tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72122127474585275442024-02-21T04:09:21.150-08:00The Starry ForkMad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-34758224622447989762009-11-13T21:13:00.000-08:002009-11-13T21:37:16.767-08:00Extra Extra - Starry Fork to Begin Poking into New AreasFriday the 13th of November, perhaps an auspicious day. So I will <i>at some point very soon</i> have a home computer and start updating much more frequently, but it's been pointed out to me that perhaps I don't need a second/alternative blog for my forays into current events, local politics or popular culture. <div><br /></div><div>The Starry Fork <b>can and will</b> poke into whatever subject is the most fascinating at any current time. </div><div><br /></div><div>And after all, it's only 90 days now until the Blimpy Shames* arrive on Vancouver's un-sunny shores, I don't think there will be any lack of things to talk about. </div><div><br /></div><div>In today's news, it is unclear whether Militant Penguin was entirely spared by the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/11/12/bc-main-broadway-fire-vancouver.html">fire that razed a group of businesses</a> all housed in the same building. RIP Slickety Jim's Chat N' Chew. I liked your raspberry jam and your crazy menu names. My girl Ange would also like to give a shout-out to the equally dearly departed Kishu - while I personally was not a fan, even from Montreal she is missing your cheapass takeout sushi.</div><div><br /></div><div>*note: Blimpy Shames is my euphemism for that other thing they will sue you for using the real name of. You know the thing. Big Vancouver party, coming up in February.</div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-61897214299793635012009-10-12T09:50:00.000-07:002009-10-12T10:02:58.170-07:00Giving Thanks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNcrD3ir8WMAj2Wf5qPA2AYYO0kd5Pco5FTg18gUdvjTeaLMXr0FeGn0_vV_P3hSbhBn8J4UwTOteQIVv1aRopTdZvlOboJWhiG_Mzypi2F0NZ-RX984qVkXh3ie_k3LGe-AMxG2gRmU/s1600-h/thanks2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNcrD3ir8WMAj2Wf5qPA2AYYO0kd5Pco5FTg18gUdvjTeaLMXr0FeGn0_vV_P3hSbhBn8J4UwTOteQIVv1aRopTdZvlOboJWhiG_Mzypi2F0NZ-RX984qVkXh3ie_k3LGe-AMxG2gRmU/s400/thanks2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391759275101646674" border="0" /></a><br />Hey, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but thanks, dear reader. I'm greatful to have this forum to put out my ideas about cooking and gardening, and food is always better within a community.<br /><br />One thing I do really love about holidays is the tendency for them to bring families together. We had a Thanksgiving dinner here at my parents' house this year, and though the ever-extending family was spread out over a few different cities, it was really excellent to see the members of my family that could make it. We had an enjoyable evening, with everyone lingering around the table after dinner, satisfied from a wonderful meal, to talk and talk and talk.<br /><br />Above, you see my mother and I hard at work preparing the stuffing for the turkey. This year we used LOTS of mushrooms (button and shitake), lots of onions, celery that I grew in my garden, some locally baked bread and just about every herb that we have in the garden.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6fpyFYgzL14w-wQXrnbxkONDPkOIVNDkRmWbYUsyedMQVdhNZNPWdJLVW6m7k5eUSubMho-I7QPVYIHNyd3iqQML0kbTK0U66JND69xXl_8KxP7xfPwKjR8RKUPoorQ3-851194Lg5g/s1600-h/thanks3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6fpyFYgzL14w-wQXrnbxkONDPkOIVNDkRmWbYUsyedMQVdhNZNPWdJLVW6m7k5eUSubMho-I7QPVYIHNyd3iqQML0kbTK0U66JND69xXl_8KxP7xfPwKjR8RKUPoorQ3-851194Lg5g/s400/thanks3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391759282141181426" border="0" /></a>I can take no credit at all for these scrumptious looking pies, which my parents made the day previous. But let me assure you, they taste even better than they look!<br /><br />Hope that you all had a delicious long weekend as well!Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-32311686909227527552009-10-11T11:57:00.000-07:002009-10-11T12:13:38.370-07:00Eggs Flamenco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN38enHEM7Oa4ahxLJ2qjah7jiLOKt7FZl7wOMc2KEiTe3ba8t7yIec4zQVAKzoHrFIElBiwMbi-Lzm3AwgXXPsHUsSWBv740tksegLVSUpRX7D3acYG3nDmx7zKjWVQfwCNf-pgwIMYk/s1600-h/oct5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN38enHEM7Oa4ahxLJ2qjah7jiLOKt7FZl7wOMc2KEiTe3ba8t7yIec4zQVAKzoHrFIElBiwMbi-Lzm3AwgXXPsHUsSWBv740tksegLVSUpRX7D3acYG3nDmx7zKjWVQfwCNf-pgwIMYk/s400/oct5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391419211976880722" /></a><br /><div>Behold! Eggs Flamenco! My favourite thing to eat for breakfast. Bar none. (Yes, that does indeed include bacon). It's basically a fresh tomato sauce, with bell peppers, onions and/or garlic, some