August 16, 2025 Lunch at Luke’s Dinner - Rice and Lentil Congee with Spinach and Cilantro

August 16, 2025 Lunch at Luke’s  Dinner - Rice and Lentil Congee with Spinach and Cilantro

I ate a toasted bagel with cream cheese as we drove to Zena Farm to buy produce for lunch. Luke bought chard, zucchini, an heirloom tomato, and bacon for a frittata and 6 fresh red plums for a plum tart.

We bought cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, and an orange sweet pepper for a salad.

When we returned home Luke went into action and with Suzette’s assistance made the fritatta. He grated the zucchini, sautéed the bacon cut into lardons onions, and garlic on the bottom and then added chopped chard and 8 whisked eggs plus four egg whites and added four eggs on top and finally sliced yellow heirloom tomato wedges.

He cooked the frittata in a cast irion skillet on to of the dtove to set the bottom and then baked in the oven to brown the top.

Mickey, Rebecca, Billy, Elaine and Whitney arrived around 12:00.

Mickey brought a Spanish rose and a bottle of Sancerre.

We opened the rose and a dry Riesling from Hickock and Hill.

Luke cooked a pot of white Lima beans and I peeled and chopped the two cucumbers, the sweet pepper, a yellow and a red heirloom tomato and 1/2 of a red onion and Suzette made a dressing of apricot vinegar and sugar to make a German style sweet and sour salad dressing.

Then Luke made a cake mix for the tart and I cut the plums in half and removed the pits. Luke oiled the bottom of a Pyrex pie pan and poured the tart batter in and then he arranged the plum halves on the batter and I drizzled them with lemon juice and he put the tart into the oven to bake and took out the frittata and served wedges of it with the beans and the cucumber, onion, tomato, and pepper salad and a small baguette.

It was a delicious meal that he had planned and executed perfectly.

After lunch we walked to Quinn’s shed where he stored the Art of Hanna Eschal. Quinn explained his relationship with her and her Art. We then drove to the Cassis winery south of Rhinebeck and tasted theI cassis that was quite good.

We then said goodbye to Mickey and Rebecca, and Billy and Elaine for this trip and drove back to Luke’s.

Suzette and I napped while Luke went swimming.

Around 8:00 Luke made a rice and lentil congee with fresh spinach and cilantro.

We talked about the remodel of Luke’s bathroom and Kitchen until 9:45 and then Suzette went to bed and I blogged.

Bon Appetit