Late Summer in Provence

Design for placemat Cynthia Lindholm Cavanaugh 1985

August, and the farmers market brims with late summer veggies and fruit, and the herb garden is at its peak; all of the ingredients for a classic French Ratatouille and Fresh Peach Tart.
Suggested playlist while cooking: Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour.

Design for placemat Cynthia Lindholm Cavanaugh 1985

Ratatouille  - NY Times Mgzn. Serves 8-10

4 garlic cloves

2 med. white onions

3 med. zucchini

2 med. eggplant

3 sweet red peppers

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 large tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 bay leaves, ripped in half

1 c. best quality olive oil

Pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the vegetables: smash a peel 3 garlic cloves, reserving the 4th. Halve the onions through their roots, and slice halves into 1/4" thick pieces Slice zucchini into 1/4" rounds. Cut eggplant into 1" cubes or spears. Seed peppers, and cut them into 1/4" thick strips or into 1" pieces.

Spread each vegetable on a separate rimmed baking sheet. Add the 3 cloves of smashed garlic to the onion pan. Add 1 sprig rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme to each of the pepper, eggplant and zucchini pans. sprinkle salt lightly over vegetables. Drizzle tbsp. olive oil on each of the pans. Place all of the pans in the oven (or work in batches if they don't fit at once). Cook until vegetables are very tender and lightly browned at the edges. This will take 35-40 min. for the peppers (their skins should shrivel) and onions; 40-45 min. for eggplant and zucchini (the eggplant should crisp slightly and zucchini should be well cooked, so let them go 3-5 min. longer than normal).

Design for placemat Cynthia Lindholm Cavanaugh 1985

In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add tomatoes and blanch until skins split, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a bowl filled with ice water. Peel the cooled tomatoes, remove seeds, and dice. Mince remaining garlic clove and add to tomatoes along with bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Once vegetables are done cooking, combine them in a shallow baking dish and add ingredients from tomato bowl. Toss well. Cover generously with olive oil, using remaining 14 c. oil or more, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Everything should have a good coat of oil, but not drowning in it. Cover  pan lightly with foil, and bake one hour, removing foil after 30 min. Stir every 15-20 min, until vegetables are very tender and imbued with juices and oil Add salt, if needed, and pepper. Serve warm. 

Fresh Peach Tart - Florence Fabricant for NY Times Serves 8
Pastry for one-crust, 9" tart
4-5 ripe peaches, peeled and pitted
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. butter
3/4 c. heavy cream, whipped

Roll out pastry and line a 9" tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 min. and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove tart from refrigerator and prick bottom with fork, line with foil or pastry sheet and weight with dry beans or pastry weights. Bake for 6 minutes, until the pastry looks dry but has not begun to color. Remove foil and continue baking for another 6 min. until the pasty is pale gold. Remove from oven and lower to 375 degrees.

Slice peaches and toss in a bowl with lemon juice. Combine pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix half this mixture with the flour and spread on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the peaches on top and sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Dot with butter.

Bake about 30 min. until the filling begins to bubble. Allow to cool until barely warm and serve with whipped cream.

Bon Appétit

Mali Adventure - Day 4

Sitting here in the cooling shade of a café by the River Bani, it’s hard to imagine that this small slice of oasis is in a place of so much sun and so little moisture. But this is a soupçon of water and trees, in a country made more of sand than of green.  Along the Saharan trade route through the millennia, this is a country of empires that have come and gone, Moroccan and sub-Saharan influences, French colonization, where Tuaregs and their camel caravans can appear unexpectedly on the horizon; it’s a surreal landscape.

Along with the official French, Bambara, Dogon, Songhai, Bozo, Fulana, and Tamashek can still be heard in the marketplace where slabs of freshly caught fish lay by baskets of gloriously colored vegetables, the ever-present rice, and beautifully patterned cloth. In this town of mud houses, goats everywhere, the Great Mosque of Djenne', and 3 hour tea rituals consisting of two pots of water and lots of sugar and mint, are beautiful, gracious people.

The Great Mosque

Tomorrow, Timbuktu!! But first….a purchase of Malian Mud Cloth.

The Fabric

A country of few resources, but with a rich history of music and art, young men are continuing a textile tradition that reaches into the balance of water and soil that is so indigenous to Mali. Bo`go`lanfini or bogolan cloth is a coarsely woven cotton cloth set in a yellow dye that is then removed to reveal clean, simple black and white designs that have been painted over the yellow. The dyes of leaves and bark are used to create the gorgeous earthy colors of this striking fabric. Each piece is a work of art, with simple geometric designs that echo the stark beauty of this harsh land. Perfect hung alone on a wall or as a beautiful floor statement, it can also be adapted to wear over other softening fabric. And with big chunky necklaces or a band of silver or gold African bracelets….magnifque′.

The Tea

Mali and Mauritania tea ritual is common throughout North Africa.  The tea that is used is typically Chinese green tea. The tea is brewed over coals and then poured into another pot. It is poured back and forth and then into glasses.  Then again from glass to glass.  Typically this happens from a great height above the pot or glass to aerate the tea and create a frothy foam on top.  It is a true art form and takes quite a bit of practice to get it just right.  It is also a slow process, the ritual can sometimes take hours.  Both in Mali and Mauritania it is often made and served by the man of the house.  After the first glass, mint is added as is copious amounts of sugar.  Like a full cup of sugar.  It is supposed to be really really sweet.   

Muslims do not drink alcohol and some believe the sugar creates a high and sometimes it is called desert whisky. There is a saying that first glass is bitter like life, the second strong like love and the third gentle like death.  If you have your own tea ritual or are ever invited, proper etiquette says you should slurp your tea loudly and every drop should be enjoyed. It is the ultimate form of hospitality when tea is shared.  Enjoy a little Mali and Mauritania tea ritual.