cherry clafoutis

Thursday is farmers' market day in South Pasadena, not too far from Van's place.  It's been ages since I went to a local market - there used to be one just outside our condo building in Pasadena, but that ended years ago, alas - so it was nice to wander through and pick up a few things.  I have some ideas for dinner this weekend.

I was tempted by (but didn't buy) the Rainier cherries I saw.  Ah, I love stone fruit season.  I can imagine all the baking and such to be done with the fruit.  Happily, others do as well.  Van and I were actually over that way for a date night at Bistro de la Gare, a place we hadn't been to in a while.  A table outside, the bustle of the market through most of the meal, a fine place for him

and me

to have a dinner the night before Conrad was to come home.  I didn't photograph my burger (which was terrific, and excellent fries), but I couldn't resist the dessert.  I wasn't even keen on dessert, but Van was immediately sold on having something with fresh cherries from the market.  A clafoutis, something I've made a few times with varying success. 

Nice to have a professional do it, and nice to know that at least once I wasn't too far off the mark.  It was a tasty end to the meal, and a welcome use of the seasonal produce in abundance.

recent cooking

Temperatures are getting into the 90s these days, so what do I do?  I cook.  Yep, turn on the oven and everything.  No one ever said I was smart.

I made ribs on Saturday for dinner, and they were ribs, perfectly fine, no photographs.  For dessert, something new:  Rainier cherry clafoutis. 

Kind of a cross between crepes and custard, baked in the oven, studded with fruit.  I've never had one, only heard of it.  So I pitted my cherries I had on hand and made us up dessert.  Verdict?  Hmmm.  I loved the flavour, but I think I weighed down the batter too much.  Not much puff on it in the oven, and a trial getting it out of the pan.  But tasty!

So tasty that yesterday I promised Conrad a simple, oven free dinner, and yet ended up baking another clafoutis, a berry one. 

Plus focaccia. 

And also little turkey meatballs that I tossed with a sauce I made for a pasta dinner.  Oh, and burrata with tomato and nectarine. 

Because I invited Natasha to come over, that was my excuse.  That second clafoutis was better than the first, I think.  I'll try making those again.

Tonight?  Leftover focaccia and another similar burrata salad with prosciutto added this time, and leftover clafoutis.  Barely an oven turned on!