Mexican Vegetable Terrine Recipe

This vegetable terrine was inspired by Blaise, a regular PhamFatale reader, who suggested this vegetarian dish. I adapted it this week in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo. I layered grilled eggplant, tri-color roasted bell peppers, sweet basil leaves, celery, fresh pineapple, black beans and a lot of Oaxacan cheese. 

The key to creating the terrine is to make sure the layers of flavors are tightly packed to showcase the colorful display. I garnished the vegetable terrine with shredded red oak leaf lettuce, diced avocado and crumbled queso fresco (Thank you, Queso Del Valle!). The last step is a flavorful salad dressing; I prepared this one with delicious champagne vinegar from our good friends at Bellindora. 

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Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe

Our entire family has been following the elections very closely. Knowing that Ohio is a key state in the home stretch, I did some research and found out that tomato juice was its official beverage. It's not warm enough to make tomato juice, so I made a warm tomato soup, using the very last batch of tomatoes in our garden. 

I blended the ripe tomatoes with roasted red bell pepper, fried yellow onions, garlic, cumin, clove, fresh basil and crème fraîche. The result was very soothing and, to my surprise, the soup turned out very sweet and not acidic at all.

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

Since we arrived in Paris, my husband Lulu and I have taken the opportunity to have romantic getaways in Europe and leave baby Aria with my parents. My parents are thrilled to get to have time alone with their granddaughter, and thankfully, so is Aria. As the crazy mom that I am, I've left a long list of instructions for my mom to ensure the happy well-being of my baby girl, and that includes what she eats. Ever since Aria started eating solid food, I've managed to feed her only homemade baby food. I use the term baby food loosely, since I only feed Aria food that I would also eat.

I've taught Maman one of Aria's favorite soups: roasted bell pepper soup. It's a healthy blend of lentils, brown rice and roasted bell peppers. When Lulu and I came home, there was still some soup left, so we all ate it as a first course. I garnished it with sweet basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. It's fantastic!

Zucchini Tart with Mascarpone

I'm still cooking through the vegetables from our garden. Today, my husband Lulu and the girls picked dozens of zucchini and crook-neck squash. I stuck to one of their favorite meals and made a savory tart. I pan-fried slices of zucchini and squash as the topping for the tart and made a filling with leeks and mascarpone cheese. The girls followed the directions for my homemade savory crust and I let them assemble the dish. Served with a dried sour cherry and cherry tomato relish, what more could one ask for?

In my opinion, getting children involved in the kitchen and in our everyday tasks in general (the girls' chores include watering the plants daily, for example) is the best way to teach them healthy habits. They understand what is on their plate and the effort it took to get it there!