Our first day was a little energetic. We landed at 12:30 PM our time which was 6:30 AM in France. We got very little sleep on the plane. I would also like to add that United served the worst food I have ever tasted in my life on the plane over. It took hours to get through customs and get the car. We hooked up the Garmin and off we went to Giverny. What an adventure. We were not real sure how to use it as it worked a little different than the GPS in the car. We were on roads no wider than a cow path. Jim was driving a stick shift for the first time in years. I alternated between screams and laughter all the way. Giverny is where Monet lived and had his famous water lily gardens. The gardens were amazing. Julia Child would have given her right arm for the stove in the kitchen. After lunch in Musee des Impressionnismes, we drove on to Rouen. I had quiche and a salad. I did not like the quiche as it had a smoky taste. Jim loved his duck. After checking into the hotel and taking a nap, we went in search of dinner. We found a Brasserie next to the Cathedral with lovely wicker chairs and yellow umbrellas, Brasserie de Lestre. The meal we were served here was not only supersized, it was delicious. Jim had beef and lamb shish-k-bob. It came with both pommes frites and a baked potato. He was in seventh heaven. I ordered Couque Madame, a lovely ham and cheese sandwich, grilled with “bacon” on top of the egg. The bacon is like nothing I have ever tasted. It was more like prosciutto but had more marbling. It was the best I have ever tasted. I also had a ton of frites. Jim ordered a bottle of red and we followed this with a carafe of rouge.
Sidewalk eating in France is everywhere and we really enjoyed it except, you are no longer allowed to smoke inside anywhere in France, so all the smokers are in the sidewalk cafes. I plan to write a little each night over the next weeks about the pleasures of dining in France.
Tonight’s meal:
Wide Noodles with Broccolini, Feta, Lemon and Pine Nuts from the Washington Post who credits it from a new book by Tom Hudgens called The Commonsense Kitchen.
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
8 oz dried wide egg noodles
½ C pine nuts, toasted
½ lemon
12 oz Broccolini
1 or 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
2 t EVOO
Black pepper
4 oz. block feta cheese (do not use crumbled)
Steps:
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned, shaking them often to keep from burning. Cool.
• Use a microplane grater to yield ½ t lemon zest. Cut the Broccolini in to small pieces.
• When the pasta is almost done, add the Broccolini and cook just long enough to blanch, no more than 4 minutes. Drain and reserve at least ¼ inch of water in the bottom of the pot.
• Transfer the pasta and Broccolini to a wide, shallow serving bowl. Add the pine nuts, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flakes to taste and 1 t of EVOO. Season with black pepper.
• Add half of the feta cheese crumbling it in your fingers as you work, then toss to incorporate. Crumble the remaining feta over the top, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Serve immediately.
Serves 4, 460 calories per serving and ready in 20 minutes.
This recipe is delicious and just the kind of pasta that Jim likes, no tomato sauce. We bought some inexpensive wines at Wegman’s today and just finished up with one I was drinking while cooking.
Following is Monet's water lilly garden.
Bon Appetite!
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