The usual breakfast: granola, yogurt, and Tropical Fruit Salad.
Then I worked until noon when I picked Peter up for lunch. He had five tamales he offered to share with me. I asked him if he wanted a beer with the tamales and he said, “Yes.”, so I stopped at Lowe’s on the way home and purchased a 12 pack of Shiner Bock plus three bottles each of club soda and tonic water.
When we arrived at my house, I served each of us two tamales and heated the PPI Enchiladas and fetched the mango salsa. We each ate a small piece of enchilada and some mango salsa with our tamales and squirted some Mexican hot sauce on the tamales. After lunch I offered Peter some Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream.
After I took Peter home and drove to Smith’s to buy asparagus, which are on sale through today for $1.49/lb. I bought four bunches because they were the best I have seen in years. They reminded me of the thick asparagus we ordered at a fine restaurant in Segovia that were tossed in olive oil and grilled just as Suzette did tonight. The only difference was the asparagus in Segovia cost €33, not $1.45. I also bought a gallon of milk for $2.69 and a dozen large eggs for $.99.
When I returned home I unloaded the car and took a short nap from 3:30 to 4:00 and then rode the short circle route to Central, then south to Marquez and back home about 3 ½ to 4 miles. Just enough exercise to loosen the joints that relieves my arthritis, but not too much that weakens my muscles. I loved it.
Suzette had just arrived when I returned about 4:50. After we rested a few minutes I started dinner. I had taken two filet Mignons from the freezer to thaw when I returned from Smith’s at 3:15 to grill with the asparagus to recreate that wonderful dinner in Segovia. I asked Suzette if she wanted corn or a potato. She said, “Neither, I want grilled eggplant.” So a grilled dinner it was.
I wanted a wine worthy of this great meal so I went to the basement to fetch a bottle of Wellington 2010 Mohrhardt Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon. This is my favorite cab and unfortunately it is no longer made. I opened it and tasted it and it was a little raw but otherwise okay so I uncorked it and sat the bottle in the fridge to open up and stay cool. It was 87 degrees today so drinking cool red wine is more pleasant than warm red wine.
I sliced an eggplant into six thick slices and snapped the ends off about fifteen large asparagus and fetched the pitcher of Béarnaise from the fridge.
Suzette fired up the grill and tossed the asparagus and eggplant slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. She spread Sorrel Pesto on the eggplant slicesWhen the grill was hot she grilled the eggplant slices and asparagus and salted and peppered the filets. When the vegetables were cooked Suzette grilled the small filets for about five minutes to cook them to medium rare. She the dotted the asparagus with parsley butter and the steak with Béarnaise. There were three dishes on the plate, each with its own sauce. Very French.
We decided to not serve Vichyssoises as being too much food.
I poured the cab and we had a fabulous meal. The evening temperature was perfect, probably 72 degrees so we ate at the table under the gazebo.
After the meal there was still 1/3 bottle of wine so I fetched a fresh wheel of Brie cheese I have been ripening. Its label suggested that the Brie would reach ripeness on April 30. It was perfect. We each ate several wedges of Brie as we sipped the last of the wine. The cheese was made in Isigny Saint Mer, which we visited in Normandy., although at that visit we were buying oysters.
We then retired to the TV room and made each of us an ice cream ice cream parfait with one scoop each of vanilla and mocha almond fudge
Drizzled with ribbons of Hershey’s chocolate syrup.
We watched the news until a bit after 9:00 and went to bed. Suzette fell asleep and I Blogged.
I can not say enough how one ingredient, such as thick asparagus can trigger a specific menu. Tonight I wanted a delicate meat to complement the soft grilled vegetables, so I selected a filet.
The meal exceeded my expectations. I loved the grilled eggplant smeared with Sorrel Pesto and the big grilled asparagus were wonderfulnandvremindedvus of Spain, when we last ate such large and fresh grilled asparagus.
A great meal.
Bon Appetit
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