chili sauce for heat, and the eggs poached right in the sauce. mmmmmmmmmm</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7osP9emK71G3zo1I1j7jhgAt3IBWnU5DIZc8mIUOH_GgVq_2e74GK1smjiJ4CHz_vN-vl3y7ClD958Wj-ySqCzbFKkHMhUnIUaLbPUp1zUkplzxARYJwj7gn1X0sHU7LvcZ9GWdcl3rk/s1600-h/oct3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7osP9emK71G3zo1I1j7jhgAt3IBWnU5DIZc8mIUOH_GgVq_2e74GK1smjiJ4CHz_vN-vl3y7ClD958Wj-ySqCzbFKkHMhUnIUaLbPUp1zUkplzxARYJwj7gn1X0sHU7LvcZ9GWdcl3rk/s400/oct3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391419190227274738" /></a><br /></div><div>It's pretty nice to have access to all this gorgeous homegrown garlic. It's time RIGHT NOW for garlic planting, so if you can, get out there and get it done. It's on my to-do list for tomorrow, I swear. Cook up your onion, get the garlic chopped and ready.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEaCxL9upCwsf4pZAMrVq8wwJOh6ta3-iY8Vua0nLtVmiMe2uCWPmSHGx18zj0EU_sorFOKjWzaP7sXKW3RPOwmfYoZm2KKHYY2ZVP6oiON5LnMf8pIcUeT-yV2mPvjWoxNwqZ0GK3o8/s1600-h/oct2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEaCxL9upCwsf4pZAMrVq8wwJOh6ta3-iY8Vua0nLtVmiMe2uCWPmSHGx18zj0EU_sorFOKjWzaP7sXKW3RPOwmfYoZm2KKHYY2ZVP6oiON5LnMf8pIcUeT-yV2mPvjWoxNwqZ0GK3o8/s400/oct2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391419180803705922" /></a>Add some sliced tomatoes. These babies are from the garden, one of mom's and half of one of my dixie golden cultivars, saved from blight and ripened in the nick of time. These don't take long to cook, since you want to keep it fresh. Add the peppers, garlic and chili (we use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambal">sambal oelek</a>). Then make little pockets in the sauce, put the eggs in, turn to a lower heat and put a lid on it for about 3-4 minutes.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUasAVVcdJzNPH2c4AkPW5y8tOhBmx8fm-rKmOTM4O0ueoAgUUY7BDgimUqNy-Z6IBQ75Dmmbq_QFJZJpoHlJNDGXVpeKda_Ly8EbQVPSSFLTVrFGuccfZj55wWv8-qlSoFELzW2hNmo4/s1600-h/oct1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUasAVVcdJzNPH2c4AkPW5y8tOhBmx8fm-rKmOTM4O0ueoAgUUY7BDgimUqNy-Z6IBQ75Dmmbq_QFJZJpoHlJNDGXVpeKda_Ly8EbQVPSSFLTVrFGuccfZj55wWv8-qlSoFELzW2hNmo4/s400/oct1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391419173457561586" /></a><div>Which all comes together in a very short amount of time to give you the finished product, all rich and saucey and delicious. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.</div></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-15992525181936574922009-10-10T09:16:00.000-07:002009-10-11T01:50:48.368-07:00Belated birthday supper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo32SEdjiU5l1LPhjhJ7EdHvcs-q3-aMy763bAmSyufoK7XRvPjZG4iFlExmUJLI8oL32eE9iRxMtr35LWHBXdIZ4hOgn6R05BD2yps_VUOB1v-pCO6pT-9VZbuxrSSU0GnlI6Mg2RSU/s1600-h/bday1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo32SEdjiU5l1LPhjhJ7EdHvcs-q3-aMy763bAmSyufoK7XRvPjZG4iFlExmUJLI8oL32eE9iRxMtr35LWHBXdIZ4hOgn6R05BD2yps_VUOB1v-pCO6pT-9VZbuxrSSU0GnlI6Mg2RSU/s400/bday1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391009289542629794" border="0" /></a><br />So what became of <a href="http://starryfork.blogspot.com/2009/09/tomato-envy.html">that fabulous ripe Dixie Golden tomato</a> I grew this year? You'll no doubt be thrilled to hear that I supped on it as a part of my birthday celebrations with my parents this year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90vVJe2WcOUvoqDaxoiumfx6hRJsymYB4XjxxZkyA9CiH4cgSj_BON5u5n11dkzaT5aWHt4juGvymyR4722phH0MNtJbSyO3uvEdsq4OxuoarTAVjQHMXjdqsjew1MTB1vSr4OrJBQr8/s1600-h/bday2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90vVJe2WcOUvoqDaxoiumfx6hRJsymYB4XjxxZkyA9CiH4cgSj_BON5u5n11dkzaT5aWHt4juGvymyR4722phH0MNtJbSyO3uvEdsq4OxuoarTAVjQHMXjdqsjew1MTB1vSr4OrJBQr8/s400/bday2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391009294865350690" border="0" /></a><br />At my request, the menu was steak, and my mom wanted to try the tomato jus I posted about a little while back. I don't think the steaks came out quite as well this time, I may have been crowding the pan a bit, and also the tomatoes were a bit cut-up, so they released a bit more liquid into the pan during cooking than the ones I used last time, which had never even <span style="font-weight: bold;">seen </span>a knife.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0xjMqMi8knw8PLfZkc0THLQvyRM7dSUsg2dTLqeuDSRd1IbnvD0IpjFgEZwsbK09WtyJAQuaIPVQLUx4O2eBNRwkp6kmKW16CrXzTiymv4y68D9MIfIqUo9lYnsQeB0rMXMrWcxxS9s/s1600-h/bday3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0xjMqMi8knw8PLfZkc0THLQvyRM7dSUsg2dTLqeuDSRd1IbnvD0IpjFgEZwsbK09WtyJAQuaIPVQLUx4O2eBNRwkp6kmKW16CrXzTiymv4y68D9MIfIqUo9lYnsQeB0rMXMrWcxxS9s/s400/bday3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391009305466644450" border="0" /></a><br />We also put some green onions into the sauce, which was a nice addition.