We have a tendency to be a bit Francophilic, and realizing it was Bastille Day, started thinking about iconic French foods that fit our slightly frugal requirements…
Hmmm- snails… (But we’d be too hungry)
Baguettes and cheese… done that!
Ratatouille… distinct possibility,
but
WHAT ABOUT PÂTE??
Throwing around flavour combination’s, boys decided on a thyme and balsamic vinegar infused pâté, served with caramelized onions and baguette.

So:
750 g chicken liver cleaned and sauteed in 95 g butter until just cooked through, with a clove of crushed garlic, a sliced and caramelized onion, a good pinch of salt flakes, a tsp ground pepper, and then pureed in food processor with 4 tbs Apple Balsamic Vinegar and 1 tbs red wine vinegar.
later,
we had an “ooh la la”  invented pâté that was very morish: spread on baguette* and topped with caramelized onion cooked with Apple Balsamic Vinegar.

The use of Apple Balsamic was a “necessity is the mother of invention” situation because out of the 7 types of vinegar in my pantry, plain balsamic could not be found! My bad for forgetting to put it on shopping list when the last bottle was used up.

It didn’t matter because the Apple Balsamic was a winner.
And as has been known to happen in this household, we obeyed the eleventh commandment and over catered. I am on church morning tea tomorrow. Guess what will appear?

*Now, a little gripe about what constitutes a real baguette. We have yet to discover a bready delight of the same texture and flavour as experienced in France under the name Baguette, but today’s version was at least crunchy on the crust. The soft and chewy, holey middle was not there, just white fluff.

I must finish and go and tend to the rabbit with prunes that is casseroling to tasty, rustic satisfaction in the oven.

Bon Apetit!