The two most exciting things in my life on Day 18 of my confinement are the sandwiches we had for lunch yesterday, and the dry ground all around us right now because it hasn't rained in a week or more. The dry ground first: Yesterday (or was it the day before?) — they all run together right now — I was able to walk with Tasha the Sheltie down a steep path through the woods north of our house for the first time since last summer.
I hadn't dared go down there for many months because that's the path that crosses a stream bed and gets so muddy that it's dangerously slippery to walk on when wet. Clay soil is like that. Walking downhill through the woods and then back up the hill on dry ground was good exercise and a really nice change of scenery, at a time when we all need one.
We made our croque-monsieur sandwiches for lunch yesterday, using ham, a mixture of grated Comté (cow's milk) and Etorki (ewe's milk) cheeses, and some sauce béchamel (a white sauce made with butter, flour, and milk). The ham and cheese give protein; the melted cheese gives flavor; and the sauce gives a nice texture to the whole thing. The oven-cooked croque-monsieur sandwich has melted grated cheese inside, along with the slice of ham, plus grated cheese melted on top. You pretty much have to eat it with a knife and fork. With ours, we had a batch of sweet-potato fries and and a salad with home-made thousand island dressing.
Delicious...Cooking is one creative thing (and good tasting one) that can be done during self-isolation. I've been doing a watercolor exercise every day. My son made haluska today, cabbage and onions sauteed and mixed with noodles. A lot of butter is used in cooking it. Some people add bacon or ham to the mix. I'm glad you are having drier weather. I worry about trees falling over when the ground is too saturated. My daughters neighborhood lost power for three hours this morning because of a falling tree. Loosing power would make everything almost unendurable...
ReplyDeleteCooking is nice and this looks comforting....
ReplyDeleteI could do with some right now!!
Do you use a walking pole when you are out... I find they give added security as you walk... in addition, two of mine have a camera mounting point on the top.... you can then lean on the stick and become your own tripod.
There is something like this called a "hot brown" in Louisville. It's named so because it was a speciality of the Brown Hotel there. I make mine open face with turkey or chicken, white cheese sauce and bacon. Your hike sounded like a good spring outing for you and Tasha. I'm seeing lots of spring wildflowers that I had in my woods in Anniston (steep hill there) blooming around here now- sweet shrubs and even a fringe tree.
ReplyDeleteDon't overlook the protein in the cheese.
ReplyDeleteI didn't.
DeleteI bet your croque monsieur is one of the very best in France. I had a croque monsieur many many years ago at a cafe in Paris. I don't remember it being particularly good. Yours looks and sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThat was bad luck.
DeleteWho could ask for a better Croque Monsieur!? That looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteGood cheese...
DeleteTasty looking! I have to admit, I prefer sweet potato fries to the plain ones, generally. But I think with steak, probably the plain is more classic. Comté is wonderful stuff isn't it?
ReplyDelete