Monthly Archives: May 2013

Agretti Spaghetti with Spring Onions and Lemon

Posted on May 31, 2013 by diary of a tomato

Nothing excites a cook more than discovering a new tool, a new technique, or, in this particular case, a new ingredient. We came across agretti, an Italian specialty green, last season through Seeds from Italy, and vowed to give this … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, garden | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Rekjavik, Part 3: Settlement Life

Posted on May 30, 2013 by diary of a tomato

After the whirlwind of touring Iceland’s Golden Circle, we settled in for a more leisurely pace. We breakfasted near our hotel at the comfy C is for Cookie, and sampled pönnukökur, Icelandic pancakes similar to crepes. One choice is to eat … Continue reading →

Posted in field trip | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Reykjavik, Part 2: The Golden Circle

Posted on May 24, 2013 by diary of a tomato

Sometimes you just have to give in, be a tourist, do touristy things, and go sightseeing. With continued brilliant weather ahead, we hopped on the popular excursion known as the Golden Circle. From coastal Reykjavik, the day-long bus tour travels inland … Continue reading →

Posted in field trip | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Ball’s BPA-Free Canning Lids

Posted on May 22, 2013 by diary of a tomato

We’ve long been concerned about BPA in canning lids, and just received a tip from an alert reader that Ball is now offering BPA-free lids: They began production/release of their BPA-free lids in January 2013. To identify a BPA-free box … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, preserving | Tagged , | 56 Comments

5.20.13 Kale Rabe

Posted on May 20, 2013 by diary of a tomato

We’ve extolled the virtues of bolted kale here before. Whenever we chance to be in the garden, we pinch off a couple of sweet florets to nibble on. It was with delight, then, that we discovered that snapping further down … Continue reading →

Posted in garden | Tagged | 17 Comments

Reykjavik, Part 1: Icelandic Daze

Posted on May 16, 2013 by diary of a tomato

I awoke just in time to see Greenland outside my window. We were on a flight to Reykjavik, and the Mercator maps hadn’t prepared me for how close to the arctic circle we’d be traveling. From Boston to Iceland, I’d assumed … Continue reading →

Posted in field trip | Tagged , | 19 Comments

5.13.13 Lemon, Asparagus and Sunchokes

Posted on May 13, 2013 by diary of a tomato

After our third tree in so many years, we’ve finally gotten an indoor lemon tree to bear fruit. From bloom to ripe citrus, this solitary harvest took seven months of patient tending. What to do when you only have one? … Continue reading →

Posted in garden | Tagged , , | 24 Comments