<br /><br />Served with stir-fried vegetables. The broccoli was cooked with a bit of chopped tarragon, which lends an interesting effect. Probably better the more you like tarragon...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87o91i3Sc7nwJKBWw_bQF-5ShBj95u5t3zCI4VGYfwhsAjwXv9AEyIthzqGNyppUMLRBjsUTELVxO6fTi-R2EqMk1Mgn21rQcTw2beDlR9FvDGGDNKET-1qke1wM657VGUTnBjrJLBbU/s1600-h/bday4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87o91i3Sc7nwJKBWw_bQF-5ShBj95u5t3zCI4VGYfwhsAjwXv9AEyIthzqGNyppUMLRBjsUTELVxO6fTi-R2EqMk1Mgn21rQcTw2beDlR9FvDGGDNKET-1qke1wM657VGUTnBjrJLBbU/s400/bday4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391009313598187682" border="0" /></a><br />But without a doubt, my beautiful tomato was the tastiest thing on my plate. Well-grown. Happy birthday to meee.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_guhy2r418cWgRUS0H6kO88-Ek7KC8VEx44AlHSNPFjGjZkZtxdqpN-ccE-95c3CPYEXXHVzJb05LKHbn8iJVUhhj0H0QYjzjHvsChaabPm_kRWqteZNGTcnrI4WtJcvOLA5Z9G6qtAY/s1600-h/bday6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_guhy2r418cWgRUS0H6kO88-Ek7KC8VEx44AlHSNPFjGjZkZtxdqpN-ccE-95c3CPYEXXHVzJb05LKHbn8iJVUhhj0H0QYjzjHvsChaabPm_kRWqteZNGTcnrI4WtJcvOLA5Z9G6qtAY/s400/bday6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391010752705124866" border="0" /></a>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-43230757654504407722009-09-29T08:43:00.000-07:002009-09-29T08:55:08.173-07:00An Embarrassment of Tomatoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDlxa5AcVqLvnU-um0Jj5IA43ou0bZPEpUBg-Bl40oXuk6JQaeiqXMH7cFYwAAZi8VMdLZFJ0F_zLTEPOLlOFZVbJkq8hzqDtRspYSFisRi5d5LdnIDYpAx7lVHWt5jqyLSOf_0AkPMU/s1600-h/moartomatos.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDlxa5AcVqLvnU-um0Jj5IA43ou0bZPEpUBg-Bl40oXuk6JQaeiqXMH7cFYwAAZi8VMdLZFJ0F_zLTEPOLlOFZVbJkq8hzqDtRspYSFisRi5d5LdnIDYpAx7lVHWt5jqyLSOf_0AkPMU/s400/moartomatos.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386918267066696482" border="0" /></a>Shortly after completing my last tomato post, and smugly satisfied at using almost all my outstanding garden tomatoes, I went out to water my plants.<br /><br />And came back in with another large bowl full.<br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong. What with the advent of today's cool grey misty rain, it's clear that tomato season is coming to an end. I'm going to treasure all these little gems, and try not to waste any due to laziness or poor dinner planning.Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-48204173537873227392009-09-27T12:40:00.000-07:002009-09-27T13:04:51.002-07:00Tomato EnvyLately it's all I can do to stay on top of eating all the tomatoes that are being thrown at me. Not only are they cheap and fabulous in the stores and farmers markets, but my mom and my cousin's boyfriend are constantly on me to eat the overflow tomatoes from their gardens, and my own dear heritage plant even seems ready to deliver a ripe tomato in the next couple days. ohhhhh yeah baby!<br /><br />Come with me now, on a tomato tour around the garden and kitchen:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw3z0mf_JGQC1PUc2dBJNEttY-W8bCc_JpACNnEXl7ecJCm6eZ5ym-ws8shmYQd7HN8kKEiPUMRVekIm1GIKIs07y5FCsiH5IiffQiRdqr-LeNrrxKIQNhKU2ui_gFLxW9CsGe1A6nQU/s1600-h/tomato1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw3z0mf_JGQC1PUc2dBJNEttY-W8bCc_JpACNnEXl7ecJCm6eZ5ym-ws8shmYQd7HN8kKEiPUMRVekIm1GIKIs07y5FCsiH5IiffQiRdqr-LeNrrxKIQNhKU2ui_gFLxW9CsGe1A6nQU/s400/tomato1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386237127479789890" border="0" /></a>These little yellow gems are from Dan's garden. He has the Italian touch with tomatoes, and all his plants are putting out truly sickening amounts of fruit. (bastard!) But in his favour, he has given me carte blanche to take whatever I want, especially the yellow ones, which he doesn't much like, and were mostly rotting on the plant. The red beauty in the upper left corner is one of my mother's tomatoes, waiting patiently to be used in something delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI82J7pji5X5Pdoz2GEHMSZdx0IeXy6Zz9vD_WN2V0xMiu_nyukHxIXeh_xalsO_kCc0gbXA79UsdWc0rSh0_tIyiBCOuk0PnyVol4_NoWGew3aFH7mm_OdM0OR_qex0SNG15wMKYOkxE/s1600-h/tomato2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI82J7pji5X5Pdoz2GEHMSZdx0IeXy6Zz9vD_WN2V0xMiu_nyukHxIXeh_xalsO_kCc0gbXA79UsdWc0rSh0_tIyiBCOuk0PnyVol4_NoWGew3aFH7mm_OdM0OR_qex0SNG15wMKYOkxE/s400/tomato2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386237117935524930" border="0" /></a>These guys were just a little bit past their prime, and did not make the cut for breakfast. Back to the compost for you, boys.