Fritillaria

Oh, have you met Fritillaria?   

Please, do allow me to acquaint you.

This quirky, elegant flower came into our world a few years ago.  Flowers needed to be done for a dinner party, the garden was bare, and nothing in the cut flower area was particularly eye-catching.  Our next stop was the nursery, where these little beauties came into view. 

We love checking the nursery to look for flowers for arrangements for many reasons.   Oftentimes, the cost is much less than the cost of a similar sized cut flower arrangement.  Also, because they are still alive and growing in their own soil, they last much longer.   We really like the more natural appearance that plants in their soil can bring to the indoors.  Finally, we like getting 2 uses for 1 expense: once the flowers have died off indoors, most plants can be planted outdoors where they can grow and produce flowers and foliage for years.

For this party we used the Fritillaria in two ways.  We cut the flowers off many of the plants and placed a few in each of the bright green glasses which were displayed down the center of the two long dining tables.  Simple, very colorful and fun:

We planted a few more of the plants into a lined punch bowl along with some British Daisies and placed them on the piano.  We loved the wild tangles of stalks.

When we were finished, we felt badly about the "de-flowered" plants, they looked so bare. We couldn't just abandon them.   So, we found them a home, in the garden, beneath the lilac trees.   Now, every year, in the late spring, these elegant checkered darlings pop up to say "hello". 

There are a few varieties of Fritillaria, this is called meleagris or the Checkered Lily.  Can you believe the checks on these beautiful bells??

The plants are native to North America, Europe and Asia.  Bulbs can be planted in the fall, they like more pourous soil and can tolerate damp climates.  Other varities of Fritillaria grow better in warmer, drier climates.

Here are some quick and beautiful arrangements we made with Fritillarias lately (it took about 10 minutes to make each of these arrangements):

We wanted to enjoy their tall, elegant stems, so we planted them in clear, apothecary-like glass containers. 

To do this we thinly lined the inside of the glass containers with moss -- tearing it apart a little to thin it out.

Then we inverted the plastic pot into one hand and rested the bulbs and their soil inside the thin moss "nest"...

and lightly packed moss around the soil to cover it.

To maintain these arrangements, water lightly every other day, or drop a few ice cubes in daily.

Enchante!

Bon Anniversaire!

It has almost been a year since Splendid Market came alive!

We have had a great time posting stories about our favorite things: food, flowers, gardens, adventures and celebrations.   But it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if it weren't for YOU, our readers.

So, in celebration of this anniversary, we have some gifts for you (well, 3 of you at least).  On Saturday, February 13th we will randomly choose 3 names from our list of subscribers and send them each a box of splendid somethings (details following).  If you have already subscribed to Splendid Market -- you are in the drawing.

If you haven't subscribed yet, it is easy to do.   First you enter your email information, you can do that here or in the upper right-hand column of the main screen just beneath "enter your email address:" then hit "SUBSCRIBE".  Next, you'll have to confirm the spam screening letters, and then click on "complete subscription request".  Right after that, Feedburner will send you an email from "Feedburner email Subscriptions".   Click on the link in that email and you're all signed up and in the running.   Sometimes the email from Feedburner goes into spam screening mailboxes -- so you may want to check there if you don't see it in your regular Inbox right away.

Here is what three of you splendid subscribers will receive:

Thanks to our fun, fragrant friends at Antica Farmacista, we will be sending you one bottle each of their fabulous Pico Verde Hand Wash and Pico Verde Body Moisturizer.  It is such a pleasure to use these products. The fragrance of Pico Verde is incredible-- it makes your hands smell like you've just touched a fresh fig. To see a post where we featured this product click on Powder Room.

We will also be sending you a Splendid Market shopping tote (a heavy duty handled bag with lots of handy pockets) and a couple of post-it note stacks.

We look forward to sharing another year of splendid food, flowers, adventures and celebrations with you.   Thank you for all of your support, comments and input.   If you have any difficulty subscribing, please let us know!

