March 27, 2021 Lunch - BLT Sandwich Dinner - Grilled Rack of Lamb and Asparagus with Tomato and Red Onion Couscous and Tzatziki

March 27, 2021 Lunch - BLT Sandwich  Dinner - Grilled Rack of Lamb and Asparagus with Tomato and Red Onion Couscous and Tzatziki 

We slept in this morning.  Then I prepared my usual breakfast of granola with fruit salad and yogurt and milk and we worked on the trip.  By noon we have reservations for all the nights except one and have completed the whole itinerary.

Tzatziki

I then went to the garden and picked a large handful of mint.  I cleaned the  mint and chopped finely and put it into a bowl.  Then I peeled a cucumber and sliced into 1/4 inch cubes and salted the cucumber.  I then chopped chives and added them.  Then I peeled two cloves of garlic and pressed it into the bowl and squeezed in 1/2 lemon and then added 1 cup of yogurt.

I covered the bowl with Saran and set it in the fridge to mellow.

We decided to prepare BLT sandwiches.  While I picked a basket full of salad Suzette fried four pieces of bacon and toasted four slices of the gnarliest bacon we have seen in a while and sliced a tomato and fetched the mayonnaise.  When I returned we spun the lettuce and we each made our BLT sandwich.  I always make mine open faced and Suzette makes hers closed.  It was windy, so we ate inside.

A little later after I finished pruning the roses I was hungry and made a peanut butter and honey sandwich on a piece of toast and then lay down at four and napped until 6:00.

Tomato and red onion Couscous 

We started cooking.  Suzette prepared the asparagus and rack of lamb and I prepared the couscous. 

I chopped a slice of red onion and cubed a Roma tomato and put them into a sauce pan with 3 T. of butter. I then measured 1 cup of Couscous and heated a kettle of water and heated the tomato and onion and after they began to soften I added the cup of Couscous and stirred it to coat each grain with butter.  In another minute I added a bit more than 1 1/2 cups of water with a bay leaf to the hot ingredients, which caused a cloud of steam.  I covered the pot with its lid and waited for it to build steam and then reduced the heat to its lowest level and cooked the couscous for a couple of minutes and then turned off the heat.  When Suzette put the rack of lamb and the asparagus she had tossed in a gallon freezer bag with olive oil, salt, and pepper on the grill, I checked the couscous and it was quite wet, so I turned the heat on to medium for a minute or two and then turned off the heat. For dry couscous I add 1 1/3 cups of water. I usually prefer damp spongy couscous and add 1 3/4 cup of water as I did today.

I went to the basement looking for the Cotes Du Rhone I had bought at Costco for $7.99 yesterday, but could not find it, so I selected a Kirkland Rioja Reserva ($7.99 at Costco).

When I returned the plates were filled with two rib-lets each, a pile of couscous on which were grilled asparagus and a puddle of tzatziki on the side.  I opened the Rioja and we poured it out into the glasses.

Suzette had started a fire in the ceramic brazier and we each too our wine glass and plate of food to the gazebo in the garden and ate a lovely meal.

We added wood to the brazier to throw some heat toward us to alleviate the evening chill after the sun set.

We talked and talked until around 9:00 when we decided to serve dessert.

Mike had brought a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Gewurtztraminier wine from Washington State and three types of Greek desserts, two different Baklava’s and a piece of Kadaif he bought at Istanbul Market plus a container of chocolate covered raisins from Turkey. I poured glasses of wine and put the bottle in a bucket and took them to the gazebo with plates of dessert Suzette filled with pieces of the desserts. We talked and ate some more and the came in around 10:00 and Mike and I drank glasses of Calvados and Suzette drank a cognac and until after 11:00.

It was great seeing Mike again and having someone over for dinner.

Bon Appetit