Autumn shopping at the Noordmarkt

Yesterday, I went shopping at the Noordmarkt, the Saturdays only organic market in beautiful Jordaan. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to make so I just bought some autumn only vegetables and a few other odds and ends. I bought a beautiful bouquet of dark green kale, two brilliantly red sweet potatos, four elstar apples, two cox's apples, some pied de mouton mushrooms, a jar of pitted kalamata olives, Rosemary foccacia, some fresh linguini, freshly made harissa paste from the herb producer and for that sweet end of summer taste, a jar of fresh made pesto.

Tonight I think I might make the new delicious dish that Asha introduced me to: Whole wheat pasta with toasted pine nuts, sliced kalamata olives, kale, and harissa paste.

Or I might make a mushroom ragu to stew for hours.

Tuscan still life

Vino Nobile, Aperol, cantalope, fresh plums and peaches, crusty bread, peccorino and truffle honey.

Trip to Normandy

Simple pleasures of French food



A crusty and light baguette
Creamy camembert purchased in the farmers market and allowed to come to room temperature
Fresh beautiful French radishes
A bottle of Apple cider
Garlicky and sweet saucisson

Consume near a beautiful ruin while sitting on the lawn. Delicious!

London Broil

Marinating a Top Round sirloin in a marinade from Joy of Cooking: 1 cup of red wine, some crushed black pepper, three cloves of garlic and a quarter of an onion.

It's marked as London Broil from the package but all the recipes in Epicurious.com contain soy sauce or ginger which seems out of place in a traditional American beef dinner that my father so enjoys.

Will accompany with either home fried potatoes cooked in bacon fat and onion, mashed potatos with butter, or baked potatoes with sour cream. Also brussel sprouts quick sauteed with garlic and olive oil or broccoli served fresh with a squeeze of lemon.

Perfect Sunday Breakfast

Toasted english muffins topped with smoked salmon and fresh arugula with a squeeze of lemon with a soft boiled egg on top served with a cup of Prince of Wales tea with milk and sugar. Consume with Astrid Gilberto in background and sunday paper in front of you.