Bastille Day Menu

July 14 is the rememberance of the French people who decided to depose the aristocracy in 1789. Their first major act of defiance was to storm the Paris prison, the Bastille, as a gesture of resistance. If you are looking for a mid-July celebration, go Ooh, La, La and throw a Bastille party.

Spinach Quiche

There are many variations on a quiche, which is basically an egg and cheese pie.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 package (10 ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, or equivalent fresh sauted
• 1 can (4.5 ounce) mushrooms drained, or equivalent fresh sauted
• 1 package (6 ounce) herb and garlic feta, crumbled
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Deep dish pie crust, purchased or home made

Directions:

• Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned.
• Add spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon into pie shell.
• Whisk eggs and milk until combined. Season to taste. Pour over spinach mixture.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 375 for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Coq au Vin

Julia Child taught us that French cooking needn’t be frightening. This is a simple way to make a classic chicken stew.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 2 pounds chicken
• 2 cups halved baby carrots
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups chicken broth, or as needed
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in large pot.
• In a shallow bowl, mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour milk into a separate bowl.
• Dredge chicken in milk and flour mixture until evenly coated.
• Brown chicken in hot oil. You may need to do this in batches.
• Return all chicken to the pot. Add carrots, mushrooms, and onion, stirring to distribute evenly.
• Pour wine over chicken and vegetables. Add enough broth to almost cover the top of the chicken and vegetables. Season with Italian seasoning, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil. Cover pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through.

Ratatouille

A classic French side, this dish utilizes the fresh summer vegetables available at this time of the year. You can make it look fancy like in the animated feature of the same name, or you can just combine it all together.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 large onion cut into rings
• 1 bell pepper, sliced

Directions:

• Coat bottom and sides of 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Heat remaining oil in a skillet. Cook and stir garlic until golden brown and fragrant.
• Add eggplant and parsley. Cook until eggplant is tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread eggplant mixture evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread zucchini evenly over the top. Add cheese. Continue layering with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and bell pepper, adding a sprinkling of cheese to each layer.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 350 for about 45 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

Cherry Clafoutis

If flan and Dutch baby had an offspring, it would be a clafoutis. Feel free to experiment with other fruits.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups cherries, stemmed and pitted
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional

Directions:

• Melt butter in a 10 inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet. Swirl butter so it also coats the sides of the pan.
• Place fruit in an even layer in the pan.
• In a blender, combine eggs, milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix on medium until smooth.
• Pour batter over fruit.
• Bake in an oven preheated to 375 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Return to the oven and bake until just golden brown, or about 25 to 30 minutes.
• The dessert will wiggle just a bit but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
• Allow to cool and, optionally, dust with powdered sugar. Serve directly from the skillet.