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRnFCg_8RsOfmgLsVN2T1QPgiRhMzFjHMj1_rBLYioAA0JzdFNsnK0lU8UYV6S3fwDGJLX8VY1eceSmfKWkO3sqAlsfja58xpm_ZRfRUygUACMGpiTWoLjGy3nNfJ7civah-vGkFGLDI/s1600-h/tomato3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRnFCg_8RsOfmgLsVN2T1QPgiRhMzFjHMj1_rBLYioAA0JzdFNsnK0lU8UYV6S3fwDGJLX8VY1eceSmfKWkO3sqAlsfja58xpm_ZRfRUygUACMGpiTWoLjGy3nNfJ7civah-vGkFGLDI/s400/tomato3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386237110010441298" border="0" /></a>Sizzling up in some butter. mmmmm, delicious butter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCFY8NYsPNmcmOodsk0pETaitycrVYca7__4vXZKyGyH6kdivswL4xU-X-BHO10Mi2LxhcY6toAF9DuKkzxyQeFh1ZhcFO6xvv7lqroFIIqvqIpfqzu4qHnGKEc0qi2UF9gf_usv0QA8/s1600-h/tomato4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCFY8NYsPNmcmOodsk0pETaitycrVYca7__4vXZKyGyH6kdivswL4xU-X-BHO10Mi2LxhcY6toAF9DuKkzxyQeFh1ZhcFO6xvv7lqroFIIqvqIpfqzu4qHnGKEc0qi2UF9gf_usv0QA8/s400/tomato4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386236420313317426" border="0" /></a>Aaand - breakfast. Sautee'd tomatoes, free range eggs, butter and cheesie toast. Amen. Please excuse the messy plating, I was in a rush to eat this awesome-smelling food. But I'm well aware that that kind of shit would <span style="font-weight: bold;">not </span>cut it in the real cheffy world.<br /><br />And now, into the garden:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl-ucLcIKdvUM5ppilTgOw8AbC994-xWBGaamP5f_402Dn_2e11QvJldAkP0tuEUQGCOMY8uNdKpVj2G4ipdJxxJGGpbHOZgUyIqws7kqe25b2qhHCekw6_V7Y6YsoHBoBGyRlG-Tb7o/s1600-h/mom+tomato.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl-ucLcIKdvUM5ppilTgOw8AbC994-xWBGaamP5f_402Dn_2e11QvJldAkP0tuEUQGCOMY8uNdKpVj2G4ipdJxxJGGpbHOZgUyIqws7kqe25b2qhHCekw6_V7Y6YsoHBoBGyRlG-Tb7o/s400/mom+tomato.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386236410191701474" border="0" /></a>One of my mom's tomato plants - despite being left untended for like 5 weeks and having no trellis or support, this sprawling plant is producing dozens of big fat delicious tomatoes. Jealous!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW2Z2ABePy26MsbgEM-hkZr5I7wD3rGG7BoRzsrUuABeEQWibPmm4TtnD1_AwBqlltfquzd_iqBATlj0d6O8D91P-fKM6NhDRJrb0NpBcoCHVFIahmBSYAesu28rtVes3KFLQFxcHVVQ/s1600-h/my+tomato+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW2Z2ABePy26MsbgEM-hkZr5I7wD3rGG7BoRzsrUuABeEQWibPmm4TtnD1_AwBqlltfquzd_iqBATlj0d6O8D91P-fKM6NhDRJrb0NpBcoCHVFIahmBSYAesu28rtVes3KFLQFxcHVVQ/s400/my+tomato+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386236401113460658" border="0" /></a>My little heritage plant is finally making some big tomatoes, but the weather is starting to turn, and I'm worried that they'll have to be harvested green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNZ3-oFB9mEvt6Wv_PQSK1C45U-qfqONKiWq7xq9tf8iYuujs5t3aXkSu0_AqpQdeYrZfAQCINkS4ByNdXpt2ljyqugrCLe0CpAtHwmjCWJAL1GDAttI_PZde4t0uul1MNt_Lc3er4iw/s1600-h/my+tomato.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNZ3-oFB9mEvt6Wv_PQSK1C45U-qfqONKiWq7xq9tf8iYuujs5t3aXkSu0_AqpQdeYrZfAQCINkS4ByNdXpt2ljyqugrCLe0CpAtHwmjCWJAL1GDAttI_PZde4t0uul1MNt_Lc3er4iw/s400/my+tomato.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386236392501574674" border="0" /></a>But one or two of them will definitely be ripe in time. Some interesting pathogen growth on the one on the right there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y3NLuefjTQXuNFvwIj2KMByTcCdBQbhCJrUV4tGeG62aZDItTy9rrSiMm5E_TiAChrGlh7hwAvx3yCuTVAR_lQdhQVZXLShl8kv_mAmU34vmeK2Oc1Wh8omkWjmJZyqYhFpHk0m2lDU/s1600-h/my+tomato2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y3NLuefjTQXuNFvwIj2KMByTcCdBQbhCJrUV4tGeG62aZDItTy9rrSiMm5E_TiAChrGlh7hwAvx3yCuTVAR_lQdhQVZXLShl8kv_mAmU34vmeK2Oc1Wh8omkWjmJZyqYhFpHk0m2lDU/s400/my+tomato2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386236383851301234" border="0" /></a>Even if I don't get a single other ripe tomato, I feel that this guy here, glowing orange and just about ready to be plucked, will totally have been worth it.Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-80964748195558643972009-09-25T08:17:00.000-07:002009-09-25T08:29:46.913-07:00Bright Harvest 2 - Back For Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5wv4kQ-87es65d0QV_z-dnejK-GGsQ6j1pXV2YfyRbpAqjjlOusPbw0roloPCDucDcJEqtoH3YkA6NrmThb0xBljZX_RxXJl46IK-YEOuZ0GU7BkuMvH__0SCOOHUt7ZOJyl5S7J_kU/s1600-h/lettuc'd.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5wv4kQ-87es65d0QV_z-dnejK-GGsQ6j1pXV2YfyRbpAqjjlOusPbw0roloPCDucDcJEqtoH3YkA6NrmThb0xBljZX_RxXJl46IK-YEOuZ0GU7BkuMvH__0SCOOHUt7ZOJyl5S7J_kU/s400/lettuc'd.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385427107448678930" border="0" /></a><br />Alas, it's just about time for me to say goodbye to my delicious garden-fresh lettuce - aboohoohoo. There's just barely enough left for a sandwich, but I'll have to get it quickly before the caterpillars finish it off. I probably could have gotten one more generation of seedlings going if I'd been on the ball a few weeks ago. Ah well, it's back to the pricey store-bought stuff for the winter. I love you lettuce, it's been fun.