Pear & Tarragon Champagne Vinaigrette Recipe

Sunday afternoons during the cold winter Kentucky months are ripe for lazy, day-long activities: I simmer soup, bake bread, read magazines, watch movies and take naps.

That was before I started my current full-time day job away from home.

Now Sunday’s are more about chilling than ever.

And the rest of the week is all about fast, light, easy mid-week meals.

Fast and easy are the operative words here.

Which leads me to this blog, my writing, recipe development and book writing.

There is only so much time in a week. (And I refuse to get out of bed before five am to do anything unless it involves the bathroom. Funny how I don’t mind getting out of bed at five-oh-five though.)

Everyone has his or her limits. Maybe you’ll share one of yours in the comment section.

But despite my early bird syndrome, I am still working out the kinks in my back-to-work schedule after just a few weeks.

Not to segue too far away from my vinaigrette story, I want to mention how I’d like to get back to this blog, and also want to mention why I haven’t posted on a regular basis.

I read something the other day on a FB friends blog, Laz Cooks, and wondered how in the world he got inside my head.

In Laz’s post, he pondered the whole blogging thing and why he almost stopped blogging.

This is something most bloggers can relate to-this blogger-burn-out thing.

Of course if your blog is your business, then you’re on a different level.

My blog, A Cook Writes, is all about the journey. Yes, it’s about t the business of writing too. But I don’t make money on my blog. I don’t sell ads. Hell, I barely get commenter’s. I don’t know my stats and I don’t really care. I stopped caring what people think about me a long time ago. Unless it has to do with my family-then look out.

A Cook Writes is about just what it says..

I cook and I write.

I don’t write about every meal, although I think I should mention an exceptionally delicious meal I whipped up the other day-seared scallops with steamed broccoli, jasmine rice and honey-chile-ponzu orange sections.

The point is, there are too many meals. I don’t post all on this blog and I don’t write every recipe down.

Who does?

You?

Okay, I let a little jealousy slip in there for a nano second. Bravo for you. I mean that.

Anyway, the other stuff of blogging-the recipe developing, writing, waiting for the perfect light, waiting for the comments (or not), replying to those comments. Following other blogs, crafting clever titles, (although notice I took the kindergarten approach with this blog-ahem-single subject titles). Hee hee.

There’s the maintenance-factor, too. Updating plugins, and widgets. Editing photos-Lord, I spend a lot of time with my photos.

And this is why lately, I spend less time here at A Cook Writes.

Not because I don’t want to.

It’s a combination of things.

I certainly don’t plan to stop cooking or writing.

***

Last night I made a Pear & Lobster Salad with Pear & Tarragon Champagne Vinaigrette.

I committed the cardinal sin of food blogging-I didn’t take a single photo. Not even with my iPhone.

But that’s what I’m talking about. I don’t always remember to photograph the food, or update my blog.

(Is it middle-age, this not remembering? Or is it just me trying to figure out how to manage my time?)

As mid-week meals go these days, this meal was prepared in stages.

I prepped the salad the night before. Tore red leaf lettuce, microwaved broccoli florets for one minute, then blanched them in ice water, cut carrots sticks, de-podded (is that a word?) the steamed edamame I made the day before. Chopped a green onion, covered it all with wet paper towels (to keep it moist), then plastic wrap and put the bowl of salad in the refrigerator.

The next morning I steamed the lobster tails at 5:30 a.m. (yep, it’s true, just after the first sip of hot, steaming black coffee baby.)

Elvis, said, “I’ll have mine with two eggs over medium,” as he walked out the door with Reagan for the morning constitution around the cul-de-sac.

Fat chance that one.

After a seven-minute steam and a five-minute ice bath, my lobster tails were done, wrapped in plastic, and placed in the fridge next to the salad.

That same evening, I wrote the recipe for the Pear & Tarragon Champagne Vinaigrette on my iPad as I whisked the ingredients into a smooth, delightful dressing.

After I poured a glass of Chateau St. Michelle Cab Sav.

Um, yes, red wine and lobster go together.

I removed the lobster meat from their shells (and saved the shells in my zip-lock freezer bag to make fish stock for another day) and then microwaved the meat for a minute (to remove the chill). Then I chopped the meat into chunks. I melted a tablespoon of butter to drizzle on the meat.

Next up, a fresh pear cut into chunks, then tossed on the salad.

I drizzled the Pear & Tarragon Champagne Vinaigrette over the greens.

Chopped lobster plopped on top.

Fast and easy.

Cause Sunday is right around the corner.

Check back for a storyline here and a recipe there.

I’m busy, but not gone.

Psst…if you love to eat seafood and want more easy-to-prepare recipe ideas, head over to Seafood Lady and don’t forget to leave a note to let me know you were there.

Pear & Tarragon Champagne Vinaigrette

Cook notes: To save more time, make the vinaigrette ahead, but don’t add the oil until you’re ready to serve. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette before you top the greens with the lobster meat.