photo credit: Shockingly Tasty
If you have been following my posts for the last two months you will know that we are comparing the school lunch program in Pau, France to Toms River, NJ. A 30 lunch meal comparison, we are almost to the end. However, the French kids are on vacation this week so there is no school lunch. I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the more interesting dishes served in Pau by bringing you the recipes here. These are not the exact recipes served in the Pau school cantine, but are recipes that linked to various websites. These dishes are easy to prepare and I am sure your kids will like them! Prepare some and let me know how they turn out! Here is the sample with links back to the menu served in Pau for that day.
CARROTS VICHY from Day 8
One of my favorites and my kids too: Carrots Vichy, a super delicious and nutritious side dish that is also nice to look at. Don’t forget to sprinkle the parsley on top…the green color looks gorgeous on the shiny orange carrots!
AUTHENTIC BOLOGNESE SAUCE from Day 19
Real and Rich and..Authentic Bolognese Sauce is not like the French version that is served in Pau. However, I have to include this recipe as I have made it and it tastes amazing! If you also have made Bolognese sauce using cream or milk, as in this dish, you will know what I mean. This is a super ‘wintry’ meal which takes a bit longer to prepare than the ‘quick’ version (of course) 
. But if you have the time it is well worth the effort. Use a flat pasta such as tagliatelle to hold this sticky sauce well.
But if you have to limit dairy in dishes and also want a quick, healthy recipe that your children will also adore, make this Quick Bolognese Sauce without milk or cream. This closely resembles the French Bolognese version. As it is simple to make, you can even get your kids cooking. They will be so proud of the results!
TABOULI SALAD from Day 20
While the warm fall days are still here (but they are fading fast)! prepare this light, grainy salad. If you can, let it sit for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. The flavors blend together for a marvelous result! Tabouli Salad can be made with bulgur wheat or with couscous.
PUMPKIN MASH from Day 21
Finally, as it is almost Halloween…Pumpkin Puree (or Pumpkin Mash). This dish tastes wonderful and is filled with vitamin A, an important vitamin for your kids’ health.
These are just half of the recipes I wanted to share with you from the 23 Day school lunch comparison between Pau, France and Toms River, NJ. How about tuning back in and check out some more recipes? I promise to include the gizzard salad one! But if you are interested in more Southwest French cuisine, there is a book written by one of my favorite cookbook authors…Paula Wolfert on just this subject! Take a look:
Until then, let me know if you tried any of the recipes and how these turned out. Bon Appetit!
Thanks for that, it was a great read. I can’t believe it myself, but my wife and I will have been married 10 years next weekend. Our first anniversary was in Italy, and had the most delicious shrimp pasta in this little restaurant in Rome. I’ve been looking all over the net for decent recipes to see if I can’t make some myself, and I even found a whole shrimp pasta recipes homepage full of them!
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Thanks Mr. Jed for tuning in. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding anniversary! May good food be part of the celebration. Bon Appetit!
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