I slept until 8:00. I got up and saw it was going to be a good day in the market and ate breakfast of granola, fruit salad, and yogurt and watched some of the Tour stage. I then walked a mile to Kit Carson Park, then to the Country Club and back along Park Ave. I arrived home in time to watch the end of the stage, an ascent of the 7th tallest mountain in the Tour this year of 2600 meters. A mountain finish on the last day in the Pyrenees. Tuesday will be a flat profile and then the Tour will head to the Alps and Paris for the finish on Sunday.
I then did a little work and showered and dressed and drove to my podiatry appointment. I had long discussion with my new doctor, which resulted in being fitted with in soles in my shoes with better arch support.
I then drove to Trader Joe’s and bought a French baguette, Artichokes, a bottle of cognac for Suzette, and a case of wine. The wine included two new wines, a $14.99 Gigondas from Southern Rhône Valley, a new $4.99 100% Verdejo from Spain and 10 of the favorites including Sagnol rose, Emma Reichart rose, Chateau Roudier, Origon Gran Reserva Grenache and Syrah, and Picton Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
I felt like I was on a pilgrimage by now. Mi drove to Azuma and ate my favorite lunch made by my favorite sushi chef, Chirashi Donburi, a combination of raw fish, cooked octopus, egg omelet, seaweed salad, on a bed of sushi rice and shredded Daikon for $14.99. My idea of the perfect high protein cool summer meal. I drank hot green tea, which today was served in an authentic Japanese steel teapot for $2.50. I loved that small touch. The Chirashi includes 12 pieces. I eat 6 and box the other ½ of the lunch for lunch tomorrow.
Then at 1:00 I drove three blocks down the street to Albertson’s and bought 2 lb. of fresh farm raised Atlantic salmon for $6.97/lb. and a 6 lb. slab of country style pork ribs for $.97/lb.
Then I drove across the street to a Donut Mart. Unfortunately they were sold out of bagels, so I got three chocolate covered donuts filled with Boston cream (custard), I drove home and deposited all of the food in the fridge and started working a bit after 2:00. When I checked the Market I was pleasantly surprised to find that my portfolio had increased by ½% and was back above what I considered my expected annual gain after two days last week that took it well below.
I worked until 4:30, when I drove to the bank and then to Lowe’s where I bought 2/3 lb. of nice green beans. Lowe’s produce prices generally are much higher than El Super but Lowe’s gets the best quality produce, so for one item on the way home it makes sense to pay a bit more for the convenience.
I arrived home at 5:10 in time to watch most of the Nightly Business Review. Suzette arrive soon after and we discussed the dinner menu. She suggested hamburgers and I suggested we see if the pork tenderloin was still fresh enough to cook. When Suzette unwrapped it, it was fine, so suzette decided to make a new recipe she had mentioned last week,
pork tenderloin stuffed with fruits and nuts.
Suzette soaked several dried apricots and figs in hot water for about twenty minutes to rehydrate them. Then she ground them with walnuts and salt and about one dozen sage leaves in the Cuisinart to make a purée filling. I made a deep incision in the tenderloin to butterfly it. Suzette stuffed the tenderloin with the filling and we wrapped the stuffed tenderloin with string to hold it together. Suzette shaped aluminum foil into a boat shape and placed the tenderloin in it to keep the flames from reaching the tenderloin and then grilled it.
Before grilling
When I went to the garden to pick the sage leaves for Suzette’s Pork dish, I also picked a handful of basil and a few sprigs of thyme and a handful of Chard and two snow peas. I had seen a recipe for herb seasoned farro and decided to adapt it to Couscous. I chopped the basil, two cloves of fresh garlic from our garden, and a medium shallot that I then sautéed in three T. of butter.
While the herbs were cooking I heated water and Suzette tore the Chard leaves from their stalks and I chopped the Chard and the two snow peas into bite sized pieces. I then added 1 cup of Couscous and the Chard and snow peas to the pot and let them cook for about three minutes. Then I added 1 ½ cups of boiling water to the pot and covered it a raised the heat to cook the Couscous and then lowered the heat to let it steam a bit. After another five minutes I turned off the heat to let the Couscous steam and fluff.
Willy called and said he was coming by for dinner because his ankles were not up to skate boarding with his friends this evening. Suzette set the table for three.
I discussed wine with Suzette and we quickly decided upon a bottle of Emma Reichart rose because it is 100% Pinot Noir and heavier, so perfect for the heavier stuffed pork tenderloin, so I went to the garage fridge to fetch the rose and put it into the fridge.
When Willy arrived Suzette brought in the tenderloin and I sliced it and poured the rose. Suzette spooned Couscous onto three plates and we served, ourselves slices of the stuffed tenderloin.
We were surprised that the stuffing on top of the tenderloin was charred black. We guessed the flames reached around the aluminum to burn the sugary fruit in the filling.
We enjoyed the new recipe for us, although it is a rather standard dish.
The wine was great with the dish and the fruit flavor of the Pinot Noir accented and complemented the fruit flavor inn the filling.
I started watching a Rachel Maddow when she interviewed Steven Miller’s uncle named Glosser. I am intrigued how a Jewish person can become so sadistic, but missed those important questions at the beginning of the interview. The uncle was a normal liberal person who opposed the policies Miller was espousing. Willy left shortly after I started watching TV. We then turned the channel to the Tour and watched the exciting mountain finish.
At 9:00 we went to bed and I blogged yesterday’s blog. I awakened at 2:00 and blogged today’s blog and drank two glasses of water that I should have drunk with dinner. But the fruity rose was so delicious with the fruit filled pork that drinking water seemed to dilute the flavors at the time.
I had brought in the cream filled donuts for Dessert but we did not crave dessert because of all of the fruit in the entrée.
Bon Appetit
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