[chrisbelgium]

Want to join this summer thread? Please post your food, dessert, drinks, fruitsalads, icecreams etc.

There's no competition at all, just for fun and eternal fame.

No rules either except for one thing though, well, two things;

1. PICTURES OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

Everyone has a camera or cell phone, so there's no excuse. It's not a contest, good picture, bad picture, who cares? As long as it's not plucked from the internet.

2. NO GOOGLED LINKS

Bad news for the Googlers. No links please, I'm so done with this forum changing into GoogleTalk instead of ChefTalk. Let's post our own experience,... done.

Thanks for participating. I'm gonna throw in a lot!

 

[chrisbelgium]

Simple Summer Pasta

Pasta with Italian salami, fennel seeds, tomato, basil, parmesan, served with a very cool glass of fizzy Italian Lambrusco.

Lambrusco is soooooooo summery!

PastaTomaatSalamiVenkel1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

PastaTomaatSalamiVenkel2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

PastaTomaatSalamiVenkel4.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Tuna salad

I removed this from the salad challenge together with some other pictures.

Spanish canned white tuna, iceberg salad, mini tomatoes, black olives, red onion, homemade dressing.

TonijnSalade.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Quiche with ricotta and fresh spinach

RicottaSpinazieQuiche1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Wrap with smoked salmon and homemade tzaziki

WrapGerookteZalmTzaziki3.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Salad of grilled aubergine, cold ratatouille and Frankfurter sausage, topped with homemade dressing

AubergineSalade.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Cod burger with romaine salad, oh, and a fresh summery rosé wine of course

KabeljauwBurgerSalade1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

KabeljauwBurgerSalade4.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Euro salad

Hugh... What?

Salad with the following ingredients;

- Romaine salad from Holland

- Cucumber from Holland

- Mini tomatoes from Belgium

- Bacon, panfried, from Belgium

- Red onion from Italy

- Tiny "breakfast" black olives from Turkey (almost Europe)

- Fresh oregano and oregano blossoms from my garden, that's Belgium again

- Fantastic olive oil from Spain

- Feta that I gave a torched skin fromGreece

GriekseSaladeSpekFeta1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Pilaf rice with squid

Bit of a tricky dish, it's all about timing the "cuisson" of the squid which I bought frozen. Cut the bodies open and score, cook as quick as possible in a very hot pan.

InktVisPilafRijst.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015
• 1

Pasta con le cozze or Pasta and mussels in english

The new mussel season has started over here wiith as usual plenty of mussels coming from Holland, more specific, the Zeeland region. We Belgians eat 70% of the mussels produced in Holland!

So, there will be a few musses dishes to be seen as I'm a true freak for these delicious creatures.

So simple to make; throw a little garlic in a hot pan with olive oil and s&p, add mussels, add a dash of white wine and cover asap. Boil pasta very "al dente". Move the mussels to one side of the pan and add pasta in the other side. Roll the pasta several times in the cooking liquid of the mussels....

PastaMosselen1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

PastaMosselen2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Pasta pesto

Pesto6.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

This is how I make my pesto;

Pesto3.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Wash and dry (very important!) basil, around a fistful per person. I used pecorino this time. Cut pecorino in small pieces, easier to blend.

Pesto1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Start by pulsing the pecorino with a clove of chopped garlic in your blender. Add dry-roasted but not colored pine nuts and pulse again.

Pesto2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

The mixture should look rough like this. Now add the basil leaves and pulse again a few times.

Pesto4.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Add no more 3 tbsp. of olive oil for 2 big hands of basil and pulse shortly. This is how your pesto should look like if you want it to stick to your pasta.

 

[laurenlulu]

image.jpg

• laurenlulu
• Jul 20, 2015

Smoked Salmon Devilled Eggs

 

[chrisbelgium]

Steamed mussels

Cut fresh fennel, onion, garlic, celery, fresh ginger, chili in tiny brunoise and shortly fry in olive oil. Add a good blub of pernod (anisy French apéritif stuff @ 45° alcohol). Add chopped tomato. Turn heat up as high as possible and add mussels. Cover and let cook until all mussels are open, this process takes only a few minutes.

MosselsVenkelGember1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

MosselsVenkelGember2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

Stuffed mussels and falafel salad

Not everyone wants mussels two days in a row, so, two simple dishes to be made.

The left-overs from the steamed mussels were "eliminated" by me the next day. Leave the mussels on one shell half. Mix butter, sour cream, parsley, chives, Chinese chives (garlicky taste), s&p, harissa (chili and garlic paste). Cover the mussels with this paste. Grill in your oven together with a few falafel tossed in a bit of oil.

Serve as shown. Hot falafel on lettuce salad and homemade dressing were much appreciated, also by me (I did some quality control).

MosselGratin.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

TapasMosselgratinFalafelsalade.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 20, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Fishsoup with rouille

Made this yesterday using mussel cooking juices instead of (stinky) fish stock, salmon, cod, squid and shrimp. And rouille of course.

VissoepRouille.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

My absolute 100% refreshing favorite summer drink

Plain water infused with a few lemon verbena branches and a small top of fresh sage, both from my garden. Just bruise the branches a little. Keep a large can in your fridge. Absolutely refreshing lemony taste... without using lemon and very healthy.

