Eating Out Safely and Well

A cup of soupy goodness at Cafe Provencal

I’ve done curbside pickup at Akar and Katerina’s Greek restaurant near me. And I’ve ventured to several restaurants with large patios. Brio at Frontenac has the social distancing thing down pat. Bishop’s Post in Chesterfield is one of the prettiest, most spacious outdoor locations around. With their lovely flower and herb garden and pleasant waterfall, you can almost forget, at least briefly, that the nation is under attack by a vicious virus.

Outdoor French Cafe

This week Cyndy and I drove over to Kirkwood for lunch. We snagged a seat on the patio at Cafe Provencal, where we spent the noon hour enjoying the breezy al fresco vibe. All customers ate outside and servers were fully masked. (I mention that they were fully-masked, because too many people are “half-masked,” that’s is, wearing their face covering below nose level.)

French Onion Soup

While some restaurants have an abbreviated menu these day, the little French cafe offered their regular lunch fare. I couldn’t resist a bowl of their glorious French onion soup with the thick, cheesy topping that you have to urge into your mouth as it trails off the spoon. While waiting for your order it’s hard not to over-indulge in the warm French bread. We nibbled prudently.

Both of us veered toward the salmon salads. Though I was temporarily drawn to the Croque Monsieur, the warm, gooey ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich. In the end, Cyndy went for the Niçoise Salad with Salmon and I chose the Caesar with Salmon. Both were summer refreshing and healthy.

Niçoise Salad with Salmon 

After Lunch in the Farmer’s Market

Don’t miss out on these scrumptious freestone peaches.

Fresh Peaches, Tomatoes, Corn and More

We made one more stop before leaving Kirkwood. Both Cyndy and I adore the outdoor farmer’s market, that’s a stone’s throw from the railroad station. Their freestone peaches are the best I’ve had in years! I got the 16-pack and was pleased to see the ones on the bottom of the carton were just as good as those on top. No hidders. Next morning my juicy, breakfast peach was the highlight of my COVID day.

The tomatoes come in all sizes and colors. I got the ones grown by the Amish. Recalling the sweet, near seedless watermelon I got  a few weeks ago, I put another in my cart this time. 

Fresh vegetables are always a colorful addition to the fridge and table.

Ahh. . .  the bi-colored corn. It brought back memories. One summer during the 70s, our family grew an entire acre of corn and harvested it before the racoons did. It took work: planting, picking, hauling, shucking, cutting and bagging. The harvest was an all day event, that left my kitchen looking like there’d been an explosion in a corn processing plant. The memory made me all the more appreciative of the corn at the farmer’s market, that looked and smelled like it had just been pulled from the stalk.

The Rhythm of the Seasons

There’s something about summer fresh vegetables and fruits that feeds both body and soul. During these uncertain times, whether eating in or eating out, I do it with a grateful heart. Food on our tables always comes from the labor of many hands.

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