Savory Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Beluga Lentil Relish (Panna Cotta au Chevre et sa Macedoine de Legumes)

Panna cotta de chèvre frais et sa macédoine de légumes is a summery dish. It was such a sunny day today in the Bay Area, so I decided to make something refreshing and light.

In case you don't know, panna cotta is a firm jelly. It can be either be savory or sweet. Instead of using gelatin, I used agar for the vegetarians in the house. I paired the panna cottas with mixed vegetables and lentils to get a balanced meal with proteins, dairy and veggies.  

I served them in little verrines. Verrine is just a fancy word for glasses but they are the latest trend in French cooking. If you host a buffet-style dinner, it's the ideal way to run a stress free party as this dish can be prepared in advance.

Leeks served with a Kumquat Clementine Vinaigrette

Leeks vinaigrette is a simple and healthy recipe to welcome Spring. The leeks are simply steam-cooked and then drizzled with the vinaigrette. I brightened the vinaigrette with some sweet clementines and kumquats from my garden. The zest of the citrus brings a lot of flavor.

Leeks are from the onion family but their taste is much more subtle and mild. In fact, they have a natural, gentle sweetness that can be paired very successfully with more sour, acidic flavors. If you've never had leeks, it's time to give them a try!

Agave blended Homemade Yogurt with Kumquat Preserves (without Using a Yogurt Maker)

I've made a French version of a homemade yogurt recipe. In French I would call it yaourt brassé à la conserve de kumquat au sirop et au nectar d'agave. I got the recipe from a close family friend named Jeannie. She was born and raised in Vietnam and moved to America a decade ago. She always tells me how her family struggled during the Vietnam war, and how she had to learn how to preserve food and make a lot of stuff herself. I love her homemade yogurt and the recipe is quite easy. No need to spend big bucks on a yogurt machine. All you need is a few yogurt jars (or use baby food jars), a big cooler and a warm day.

The result is creamy and sweet. I added some agave syrup that I got from my last trip to Florida and some kumquat preserves from our orchard. I still have probably 2 batches of kumquats that need to be picked. I've made some kumquat marmalade already, some caramelized kumquats for a green salad and some baby zucchini-kumquat relish that I served with some fish. If you guys have any suggestions on recipes that use kumquats, I'm all ears. Do not hesitate to leave me a message.

I miss French yogurt. I remember in the supermarkets in France, there were probably 2 or 3 long aisles of dairy products like mousses, yogurts, crème caramels, flans, etc.I tell Lulu all the time that when I'm pregnant I want to go back to Paris and gorge myself on delicious French food to make sure our baby is a chubby wubby.

Attention: The measuring tool in this recipe here is the can of the condensed milk.

Fresh Garden Salad served with Sesame Persian Cheese and Candied Walnuts

I received a request for this salad recipe that I served with a tatin de petits oignons perlés à l'Indienne a few days ago.

Although my husband is vegetarian, he is not a big fan of simple green lettuce. So I tried to dress it up with little helpers like a citrus relish, cheese and some nuts. The nuts are a great addition of protein for vegetarians. 

Of course, the key to a good salad is the vinaigrette. I always try to make my own because the store-bought ones contain preservatives and gum to make the texture more dense, instead of using mustard.

Homemade Kumquat Marmalade

We've been very lucky this year. Our kumquat trees have produced a bumper crop. Yesterday, the girls brought me a huge bucket filled with beautiful kumquats. When I tasted them, I found them a bit sour, so I decided to make a nice batch of marmalade.

As a child, I ate a ton of marmalade on my vacations to Great Britain, but I have to say the best marmalade I've had is made by husband's friend Laura. She adds a dash of vanilla extract to her marmalade which I think really brightens and accents the citrus flavor. She also makes great homemade vinegar.