Monday, May 20, 2013

Se Plaindre Le Ventre Plein~


















Means..to complain on a full stomach~  Sort of..but in effect..exactly.

Come April , when I still have some snow on the ground some years..I complain..less than before..but I do..about our long winters..From December till April..and November can be glum..

But come May..and I think..:"Now what do you have to complain of?"Weather and beauty wise  where you live?
Everything comes alive..

5 minutes away by car..I have my very own charming BROCANTE.. a shore drive..40 km max  is the speed limit♥  I go even slower  to take in the vistas....views to bring tears to your eyes.. with all the apple blossoms bursting..the spring green lawns..
Charles Trenet on the radio this particular long weekend Saturday morn 9 AM..
And here I am at our charming Brocante..from treasures to kitsch..to bona fide French Brocanteurs relocated from Avignon♥
All right here..a stone's throw away~




And I think to myself~"

"What A Wonderful World~"

Of course the first snowfall does that to me also....the changing leaves..the warm summer nights..


PS
I was almost forgetting the full stomach literal part:)

I recently made this..



You can skip right over to here to Chris' for the recipe..
Their photos will do you in..I halved the recipe..in my mom's cast iron skillet.
I only had red cherry/grape tomatoes...
This is the pre~baked..but browned version..

Baked it all looks roasted and gorgeous..
My notes..I would not hesitate to add a splash  or more of white wine  I think it would make it juicier..:),because I was only doing 2 and had many less tomatoes..Chris had a wonderful amount of multicolored tomatoes..and I used the same skillet to brown the breasts..poured off the liquid and added the ingredients..tented with foil for 10 mins after baking.

My friend made it for company..(a group) the next day and was so happy with this recipe too~

Thank you for this lovely make ahead recipe Chris~

Today is rainy and grey..all the better to patch up the brown spots on the lawns:)~


32 comments:

  1. Oh, how glorious! The food, the Spring, the flea market? Heavenly.

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  2. Mon ami, I'll have some of that lovely roasted chicken with a side of kitsch, please.

    I hope you realize 'What a Wonderful World' will be playing over and over in my head for the next few days. Thank you :)

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  3. I wish we had a market like yours.

    Great one pan meal. Love the idea of the beans cooked with the chicken. It is your photo that did me in.

    ~Ann

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  4. :)

    Ann my beans were from a can:) the whole dish bakes quite rapidly..
    Loved your published photo!

    Sol..I actually thought of you! The shop you once had..I remember your treasures..
    I actually did not buy anything Saturday..The canisters were an object of affection..but last yr I was given my friends' from France and love them more:)
    There's such a feeling to a market.Not much food yet ..but many many treasures..
    No rhubarb Katrina!

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  5. Yes your picture is out of this world gorgeous!
    So yummy looking
    I may be getting an oven soon like this week!
    Yay

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  6. De belles photos champêtres et l'envie d'aller faire les brocantes (sous le soleil, of course).
    Le plat m'a l'air délicieux, il respire le beau temps!

    Bonne semaine!

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  7. Beautiful colors Mon, I would have gone with you this weekend!

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  8. Oh Joy!

    A Field Trip with Monique, what could be more fun?!

    Thank you for taking us along and sharing it with us. xo I would say it was worth the winter-wait, so cheerful & so colorful!

    (The chicken dish, too ~ and in your mama's cast iron skillet ~ all the better!) xoxo

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  9. I LOVE your market, how fun. I wish we could go together but I might embarrass you as I loose my brains a bit at places like this! I was delighted to see your chicken. So pretty in a round skillet and I love the way you decorated with the lemons to look like a piece of art work! Thanks so much for sharing and I'm so glad you liked it.

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  10. Beautiful...beautiful...that canister set would have been mine if I had been there. I have my Mom's antique one but it is not blue and white! The milk bottles... i would have been broke! How lovely that this market is so close to you.
    Believe it or not I made that chicken dish in the original form with the chickpeas from BA...it was very good...i love smoked paprika in just about vanything except dessert!
    Yours looks really delicious! I was up early this morning and tried to post but my internet went kerblooey!
    Such a beautiful Spring where you are!
    Bisous xo

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  11. Spur of the moment decision..early AM..I like that quiet time..
    Mary you would love it..but like me you are simplifying I think now:) Not trying to collect ..:)
    I bet we would have convinced ourselves that one more tiny item would be ok? For the memory of the

    day~At the very least~

    That was fun..
    Linda..yes that blue and white is you..not quite cobalt but close enough..one handle was broken..$110.00 ..Not sure price wise..many pieces..could be a good price..?
    Shipping would be$$$??? and iffy?

