Scotland and the Military Tattoo--

For years we have known a Scot affectionately called Sir John by everyone at our health club.  He passed away a few months ago, but he always spoke fondly of going back to Scotland for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and so we thought we should find out what this event is all about. He inspired us to take this trip, and he was an inspiration to lead a long, happy and healthy life.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo started out as a military drum performance and now attracts performers and tourists from all corners of the globe.  The music is mainly bagpipes and drums, and traditional music is performed.

 The website boasts: The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the most spectacular show in the world, enjoyed by an international television audience of 100 million. 

Now doesn't that sound exciting?

The Military Tattoo, 2009.  Photo from Wikipedia.

We will be arriving towards the end of the event and have great tickets to the Finale.  My personal vacation planner and love of my life set the alarm to get up in the middle of the night to make arrangements for these tickets.  Perhaps we will even see the queen!

In September I will have photos to post of all the delicious foods we discover too.  This is another area I am excited to explore, although I am not sure I am up to the challenge of Haggis, the national dish.  According to Wikipedia:

 Haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck; minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. 

Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish.

Doesn't this photo make Haggis look delicious?

You can read more here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis

 Who's up for a Haggis cooking class? And where do I find sheep's pluck?

French countryside vacation

We are planning a vacation in the northwest region of France.   This is a dream vacation for me.  Not only will we be in France, but we will be staying in a chefs vacation home, shopping the local markets in August, and enjoying the many wonderful amenities of the location.  Fresh local seafood, fresh cultured butter, French wines and cheeses, etc.  For a person who loves food and cooking, this will be incredibly fun.

The French vacation home.

It is also a challenge to me since I will not have the comforts of my kitchen, my equipment, and no pre-planning of what to do with the foods that are available.   At home I can always look at cookbooks or google my questions.  I am not sure that I will have those types of resources, and by gum, I want to prepare and eat delicious food! 

And then there is this beautiful kitchen to work in and be inspired by:

And the outdoor terrace with a table and chairs so we can dine alfresco!  Food always tastes even better when you eat outdoors, doesn't it?

I've never done anything like this, but I am very excited! 

Bon voyage.  I will report back on our adventures in September!

French Farmers Market

We are vacationing in France and went to the local farmers market the first day. Wonderful smells, lovely sights, and a real challenge to my limited ability to pronounce French!

I posted photos on Facebook:  Now You're Cooking with Judy Kking.

Bonus at the supermarket

When I went to the store today I saw a special sale price on raspberries.  Obviously the store had too many that were becoming ripe so they sold half pints for $1 instead of the usual $3-6.  I looked closely at them and could tell that there were some that were already past their prime, so I choose carefully.

Fresh Raspberries at a bargain price.

I had to buy 10 packages because that was the limit allowed per customer, and we love raspberries.  I also know that they don't store well, so I had to have a plan in mind or it would just be a big waste of money.

I picked through the packages carefully, sorting the berries into "good for freezing" or "borderline freshness, turn into a puree". I will take the frozen berries out of the freezer tomorrow and put them in bags with the date.

These looked great for the freezer.

Some of these were a tiny bit smooshed, so I threw them in a blender and pureed. 

After I pureed the berries, I tasted them and added a small amount of sugar.  I pureed the berries and sugar, and tasted them again to see if they still needed more sweetness.  This is why you add a small amount of sugar first.  You can't take the sugar out but if you add in small amounts, you will get it only as sweet as you need it.

Pureed berries:  add a small amount of sugar and taste.

We eat a lot of frozen raspberries in smoothies, but the pureed raspberries would be great on top of ice cream, panna cotta, brownies, cheese cake, stirred into yogurt, or drizzled on a molten chocolate cake.  I poured this into freezer bags, flattened them to get as much air out as possible, and stacked in the freezer.

Freeze berries on a sheet pan so they remain separate when bagged.

Now when will I make those desserts?

Farmers Market

I love the local Farmers Markets.  I go at least once a week.  I love the sights, the smells, the freshness, the variety, and the farmers.  To me, this is the very best time of year because there are so many fresh things to eat.  I am not a fan of frozen or canned vegetables, so I load up on the fresh ones while they are around.  This last week I got a bushel (!) of green beans, 4 bunches of fresh beets with the green tops, fresh cabbage and cauliflower, lots of tomatoes, yellow and green zucchini, and some bread.  

We will be enjoying roasted beets, beet salad, caprese brushetta, zucchini and red onion salad, cauliflower in a curry with whole grains, and some sauteed cabbage and onion with polish kielbasa (not pictured but I find the best sausage at the market too).
 

While I clean my pile of beans, I like to listen to books or music.  I put my phone into a ceramic cup and it acts like a speaker!

When I get home, and I look over what I purchased, I just like to admire all the food and think about all the delicious dishes that can be prepared.  And about Wednesday, I am planning for my next weekend foray!