Lemon verbena tea

Lemon verbena infusion is one of these tried and true "grandmother's remedies" that are really enjoyable. Drink a cup after a heavy meal and you won't suffer indigestion. Not only is this drink good for your gut, it freshens the mouth and gives you the perfect excuse for a relaxing break during your day. Time will stop for a few minutes while you sip your hot "verveine."

People in France love herbal teas. Actually, when I am in France, I am offered an herbal tea after every single meal—lunch and dinner, heavy or not. Stores in France offer an incredible selection of tea bags filled with all kinds of tasty herb and flower mixes, but many families still grow (or pick) and dry their own medicinal herbs. Some very common examples are lime blossom (linden tree flower—le tilleul), chamomille, thyme, mint, and of course lemon verbena. All can be brewed and turned into delectable beverages and have specific benefits. Chamomille and linden are great bedtime relaxation teas. Thyme is antiseptic and can help fight a cold or sore throat—you can simply inhale the vapors if you don't like the taste. Mint and lemon verbena (often used together) are said to have digestive and antioxidant properties.

I bought a plant several years ago in a nearby nursery (probably SummerWinds in Sunnyvale) and it might be the only plant I haven't managed to kill yet :-) The more I trim it the more it grows. It sits in a rather cool, partly shaded corner of my backyard and gets watered by the sprinklers every day.

I trimmed the longest branches a few weeks ago—this can be done all through the spring and summer—rinsed them very rapidly to remove any dust from the leaves without rinsing off the flavors, then hung the branches upside down in my kitchen for 3 days. When the leaves became brittle, I knew they were dry. I cut the branches into 1–2" sticks (cutting between every group of leaves, or every other group), then stored in a glass jar.

I use 3 or 4 sticks (with the verbena leaves attached to them) in every mug with about 2 cups of boiling water. I brew for several minutes and drink hot. If you prefer something sweet, try adding a teaspoon of honey.

Easy week-night greens

I read this article in The Guardian the other day and thought that Eliane Glaser had a very good point. Sure, celebrity chefs do live in a bubble, and their culinary advice, as healthy and tasty and wonderful as they might sound, aren't always practical. But I work full time, I have two young kids, an overworked partner, no one around to give us a hand, and yet we cook dinner from scratch every single night. The kids and I get home at 6:30pm every week night and we are ready to eat dinner by 7:15. Dinners consist of freshly cooked vegetables, usually served with meat or fish (the type of recipes you read on this blog), then a dairy product (yogurt or cheese), and a fruit. Most nights we start with a salad or soup (made from scratch as well, including dressing). (For drinks: water.) So I know there is a way to eat healthy food even on a tight schedule, and I know that the food revolution isn't just a great big fat lie.

Well, that was my conclusion two weeks ago. Yesterday, I took this quiz by Charles Murray, on NPR.org, and had to admit that I, too, live in a pretty thick bubble. Hm... So... Err... Take my advice with a grain of salt ;-)

Here is one of my new week-night favorites. It works well aside grilled meat, baked fish, or a starchier vegetable dish (which can be as simple as boiled potatoes).

Serves 4

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, halved and stemmed 
• 2 bunches swiss chards, or 1 bunch swiss chards and 1 bunch collard greens, or any other combination of green-leafed vegetables 
• 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, cut into strips 
• salt, freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds, crushed, or 1/2 tsp coriander seed powder 

1.  If you use swiss chards and the stems are large enough, use them. 
• Cut off the leaves close to the stem and reserve. 
• Cut the base of each stem without detaching it completely, and pull the fibers that come off. 
• Cut the stem again, 2 inches away from its base, starting from the other side of the stem, and pull off the fibers again. Repeat until you reach the tip of the stem. 
• You are left with 2-inch strips of delicious stem, free of the extra fibers that would make them chewy.
• Chop the stem strips. 
2. Wash the stemmed leaves and drain them the way you would wash and drain lettuce leaves. Take a few leaves at a time, roll them together along their longer axis, and cut into 1-inch strips. 
3. Heat up the olive oil in a sautee pan. Add the chopped onion, chard stems and garlic and sautee until translucent (1-2 minutes). 
4. Add the greens and toss until all the leaves are wilted, but still bright (another 1-2 minutes). 
5. Toss in the julienned dried tomatoes and seasoning. Serve immediately. 

Step 3 (with green onions instead of yellow, here)

Fennel Bulbs au Gratin

Halved, steamed in a pressure cooker for a few minutes, then placed in a buttered pyrex dish, sprinkled with butter and grated Gruyère cheese, under the broiler for 5 minutes.

Lemon chicken with olives, in a tomato sauce, with yellow chard

Two of our closest friends moved to New Zealand last summer for a year and we were fortunate enough to visit them last month. It was so nice to spend some time with them and to discover this beautiful country (our first time south of the Equator!).

To welcome us, our friends prepared an amazing tajine dish* of chicken, green olives and preserved lemons (not exactly a typical Kiwi dish, but rather a nice reminiscence of our friend's childhood in North Africa). I must have had this dish in mind when I pulled ingredients out of the fridge the other night and prepared the chicken dish that follows.

Serves 4

• 4 whole chicken legs
• 1/2 jar (12 oz) strained tomatoes
• about 20 olives
• juice of 2 lemons
• 4 thin slices of pancetta, diced
• 1 cup white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved, stem removed
• 1 bunch yellow chard leaves, whole or coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

I like whole (non pitted) kalamata or mixed Greek olives, in bulk (not canned). For chicken, I always go organic since chicken is cheap anyway. Same with lemons.

Marinate the chicken legs in lemon juice for about 1/2 hour or simply until the other ingredients are ready (chard washed, pancetta diced, etc.)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom pan or a cocotte. Add the diced pancetta and let it color for a few minutes. Set aside. Drain excess fat from the pan if necessary.

Drain the chicken legs (keep the marinade). Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan. Brown on every side.

Add the strained tomatoes, lemon juice marinade, olives, pancetta, garlic, and white wine. Stir. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1/2 hour.

Move the chicken legs to one side of the pan then plunge the chard leaves in the tomato sauce. Stir until wilted (2 minutes maximum).

Serve with wild rice or bulghur (cracked wheat).

* Our friends' recipe more authentically Mediterranean than the above week-night "invention", and includes olive oil, onions, garlic, and most importantly ras el hanout (a North African spice blend).