<br /><br />Also, check out this big ripe strawberry, which formed the cornerstone of my healthy, well-balanced breakfast yesterday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamn8gvfXOrXl-8C8lmGwu7lMVbQy01BNa-F-jBb_HWQ1XrviLbKuxpEv54h_LqLdRQsHu8siYFU7aPiGZhDWuLq7RRzGu0yPzke8E1klPTdus1EGAGHtv9Qbr5Bm-NpkzDB5pTMqr7t8/s1600-h/straw.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamn8gvfXOrXl-8C8lmGwu7lMVbQy01BNa-F-jBb_HWQ1XrviLbKuxpEv54h_LqLdRQsHu8siYFU7aPiGZhDWuLq7RRzGu0yPzke8E1klPTdus1EGAGHtv9Qbr5Bm-NpkzDB5pTMqr7t8/s400/straw.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385427108753924578" border="0" /></a>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-58231813685088392152009-09-24T08:41:00.000-07:002009-09-24T09:01:50.582-07:00Bright Harvest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo37hj05zsYoN4Avqn761qq_nmNjdDmKhy8nqaF_WLBaTHyJodsB4GqXNERq1WDoDRWKui726XZcRwZkeaIADPaiGoQ_pPDTVJjQ8cy4w6OQIx-zkarFhAAVpne_Hp4hc-FOX1AGktj_o/s1600-h/pep1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo37hj05zsYoN4Avqn761qq_nmNjdDmKhy8nqaF_WLBaTHyJodsB4GqXNERq1WDoDRWKui726XZcRwZkeaIADPaiGoQ_pPDTVJjQ8cy4w6OQIx-zkarFhAAVpne_Hp4hc-FOX1AGktj_o/s400/pep1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385064368676358946" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3guss_invader-zim-dark-harvest_fun">Fruits of evil, fruits of eeevilllll!</a><br /><br />No, seriously though... I am pleased to announce that my pepper plant's second set of peppers has now commenced <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">the ripening!!! </span></span>(the first round having been destroyed by some evil little squirrels)<br /><br />I have faith that I'll be able to get all of these peppers fully ripe before autumnal rains potentially wilt this little plant. Two of them look pretty much ready to go anytime I want them.<br /><br />Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to make with them once they're harvested. mwahahahahahaha!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeA3zGg9e5kmTp5WWE2wrcnKWVOBhdtIN-Ro8B44aENh471rft3aEkM8Vrzgo_C6bAcltFdbAoaRYyyxKnrhC8GHXeYsQZQmmQ0Z1QPkwYi9n_yPrhMGyMu7Qm2BrPp2bvuhSiut5_cc/s1600-h/pep2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeA3zGg9e5kmTp5WWE2wrcnKWVOBhdtIN-Ro8B44aENh471rft3aEkM8Vrzgo_C6bAcltFdbAoaRYyyxKnrhC8GHXeYsQZQmmQ0Z1QPkwYi9n_yPrhMGyMu7Qm2BrPp2bvuhSiut5_cc/s400/pep2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385064386899581218" border="0" /></a>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-32478111198943672132009-09-20T13:25:00.000-07:002009-09-20T13:47:05.138-07:00Saucey Steak Sandwich<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk_cFtNxsn7AmHKWWFjaSlcE1NsdCtJ3nnSDQ6swywAxgs1jEaEEZ5I7lyu9tPJDBTiAw7wysnikc_tet-jMThG2PgPr1TGA88ekjBQb-OxXZnPJMBM7X3Swo0VTu-yrV5LMk9OsnGZY/s1600-h/steal.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmk_cFtNxsn7AmHKWWFjaSlcE1NsdCtJ3nnSDQ6swywAxgs1jEaEEZ5I7lyu9tPJDBTiAw7wysnikc_tet-jMThG2PgPr1TGA88ekjBQb-OxXZnPJMBM7X3Swo0VTu-yrV5LMk9OsnGZY/s400/steal.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383652762672826722" border="0" /></a>I love steak. Loooove steak. I always want to order it in fancy restaurants, but unless you're paying $40+ they never seem to make a good enough sauce. Which seems crazy, since it's the easiest thing in the world.<br /><br />Today I decided to cook the grain-fed new york steak I bought yesterday, and make a steak sandwich for lunch. Starting with my trusty cast iron pan, heated to smoking hot, I quickly cooked the steak for a couple minutes each side, with a handful of strawberry tomatoes along for the ride. After the steak was done, I deglazed the pan with a splash of brandy, squashed one of the tomatoes for juice and added a little knob of butter to finish the sauce. It's as easy as that!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1RvJyFqoeV7yvioI44TXGcOt5wocecY3NMCHZWKCCE-3zhuDueZS8xI7d8_RC9IjW3kznJ57D2k6cEkXBWVz8g1c1qPW0fGINtuWcyfo8tX1wSC-ihaRF6FdaY2n4Tlb0wl1g2PTp5c/s1600-h/steaksauce.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1RvJyFqoeV7yvioI44TXGcOt5wocecY3NMCHZWKCCE-3zhuDueZS8xI7d8_RC9IjW3kznJ57D2k6cEkXBWVz8g1c1qPW0fGINtuWcyfo8tX1wSC-ihaRF6FdaY2n4Tlb0wl1g2PTp5c/s400/steaksauce.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383652753755150258" border="0" /></a>By this point, the steak had rested, so I sliced it and put it on a freshly toasted bun with a bit of mayo and a few of my last little leaves of garden lettuce. I've got a couple of the tomatoes leftover for another day, but other than that I have eaten the lot, and licked the plate clean. And now, now I have <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the+itis">the itis</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWliGrlt7nJXF3IV75M8f9K6N4lR8EUoIqUoFmYjYXri2NhCWnle6ww6FzWDNKLUZATAF4VunuJ_4uL9jF_QrXfKUFFKlqaudLqZ72q9MvNzFon8oi5QH2M4w9tH_GXMOykb3NXxx8LHI/s1600-h/sammich.