Twice a month the city of Boulogne-Billancourt, which lies just outside the Paris city limits, hosts an organic farmers’ market.

This is a market I especially like because of it’s calm, friendly atmosphere and simple, down-to-earth attitude. It’s a small market, with only a dozen or so vendors – and it doesn’t try to be anything else. Despite its small size, this market offers quite a bit of variety: colorful in-season fruits and veggies, high quality cheeses, fresh fruit juices… The vendors (who are among the most welcoming and talkative I’ve come across), take ample time to give recommendations and let curious buyers sample.

That’s how I ended up with two kilos (and two types) of string beans! Haricots verts (green beans) and haricots beurre (wax beans) actually make a perfect combination in this Asian-inspired string bean salad – a long-time lunch-time favorite.

This is one of those recipes that has no exact measurements, just put each ingredient in to taste. The sesame oil is the secret ingredient, as it adds a nice flavor as well as an enticing smell.

Shopping List

String beans

Garlic (minced)

Olive oil

Sesame oil

Soy sauce

Sesame seeds

Recipe:

1. Slightly steam the string beans. They should still have a bit of crisp to them.

2. In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil. Turn off heat.

3. Add the beans to the garlic, as well as a dash of sesame oil (you don’t need much) and some soy sauce. Mix.

4. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Eat cold.

I had leftover Mexican rice for lunch the other day and, even though I didn’t heat it back up, it tasted pretty good.

10 foods that are always better the next day:

Homemade vegetable soup (unless it has tiny noodles that will get soggy)

Mom’s Christmas Eve posole (made with hominy and fresh green chili)

Birthday cake (but only when eaten for breakfast)

Lasagna (the cheese gets even crustier when reheated)

Gaspacho (with lots of tomatoes)

Thanksgiving leftovers (no comment)

Steamed green beans (sprinkled with soy sauce/sesame seeds, served cold)

Curried lentils (they only get stronger)

Hummus (with garlic)

Chocolate mousse (if it lasts that long)

It’ll still be good tomorrow, even cold:

Omelet (really, it’s not bad)

Leek Quiche (to eat with your hands)

Mexican rice (to eat with a fork)

Pizza (yeah, I think I’m over the breakfast thing though)

Elbow pasta (turn it into a salad)

Baked salmon (on a sandwich)

Vinaigrette (…and the next day, and the next day…)

Moelleux au chocolat (though it’s no longer moelleux)

Basil pesto (so many uses)

Homemade apple pie (or any pie for that matter)

Devour it now, ‘cause it won’t be the same in the morning:

Guacamole

Caesar salad

Half a banana saved in the fridge

Nachos

Homemade sushi

Vegetable tempura

Grilled cheese sandwich

Bagel with cream cheese

Fresh spring rolls

Mayo and sprout sandwich

(Do I really have to comment on these?)

Back to the Mexican rice. It’s kind of like risotto, in the sense that you begin by browning the uncooked rice in olive oil. I was inspired to recreate the flavorful rice that accompanies the “northern” New Mexican food back in Santa Fe, so I put in several familiar ingredients such as onions and hot chili powder. Since we don’t have freshly roasted hatch green chili in Paris, I used some fiery red peppers from the local farmers’ market. Though I didn’t do it this time, I think fresh corn (which is in season right now) or red beans (for example) would be welcome additions.

This recipe makes enough for four – or for two with leftovers!

Shopping List

1 cup white rice

2 large pinches saffron powder

Chili powder (adjust according to spiciness)

½ chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 small, spicy red pepper or prepared green chili (diced)

2 bay leaves

½ cup diced tomato

Olive oil

Salt

Cilantro (on top)

Black olives (on top)

Recipe:

1. In a cast iron skillet, sauté the rice in a bit of olive oil with the saffron and chili powder (about 5 minutes).

2. When the rice begins turning translucent, add the onions, garlic, peppers or green chili and brown (about 5 more minutes).

3. Cover with water and add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and some salt. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer until the rice is completely cooked (about 20 minutes). Keep adding water in small amounts as needed (avoid letting the water run out and the rice burning on the bottom). Stir occasionally.

6. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Top with cilantro and black olives. Serve with your favorite Mexican classics: enchiladas, fajitas, rellanos…

I didn’t eat cucumber much before coming to France. Now it’s become a staple- and I usually have part of one hanging around somewhere in the fridge.

After farmers’ market on Sunday, I came home with an especially nice-looking, organic one that I mixed into a refreshing salad. Since cucumber doesn’t have a very strong taste on its own, I figured I could add whatever I wanted to my salad- and decided to try a savory-sweet combination. The sweet apples added a subtle, tart punch to the other ingredients and combined extremely well with the bit of red wine vinegar I drizzled over everything.

I also added some extra kick by throwing in a combination of freshly ground spices: black, white, green and pink peppercorns, plus dried coriander fruits and allspice (also known as Jamaican pepper). Pink peppercorns, by the way, are not really pepper, but dried fruits from the Baies rose plant (as it is often called).  Suggestion: put all the un-ground spices together in a pepper mill and use to flavor dishes (instead of just plain pepper). If you’re in France, you can cheat and purchase them already mixed together!

I topped it all off with some of the lemon thyme we’re growing in the window. Like common thyme, it’s nice for cooking and never overpowers the other spices. Unlike common thyme, this one really does smell like lemons.

Hint: Add the vinegar a little at a time, until it compliments the other ingredients- it shouldn’t be too strong, but abundant enough to create a nice contrast with the apples.

Shopping List

Cucumber

Apple (Jazz or Pink Lady, for example)

Belgian endive

Avocado

A few sprinkles of olive oil

A few drops of red wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground spices (see above)

Fresh lemon thyme

Directions:

1. Dice all fruits and vegetables and place them in a salad bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to taste and toss with salad forks.

It’s that easy!

The French verb fondre means to melt.

Most of us are familiar with Fondue Savoyarde (bread dipped into a combination of melted cheeses) or even Fondue Bourguignonne (meat dipped into hot oil).  In culinary French, however, the term doesn’t only refer to a swash-buckling meal where you have to fend for yourself.

Fondre is also used for what English speakers call “sautéing.”  I’ve come across numerous recipes that asked me to faire fondre the onions (or shallots, or garlic).  While this literally means “melt” the onions, you’re simply cooking them in some butter or oil until they’re soft and transparent- the basic idea of this recipe.

Fondue de poireaux (“melted leeks”) is a common side-dish I’ve started making.  Due to the subtly sweet and delicate taste of leeks, it goes well with a wide variety of main dishes.  I recently matched it with Eggs Benedict- the combination of “melting” leeks and poached eggs (covered in disobedient hollandaise sauce) was a delight.

I don’t remember regularly eating leeks back in the States.  Here in France, however, I eat them all the time.  They’ve shown up in quiches, soups, sauces, gratins, omelets…  Perhaps they’re so popular because France and Belgium produce half of the leeks in Europe?  Or does it stem from Medieval France when they were considered a base-ingredient, especially among the most impoverished?  I personally think it’s because they’re fun to buy and carry home (the leaves sticking playfully out of your shopping bag) and they’re very easy to prepare.

I’ve seen many recipes that call for heavy cream, butter- all sorts of other ingredients- but I prefer this very simple, quick and healthy version of fondue de poireaux (for two people):

Shopping List

1 leek

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Prepare the leek

Cut off the bottom roots and top leaves (where the white stalk becomes green) and peel off the first layer of skin.  Cut one long slit down the stalk and watch the leek open up.  This makes it easier to wash (make sure you get all the gritty dirt out from between the top layers of skin) and also helps the leek break up naturally while cooking.  Chop into half-inch rounds.

2. “Melt” the leek

While you’re preparing the leek, slowly heat some olive oil in a sauce pan.  Add prepared leeks, salt and pepper.  Let cook, stirring often to avoid burning.  Keep covered when not stirring.

3. Serve

When the leeks are tender and beginning to brown, they’re ready.  Enjoy with the main dish or your choice.