Spring break has come to a rather uneventful close. No crazy parties to speak of (well, we did make an appearance at The Popin on Friday night – apparently it’s socially acceptable to wear a rat on your shoulder as if it were a parrot in public here. “Hey, isn’t that rat underage!?” Good times), just some much needed down time, lots of reading and writing, and some spring cleaning leaving me with a de-cluttered bedroom and a load of laundry smelling of Spring time.
Oooh and a visit to the olive man yesterday…his goodies (?) made an appearance in today’s lunch.
Lettuce, red bell pepper, and zucchini from my produce guy, and olives and dolmas from my olive guy. It’s so weird – I think I finally realized I live here this Spring break…I have an olive guy, a produce guy, a cheese guy. Yep, all mine.
I spent the afternoon wandering the streets, soaking in the glory of a light jacket and moderate temperatures. That’s another strange thing – changing seasons! Darn. Guess I’ll have to get a new wardrobe 
I headed to the marais, the best place to be on Sundays in the city in my personal opinion, and celebrated Spring with a frozen yogurt and a new cotton dress, then headed to the Bastille area to pick up a couple spices for a little some somethin’ I had in mind for tonight’s dinner.
But not before seeing this.
Ohhhh, Paris. You just never know what you’re gonna get. Pack of crazy rollerbladers? Why not!?
After my three hour walk, I headed home to spend some time in the kitchen. I wish I could give you a recipe, but since I have no measuring tools here, we’ll think of it more as a method. Or perhaps, maybe a little inspiration to get in the kitchen and just do what smells right, so to speak… 
I made a stew type thingy. Not sure what I’d call this really, but I usually like to make a bunch of veggies on Sundays since the weeks are so hectic and have them on hand. I used up my new produce (ya know, from my produce guy) and came up with this creation. It had:
- bacon
-onion
- garlic
- Italian seasoning
- mushrooms
- zucchini
- eggplant
- tomato paste
- 1 can cherry tomatoes (that I crushed later with a fork)
- 1 can cannellini beans
I started by sautéing the bacon, then added the onions once a little of the fat had melted. Once the onions were translucent, I added the garlic and Italian seasoning, sautéed for a minute, then added the mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant.
Once all of that cooked down, I added the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and cannellini beans. I always do the tomato paste like my Nana does – I let it cook with the veggies for a bit before adding the canned tomatoes so it can sweeten up and almost caramelize. The extra minute works wonders.
This was such a yummy dinner after a long day of walking and went perfectly with a piece of quinoa bread with fresh farmer’s market goat cheese…
Yum. I do love me some chevre. I especially loved the Spring/Summer-esque veggies. I’m already excited to get in the kitchen this Summer – my ideas have been flowing and I have tons of great ideas for when I have all of my kitchen tools at my disposal.
The rest of my evening has been spent reading and watching garbage on Netflix. Nothin’ like a little LA Ink on a Sunday night
I’ll leave you with a new favorite. I constantly find myself reading poetry – looking for it, reading it, talking about it, thinking about it. I just love it.
This is what you should do:
Love the earth and sun and animals,
despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
stand up for the stupid and crazy,
devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants,
argue not concerning God,
have patience and indulgence toward the people…
reexamine all you have been told in school or church or in any book,
dismiss what insults your very soul,
and your flesh shall become a great poem.– Walt Whitman
Random questions…
What’s your favorite TV show?
I’m not sure, but one day this week I just decided I wanted to watch LA Ink. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m really loving it. They are such artists!
Other than what I can see on Netflix, I have no idea what shows or movies are out right now. We have no TV here, but I kinda like it.
What’s your favorite poem? Favorite poet?
I love all things Rumi lately. Please share your favorites, as I’m always looking for new stuff!
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I love reading your blogs! Such inspiration to read from a young woman who is a yogi, who is studying in France, loves watching L.A. Ink, and has fabulous recipes! You inspire me :)
I am addicted to LA Ink!
My favourite poem is Byron’s “When we two parted”. If you don’t know it you can read the whole thing here:-
http://www.bartleby.com/101/597.html
I’m obsessed with dalmas and living vicariously through you right now. We need to make sure to meet up anywhere for a proper cook off one day!
