Thursday, June 24, 2010

Earthquake, Tornado, Wimbledon.

About 1:30 I had an appointment to have my hair cut, not long after, we got back to the apartment building to find several people in the lobby, one couple holding their cats, there had been a tremor in the building and the whole place shook apparently. In fact it took place at 1:41 p.m. according to the news. It was a 5.5 magnitude quake and its epicentre was along the Québec/Ontario border although it was felt as far away as Montreal, Boston and Cleveland (not forgetting little ol’ Kitchener. There were no injuries. Quite a little drama. I remember years ago it happening when I was at work in Cambridge a town nearby. Matt was 10 minutes away and never felt a thing. We didn’t feel anything today either – we would have been driving at the time. A preliminary report http://tinyurl.com/23a5h69 I read another report this morning which said fleeing from buildings was a mistake http://tinyurl.com/2wm7gjz there is also a good map showing the area that was affected by the quake. I knew all those people in our lobby were doing the wrong thing.

To top it off, we ended up yesterday with a suspected tornado in Midland, ON. CBC Canada has the story and pictures. Not sure how they decided a suspected tornado was a real tornado, but obviously there were some pretty lethal winds.

An incredible tennis match taking place at Wimbledon, two young men, John Isner from the US and Nicolas Mahut from France, have been playing for a total of 10 hours and at the moment are 59 all in the 5th set. Play was finally called off last night because it is too dark. It will be interesting to see what happens when they start again today. I must say, watching it yesterday, John Isner looked really wiped and I was surprised how well he kept on going. Nicolas Mahut didn’t look quite as tired somehow. http://tinyurl.com/3az6x87 to read more. They have been setting all kinds of records, the longest match, the most aces, etc. etc. Oh, and not a vuvuzela in sight. I used to be a devoted watcher of Wimbledon every year when I lived in the UK, now I may or may not see any of it. I see a note on the web today that the Queen is going to Wimbledon for the first time in 33 years. I wonder if she will get to see the rest of the historic battle between Isner and Mahut.

I thought this looked delicious. I see they specify bought crêpes, however, the only ones I have ever found tend to be a tad sweet. They are really very easy to make and you can cook up a large batch and freeze them (don’t forget to put wax paper in between each one though).

Summer Vegetable Crêpes

From EatingWell: July/August 2008

Crêpes aren't just for dessert—they make a quick and savory weeknight dinner. Here they're filled with ricotta cheese, green beans, zucchini and corn and topped with a chive-cream sauce. Don't skip the step of placing a piece of parchment or wax paper under each crêpe as you fill it—without it, the crêpes are tricky to roll. Serve with: A tossed salad.

Summer Vegetable Crêpes  Recipe

4 servings

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons low-fat milk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped zucchini
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear; see Tip)
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes, (see Tip)
  • Preparation
  1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.
Tips & Notes
  • Tips: To remove kernels, stand a cob on its stem end in a bowl and slice them off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife.
  • “Ready-to-use” crèpes are fast and convenient. Look for them in the produce section of the market or near refrigerated tortillas.

Have a great day

Jo

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