Who decides which wine is most devine?

Vino a-go-go

When we head to the mountains to ski for the weekend we love to dress bottles of wine in luxurious little fur coats.   These fun finds from Pottery Barn keep them safe and cool, not to mention the fact that they look chalet chic on the counter!  But these beauties are not just fancy -- they are functional -- a bottle was dropped on a cement floor the other day, and thanks to it's furry frock it survived unscathed!

Mout Rainier

So, what wines, you may wonder, do we like to serve with our varied alpine cuisine? In the white category a crisp white bordeaux (sauvignon blanc) or chablis will go with most anything we serve.

We recently came across a nice little bottle of red that is good with most anything as well.  We were introduced to it at a wine dinner at the Hunt Club at the historic Sorrento Hotel in Seattle.  At the dinner we met the family that owns and operates Hedges Winery in the Columbia Valley of Washington state.  Beyond having a gorgeous label, their wine "La Bourgeoisie', a 2007 Merlot is a nice, mellow, well-balanced red.

Here is a review of the wine, with which we would agree with from the Charolotte Observer:  "his merlot still is a nicely balanced little gem that isn't over the top. With aromas of raspberry and black cherry over an interesting minerality, this is a great bottle to have around as a "house pour" with weeknight dinners."  It's priced well too, just under $15.00.

We enjoyed a conversation with the family about a part of their mission: "To capture terroir in its most raw form and to preserve the integrity of the wine world by rebelling against the 100 point Rating system."  

The proprietress of this winery is from the Champagne region of France, she, along with her husband, have created their family estate with a definite french influence, which is part of the origination of the "no rating" philosophy.

Have you ever found yourself at a dinner or wine tasting where everyone is ooohing and awwing over the wine (s) being served including impressive numbers about the ratings, the exclusivity, the cost, etc.   Then, when you take an anticipated sip of the nectar you end up thinking "hmmmmmm??"and wondering what all of the who-haw is about?   The point that the Hedges family is making is that wine, like food, is a very personal taste.   Who says that the professional wine tasters of the world share your palate preferences??
 
Their son, Christophe (who runs sales and marketing for the company) emphasizes the point "Wine is too personal of a product to generalize under the umbrella of scores.  A numerical unit cannot possibly describe a pleasure or displeasure unit".

He goes on to point out that the rating system can ruin a perfectly good winery "Scores have destroyed terroir, and increased pricing for everyone."

Chef Bertrand de Boutray has also questioned the reliabilty of the rating system lately in his newsletter Bertrand Chez Vous.  Here he describes a wine tasting where the exact same wine was in two differently labeled bottles "they served a panel of 57 wine experts two identical midrange Bordeaux wines, one in an expensive Grand Cru bottle and the other in a bottle of cheap table wine. Guess what, these “experts” could not find adjectives good enough to compliment the wine in the Grand Cru bottle but for the “cheap bottle”, they were more critical, using words like “unbalanced, flat, etc.” The result of this study showed they all preferred the Grand Cru bottle although the wine in the cheap bottle was identical."

I think moods, atmosphere and company also affect ones appreciation of wines.  Bertrand says "Others will tell you that French or Italian wines taste better in France and Italy. I tend to agree with this idea simply because when travelling abroad we have a tendency to be more relaxed and more receptive of the good things of life"

Professional taster can also be influenced by circumstances.  This was confirmed in Bertrands' research for his article "They agreed that wine ratings are influenced by uncontrolled factors such as the time of the day, the number of hours since the taster last ate, the number of wines to taste, the mood and many other factors. Very often wine critics taste too many wines in too short of a time."
 
Like the Hedges family he takes the more french attitude towards wine "I wish we could treat wines as a simple beverage while keeping in mind that what you have in the bottle is made from grapes and is the embodiment of providing memorable times, intense feelings, great pleasure, love, passion and unfathomable emotions – wine - a great pleasure of life."

