I love tomatoes. I love asparagus. I love sugar snap peas. I love capers. I love Sherry vinegar. I love this recipe ~ hope you love it too!

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Today we’ll use two more of the 10 “cheap super-foods” I introduced you to on Sunday; sweet potato and mango.  I’ll leave it up to you on how to use the remaining “every day” five; low-fat milk, eggs, oatmeal, black tea, and dried cranberries.  Although, tossing a few “craisins” on top of this salad, wouldn’t be such a bad idea.  And… you could pump it up a bit more by serving this color-packed salad on a bed of very thinly sliced fresh kale. That would give you four of the ten “supers” in your supper.

PLUS, Happy Birthday to my dear friend and mentor, Barbara Pool Fenzl! Can’t wait to celebrate a week from today. Until then, have a lovely birthday week. I love you and adore you! xoxo

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Today I am using 3 of the 10 inexpensive “superfoods” I told you about yesterday; pinto beans, kale, and salmon. Although I have to confess that I cheated a little bit and used fresh salmon (more expensive) rather than canned (inexpensive)… but only because I had it on hand and it would have gone bad otherwise, which just would have been stupid and wasteful.

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About a month ago, ivillage posted a list of 10 cheap super-foods. I went out and purchased their “top 10” and decided to put them to the test. Over the next couple of days, I’ll show you how to incorporate several of them into your diet with some easy and tasty recipes. Not all 10 of the ingredients are included here since a few of them, you’re probably already using on a weekly, if not daily, basis. See how many of these foods you agree are “super” in your kitchen.

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Last day of July! Hard to believe, that summer is almost over, at least in most of America. In Arizona, it will last another 2 1/2 months, but here in San Francisco, it feels like autumn. Heaven!  Here is Marissa on the beach, which is less than a mile from her new home. Yes, she is in her new HOME! So exciting, and it is so cute and big!

Oh, and if you want to watch the Train video “Save Me, San Francisco” CLICK HERE

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Fresh Fig Ice Cream

2 pounds fresh figs, ends trimmed and each cut into 6 to 8 pieces
1/2 cup of water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Purchased caramel sauce, if desired

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While I may be on the road in a U-Haul, towing a VW beetle behind, I still want to share with you some more of the fig recipes I created to use up the harvest from my tree.  The figs for this recipe and another one coming up tomorrow were all that I had left after I fought off the birds to get the last few.  While I was out picking, there was this one little finch who was mighty angry that I was stealing his figs.  I’m serious, he was acting like he planted, waters, and pruned the darn tree… and I was stealing from him! The nerve!  OK, honestly I don’t prune the tree, my yard man, Tony, does.  But hey, I am the one who pays Tony, so take that you selfish (and pretty darn cute) little bird!

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Moving is a pain. No two ways about it. And moving in July, in Arizona, in 107 degrees is… I won’t say it out loud.

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bouquets garnis

A cassoulet, which originated in the south of France, is a hearty cold-weather meal filled with meats and baked in a thick stew of beans and vegetables.  So why am I making a cassoulet when it is 109 degrees outside?  Answer – because I’m crazy, that’s why! Actually, along with the craziness, there is a practical reason.  I had just less than a pound of leftover lamb cut from a shank that I used for THIS RECIPE.  And I know, without a doubt, that if I tucked it into the freezer and waited till fall to make the cassoulet, it would be lost forever in the depths of my freezer and eventually thrown away.

Cassoulets generally take between 6  – 8 hours to prepare… plus the overnight soaking of the beans.  I’ve pared this down to about 3 hours and with only 1 hour of bean soaking time.  For that reason I am calling this a quick cassoulet, although 3 + 1 hours isn’t exactly quick, I know!  Bookmark this for winter and you’ll enjoy having the kitchen all warm and aromatic for that length of time, I promise. This recipe can be easily doubled or even tripled to serve a crowd.

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… is the 2nd birthday of Les Petites Gourmettes’ blog. And we are going to celebrate!

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