April 22, 2020 Lunch – Gravad Lax Salad Nicoise. Dinner – BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs, a Baked Potato, and Steamed Broccoli

April 22, 2020 Lunch – Gravad Lax Salad Nicoise.  Dinner – BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs, a Baked Potato, and Steamed Broccoli

I had a snack at 10:00.  I toasted slices of whole wheat roll, buttered them, and spread marmalade on them and then garnished with slices of Iberico cheese with a cup of chai.

The market shot back up today after three down days and I recovered more than my Friday losses.

Suzette worked from home today, so for lunch we made a Niçoise salad with cured salmon instead of tuna.  It was lovely. We substituted steamed asparagus for the usual potato. Here is a picture.

We enjoyed an al fresco lunch in the gazebo watching the fish swim in the pond and doves fly in to drink in the newly filled bird bath. We also made a tour of the garden and noted the new growth.

Suzette went to Costco at 4:00 and bought a number of items we needed such as olive oil, fresh salmon, lamb chops, and pine nuts for Willy.

I baked four country style pork ribs in the oven for 3 hours starting at 5:00.  I placed them in a 9 x 9 inch pyrex baking dish and coated them with Rudy’s Sissy BBQ sauce and covered them with aluminum foil and baked them in a 325 degree oven.  For the first hour I baked six russet potatoes
with the ribs.

When Suzette returned she took over and removed the aluminum foil for the 1 ½ hours during which she flipped the ribs once.

I then went to the garage and fetched the bag of broccoli.  I cut off about ten flowerets and put them in the steamer with water.

 I then cut two ore rose to freshen up out vase.

While Suzette steamed the broccoli and then plated dinner, I poured out the last of the 2018 Villaviva Cotes de Thau rose’ that we had opened at lunch.  This lovely light rose from southern France was one of the bottles Suzette brought home from her restaurant.

Here is a lot of information on this lovely rose.

Tasting notes
Luscious, aromatic nose of raspberries and strawberries. Fresh in the mouth with a well-balanced, full and lively middle palate, and a spicy, lingeringfinish.
Serve VillaViva chilled.
Drink anytime as an aperitif or with seafood, poultry, grilled meats, barbecue and Mediterranean-style cuisine.
Background
VillaViva is an extraordinary pale rose wine produced from vineyards surrounding the fishing village of Sete, famous for its oyster beds, and facing the Mediterranean Sea. Located in the Cotes de Thau (pronounced "toe") appellation, along the famous string of lakes (Etang de Thau) that make up the 
Bassin, the VillaViva vineyards are planted on fossilized oyster beds, limestone, gravel and quartz soil and benefit from a sunny and dry climate perfect for rose production. An elaborate subsoil network of fresh water and salt water conduits under the vineyards nourish the vines and contribute to the unique flavor of VillaViva. Because of the region's rich marine biodiversity, Sete has been the center of a thriving fishing industry that dates to antiquity. However, it is commonly believed that the commerce of wine was equally as important; Etruscan amphoras found at the bottom of the Thau Bassin indicate that wine was being produced in the region as early as the 7th century B.C. VillaViva is produced from a state-of-the-art production facility that covers two appellations Cotes de Thau and PicPoul de Pinet (known for its white wines with delicious saline flavors). Because of the unbelievable price point and quality, the roses from the estate have been so successful that they are now "replacing water" in all of the top restaurants on the French Riviera.
Viticulture and winemaking
Limestone, broken stone, and quartz soil.

Vineyards planted on slopes with southern exposure, borderering the Thau Bassin and over- looking the Mediterannean.
Unique microclimate - proximity to water ensures vines stay cool, and contributes to the freshness of the wines.
After harvest, grapes are cooled and undergo pre-fermentation maceration (cold oak) in Elite vats at forty-six Farenheit for six hours.
VillaViva is made from the free-run juice which is fermented at low temperatures to retain fruit and freshness.

We decided to serve dinner at 8:00 because that would be three hours of cooking time, so at 7:50 Suzette started the broccoli.

After dinner Suzette made us bananas foster with one banana, light brown sugar, butter and rum that
she then poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I later ate two chocolate chip cookies with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

We went to bed at 9:30.

Bon Appetit