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWliGrlt7nJXF3IV75M8f9K6N4lR8EUoIqUoFmYjYXri2NhCWnle6ww6FzWDNKLUZATAF4VunuJ_4uL9jF_QrXfKUFFKlqaudLqZ72q9MvNzFon8oi5QH2M4w9tH_GXMOykb3NXxx8LHI/s400/sammich.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383652767349934146" border="0" /></a>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-27350449025026281672009-09-19T13:42:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:47:50.429-07:00Good Morning, Good Morning!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCUZ86e5NRLA-oMfLLJg98wnXK_Z_eRn53QbS-zQKr_hLiIwgo_EvxRRH3E-I6MuBSAhxPda3Lw-YrzmDTASAH0vjyf7Z1AedS5e9_h1CGhKQtos6DOZgwOg3IuLRrIrP4rl28E4hLBg/s1600-h/eggsnbacey.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCUZ86e5NRLA-oMfLLJg98wnXK_Z_eRn53QbS-zQKr_hLiIwgo_EvxRRH3E-I6MuBSAhxPda3Lw-YrzmDTASAH0vjyf7Z1AedS5e9_h1CGhKQtos6DOZgwOg3IuLRrIrP4rl28E4hLBg/s400/eggsnbacey.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383282940187927186" border="0" /></a><br />It's great to stay up late, good morning, good morning<span style="font-weight: bold;"> to you!</span><br /><br />See, with a plateful like this, I just don't feel the need to bother with toast anymore. Is that heresy? So be it.Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-80712607836699558182009-09-18T23:23:00.000-07:002009-09-18T23:34:48.959-07:00People who really LOVE their food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1pe_-opTX7iSuPHMPs-Fq_65yLOxqlIQzUbS3XjRpvXJSvqNcyJ12_2P9BTYFoDr_ZGeRp1oMZlpzlkI-xhTDghNfXR7bMWctfJ2jtrU-0c0PofFeOsW3UzExhBcECvtMG71FhBeQsI/s400/le+creuset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1pe_-opTX7iSuPHMPs-Fq_65yLOxqlIQzUbS3XjRpvXJSvqNcyJ12_2P9BTYFoDr_ZGeRp1oMZlpzlkI-xhTDghNfXR7bMWctfJ2jtrU-0c0PofFeOsW3UzExhBcECvtMG71FhBeQsI/s400/le+creuset.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Spent a fun night out eating cheap curry and watching the cooking-centric film Julie and Julia with some wonderful friends. I'm glad I went into the thing stuffed with spicy carbohydrates, because this is not a film to watch hungry. Shot after loving shot of beautiful buttery food reminded me of the reason that I cook (and write about it). Because I love it.<br /><br />And because it's an act of minor creation, and faith in the process. And because it's something you can do to brighten the lives of those around you in a really concrete fashion.<br /><br />All this by way of saying, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm back</span>. And I'm sorry about the hiatus. It's been a trying time, but I've got plenty of ideas to share, and finished products to show off.<br /><br />Also, all those loving shots of Julia's fabulously outfitted kitchen in the movie have seriously left me with a resounding desire to go fondle some beautiful, beautiful cookware. Ohhh, Le Creuset...Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-900477828185135342009-08-22T23:48:00.000-07:002009-08-23T00:00:30.061-07:00To Farm or Not to Farm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No time for a full meal, but here's a little excerpt from a </span><a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458-1,00.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">great Time magazine article </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">to chew on:</span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 23px; font-family:georgia, arial, sans-serif;font-size:15px;"><i>A transition to more sustainable, smaller-scale production methods could even be possible without a loss in overall yield, as one survey from the University of Michigan suggested, but it would require far more farmworkers than we have today. With unemployment approaching double digits — and things especially grim in impoverished rural areas that have seen populations collapse over the past several decades — that's hardly a bad thing. Work in a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) is monotonous and soul-killing, while too many ordinary farmers struggle to make ends meet even as the rest of us pay less for food. Farmers aren't the enemy — and they deserve real help. We've transformed the essential human profession — growing food — into an industry like any other. "We're hurting for job creation, and industrial food has pushed people off the farm," says Hahn Niman. "We need to make farming real employment, because if you do it right, it's enjoyable work."</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It's intriguing to think about farming as a future career. It's definitely not what I dreamed of as a kid, but I can't deny that I love plants. I recently read an </span><a href="http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/burnabynewsleader/news/53737207.