The second part of this post is all about the minestrone soup I made after this Sunday’s farmers’ market.

First though, I want to tell you about last weekend and the “Journées européennes du patrimoine” (or, European Heritage Days). I had already re-scheduled (note RE-scheduled) an eye appointment for Saturday afternoon, and Sébastien was set to play two tennis games Sunday. Though we’d been talking about it for about a month (“Oh, yeah, can’t wait to see that!” and “I’m sure there’ll be a long line, but we could try anyway.”), neither of us had realized the heritage days were this particular weekend when making all our other plans. I wasn’t about to re-schedule my appointment yet again, and, well, when there’s a tennis game, there’s a tennis game. So, we sadly didn’t think we’d end up taking much advantage of the long-awaited festivities.

As luck would have it though, Saturday was our day, as the eye doctor (over near Rebublique in the 11^th) proved to be a fabulous way to start the weekend (believe that!). Not only did the doctor say my view had gotten better (I know, right?), we stumbled upon La maison des métallos (more or less, the “house of the metal workers”). Now a cultural center in the heart of a diverse Parisian neighborhood, this was once a factory where wind instruments were made (and apparently sought after by American jazz artists in the 1930s). Then, the building was bought by the “Union Fraternelle des Métallurgistes” – with an entire history that we learned all about on our tour (thanks to the heritage days!). Now I’m looking forward to attending some of the center’s community-oriented performances, debates….

Sunday, we (after how many years in Paris?) went to the Musée Chaillot (directly across from the Eiffel Tower and dedicated to “architecture et patrimoine”). We chose it thinking it wouldn’t take too long and was doable between tennis matches. Wrong! We spent about an hour and need to go back. We didn’t see everything, but what we did was pretty neat.

This was the conversation upon arrival at the ticket desk (yes, even when museums are free for the day, you still have to get a ticket):

Ticket agent: Would you like to see the Gaultier exhibit?

Us: Um, uh. Oui?

Ticket agent: Okay, I’d recommend going directly there since it closes at 5pm.

Us: Merci!

Up the elevator we go, into a sort of dream world. We enter a room covered (completely covered) with blue and white striped fabric. It’s pulled tight over the walls and furniture – making you feel simultaneously dizzy and quite curious. Imagine pulling a giant pair of striped tights over your living room – you can distinguish the objects (like tea cups), but they’re under a haze. We continued to a small series of rooms after that – taking note of the amazing view over Paris out the windows. (The exhibit’s on until October).

Back down the elevator, we saw the rooms dedicated to different architectural casts (life-size) from around France (like church facades and statues). Then, we headed to the architecture floor. Quarter to six came too fast and we had to skedaddle.

Heritage Minestrone

Didn’t I say I’d write about soup? Well, here it is: after a busy weekend and an equally busy week coming up, I made minestrone – to last several days.

It’s easy. My only recommendation is cooking and keeping the noodles separate – otherwise they get soggy after a day. I prefer them al dente all the time.

Also, soak the dried beans in water overnight (that’s what my mom’s always done with pinto beans back home). It keeps them more digestible (we’ll leave it there). It also means less cooking time, and thus more nutrition.

Shopping List

1 onion

2 potatoes (diced small)

2 carrots

3 stalks celery

A handful or two green beans

1 can crushed peeled tomatoes and their juice

1 cup dried red or white beans (soaked overnight and cooked – about an hour)

1 cup small elbow pasta (cooked)

Olive oil

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan cheese (finely grated)

Fresh basil

Recipe:

1. Chop all ingredients into small squares or pieces.

2. Sautée the onion, then add the potatoes, carrots, celery and finally the green beans.

3. Cover with water, add some rosemary, thyme and salt.

4. Let simmer until all the veggies are cooked.

5. Add the tomatoes and their juice (Maybe you could add this right away, but I had to run out to get it – stove-top burner turned off of course!)

6. Add the cooked beans.

7. When ready to serve, dish a small amount of pasta into bowls, cover with the soup, grated Parmesan, pepper and fresh basil.

The best is making this soup on Sunday and enjoying it all week. The flavors just get better and better.

P.S. This weekend, September 23-24, is the Fete de la gastronomie in France.

]]> http://thetomatoknife.com/2011/09/heritage-minestrone-recipe/feed/ 2 http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/09/mexican-rice-recipe/ http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/09/mexican-rice-recipe/#comments Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:59:57 +0000 Joy Anna Becvarik http://thetomatoknife.com/?p=1482 I had leftover Mexican rice for lunch the other day and, even though I didn’t heat it back up, it tasted pretty good. That got me thinking of a conversation I recently had with my sister and about the list that resulted from it. There are three kinds of foods : those that just taste so much better the next day, those that work either way (today or tomorrow, hot or cold) and those that should simply never reach the leftover shelf in the fridge.

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 think it’s funny that I learned to make salsa in  Paris- out of pure necessity, really.

Ever since leaving for college, one of the reasons I find myself regularly returning back to sunny Santa Fe is for the unmatched northern-style New Mexican food – warm flour tortillas, chunky green chili sauce, cheese tamales wrapped and steamed in corn husks… and, of course, the world’s most cheerful tomato salsa. When you grow up on this fresh local fare, your life just isn’t the same without it.

Thus, the reason I taught myself to make this tomato salsa in our tiny kitchen in Paris. Fortunately, we have a bigger kitchen now, but when I first tried it a few years ago, we had neither a countertop nor an appropriate sieve. It took me hours to chop up all the ingredients, strain out the extra liquid, and try to add spice without… well… any spice.

Since then, I’ve simplified my approach- a fine sieve and admitting I wouldn’t have exactly the same ingredients as in Santa Fe helped. This recipe, which I made in about 30 minutes the other day, is based on traditional New Mexican salsa, but uses ingredients that are very easy to find in Paris!

Shopping List

6 cloves of garlic

½ red onion

6 medium-sized tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Hot chili sauce (sauce piquante in French)

Ground chili pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

A bunch of fresh cilantro (look for coriandre in France)

Recipe:

1. Mince the garlic and onions. Set aside.

2. Gently mix the tomatoes in a blender. Don’t smash them too much! Just until they are the right size – small chunks.

3. Strain the extra juice from the tomatoes through a fine sieve (set aside for use in another recipe, so you don’t waste it). You may leave some liquid of course, but you want the chunks to dominate.

4. Add tomatoes, garlic and onions in a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients to taste. I add the cilantro last, but lots of it!

Be careful – disappears quickly next to a bowl of tortilla chips.