Monthly Archives: August 2012

Bon appetit, Julia!

Posted on August 15, 2012 by diary of a tomato

“A fine loaf of plain French bread, the long crackly kind a Frenchman tucks under his arm as he hurries home to the family lunch, has a very special quality. Its inside is patterned with holes almost like Swiss cheese, … Continue reading →

Posted in interlude | Tagged | 4 Comments

8.13.12 Trimming garlic

Posted on August 13, 2012 by diary of a tomato

Of the three varieties of garlic we harvested, the Phillips was the first to dry and be ready for trimming. We broke a bulb apart to check for any signs of disease, and found clean, unblemished cloves within. Once the stems, … Continue reading →

Posted in garden | Tagged | 29 Comments

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Almonds & Mint

Posted on August 10, 2012 by diary of a tomato

“…here in California using Asian ingredients is part of what we do, part of a chef’s vocabulary. It’s not fusion, it’s Californian.” — Chef Jason Fox, Commonwealth, San Francisco Sometimes food is as much about a cook’s own history as … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: On BPA in Canning Lids

Posted on August 9, 2012 by diary of a tomato

With growing concern over the presence of BPA in canned goods, the safety of canning lids used for home processing is also being questioned. From Alan Majka of the UMaine Cooperative Extension: I’ve received quite a few questions from consumers … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, preserving | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Field Trip: Great Bay Discovery Cruise

Posted on August 8, 2012 by diary of a tomato

The prediction was for thundershowers, but not until afternoon. Meanwhile, the weather looked promising for a day out on the water. Through their Marine Docents program, the University of New Hampshire offers several educational cruises each summer — we’d enjoyed … Continue reading →

Posted in field trip, interlude | 1 Comment

8.6.12 August harvest

Posted on August 6, 2012 by diary of a tomato

Another batch of radishes, Cherry Belle and Cincinnati Market, spicy from the heat, and the end of the first planting of carrots, a mix of Napoli and Red Core Chantenay. The parsnips, called Andover and planted for overwintering, needed thinning and yielded … Continue reading →

Posted in garden | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Drying & Herbs

Posted on August 3, 2012 by diary of a tomato

A line of jars aglow with colorful herbal vinegars greeted us as we arrived at our third Master Food Preserver training session. The evening’s focus was on drying and herbs, and the flavored vinegars were samples of just one of … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, preserving | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments