kdeversblog

Thanks to the generosity of Maurice and Cheryl Willey we had an amazing family gathering in July 2017. Eleanore helped out with the communication and I’m sure it felt like “corralling cats.” But even so we all got together at the McMenamin’s in Centralia, Washington. There were two people missing from our gathering, the two Mary’s. Hopefully will see them both at the next family gathering whenever that is.

We had a sumptuous dinner Saturday night in the green room at the restaurant followed by birthday gifts for Maurice (age 70) and Nick (age 35). It’s fun to realize that when Maurice was 35 on the exact day of his birthday Nick was born so this was a momentous birthday. And it won’t happen again this exact spread of years.

The next morning everybody wandered down to the McMenamin’s and we joined together for a fabulous breakfast.

Maurice said a few words to express how touched he was that everyone was there and how much it meant to him and to Cheryl to see us all together. It was a wonderful time for all of us and it meant so much to each one of us. We are an amazing gathering of family, different from one another but sharing a sense that we belong together. We respect and love one another.

Later that morning Cheryl, Maurice, Fran and I went to the Rectangle gallery that is just across from the McMenamin’s. I love the gallery and the space provides a beautiful showcase for the lovely art it holds. My favorite painting was on display so I got to see it again. I can’t afford it it’s almost $1000 but I can take a look at this photograph and enjoy it that way.

I’m grateful to Maurice and Cheryl for their generosity, to Elli for keeping the communication flowing, and for the effort everyone made to join in the gathering. I look forward to many other opportunities. Hugs await!

It seems that lately I’ve become very interested in all things French. I decided to have a French dinner and pretend I was sitting among the lavender fields in Provence, savoring my meal and feeling the sun on my face.

I had a purchased a delightful wine called Gentil “Hugel” from Alsace which is in the Northeastern part of France. I prefer sweet white wines and this is the specialty of the Alsace region. The Hugel family has been growing grapes and producing wine continuously since 1639. Click here to see their website where you’ll find lots of information about the wine and the great photos of the land, the family, and their events. They also have fun videos in English and French on YouTube with links on the website.

The Gentil was a bit drier than I like since my favorite is the Muscat grape. However, the Hugels do have a sweeter wine available and I have a couple others to try as well, also from the Alsace region. It was still delightful and went well with my meal.

What to have with wine but cheese, of course and it had to be French. I chose a mild sheep cheese called Secret de Compostelle. Sometimes the raw milk comes from Spain and the cheese is produced in France so it is a multi-cultural experience. The taste is similar to a Manchego but a bit milder. I love it.

I wanted to make something contrasting to the cheese, so I looked online for a recipe to make crispy basil chips. It was so easy and they sort of melt in your mouth. I know that they can be used as a garnish for lots of things, but I just ate them plain. Here’s a good recipe. I didn’t use oil spray, instead I just poured on some olive oil and rubbed it gently all over the leaves.

Then there was the baguette, and I remembered I had some smoked salmon. So, along with some olive oil on the baguette first, and capers on top it was perfect.

This is spring so asparagus is “popping up” everywhere and I found an unusual recipe online for baking the asparagus. It had a French influence so it fit the menu and it was yummy. Salmon and asparagus go well together.

When I was selecting all of these items at our brand new New Seasons store in St. Johns (Portland, OR) I stopped by the pastry section and asked about French desserts. They had several so it was not easy, but I chose the cherry frangipane tart. I love almond paste and pie cherries so it definitely spoke to me.

It was a wonderful meal with very little leftovers, other than cheese, wine, and a few basil chips. The cheese is such a delight and the only thing better would be sitting in an outdoor cafe people watching and listening to the lovely French language while sipping wine and nibbling on cheese. I wouldn’t understand 99% of what I heard but that’s OK, French food transcends language barriers!

Bon apetit!