Thank you Mon Oncle (My Uncle) Jean for Inspiration on your award winning clam chowder recipe! This recipe reminds me of being a young boy in his famous French restaurant on Cape Cod – it was amazing, creamy and packed with great flavour and great ingredients!

The Recipe!

~ 4 cups of chicken broth ( I make mine with chicken base so that it’s nice and tasty! )
~ 2.5 lbs of red bliss potatoes, cut into cubes. Don’t peel them!!
~ 1 LB of natural (no nitrates/nitrites) bacon
~ 2 LBS of DICED spanish or sweet onion
~ 2 Sticks of butter
~ 3 cups of heavy cream
~ 1 1/4 lbs of mushrooms (cut them in two and no smaller so that they have a visual presence)
~ 3 bottles of clam juice – 8 oz bottle (I used lobster juice for a variation)
~ 6 cans of clams (6.5 oz) I used a combination of chopped and whole

New England Clam Chowder

New England Clam Chowder

La Methode!

Cook 1/2 of the cubed potatoes in the 4 cups of chicken stock in a medium to large COVERED pot until the potatoes are tender on a low simmer.

~ Meanwhile cook the bacon in a large (7 quart) dutch oven.

~ When the bacon is cooked, remove from it from the pan and chop it into medium to small pieces.

~ Sauté the chopped onion on a low to medium heat in the bacon fat until it is a light golden brown. Remove from fire as the diced potatoes finish cooking.

~ When the potatoes cooking in the chicken stock are tender, remove from the heat, add one bottle of clam juice and puree using a stick / immersion blender.  Add another bottle of clam juice if it is to dry to blend.

~ Add pureed potatoes to the large dutch oven containing the sautéed onion as well as 3 cups of heavy cream, the remainder of the bottled clam juice, the remainder of cubed potatoes, chopped bacon, 2 sticks of butter, mushrooms, and the juice from the canned clams (reserve the clams for the last step).

~ Cover and cook on a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender (about 45 minutes)

~ Add the clams and cook another 10 minutes.

Voila!! Now enjoy the most flavorful chowder that I know of, and an old family recipe!! Serve with a nice crusty, buttered French bread.
Freeze leftover for another day when you don’t have time for cooking!!

Fresh tomatoes from the garden are used on a fresh oven baked French bread to make a pizza like no other.

French bread is the canvas for the taste of summer. Use farm stand or garden tomatoes for real tomato flavour. You won’t believe how gorgeous the fusion of a few simple ingredients can produce. An explosion of summer flavour, French style.

The Recipe!

One French Bread or Baguette. I used a cheese French Bread! French Blue cheese or Stilton of choice – there are so many varieties! Dried onion flakes Toasted sesame oil Fresh cracked pepper Sesame seeds Sea salt Onion powder

La Methode

Pre-warm oven to 350 degrees.
Slice bread on a slight diagonal for effect.
Sprinkle slices with onion powder and top with tomato slices.
Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and sprinkle a touch of salt.
Add crumbled blue cheese to liking and sprinkle with dried onion, sesame seeds and fresh ground pepper.
Place in pre-warmed oven until cheese is slightly melted, about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!!!

The Recipe!

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Roasted Beets and Carrots

3 lbs of carrots (I used purple)
3 lbs of beets (I used golden)
3 large shallots
2 large sweet onions
Extra- virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground Pepper
Herbs De Province

La Method!

Cut the carrots lengthwise to about the size of a thick pencil.
Quarter the beets if small, or cut thinner if they are larger (as in video)
Chop the shallots and onion into large slivers.
Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and coat with extra-virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup) and sprinkle with sea salt (about a tablespoon), two tablespoons of Herbs De Province and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Place vegetables on one or two baking sheets lined with foil. Place in the oven at 400 degrees until roasted, about 45 minutes. Done when still a bit crisp, but browned.

Brown Basmati Rice with Tuscan Kale

2 cups of Organic Brown Basmati Rice OR 1 Cup of rice and 1 cup of Hard White Winter Wheat Berry (this is what I used)
Approximately 5-6 cups of water (use vegetable broth and delete chicken base listed below for vegetarian dish)
10 oz of chopped Tuscan Kale
3 tablespoons of Chicken Base
2 large onions, slivered.
Salt, pepper and Herbs De Province to taste.

La Method!
Place 3 cups of water in a large dutch oven (about 5 quart) and bring to a boil.
Add rice, onion, and chicken base. Stir, cover and reduce to a simmer. Add Kale when most of the liquid is absorbed. Cook for approximately 1 hour total, stirring on occasion and adding additional cup of water if necessary. You may have to cook longer and add more water depending on the conditions. The rice should be a bit chewy. Season at the end with salt, pepper and Herbs De Province.

Rapini Francois

Rapini Francois

Here certainly is Nouvelle Cuisine as I blend elements of my family’s cuisine with other European flavours and ingredients. Rapini, or Broccoli Rabe Is a cruciferous vegetable that has fallen in favour to many chefs around the world for it’s nutty, bitter and somewhat pungent taste. It makes a great canvas for the savory tomato based ground chuck sauce. They work very nicely together with different elements and textures – all to compliment each other. Only foodies need apply here. These flavours don’t come with training wheels….

