Every three months I take a trip to see Cyril, my podologue, for a foot service–an essential on a diabetic’s check-up list.
Eyes next month.
It’s a relaxing 45 minutes–he has a naturally calm manner and doesn’t flinch at my halting French.
We chat while he gently works.
He’s signed the French version of our petition au sujet de l’église, he tells me.
“Merci beaucoup, Cyril!“
He told me he and his wife are expecting their second child–a girl–in three weeks time. They are favoring “Rose” as a name.
I booked another session in the first week of April and, stepping lightly on my “new feet”, headed across the road to the car.
I started pondering dinner–before lunch.
(One can never be too prepared….)
“Ah!” I remembered a friendly family butcher (husband and wife) nearby whom I occasionally frequent–and I recalled a one-pot recipe in Delicious Dishes that calls for spare rib chops, white beans and oranges. See recipe below….
From Delicious Dishes for Diabetics
Both husband and wife were busy working as I entered.
“Deux bouchers!”
“Une bouchère, Monsieur!” [One of us is a woman, Sir!]
“Ah–tout a fait!–excusez moi, Madame! Est-ce que vous avez d’ échine de porc?”
“Bien sur!”
“Deux, s’il vous plait–assez fines [not too thick].”
Comfort food again.
I picked up some broccoli at the quiet Tuesday open-air market in Castres and headed home.
A couple of nights ago, I’d mis-timed the broccoli; it was ready too soon–so I drizzled it with olive oil, seasoned it and sautéd it a low flame to keep it warm.
When it came time to serve, one side was slightly charred but it tasted GOOD. I enjoy happenstance in cooking and decided to try it again–deliberately!
It works–and made a nice color contrast to the pork.
Serves 4
This lovely autumn/winter comfort dish is based on one by the talented Frances Bissell.
2 x 400 g/16 oz tins/bottles white beans
4 spare rib chops (echine in France – these are the tastier ones)
1 onion – sliced
1 stick celery – sliced
2 oranges
1 tsp coriander seeds
150 ml/5 fl oz/1⁄2 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper
chopped fresh coriander or parsley
The timing for cooking depends in part on the thickness of the chops.
Heat the oven at 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Rinse the bean and pour into the oven proof dish you will serve from.
Brown the chops well in a non-stick frying pan. (No oil needed as the chops are a bit fatty.)
Lay them atop the beans.
Brown the onion and celery in the same frying pan – the fat from the chops will be enough to cook them in.
Lay them on the chops.
Carefully cut some strips of zest from one of the oranges.
Bury these in with the chops and beans.
Squeeze the juice from the two oranges over the chops.
Crush the coriander seeds and sprinkle over. Add the stock.
Cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours.
Check after an hour to ensure that there is enough liquid–but be careful not to add too much–or the concentrated taste of the sauce will weaken.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Before serving, sprinkle the chopped coriander or parsley over to garnish.
Robin Ellis 
Sounds delicious. And I’m wondering whether “occasionally frequent” qualifies as an oxymoron.
Interesting–I sometimes use “frequent” as here, in the slightly arch sense meaning visit. Strictly speaking you are right though.
looks good, def one to try – two tins of white beans tho?? presume you halve it for just you and Meredith??..x
One tin for two–you’re right, Lesley.
This is one recipe I look forward to. We bought some tangerines at Xmas (only because all the manderines had sold out) & these are awful, dry & stringy, so rather than throw them away, I will squeese 2 & follow your lovelychop recipe. Never put orange & pork together so this will be a challenge. I assume as the food is oven cooked, the oranges will blend nice & suttle.
As for your feet, hope they treat you well. I damaged a disc in my spine on the lower 4/5 & it was removed, ever since the nerve damage has left me with 2 feet that are in agony 24/7. To walk is torture, but I will never use a chair, I foce
myslef to walk in pain. I am still young & my feet are just going to have to put up with me :)))
Thank you once again Robin.
Happy Birthday.
Thank you Sara, from tomorrow!
