After coming back from Istanbul and being immersed in their Middle Eastern cuisine, going on food tours, and sampling Turkish Delights all over the city...it was time to simplify our diets and get back to normal. Basically, this may or may not also imply that the scale may or may not be tipping in the wrong direction...le sigh.
I'm still filing through the photos of the 4th, and last part of our Istanbul trip - Istanbul Part IV: Karikoy - a Ferry Ride Away. I cannot wait to share them here on "thyme" because we sampled some fabulous dishes and were overall delighted with the little enclave of Karikoy.
But, before asparagus season slips away, I wanted to tuck in this Fresh Asparagus Soup with Crème Fraiche recipe that we enjoyed so this delicious summer vegetable gets its time in the spotlight.
It is tough coming back to the heavy humidity of the deep south. We have now learned to stay put during the late fall and winter months in Texas...because it is truly beautiful weather here during those months. It is like one extended fall...and I am a much happier person to be around during those months.
However, when that sticky stifling humidity rolls in, I just can't move out of doors and want to stay sequestered inside all the time. Taking off during the summer months to somewhere cooler and to have some respite from the oppressive humidity is becoming more of our plan.
To my delight, however, we came back home to a beautiful sight. Our magnolia trees are in full bloom. Magnolia flowers are gorgeous works of natural art. Not only are they such a romantic and graceful flower but the scent is so heady and captivating.
Magnolias bask in the humidity of the south and create a beautiful setting for the southern landscape down here.
We had one week to unpack our suitcases and then Patrick and I repacked for a getaway trip just for the two of us.
Traveling with teens is awesome. As parents, it is incredible to see the world with our children. I've enjoyed seeing their minds and palates open up to different cultures, foods, and experiences. Now as they are in the last stages of childhood, traveling is so much less physically taxing and they can participate in the logistics so much more.
As anyone may counter, however, teens are young adults...and with that maturity comes opinions, scheduling conflicts, desire for independence (from both parents and children!) Sometimes our conclusion ends up being...we need a vacation from our teens!!
Oops, did I say that? Oh, my apologies, a slip of the fingers. I mean...a vacation from our...vacation! {wink}
For the most part, it is a time when the family is at its best but without careful planning and lots and lots of discussion beforehand, can be at their worst, too. I am still learning how to better involve and intertwine our kids into the travel process both before and during our travel times so that everyone feels like they have a stake in our time together.
When Patrick and I had the opportunity to slip away to San Francisco last week, we whole heartedly grabbed it. In the next few weeks, I cannot wait to highlight this city that continuously delights me every time I get the opportunity to see it.
I was fortunate enough to participate in two food tours, one in the Mission District and one in Chinatown. What experiences they both were and what delicious food was enjoyed. Snuggling with warm scarves in the morning and night and feeling the big blustery winds come off of Hwy 1 is more my speed!
More about that wonderful West Coast trip soon...but scaling back the dining out after Istanbul and simplifying our meals for that interim week was certainly in order .
For us, that usually means having some sort of soup on hand. Fresh asparagus had arrived down here and I was eager to make use of it in a soup.
Soup for lunch or soup for dinner works well for the four us. A big pot of soup is easy to prepare and a good excuse to break apart some wonderful crusty loaves of bread.
For me, (not all parties in the Kenney household agree, but Polly sure does...) sardines are a nice accompaniment to soup. I do keep a few tins of sardines on hand just to have with bread and a warm bowl of soup.
I love the brininess of these little fish and this particular tin had a tangy mustard sauce for added flavor.
Not all four of us are asparagus lovers in this family, but I use my hand blender and blend the asparagus spears, cream, and chicken stock into a creamy consistency and that seems to lessen the "asparagus angst" among some of us (one whose name begins with "R")
Soups don't slow down in our household during summer time at all. I seem to always come back from the market with more vegetables than I know what to do with as side dishes. They usually get recycled into some sort of chunky or creamy soup with a handful of beans and herbs thrown in the pot too...Or perhaps some summer sausage slices, or seafood, or pasta...
So as I sort through last of the Istanbul photo pile, creamy asparagus soup is highlighted at the kitchen table as we try to bring in more greens into our diet from the over indulging from the past few weeks.
And then the bags get packed again...and we're off. How I love to travel and be on the road.