Favorite TV Show: Anthony Bourdain!!
Favorite Poem: I love Garrison Keilor’s collections. Not really one, but there are many good ones in there:)
Favourite tv show: How I met your Mother. Amazingly funny!
Favourite poem: I love Rumi as well, my favourite of his is the The Guest House.
You can read it in this post of mine: http://thegutgazette.blogspot.com/2009/11/afternoon-cup-of-tea-with-some-poetry.html
I must be a Parisian at coeur (well I did suspect this toujours) parce que those fresh veggies from the veggie man and the fresh cheese from the cheese man are making me so very hungry! :)
Favorite poet is probably Robert Hass. And my favorite poem of his is “Meditations at Lagunitas”. http://www.english.illinois.edu/MAPS/poets/g_l/haas/online.htm Ah, gorgeous!
Cheers!
My all-time favorite, from another Transcendentalist:
“To live content with small means;
To seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy , not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
To study hard, think quietly,
Talk gently,
Act frankly;
To listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
To bear all cheerfully,
Do all bravely,
Await occasions,
Hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is my symphony.
-William Henry Channing
i need the olives in your second photo. STAT! what a delicious post…i might’ve been drooling the whole time :)
That stew looks great! Who needs recipes??
I love having “guys”. I need a produce guy, an olive guy, ANY guy here in T.O. Still don’t feel like I’m fully living here yet. I do have a coffee shop, and a whole foods at least ;)
Oooh, and chevre. Mmmm, chevre.
xo
K
I didn’t even answer the questions… whoops!
Favourite TV show…
Favourite poem…
I have two:
“Look to this day for it is life.
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the realities and truths of existence,
The joy of growth,
The splendor of action
The glory of power–
For yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived
makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”
– Sanskrit Poem
and…
“There is a life-force within your soul, seek that life.
There is a gem in the mountain of your body, seek that
mine.
O traveler, if you are in search of That
Don’t look outside, look inside yourself and seek That.”
I LOVE Rumi. He is truly amazing.
xo
K
my favorite poem EVER is “Yes But” by James Wright, but my favorite poets of the moment are probably Frank O’Hara and Kevin Young. Jelly Roll: A Blues is a great book of love poems!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYmRaPirnY
i recently came across this poetic performance, and well…. it speaks for itself.
bisous!
They’re aren’t many young girls out there that can just walk into a kitchen and whip up a veggie stew with no recipe. You’re a rare one. :)
My latest TV addiction has been Supernatural. I’ve been stealing all of the seasons from my sister, and the first one kind of sucked, but the second one was amazing, if you’re into weird, spooky kinda stuff.
I’ve not yet experienced LA Ink, but am currently obsessed with Mad Men and Weeds. One of my all time favorite TV shows is “Six Feet Under.”
Your stew looks so flavorful and mouth-watering, particularly when paired with chevre topped toast. I love living in big cities for the specialty markets alone. I’ve heard incredible things about Paris’ farmers markets. I’m anxious to see what they offer first-hand!
Fave poet = John Donne, and fave poem of his = “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning.”
Oh rollerbladers! Those were so fun! My favorite tv shows are One Tree Hill, Glee and American Idol at the moment. I used to love the OC and then once some other shows come back I like Drop Dead Diva and Big Brother UK and sometimes the US one. House Hunters is good too. I actually like almost any tv show really. Especially ones like Two and a Half Men and other drama/comedies like that. Not a fan of most of the reality shows lately. But Real Housewives are always fun to watch because I just imagine what I would do with all their money and big houses, not so much their plastic surgeries. HA! Have a good day!
favorite poem: ts eliot, prufrock.
Lately I’ve been loving Chuck. And Rumi. And now I’m craving stuffed grape leaves!
oooo favorite poem!! love this.
Ok. I have lots but let’s see….(and I love that Walk Whitman one you posted, a lot a lot)
Probs my fave depressing poem that I have memorized since pretty much the first time I read it:
“My Psychologist said Not to use people as Anchors”
And now I know
After throwing you out to sea,
it was too deep
and my sailboat
sank
With your weight.
by Emma Wimmer
I also like this one
“The Peace of Wild Things”
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
~ Wendell Berry
yummpoetry!