Happy Birthday for tomorrow or Many Happy Returns of the Day as my mother would say. LOL.
Ann
Thanks, Ann.
Thanks Robin, I always send your recipes to my diabetic friends here as well as using your great ideas for myself. I was so shocked to see the news today about the terrorist murders in Paris. I hope the police can find these despicable creeps quickly. How sad that individual freedoms, peaceful living, and fear are now such a part of life in so many wonderful countries. I hope you and your wife and all in France will rest easier soon. Fondly, Barbara Boling Oxford, Mississippi
Sent from my iPhone Barbara Boling
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Thank you Barbara.
Now this to sets the juices running Robin lovely
Yes Robin feet are very important,last time Jimmy had his feet checked they found that he had an irregular pulse beat, so he had to have a 24hrs E C G monitor fitted just before Christmas,he went Tuesday for the results, which came back normal.
Happy birthday Robin
Thanks Elaine and good news about Jimmy.
.Thank you, super recipe- tried it a few months back. Have a lovely day today, penblwydd hapus iawn ( very happy birthday) .
Thank you Margaret–looking forward to lunch–not cooked by me!
Enjoy
Happy Birthday, Robin!
Thanks Susan–much appreciated.
🌹🍀🌹🍀🌹HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN🌹🍀🌹🍀🌹🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🍰🎂🎂🎉🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎁🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉
🍀Shawdiane
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Thank you Diane–I am having the best day!
So pleased you have worked in so many G B Shaw plays. Hope you enjoyed them. When I lived at Shaw’s home I put Shaw’s plays on in his garden (600 audience) Many stars appeared. Wish I had known & would have invited you 🌹 Enjoy Your Weekend. 🍀Shawdiane
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Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Robin. I hope you get a day off from the kitchen!
Today is special for me too – was my late husband’s birthday.
Thank you Sophie-Jane. A poignant day for you, of course–my good wishes to you.
Happy birthday, Robin! An all-too-infrequent thank you for all of your delicious recipes, beautiful photos, and interesting posts — I feel as if it’s my birthday, whenever there is a new one of your posts in my email.
That’s lovely, thanks.
Happy birthday, dear Robin, and wishing you many more to come. By the way, this is one of my favorite winter dishes from your first book. I think I will be off to the market soon for the chops and more oranges, as you’ve taught me to always have a couple tins of beans on the shelf. ❤
Go for it Nancy–we enjoyed it!
Oh, Robin!!!!! This is Rosaria from Italy again! The best wishes of Happy Birthday and a long long life together with your Meredith and…cats!!!!!
Thanks Rosaria–grazie tanto!
Wishing you a very happy birthday & many happy returns of the day from San Francisco😍😍
Thanks, Kathi.
Rather late in this busy day but I still wanted to send birthday greetings to you Robin.
Thanks, Tina–much appreciated.
Happy Birthday Robin and many happy returns, hope you had great day. You popped up in a Fawlty Towers repeat last night, was good. 🙂
One isn’t safe these days, Nora!–thanks.
Happy belated to you. I made this delicious meal tonight. Very tasty and simple to prepare.
Thanks Charlotte–glad it went down well!
Happy. Birthday! Hope you have a super-duper day. and get to do some fun things. 🙂
Sending belated but warm and sincere Happy Birthday wishes to you from subzero Madison, Wisconsin. We are always inspired by your food! –Bob and Betsy
I hope all is well there. I just watched an old Wallander show on Hulu.com and wondered if a Swede played the American (he was too crisp to be an American). I was surprised to see a name from my youth in the credits.
I also wondered if you ever question the script, such as when a story hinges on the existence of photo negatives in a time when most photos are digital–as seen in this show.
So glad to see you’re in the public realm and even married to someone with a name that sounds very New England (the best) to me.
Good point. I had a long speech explaining to the photographer why I shot my wife. I thought it was a clumsy way to end and was reluctant to learn it. I asked the director if I could shorten it. He agreed. I settled for ” You don’t know the half of it!”–seemed to settle it!
Meredith is from Chicago!