add chopped spring onion, chives and fennel to the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with freshly squeezed lime juice.
Cut fig bread into slices and toast lightly. Butter the slices with mayonnaise. Add a spoonful of salmon on top of each slice and serve with a green salad.

The first days of June were still a bit of iffy, but now it is beautiful and I think summer is here! The garden struggled this year with the late frost we’ve had and is only coming into it own.

*It seems my previous post of January has been re-emailed to my subscribers last night..It is a mystery….I promise it is not of my doing and I have no idea how it could have happened. I have never emailed a post twice, but I apologize and I trust all my regular readers know me by now and would have realized that it was a glitch.

An anchoïade(anchovy cream) is a big favorite of mine…that and aïoli (garlic cream). In summer it is frequently on our tables, served as an apéro with a cold glass of rosé wine.

Anchoïade (anchovy cream)

Everything is made to taste…
Use 100g of anchovy fillets in olive oil, or marinated in wine.
Place it in a mortar and pestle, or in a mixer/handmixer.
Add about 10 capers, 1 large garlic clove with the inner core removed, 1/2 TBSP white wine vinegar, 1 tsp Provencal herbs and milled pepper.
Mix together while slowly adding olive oil until it turns to a nice, firm paste.
Taste and add a little more white wine or capers or herbs.
Serve with crusty bread or vegetables as starter or an amuse bouche.

Suggestions:

Add a small tsp of sundried tomato paste to the anchoïade.
Add a few black seeded olives when grinding or mixing the anchoïade.
Add the olive slowly, like you would do for mayonnaise to prevent the oil from seeping out later and the paste becoming runny and oily.
Keeps in the fridge for 5 days.
Make it the previous day to allow the flavours to develop.
Using fresh anchovies can be done, but I find it a hassle to remove all the very fine bones.

I have been occupied by other things this first part of the year, one of which was moving home and finding place for everything that needs storage until our house is finished here at Coin Perdu. Every nook in the barn is filled with something which needed to be “stored”. I have never been so challenged in finding a spot for everything. I can proudly announce that I have indeed found a resting place for everything, from a chair to a pillow case. Just in case you are wondering if we can still move about, I give you a shot of our kitchen corner in the barn where we were busy preparing a dinner for 10 people a while ago. So yes, we even still have room for a table and 10 guests in the barn.

barn kirchen 4928x3264

In the meantime, spring has crept up on us. the days are longer, the sun is bright and warm, nature is exploding in colour and I am glowing with contentment. winter is behind me. even if we still have colder days, I revel in the fact that I am in spring and summer for the wonderful months to come!

..my borage never stopped flowering this winter, a sign of our unusual, mild winter…