Periodic puppy pics

Callie has an interesting habit. When we're out walking among the vines we sometimes encounter tractors, trucks, and cars, either on the dirt road or the paved roads nearby. When Callie hears a vehicle approaching, she sits down until it passes.

Callie sits down on the side of the road whenever a car passes. Good dog!

I suppose that I taught her to do this when she was a puppy, trying to be sure she didn't run out in front a vehicle or attempt to chase one. At first she would sit down wherever she was, even in the middle of the road. So I had to make sure she came off to the side before sitting down. Now, years later, she does this automatically and without any command from me. It's almost comical, but it's a good thing.

Pizza day

Sunday was pizza day at our house. Last week, Ken brought home a tomme fumé (a smoked soft cheese) and I thought it would be good on pizza. I made a whole wheat pizza dough on Saturday evening and let it sit to rise over night. On Sunday I prepared the toppings. First, we had some tasty vegetable sauce left over from an osso-buco (braised veal shanks) Ken made a while back. It was just enough for the pizzas.

The second of two smoky chicken and eggplant pizzas for Sunday's lunch.

Last summer we dehydrated some of the eggplant that we grew in the garden. I took a bag of sliced dehydrated eggplant and reconstituted it in water. Then I cooked the slices in a pan first by steaming them with some of the soaking water, then sauteing them until they browned. I used that and some sauteed chicken breast, cut into chunks, to top the pizza along with a little of the sauce and the smoked cheese. We ate two of these. So tasty!

Le lierre

This stuff grows everywhere around here. Too bad it's not edible (although it does supposedly have some medicinal uses). It climbs up stone walls and tree trunks with equal vigor. Every spring we cut the ivy shoots that are climbing up our trees to try to keep it under control. I have a feeling it's a losing battle.

Climbing ivy on a stone wall.

We're in a rainy period right now, but it's not cold. We need the rain, so we can't complain.

Watch out

These little disks can be seen screwed onto utility poles here and there. They warn that power lines are dangerous and should not be touched.

It is absolutely prohibited 

To touch electrical wires

Even wires fallen to the ground

Danger of death

Batter up

Our crêpe meal was a success on Thursday. I made two batters: one with sarrasin (buckwheat flour) for the savory crêpes, and another with all-purpose flour for the dessert crêpes. Both batters rested in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Buckwheat crêpes are a specialty of Brittany and are often referred to as galettes Bretonnes.

Crêpe batters resting in the refrigerator. Buckwheat on the left, standard on the right.

I made the savory crêpes first, using the very large crêpe pan. I only made four, then put the left-over batter in the freezer for another time. I'm very good at flipping crêpes (lots of practice), but taking a photo of the flipping is a little impractical, so you'll have to use your imagination. The finished crêpes went under a towel so as not to dry out.

Butter, batter, and a crêpe in the pan.

When it was time for lunch, we lined the center of each crêpe with a slice of ham, a few sautéed mushrooms, and some grated Emmental cheese. Then we folded the four sides over the stuffing, making each round crêpe into a square. Ken added a dollop of crème fraiche to the top of each. They went into the oven for about ten minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.

A finished stuffed galette Bretonne, ready to eat!

We each ate two of these. They were followed by a salad of lettuce, endive, and beets in vinaigrette. Delicious! After lunch I made about ten dessert crêpes using the smaller crêpe pan, but I didn't take any photos. When they were done, we each garnished our own, some with strawberry jam, then others with butter, sugar, and armagnac (which I flambéed, whoosh!). All in all, we enjoyed a tasty and satisfying crêpe day.

It ain't over 'till it's over

As much as it has felt like spring, we're still in the middle of winter. And the forecast shows that the warm spell we've been enjoying will ebb and more seasonal temperatures are on the way. There are still more than six weeks of winter before the equinox.

A dirt road.

Today we will have crêpes for lunch. First, we'll make savory galettes bretonnes (Brittany crepes) with buckwheat flour, stuff them with ham, cheese, and mushrooms, and maybe serve them with a green salad. That will be the main course. Then we'll make the traditional sweet crêpes for dessert. There's some tasty strawberry jam waiting for those. I'll make the batter for both kinds early this morning so it can sit for a couple of hours before use.

Looking forward

Now that we've made it through January, I'm beginning to look forward to spring. Buds, flowers, longer days, all that. And starting seedlings in the greenhouse. Soon. Soon.

Winter wheat in a field outside of Saint-Aignan.

Right now we're in a warm spell. It will be difficult when the temperature snaps back to winter-like. We often have snow in February, so that could happen.