July 23, 2020 Lunch – Sandwiches. Paleo Dinner – Grilled Lamb Chops, Artichokes, and Asparagus and Couscous

July 23, 2020 Lunch – Sandwiches. Paleo Dinner – Grilled Lamb Chops, Artichokes, and Asparagus and Couscous

The food went from the ordinary to the sublime today.

I was working on a pleading with a client and we agreed to take a 30 minute break for lunch, so I sliced and toasted five slices of stale French baguette and spread butter and the last bit of foie gras on three of them and then garnished them with slices of brie cheese.  I spread cream cheese on the other two and garnished them with slices of Gravad Lax for a sort of French picnic.  I poured out the last glass of Murphy Goode Pinot Noir and sip a bit of it as I had a working lunch at my desk.

When I became tired at 3:00 after working all day and suffering a disastrous day in the Market in which 2% of my portfolio value evaporated, I lay down and napped until Suzette came home at 5:15.

Suzette has gone to Costco yesterday and bought asparagus and lamb chops, so we decided to grill those two items with three Artichokes I had boiled a few days ago.

I had defrosted the lamb chops and placed four of them in the fridge after they thawed, so they were not water logged by 6:30 when we began cooking.   After Suzette rested and showered I sliced the three Artichokes in half and Suzette salted and peppered the lamb chops and snapped the thick asparagus and tossed the stalks in olive oil, salt, and pepper..

While Suzette grilled the lamb, asparagus, and Artichokes, I went to the basement and found a bottle of 2015 Valreas Cotes Du Rhone Village ($5.99 at Trader Joe’s several years ago).  I love a Southern Rhone with lamb.  I believe the combination of the earthy flavor of Syrah and the dry tannic flavor of Grenache suits lamb particularly well.

This seemed to me a rather primordial, even paleo meal of fire roasted meat and vegetables. Suzette added a spoonful of Couscous and black beans to my  plate, but I ate that quickly and focused on the grilled ingredients, as it was my first meal in days of hunting. I really felt paleo.

It was such a delicious meal that I drank another glass of wine and then a small amount cognac and ate the last four or five chocolate truffles in a box (Trader Joe’s) while we watched a weird episode of Midsomer Mystery about mystery novel writers.

We went to bed after it ended at 10:00.

I have not had a more satisfying meal in a long time.  Perhaps because some primordial part of my brain responded to the fresh grilled meat and vegetables.  Or perhaps it was a perfect combination of ingredients grilled perfectly by Suzette.

I prefer to enjoy rather than analyze very much more than that.

Bon Appetit