Pier dé Orleans

Tonight I took my wife to Pier dé Orleans, a restaurant in Mesa. Eileen ordered the Hawaiian Fish with a side of salad. I got the frog legs with a side of clam chowder. The fish was breaded with coconut, pecans and cashew nuts and served with a pineapple sauce. It looked like it would be as hard as a rock but instead was tender, juicy and flaky. Yes, I snitched some from Eileen’s plate. As she says, “pinched food tastes better.” The last time I was there, I ordered the escargot and was pleasantly surprised at how meaty they were – and not slimy at all! Tonight’s frog legs were another new experience. I’ve only had frog legs once before. Grandpa Gaylord and I tried them skillet fried in his motor home one summer many years ago. I didn’t much care for them. Food prepared by a professional is much better. Pier dé Orleans tender and mild frog legs were breaded and fried, served with tartar sauce and coleslaw. Their flavor was mild like chicken with a texture like fish. The meat practically fell off the bones. Imagine eating very slim drumsticks and you get the idea. The coleslaw seemed fresh and the French fries were perfect. Sadly, I committed my perennial mistake and ate too much to order the dessert. That’s a pity since the Praline Muffin topped with ice cream, pecans, whipped cream, caramel sauce and a cherry sounded so good. Next time, perhaps. 61 E. University Street, Mesa between Center and Mesa Dr. www.pierdeorleans.com

Beets are Bolting

The weather is warming up and my veggies are bolting. The spinach is almost done. I'll collect the seeds when they dry out a little. Some of my beets are bolting, too. I harvested two beets today with some spinach and lettuce for a dinner salad. Goal: harvest beets before they all go to seed. It's too late for two of them - more seeds for next season. From now on I'll try to follow the Vegetable Planting Calendar at
http://ag.arizona.edu/extension/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf.