A Gascon Year-Mars & Le Lunch Break: Omelette aux Fines Herbes
Petal by petal, a fragile, nearly translucent, ephemeral Spring arrives. One minute it’s a warm and enticing seed planting seduction, the very next moment the winter-crushed soil is compacting again under heavy rain. A blast of frigid air drives me inside, a draft of warm arriving on birdsong draws me out. And it goes on like this all through the lengthening days.
Inside the kitchen is more forgiving. I inspect the inside of the stove with some trepidation. The other morning I found a dead female blackbird inside. Her camouflage brown feathers lay still in the ashes; females are not really black like the males with their bright yellow eyes. I assume she was trying to nest in the chimney and descending too far down the stove pipe, found herself trapped inside. I regret not having entered the kitchen for a few days. Her lonely death means one less trilling song from the overhanging trees. Now, I light a fire in the stove, faking out the March downdraft by first lighting a few pieces of paper to coax the smoke all the way up the chimney pipe and driving any maternal bird instincts away from the danger. Once it is safe, I build a little hashtag fire and marvel at the ease of near instant warm. That’s March in a nutshell. Up and down, sad then bright, tugging on her state of mind as Spring wrestles Winter to the ground.
Seeds and planting and garden work around the house compete with what I’m doing in the kitchen. Like my usual chaotic planting approach- too much, too soon, and too unprepared, I approached the online cooking classes. A new book, then an old one, then a monthly ‘magazine’ while filming, editing, uploading, added to a new teaching platform (Merci Thinkific.com) and I found myself barely getting through the winter energy slump. But like the wildly sowed seeds, and the uncleared weeds, I found the foundation fertile, the diversity stimulating, and a certain raw energy germinating with the sunnier days. So here we are. All that rambling metaphor to say- online teaching classes are here to stay at Camont!
Hear me talk more about what is happening at Camont with Chris Angelus, Portland Oregon’s Right at the Fork Podcast.
I love the new Le Lunch Break 30 minute Zoom classes! This quick little gathering at the kitchen table as I share one of my favorite fast school lunches is perfect le pickmeup for your end of the week- a celebration of a week well worked, a preview of the weekend ahead, or just a taste of someone else’s kitchen. Come sit with me as I cook a bit of lunch (or supper in my case) on most Fridays from now through the early summer. Here’s the perfect little Omelette aux Fines Herbes I made last week with a 100 friends. And a few photos of those who cooked along or after. Even my big brother was inspired to make an omelette for supper! Bravo everyone!
More Student Omelettes in Instagram Stories - Click on photograph
Omelette aux Fines Herbes à ma façon
For every serving you need:
2-3 very fresh eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salt
Pepper
a handful of mixed fresh herbs: parsley, tarragon, chervil, chives, cilantro, lovage or celery leaf. They must be soft and very fresh; think of them as little salad leaves.
some vinegar and nice oil
Chop a mixture of any of the above fresh herbs, place in a bowl, dress with a few drops of oil and vinegar. I like walnut oil and white wine vinegar for a change. Then place a heaping serving on each individual serving plate.
Place the butter in a pan and melt until just foamy.
Meanwhile beat the eggs gently with the salt and pepper and pour into the buttered pan. Reduce the heat.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon move the eggs into the center as they start to solidify.
When most of the liquid egg mixture is solid, tip the pan and fold in half or thirds.
Place the omelette over the chopped herbs on the plate. Sprinkle with coarse salt and let sit for one minute before serving. The herbs will be lightly steamed and fragrant.
I like to serve with warm pain au levain or sourdough toast and lots of melting butter.
More simple recipes and more evocative French stories, buy my monthly kitchen notebooks for A Gascon Year -Mars on Amazon in ebook or paperback editions.