Babette & Miladus
| Amusements sérieux et comiques
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| Amusements sérieux et comiques
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Yesterday we went to T. DeBaggio Herbs to restock for the spring and we came back home with Turkish Thyme, Santolina, Mache (for foie gras salads, among other things), chervil, shungiku, various rare forms of thyme and after a delightful discussion with the man himself, a remarkably perfumed Provençal Thyme, and an Elfin Thyme with the tiniest leaves that looks like a little mat of baby tears. He still has the best selection of unusual and beautifully raised herbs in our area. They all will need to be hardened before they can be planted out in the wild climate of our 12th floor northwest balcony.
And …
The chives are already returning in spite of the snow and icy rain of this last winter. We don't know if any of our other herbs have survived.
At the orchid show we went to the Garden show as well, because Babette wanted to go to Bob's Garden World's booth. He has the most astounding cacti. We could not resist the following piece of botanical sculpture. It is an Aeunium Arboreum Atropurpureum Crest.
We went yesterday to the Maryland Orchid Society annual show and as usual brought home half the jungle. Babette chose two new phalaenopses. The sun was so beautiful yesterday that we decided to take pictures with the light coming through the petals.
In normal light, this one is a velvety brownish rose, but in the afternoon sunlight it glows. Phal (Sunrise Delight X Lil Johnson) 'Pine Ridge'.
And this is a lovely desert tone replacing a dearly departed. Phal. Sara Lee "Eye Dee' X Phal. Brother Golden Potential 'B#1'.
We particularly liked capturing the shadows of the overlapping petals on each other.
Yesterday we went to Springfield Farm in Northern Baltimore County to get some fresh eggs, lamb sausages and rabbit, among other things.
Arthur with one happy dog.
Babette, Nancy and the mysterious owner of a Volvo.
Babette and Nancy discussing some serious matters: how many cartons of Jumbo sized organic eggs to buy and when to schedule a whole spit-roasted lamb dinner.
A lonely fellow.
Arthur taking the Volvo for a spin.
The owner of the farm. His wife is French and often we chat in the Old Tongue.
Here are the last steps of the preparation, from the rolling and shaping to the poaching in stock and the wrapping in a torchon.
We will serve it Monday night along with a nice bottle of Sauternes...
The most delicate (and difficult part) of the procedure is the deveinig (do not believe cooks who tell you it is simple): first we marinate the beast in milk for 24 hours. Then, Babette does her magic on it. It goes afterwards into a dry marinade of Fleur de Sel de Guérande, and white pepper for another 24 hours. Follows, reshaping the foie gras (entier as some like to say) into a torchon then a quick poaching in chicken stock (for 90 seconds). Another 24 hours in the refrigerator and it is ready to be served.
The rest tomorrow.
Not the greatest picture but it gives you an idea of what it looked like with the full moon setting close to dawn a couple of days ago.
Light after a wild, late afternoon storm chez Nancy & Arthur.
Some of Nancy's pots.
Cat rivalries and adoration.
Closeups of a couple of our orchids on a gloomy day that reminds me of Glasgow.
A quiet day that started gloomy and ended up rather nice. Some views of my favorite little pine cone, the trees below and our garden awaiting the return of the spring, .