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">inspirational story</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> of a Burnaby man who's making a go of a 1-man salad greens growing operation. Makes you wonder if a green roof and a solarium or two could grow what it takes to keep a small cafe or lunch spot in the produce... </span></span></span></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-17093837984312114162009-08-17T08:32:00.000-07:002009-08-17T09:00:20.747-07:00A Passage to India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgQHYtGUnlOKeGMqJsf9plJPoULAJdjfC898q_MdtKhpxw_WouyPmdN7Yarye4g9bGK3keewszIGLWsuBY9nbIWCARn8K_k4AUjkvPLbOYxIE8brFwa_zbtVuy7c4cLOgbWXHll5vLhk/s1600-h/lamb-popsicles.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgQHYtGUnlOKeGMqJsf9plJPoULAJdjfC898q_MdtKhpxw_WouyPmdN7Yarye4g9bGK3keewszIGLWsuBY9nbIWCARn8K_k4AUjkvPLbOYxIE8brFwa_zbtVuy7c4cLOgbWXHll5vLhk/s400/lamb-popsicles.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370962097974774050" /></a><br />Unfortunately, despite living in Vancouver and loving Indian food, I have not yet been to <a href="http://www.vijs.ca/index_in.htm">Vij's</a>, one of the most celebrated Indian restaurants in the world. I have tried a few of his sauces and recipes to great effect, but that's neither here nor there.<div><br /></div><div>But this insanely awesome <a href="http://www.vijs.ca/culinary-adventures-with-vikram-vij.pdf">press release</a> sure caught my fancy - the part of me that would love to travel back in time and visit India or Egypt as they once were. Imagine getting to explore the Rajasthan area with one of the great chefs of our time, staying in out of the way historical areas and learning about the local food and culture and traditions of food collecting and preparation. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"An over night picnic on thoroughbred Marwari horses to a remote village culminating in outdoor cooking with villagers, retiring in luxury tents, and perchance, participating in an elephant polo match are just some of the extraordinary highlights of this tour. "</span></div><div><br /></div><div>My rebuttal: *drooooooooool*</div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-54819590418687277612009-08-16T10:44:00.000-07:002009-08-16T11:11:58.705-07:00Fruits of the day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIgdMEnWkrBV-B4wtOAZz050l1YbZzgwcnjmpAK6VT5C78NltQoj2avDXpG0yIv2O7xAhhzL-ZmCUpEmbQ5oOOLS_o6E1wMwW3s45eNMZknMRBUZP_9k23XlfJ9iNhOiCNTIJg0N0RUg/s1600-h/fruits.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIgdMEnWkrBV-B4wtOAZz050l1YbZzgwcnjmpAK6VT5C78NltQoj2avDXpG0yIv2O7xAhhzL-ZmCUpEmbQ5oOOLS_o6E1wMwW3s45eNMZknMRBUZP_9k23XlfJ9iNhOiCNTIJg0N0RUg/s400/fruits.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370624327347209634" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So we went to the market again yesterday morning, for the fresh local stuff. Meeting all the area farmers is </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/02/food.foodanddrink"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">inspiring</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and one of the most outstanding parts is being able to bypass certain purchases because I already have that item I need in my own garden. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Picked up (as you can see) couple of peaches, pears, three tomatillos and a dark, pointy tomato. Hmmm? What's that other thing? Oh, uhhh, that's just my giant hammer. I heard there might be some </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_walk"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">zombies around</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, so I thought I should probably be packing some heat. </span></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-74291290687235805652009-08-13T20:52:00.000-07:002009-08-13T21:38:10.253-07:00Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUrVubf9jcti-YVbJ2z3mbspePVBh4Bwh7_9a8UZC6FrAEd0leQngf_bhEjkuZAmXUaZompJIvNiojx0dKTzgg5FP3cGkGorbHzib1PoG2uQhxx-9mv8c9JCbic6aC84cWYAgGupJhao/s1600-h/mortgage+fromt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUrVubf9jcti-YVbJ2z3mbspePVBh4Bwh7_9a8UZC6FrAEd0leQngf_bhEjkuZAmXUaZompJIvNiojx0dKTzgg5FP3cGkGorbHzib1PoG2uQhxx-9mv8c9JCbic6aC84cWYAgGupJhao/s400/mortgage+fromt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369116748830032114" border="0" /></a>Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_Lifter">Mortgage Lifter</a> tomato. While this particular tomato is actually a slightly more modern bicolored variant, the <a href="http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=05-P13-00038&segmentID=8">Mortgage Lifter was allegedly developed</a> during the Great Depression in the early 30's by a radiator repairman named M.C. "Radiator Charlie" Byles, trying to make an extra buck.