    I know I am looking for Vintage shrimp cocktail servers w/ inserts..and the lady said shipping would be $$ and risky..so no go..
    Got excited there for one moment..Even though I am NOT collecting:)
    I can believe you made that dish!!

    You love BA and Gourmet if I remember correctly..
    Chris..many lose their brains..I love taking my camera:)~

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  12. We have long Chicago winters too. We moved here in a grim February from Charleston, S.C.. That was over twenty years ago. In Charleston, we took the flower gardens for granted year around. In Chicago, spring comes forth with such welcome that we stand up and take notice!! What treasures you had to select from.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  13. Your photos always make me feel good. If I want to feel inspired or uplifted, I head to your blog! The photos of Spring, blooming trees, and Russian dolls are absolutely gorgeous - pinned them!

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  14. South Carolina...Charleston..would love to visit.
    I am very grateful for Spring here...

    And..
    Julia:-)

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  15. This all looks wonderful. I have Chris' recipe on my to-do list.

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  16. That garden is splendid and so are those tajines. A scrumptious dish!

    This year, the weather is rotten (grey, rainy and cold all the time)...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  17. Wow, when spring comes to your part of the world, it comes in all of its glory. Well, well worth the wait.

    What a gorgeous presentation of the chicken dish. I will check out the recipe because it's something I know we would enjoy as well. I see several things at the Brocante that got my attention, including the pretty French market bags to fill up with other treasures including the blue and white canisters.
    Sam

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  18. Wow such a bright post Monique...
    what a glorious Brocante...and the chicken looks very special.
    Thank you for this.
    Shel

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  19. Rosa..pretty glum here today too..But I still have 5 months of some pretty delicious days..you too!
    The tagines were very reasonable..Didn't ask any questions and didn't lift the lids to see how authentic they were..but certainly eye catching and beautiful..
    I think everyone will like Chris' dish..keeper:)

    Hope to go more often this yr~

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  20. I was here oohing and aahing yesterday in between play times but didn't have enough time to comment. Mondays with you-know-who :)

    You are so fortunate to have such a delightful market so close! Even though you didn't buy anything you made us all richer with your photos. I love the shot of the wooden stacking dolls and how the the middle one is positioned looking at the other - charming :)

    But, oh my the chicken dish! I did get lost following the links. I would love to try this soon! This looks like it could be a wonderful Monday meal on a busy day! I like how both you and Chris sauteed the breasts first and used cast iron for baking. My mouth is watering.

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  21. Now I really want to visit that Brocante -- what great treasures. Your photos are gorgeous, and the chicken looks mouthwatering.:)

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  22. Susan..I know those days:) And I usually wait to comment too:) Nothing stops us from peeking:) But taking time to comment?The chicken dish is right up your alley Susan..

    Nana!

    Nancy:) YOUR photos are breathtaking..You would enjoy that brocante for sure..

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  23. May is an absolutely beautiful month that makes us all forget about the past winter. Add a lovely drive, a brocante where you might find a treasure and yes, it is a wonderful world.

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  24. Our weather is still a little iffy too! I totally understand. This looks glorious and so perfect in the pan! You are such an artist in all that you do!

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  25. Yes, May is such a delight (and relief) to northerners...I remember well. Getting your garden going, bringing in the first forsythia, preparing your porch for summer.. Your photos made me happy with memories. (But I confess, fall is still my favorite season and the one I miss the most.)
    The chicken dish looks marvelous, Monique. Going over to see the recipe now.

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  26. I love to browse sales like this one. I would head right over to the table with all those cute milk bottles. My mother had a picture of Pinky that she loved. I wish I had it hanging in my house now.

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  27. Oh you had me at the first picture! I just love Russian dolls, so precious xxx

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  28. Could you give me the address where I can find the baskets. They look beautiful. Thanks!

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  29. Good day dear Monique. Sorry I did not visit you for some time, we had a trip to Florida, and last week was very busy with packing and organizing the trip. Now I am back and you have my full attention-)
    What a beautiful place you visit - Brocante, so many goodies there, I fancy a lot corners like this-))

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  30. Bonjour Helene..Donne -moi ton courriel..je te fais parvenir l'info:)

    I am now quite taken with those Russian dolls myself..Hope to see them again:)Their little expressions were not as apparent to me on the spot..It's when I saw the photo..
    I am on my own..and still shy at taking photos in public places..so there is no time for getting the best clic:)
    Thank you for your nice comments!

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