I must say I concur.   One of my most memorable wine experiences was finding a well chilled bottle of rosé wine at a roadside bakery/rotisserie/produce stand in Raumatulle, France.  We had arrived the night before, and suddenly I found myself surrounded by french people in espadrilles, buying their picnics to take to the plage (beach) that day.  The labels were falling off the bottles (from being in an icy bath for so long), but when I served it for lunch that day our entire party fell in love with the local rosé and were ready to enjoy all that the south of france had to offer.

Now, when in the south of france, or anywhere (many of the french rosés can now be found in the states) I always enjoy the crisp light flavors of a rosé, even while bottles of trop cher champagne are readily accessible.  Many of the rosés come from small producers, so the labels may not be familiar.  When choosing a rosé, I usually look at the color of the beverage -- I've found the lighter, coral colored wines are crisper, lighter and less sweet than the the deeper, rosier colored wines.

What are your favorite wines/ wine experiences and how do you choose what you drink? To leave a comment click on the word "comment" below. We'd love to hear from you.

A Votre Sante!

Daffs on the doorstep

If you were assigned with the task, could you come up with a flower that is "cheerier" than the humble daffodil??  This is a bouquet we left on someones doorstep lately, it was so easy to assemble.   It surely made them smile!

As they begin showing up in the grocery stores and flower stands, we find daffodils so hard to resist. Many times they are closed and less-than-lively looking, even displayed without water.  But don't let this cause hesitation, buy a bunch (or 10!!) trim the stems, put them in water, and you will be rewarded.

In the Seattle area we first receive buds coming from more southern locales. But, in the Washington state Skagit Valley, a riot of yellow is preparing to explode.

The other thing we love about daffodils is that one can make a pretty spectacular presentation, for a nominal cost.  For other bouquet ideas featuring daffodils click on the title: thirty centerpieces, in a hurry, or, go big with daffodil divinity.

For this bouquet we pulled together as many stems as we could in a handful, about 40.  We simply trimmed the stems to a uniform height and dropped them into a low square vase.   Then we turned the buds so they were all facing out.

In another day, accessorized with a ribbon and a card, they were in full bloom and ready to share their cheer!

South of France Chicken Saffron Soup recipe

I'm just mad about Saffron

Here is a recipe for a splendidly simple and delicious chicken and vegetable soup that offers of the warming flavors from one of our favorite regions in Europe, the South of France. 

Most prominently, the soup is made with saffron.  We love the flavor, aroma and color of Saffron.  Not surprisingly, we are also passionate about some of the most famous dishes that feature this spice, the Spanish Paella, Rissotto Milanese (Italian) and the famous French Bouillabaisse. 

Saffron is the dried stigmas from a small purple crocus called Crocus sativus.  Each flower produces only 3 stigmas.  The stigmas must be hand picked and dried.  It is because of this labor intensive process that saffron is the world's most expensive spice, almost $400.00 per ounce.   But do not worry, a little saffron goes a long way.  The jar of saffron in the above photo costs $11.29 at amazonfresh.com.   It contains .02824 ounces of saffron, or about 2 tablespoons (this recipe calls for 1 tablespoon so the ingredient cost is under $6.00).  It takes over 14,000 of these stigmas to make up an ounce of saffron -- that is a whole lot of crocus! 

This satisfying chicken and vegetable soup is made with a delicious nod to the traditional bouillabaisse from the south of France.  Oh, how we love spending days lunching and lounging at our favorite beach club, Nioulargo (click on the name to enjoy the scene) and then heading to Chez Camille, for bouillabaisse made in the time honored traditional fashion.  Click on the soup name to learn about this famous beach restaurant and a little about the process of making this traditional dish (and to hear a handsome voice speaking French).

Do not worry, Splendid ones, this soup recipe offers the pleasures of a bouillabaisse, but it is much easier to make.   Also, it is made with chicken instead of fish.

Beyond being joyfully drenched in a saffrony broth, this soup provides a great excuse to indulge in aioli. Aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise from that region which is very easy to make and is delicious on everything. We like to keep a tub in the refrigerator to add to sandwiches or dollop on salads for a delicious burst of garlic and green olive oil flavor.  You may want to indulge in a bottle of cold Rosé wine with this dish, no need to wait for summer!  The Pernod and fennel root round out the classic bouillabaisse flavor profile.

Ingredients

serves 4
5 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.
1 red onion, chopped (for easier chopping, with a sharp knife, halve the onion, then cut through the onion layers, cutting through the arches to the desired thickness.  Then cut the other way, again, being mindful of the size of pieces you desire)

1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
(for quicker chopping, with a sharp knife, run the blade down the length of the stalk, making 3 or 4 "streamers" depending upon your desired size.   Next, cut width-wise to desired size).   For a minced vegetable, use these techniques and then chop the pile, left to right, right to left until it is the desired size.

1/2 cup chopped fennel root
2 cups coarsley chopped ripe tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup Pernod (or Pastis)
10 sprigs fresh thyme

6 baby red potatoes, cut in ½ and thickly sliced (optional)

Place saffron threads in medium sauce pan over medium high heat, stir around until you smell the fragrance, then pour in chicken stock (this allows the saffron flavor to infuse the broth).
Allow the seasoned chicken to sit at room temperature for up to an hour.
Drizzle olive oil into the pan and heat over medium high heat.
Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks.
Put chunks in heated oil.  Cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.
Toss potatoes into remaining oil/fat, allow to become golden brown and remove from heat (store in oven if possible).  The potatoes can be omitted, or if another starch is desired, cooked pasta, cous cous or rice would be nice.

Reduce heat to medium, add chopped onion, celery, and fennel root, cook until just translucent.
Add tomatoes and garlic to vegetables.  Cook until the tomatoes are just soft.

Add saffron infused stock, Pernod, wine and the thyme sprigs.
Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 1/2 hour.  After about 25 minutes, add the chicken and allow it to warm.

Set the table with soup bowls and spoons. The potatoes can be put in the soup bowl with the soup ladled over them.

Serve with a large bowl of aioli (click on the name to go to the recipe -- this can be made the day before) to dollop on top!

Pour the rosé, et, bon appetite!

Lovely Totes

A friend brought over these lovely totes as a hostess gift lately.   We love them.  During the winter months, most every weekend we pack up a portable pantry (and refrigerator) and head to the mountains to ski.  Packed in this set of damask printed bags, our roaming kitchen looks much more polished and chic.

We prepped and packed our paella ingredients, polished our paella pan and headed for the hills.

Click on Paella for the recipe (it's a great way to feed a chalet full.)

The bags have a shorter and a longer handle, offering several options for carrying and securing.   They also have deep side pockets for storing taller items.  Find these in many stylish designs at Libbygreen.com.

Feu de Bois

A great interior design/ life style blog that is always full of interesting ideas and images is Habitually Chic (click on the name to read).   Reading through the other day I saw a post on the authors favorite things listed in Lonny magazine.   I loved seeing the photo my favorite summertime candle, Baies from Diptyque.  The fresh, seaside fragrance of this candle wafting through the market in the summer is hard to beat.

In the winter, my favorite candle is also by Diptiyque, It is called Feu de Bois.  The fragrance reminds me of the small alpine strawberries called by the same name in France.   But most outlets in the US translate the name as "firewood", and there is sort of a sweet firewood smell to the fragrant flickering torch. Fluent French friends out there -- can you share with us the correct definition?

These candles can be bought from Gorsuch.  If you are not familiar with this company, click on the name and take a visit.  These stores and catalogue are the epitome of Chalet Chic. 

Oh, how I love to visit their Colorado based stores.   Beyond the fashions featured in the catalogue, they offer amazing home furnishings.   It's probably for the best that I usually have to settle for the catalogue and the candle.   Whenever I find myself alone in one of their lovely rooms, decorated with the perfect balance of rustic and refined furnishing, and those gorgeous linens, I really get the urge to very quietly, very secretly, just move in...