CitroenVerbenaSalieWater.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

Burnt leeks

When you're bbq'ing, try this; use young leeks and simply put them on the BBQ, either on the fire or on the hottest spot. Let them blacken but turn them a few times. The outer skirts will blacken. Just slide the content out, cooked in its own juice, and you will enjoy the best leek taste ever!!

BBQPrei1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

BBQPrei2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

Tomato carpacchio

Just finished today's lunch. I could simply say it's like turning a simple tomato salad into a gastronomical dish! Such a taste bomb.

Use very ripe tomatoes and cut them in the thinnest slices ever with a razorsharp knife.

The dressing is made from fresh herbs in the garden; savory, lemon verbena, tarragon, oregano, roman chervil, lovage (no more than just 1 leaf!), sorrel. I blanched them exactly 2 seconds in boiling water and cooled asap. The sorrel turned khaki instantly as usual, so I didn't use it after all. Mix everything with cream, s&p. What an intense taste,... de-li-ci-ous!!!

TomatenCarpaccio1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

Tuinkruiden.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

Spread out the tomato slices, add s&p, a little dressing and add available herb flowers from the garden. I used flowers of oregano, savory, lemon balm and that stunning yellow lovage flower which is simply sensational!

TomatenCarpacchio.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 21, 2015

 

[cerise]

Want to join this summer thread? Please post your food, dessert, drinks, fruitsalads, icecreams etc.

There's no competition at all, just for fun and eternal fame.

No rules either except for one thing though, well, two things;

1. PICTURES OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

Everyone has a camera or cell phone, so there's no excuse. It's not a contest, good picture, bad picture, who cares? As long as it's not plucked from the internet.

2. NO GOOGLED LINKS

Bad news for the Googlers. No links please, I'm so done with this forum changing into GoogleTalk instead of ChefTalk. Let's post our own experience,... done.

Thanks for participating. I'm gonna throw in a lot!

Great topic and beautiful pics. Would like to see accompanying "recipes" for same.

Would like to see the topic open to everyone, without restrictions.

Have you considered or do you have a food blog?

 

[ordo]

One word Chris: thanks.

 

[lagom]

When am I driving down for dinner? Oh and btw, if yoy are in western sweden on the first of august you are most welcome to our delayed 4th of july party/ pig roast

 

[chrisbelgium]

Beef kebabs and carrot salad

Yesterday evening, while day-dreaming of far away holiday destinations... spicy beef kebabs and a very fresh carrot salad. Grate carrot and add nothing more than enough tarragon vinegar to make it all taste uberfresh. The vinegar will also keep the carrots from losing their vibrant color. Serve with Greek yoghurt.

RundsKebabSla.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 22, 2015

 

[chrisbelgium]

@Cerise I'm sticking to the plan: pictures, no links. Anyone can post. Summer dishes are mostly very simple and many people take more pictures in summer, so no problem there I presume. Posting a title and a picture is quite satisfying already. However, you can always ask for more info on a specific topic. Let's keep this simple and fun. And no, I'm not a blogger, there's thousands of them on the internet. I'm looking forward to your contributions.

@ordo Thanks my friend, always glad to see you around. Hope you're well!

@Lagom Don't tease me... Sweden is not so far away for me /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

It would be nice to throw in a few pictures of your delayed party, just for good summer ambiance.

 

[chrisbelgium]

Tartine au fromage blanc

This is a typical Belgian summer's delight. A slice of bread, buttered, covered with a more than generous layer of fresh cheese, thinly sliced radish and salt which is a must.

Often consumed with a typical style of beer called gueuze which is a complex "assemblage" of young and older lambic beers on oak. Lambic beer is spontaneously fermented in open vessels (without adding yeast). Another very summery drink often drunk with this tartine is kriek (cherry) beer, made after a very long maceration of fresh cherries and cherry juice on gueuze.

BoterhamPlattekaas1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 23, 2015

BoterhamPlattekaas2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 23, 2015

Take two; fromage blanc, chives, s&p

 

[chrisbelgium]

Pork chops and aubergines with chimichurry

Yesterday was a colder day, time to bake a dessert and use the oven to bake aubergines too.

VarkenskoteletAubergineChimichurri1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 24, 2015

Aubergines, peeled, oiled and fresh oregano and savory from the garden, s&p, ready for the oven.

VarkenskoteletAubergineChimichurri2.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 24, 2015

Chimichurry ingredients. No-shows for the group photo were oilive oil, s&p.

VarkenskoteletAubergineChimichurri3.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 24, 2015

Warm but very summery dish!

Clafoutis aux cerises

It's cherry season! Time for a clafoutis. Stones in or out? I tried both, there's no difference in taste, so they go out, using that simple device, a matter of just a few minutes. Scrape a vanilla pod too, that will make a biiiiig difference, together with a dash of "Kirch" (meaning cherry) firewater.

ClafoutisCerises1.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 24, 2015

ClafoutisCerises21.jpg

• chrisbelgium
• Jul 24, 2015

A clafoutis can be made with other fruit. Normally you serve this still a bit warm and scoop with a spoon instead of cutting slices.