Category Archives: cooking

Orecchiette with Braised Greens

Posted on November 9, 2012 by diary of a tomato

This second trip to Puglia gave us the opportunity to delve deeper into the region’s cuisine, and revisit such canonical dishes as Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa. Above: The fruttivendolo in Spongano, with chicories and cime di rapa (bottom) in … Continue reading →

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Emergency Preparedness: Going off-grid

Posted on November 2, 2012 by diary of a tomato

“Be prepared.” — Girl Scout motto We don’t have the luxury of being unprepared. We live far enough from town utility lines that when we lose electricity — whether from a disaster or extreme weather event — we also lose water as … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, interlude | 7 Comments

Strozzapreti with Romanesco Cauliflower, Green Olives, and Capers

Posted on October 26, 2012 by diary of a tomato

With bags still to unpack and memories to sort, we’re in the midst of reentry from our travels in Puglia. Next to jet lag, the biggest adjustment on returning home has been to the difference in what’s now in season. … Continue reading →

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10.25.12 World Pasta Day

Posted on October 25, 2012 by diary of a tomato

It’s no secret that we love pasta. Save for a day or two, we once again managed to have it most every day while traveling in Puglia these past several weeks. Even then, the days without pasta were more than made up … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, field trip, interlude | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Winter Storage Techniques

Posted on October 12, 2012 by diary of a tomato

An important part of eating locally year-round in Maine is learning to store food for the winter. To further knowledge about this, the Master Food Preserver Program includes a section on Winter Storage Techniques. Kathy Hopkins, the Somerset County Extension … Continue reading →

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Local Food: A close encounter of the porcine kind

Posted on October 5, 2012 by diary of a tomato

Farm to table sourcing, nose to tail cookery. We hear these phrases often, but it took on a very real meaning when I attended a recent demonstration on butchering a whole pig. The workshop was sponsored by the Seacoast chapter … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, local food | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mastering Food Preservation: Canning Acid Foods

Posted on September 28, 2012 by diary of a tomato

The eighth class in the Master Food Preserver Program built on knowledge gained in previous sessions, and introduced us to additional techniques for canning and preserving high acid foods, particularly fruit. Shown above: The new stainless steel boiling water canner … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, preserving | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments