tulips

This year the tulips last so much longer because of the rain...

Rain

Rain and more rain....
nothing that can be done but still to enjoy spring, greenness, smell and taste...

fresh spring greens, asparagus, green peas, put together in a salad or a spring veggie stew
all available at Pia`s...
inside today, maybe on the patio tomorrow

Well, the weather looks bad again. However our patio is open, maybe it will force the sun to stay..it is worth a try.

We changed the Spinach Salad to a Salade Nicoise. A nice summer salad, a meal in itself. Fresh greens, tuna, olives, potatoes, avocado and tomato, a fresh vinaigrette and some nice baguette, soon to be enjoyed with a glass of fresh white wine, how does that sound for a lunch, on the patio, under the umbrella, you might think you are somewhere else, in France, maybe?

Crepes with Wild Leeks

If you are lucky like me and have a forest next to your bedroom, literally, go out before it is too late and look for wild leeks, nothing better this time of the year.
I enjoy making a Wild Leek Soup or Crepes with these lovely things.
For the crepes you need:
3 eggs
1 cup flour( pastry flour works best)
milk
half a stick of unsalted butter, melted

put the flour in a mixing bowl, add the eggs, stir and add as much milk as you need to get a creamy consistency and then add the butter. Let rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, wash the leeks, best twice, as there is a lot of sand in them. Dice and saute in some butter until just wilted. Add to the crepe batter and bake, one at the time in a crepe pan. Add salt and pepper, a little green salad and you have a lovely dinner, of course much better with a glass of light crisp white wine.

spring

It is here, finally, better late than never.

new menu

Today, our new menu is ready.
I must say that after trying all of the items myself, I can`t wait to prepare them for my customers.
The hamburger is divine, with avocados, tomatoes and more. Or the hamburger for vegetarians with a portabello mushroom and guacamole.
Or our classic dip mixture with hummus, pico de gallo and a black bean dip with different breads.
I also love the fat free bean salad, the new veggie sandwich and the smoked salmon with a lemon vinaigrette or the seared salmon with a orange dijon glaze.
And after have a wonderful dessert.
Enjoy spring!

New Vegetarian Sandwich @ Pia`s

Well I am making sandwiches all the time and I get bored to make them. I also have customers who do not want no cheese on their sandwich.
I now make this one and it really is delicious.
I use our olive ciabatta. Spread hummus on both sides and layer, slices of cucumbers, golden beets, avocados, tomatoes, onions and roasted asparagus, slat and pepper. I swirl the organic greens in either my olive, balsamic vinaigrette or use my creamy Dijon vinaigrette and too be honest, it just tastes so fresh and light, really nice for the summer.
Also try the new fat free bean salad. Mix white and black beans, add lemon juice, a can of diced tomatoes, green and yellow onion, salt, cayenne pepper and cumin and lots of fresh cilantro. Light and fresh and good for you.

new spring menue

It is time to change the menu in my bakery. Not as easy as you think.  But I decided to have also a more healthier menu, like dandelion salad as a special or a veggie sandwich with hummus instead of mayo, smoked salmon with a lemon vinaigrette, no potato pancakes and a mushroom burger, also a Mexican bean salad with no fat in it. The breakfast is also including a granola fruit platter or just fruit. Asparagus served with a seared salmon with a marmalade Dijon glaze, it is exciting to change stuff around, it gets boring otherwise, for the people who cook it and for the people who have to eat it. Today I will also go and get wild leeks in the forest and we will have wild leek soup at the store...