Author Archives: diary of a tomato

8.22.12 Garlic mites

Posted on August 22, 2012 by diary of a tomato

After several weeks, the remainder of the garlic harvest was ready to be trimmed for storage. On closer inspection, we were disappointed to find some damage from garlic mites, also known as dry bulb mites, on individual cloves. This is a … Continue reading →

Posted in garden | 8 Comments

8.20.12 Summer in a jar

Posted on August 20, 2012 by diary of a tomato

These jars are like a timeline of summer’s harvests. Ever since reading about Daphne’s refrigerator pickles, our refrigerator has been slowly filling up with them, added to as the season progresses. Left to right: baby carrots, Cincinnati Market radishes, and … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, garden, preserving | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Freezing & Canning Low-Acid Vegetables

Posted on August 17, 2012 by diary of a tomato

As a general rule, it’s the acidity of an ingredient that determines the method of canning that should be used. Low acid foods (ph greater than 4.6), such as vegetables and meat, require processing in a pressure canner in order … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, preserving | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

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