Info/photos..African Nut butter soups, Swiss Chard and feta whole wheat crepes,cookies

The scents of the South of France are not just the fresh flowers ( especially the local grown Provence Lavender)  and herbs, but also the street foods ...the garlicky smell of (Lamb) Merguez sausages on the grill.. that used to be on the street corner of Antibes old town; the  sweet and caramel aroma of fresh crepes being produced from a small "hole in the wall" that was forever busy; heady and strong French roast coffee mingled with  the smell of French tobacco..these as much as the produce bring back memories of great times working on several large luxury, privately owned, motor yachts out of the Port of  Juan-les Pins.
Catering for the likes of Knights of the British Empire, one of the top families in Kuwait City, numerous International TV and movie stars/celebrities, International  Corporation Heads, property owners in UK and  Eastern Europe.

The aromas can be re-created but there is nothing that can beat a walk down the ancient streets of  old Antibes.
It was some of  these memories that inspired tomorrow's menu

From North Africa..a nut butter based spicy vegetable soup with yams, green beans, black eyed peas &  mustard greens...
...originally it was to have been made with roasted peanut butter, I substituted tahini (roasted sesame seed butter) as it has more nutrients and is less allergenic, for the heat I added an own grown habanero chili., and some own grown orange bell pepper
Make the soup as for a traditional black eyed pea and yam soup and add the nut butter/tahini mixed with hot water or stock, at the end of cooking and allow to simmer do not let it boil or it will scorch.
This is a good idea and if you like to make it into a stew just add more and chunkier vegetables and less stock, I also added marjoram, and it is finished off with  a whole bunch of parsley, chopped.


A great thick tomato basil soup...made with the addition of smoked paprika and potatoes after blending finish with fresh chopped basil


Red Swiss Chard and Feta Cheese whole wheat  crepes with herbs d'Provence..I love Swiss Chard cooked like this and first had it in Cannes, France.
Saute an onion and add the stalks of the chard, and sweat down, add crushed  garlic and either brandy or Madeira wine. Reduce then  add the whole chopped leaves of the chard, allow to melt..sweat down, finish with either cream or yogurt.
Let it cool down in the skillet then add chopped/crumbled sheep's milk feta cheese.
Use this filling to fill the whole wheat crepes...and roll up, place in a greased oven proof dish and cover with a yogurt-brandy sauce..bake in a 375f oven for 30 mins uncovered until lightly brown and bubbling...wait 10 minutes to serve.


I have a new waffle Iron so I am experimenting making healthy wholewheat-eggs-butter "Belgium style" waffles a break away from the sour dough ones I usually make.

A wonderful fresh fruit ( no added sugar) salad..figs are in season now along with stone fruit ( plums, nectarines and peaches). jicama,( a South American tuber...tastes like across between a water chestnut and a non-starchy potato)..adds crunch the the fruit salad, green grapes, local strawberries & local grown oranges.

I am also drying figs for the winter months, strawberries and outside in my garden, I am sun drying over 20 pounds of Zante Grapes locally grown, to make currants for baking, I did this on a smaller scale last year and still have some of the currants in my freezer.
A client grows the grape vine mainly as a privacy screen so every Fall asks/begs me to pick her grapes and take  as many as I can carry.

My signature raisin-cinnamon crispy thin all butter oatmeal cookies.
As we are in the middle of a big heatwave that is breaking all records,( yesterday it was 103f, and the day before 100f) I decided to make my cookies at 6am, before the sun  got too hot. Right now I have the fans and a/c on keep the place cool, although we are supposed to be cooler today, it is still 93f in the shade in my back garden!
 Bobs Red Mill 19504 Whole Wheat Flour (Google Affiliate Ad)

Enjoy the photographs:

Saute the onion  and chard stalks, deglaze  with Madeira or Brandy and add the leaves

finish with yogurt or cream

African Nut- pepper soup

tomato soup finished with chopped basil

side view of tomato soup

Feta cheese added to cooked chard and onion mix

whole wheat crepes

sun drying grapes for currants

The temperature in the shade