Rapini Francois

The Recipe!
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The sauce:
1 1/4 lb of ground chuck
1/3 cup of dried onion (works better than fresh onion as it absorbs tomato juice)
1 tablespoon of fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon of fresh cracked coriander (I have a separate pepper mill for coriander!)
1 teaspoon of smoked chipotle pepper flake ( you can use 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead, or omit)
1 tablespoon of dried basil
28 oz can of crushed (organic please) tomatoes
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
Sea salt

Ground Chuck Tomato Sauce

Rapini Prep:
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1 bunch of rapine (appx. 1 lb.)
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
Herbs De Province
2 tablespoons of malt or rice vinegar
1 slightly heaping tablespoon of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper

Rapini Francois

La Methode!
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Brown the beef in a large sauté pan.
Add the remainder of the ingredients and let simmer for 25 minutes on a low to medium flame, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place the oil and butter in the bottom of another large (6 quart or so) sauté pan on allow to medium flame. When butter melts, add rapini and let wilt for a minute. Add the remainder of the ingredients and TOSS WELL. Cook for another 5 minutes and shut off the heat. The leaves will be very tender and the stems very crisp.
Place the Rapini on a nice serving platter and top with the sauce. Garnish on top with slices of fresh tomato (and freshly shaved Parmesan if desired)

Rapini Francois

Rapini Francois

Lots of tender sweet onions with beans and garden tomatoes make the back drop for a phenomenal soup/stew infused with marinated pork. Slow cook this all day in a crock pot and you have a home filled with glorious aroma and a meal that begs to be shared with a nice crusty French Baguette.

The Recipe:

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2 cups of cleaned, dried navy beans
3 1/2 lbs of cubed pork (I used a pork shoulder) which can be marinated if desired in a dry rub of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper over night in the refrigerator.
9 cups of water

6 small or 4 large sweet onions diced
2 1/2 lbs of fresh garden tomatoes, cored or 1 1/4 cans (28 oz can) of ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of malt vinegar
2 tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered sage
1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons of marjoram or oregano

La Methode!

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This is the easy part. Place all of the ingredients into a large crock pot (at least 6 quart), stir well and place on a high heat setting for 4 hours, then low heat for another 4 hours. Stir a few times during the cooking. Place a cookie sheet under the crock pot for potential spillage.

Sumptuous. Velvet. Gorgeous and Fresh. This is what describes a seafood dish that accents the most celebrated fruit of the summer: The Tomato. This very simple, but elegant and delicious dish is part of a second bonus recipe. Place this sauce over a nice German pasta like Spaetzle and you have two killer dishes. Ready in less than 30 minutes? Seriously….

The Recipe!
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8-9 oz fillet (per person) of a medium to thick fleshed fish such as Hake, Yellow tail or Grey Sole
OR
1 package of Spaetzle (German pasta)
The Sauce:
1 stick of butter (Julia approves this I’m quite sure)
1 cup of whipped cream cheese
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/4 cup of spiced rum (The secret ingredient!)
1 tablespoon of honey
One large or two medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

La Methode:
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Place all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucier pot over a very low heat. Whisk occasionally until well blended, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir carefully on occasion, careful not to break the tomato wedges up too much. Simmer an additional 7-10 minutes to infuse the delicate tomato flavour.

For Pasta: Have boiling water ready and cook the pasta according to package directions. Spaetzle takes longer than other pastas – about 12-14 minutes.
For fish: season fillet with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in a large sauté pan that has been heated with one tablespoon of butter, one of extra-virgin olive oil over a low to medium heat. Flip after about 4 minutes and remove from pan when it easily flakes, about another 5 minutes.

Top the pasta or fish with this gorgeous sauce and garnish with Herbs De Province.
Serve with a sturdy white wine, or a German white such as Riesling.

Grilling is one of my favorite ways to prepare my meals. Seafood and vegetables get equal time on my grill, and when you put them together like this…summer never tasted so good…

The Recipe!

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2 bundles of asparagus (about 2 lbs,)
2 lbs of large, cleaned shrimp
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Herbs De Province
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Juice of one lemon

La Methode;

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Toss asparagus with 1/4 cup of oil, one tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper and 1 heaping tablespoon of herbs de province in a large bowl

Toss shrimp in 1/4 cup of oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, two of pepper and 1 tablespoon of herbs de province

Grill asparagus in a grill basket over a medium heat charcoal fire, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. In the last 2 minutes of grilling, sprinkle the brown sugar over the asparagus and toss well but gently to coat. Put aside while the shrimp cooks.

For the shrimp, toss with tablespoon of salt, one of pepper and one of Herbs De Province and 1/4 cup of oil. Cook over the same charcoal fire in a wire basket until slightly charred and opaque, turning the shrimp with thongs individually.

Place the cooked shrimp on the asparagus and sprinkle with the juice of one lemon. Serve to applause!!