Reunion #2

Last weekend I was reunited with my dear friend Delphine. This weekend I got to see my friend Margaux and her daughter Maxine. I met Margaux the same way I met Delphine, through the Sieur Du Luth Opera Festival two years ago.  At the time, Margaux was a little over halfway into her pregnancy. During the festival, I threw her a baby shower. None of the other participants, besides the Americans, had ever been to a baby shower. Most of them had never even heard of it. It was a really special day. I had never taken the time to really think about why we give baby/bridal showers. We often take them for granted in the US. Each expecting mother typically receives at least one or two. It wasn't until I was explaining to the others that the shower didn't involve water (haha) that I truly understood that the "party" is about showing the baby love, even before he or she is born. It's totally more than just supplying the mother with formula, diapers, and clothes. Most of these things will only last a few weeks, if you're lucky, maybe a few months. I have honestly never seen a person more genuinely appreciative in my life. If you were there that day, I'm sure you will agree that it was an amazing experience. Even though we were from all over the world and different backgrounds/cultures, we came together for that one purpose: to welcome baby Maxine into this world.

A year ago, I took a trip to Paris and Istanbul to visit some of my opera festival friends. Maxine was now 8 months old. I was so great to finally meet her!

Myself and Maxine last summer (May 2009)

I was so excited to see her again. She is such a happy little girl (almost 2 yrs old) and is constantly laughing. After I arrived at Margaux's house, we went to a little shopping center. This place was similar to TJMaxx. They had jeans for a mere 9 euros and shoe deals you wouldn't believe! I didn't buy anything because of my tight budget, but if I need something, I know where to shop!

After shopping, we went back to her house and ate a snack of baguette and tarama. Tarama is whipped eggs and fish. Sounds crazy, I know. It was good though, especially with lemon juice.

Then we fed Maxine, gave her a bath, and put her to bed. Now it was time for our dinner! Margaux made Tarte a la Tomate (tomato tart). It was awesome! Here's the recipe:
Tarte a la Tomate
(amounts are estimated)
1 Pate brisee (dough used for tarts)
             I don't know if you can find this in the US. Here's a link to a recipe:
             http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1990s/1993/11/pate-brisee
2 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 slices goat cheese, 1" thick each (or your favorite cheese)
Olive oil
Thyme
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the dough and press it into a large glass circular quiche dish. We used ready-made dough and kept the paper under the dough, making it easier to serve. While the oven is preheating, put the dough into the oven for 2-5 minutes to precook it. Take the dough out and spread both types of mustard on the dough. You need just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Place your tomato slices on top of the mustard, and then the cheese on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle thyme, or your favorite spice and some pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil over tart. Cook for 20 minutes. Voila!
***Note: You might want to remove excess water and/or the seeds from the tomatoes to keep the dish from being watery. I liked it though!  :)

Before

Finished!

To accompany the tart, we had an arugula salad with dehydrated tomatoes that had been soaked in olive oil and spices, slivers of Comte cheese, and Margaux's homemade dressing. Yum!

After dinner, we watched Julie and Julia and drank wine. If you haven't seen that movie, you should. It was such a good ending to a great day!

I am too tired to write about today, although it was epic! Expect a fun filled post tomorrow!