<br /><br />Although never formally trained, he successfully crossbred 4 of his favourite large-tomato-producing plants until he came up with this stable cultivar, marketed as being able to feed a family of six. And people drove from miles away to buy the plants at a dollar per plant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JRZeJ6bailwACgNpx1SCbhNcpwGH6Hrji6wFviztj0veIhG_3BzcEIAAGCfuesfnSrxZpVVkXdeBH9u1E9qUsm8xvcN7UHwKc2VV5D7-pTaStCfnsuqEmR2ix9Q7zziK5AGfrLGyl3I/s1600-h/mortgage+slice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JRZeJ6bailwACgNpx1SCbhNcpwGH6Hrji6wFviztj0veIhG_3BzcEIAAGCfuesfnSrxZpVVkXdeBH9u1E9qUsm8xvcN7UHwKc2VV5D7-pTaStCfnsuqEmR2ix9Q7zziK5AGfrLGyl3I/s400/mortgage+slice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369116754871247026" border="0" /></a>And within (depending on which version you believe) four or six years, he had his $6000 mortgage paid in full. Thus - the Mortgage Lifter. <br /><br />It's tough to judge the scale from these photos, but the above specimen has already provided for four big sandwiches, and been bitten by one ravenous Anna, and it's still more than 50% there. Family of six indeed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4ZFyb1O9LjLINPWb3-jMo88t186aFLf-OK25psCNkZ8iwFuMXNJdKjaZmMlDb7PsoHbWZSkJR_mQSkuc91BZHOR22KzonjIAMsjOE6UZkPl4uFuscz3oNB9EybK1CYt0lU4HLugAr1s/s1600-h/mortgage+back.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4ZFyb1O9LjLINPWb3-jMo88t186aFLf-OK25psCNkZ8iwFuMXNJdKjaZmMlDb7PsoHbWZSkJR_mQSkuc91BZHOR22KzonjIAMsjOE6UZkPl4uFuscz3oNB9EybK1CYt0lU4HLugAr1s/s400/mortgage+back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369116735854732898" border="0" /></a>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-17434407810245442092009-08-11T20:55:00.000-07:002009-08-11T21:16:20.336-07:00Multimedia Bacon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm a supporter of the idea of enjoying food vicariously... I mean, some of my </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_David"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">favourite writing</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is food writing. Not only does this give you the pleasure of the surrogate experience, it can also encourage you to do something new and unusual with your regular meals. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">All this by way of saying - </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_the_Great"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">HOLY SAINT ANTHONY</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!! Look what my sous-chef Savage Henry Lee cooked up today down at Starry Industries! A video-film of some delicious bacon!! From frying pan to plate.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0F-vUMhkluM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0F-vUMhkluM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">**Special thanks for editing out that part in the video where I started singing South Park's "Do What You Wanna Do". aheheh. </span></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-80835071672533002412009-08-10T20:22:00.000-07:002009-08-11T20:55:07.927-07:00The Mighty Cuke<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just a quick note to say: hey everybody! Look at my enormous cucumber! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Awwwwww yeahhhh! That's right!<br /></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3CA4DKmllSljZOT_ybrK8_Wsy6_ikrL2aW6spXoBKFOhYwY3P2oai0Bsa6vdSALRVoCsPLX7vE7VIYjL9nsSjdU02aeo7cRYWkFbOnpGu1p7rS8b3Rp3z2UNVf8k9I6eupn82IPjTx0/s1600-h/bondagecukes2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3CA4DKmllSljZOT_ybrK8_Wsy6_ikrL2aW6spXoBKFOhYwY3P2oai0Bsa6vdSALRVoCsPLX7vE7VIYjL9nsSjdU02aeo7cRYWkFbOnpGu1p7rS8b3Rp3z2UNVf8k9I6eupn82IPjTx0/s400/bondagecukes2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368544975599907042" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">~Before~</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(lower right hand side)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL1Zgks70mz5LKWx40iTefj1AONfTwGl51_dmwRrnIO1MSGoh8J88ZJ1x3wDh-K3_JimL6GW9TjY6JYvJgQVvqqMQ7tkfYGv03A9kP2SkJcpDKUpAa6ldizFkkwQGq-Gnm9mQO2uc29E/s1600-h/cuke.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 380px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL1Zgks70mz5LKWx40iTefj1AONfTwGl51_dmwRrnIO1MSGoh8J88ZJ1x3wDh-K3_JimL6GW9TjY6JYvJgQVvqqMQ7tkfYGv03A9kP2SkJcpDKUpAa6ldizFkkwQGq-Gnm9mQO2uc29E/s400/cuke.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368544436324705538" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">~After~</span><br /></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-20019031049634896752009-08-08T17:51:00.000-07:002009-08-08T18:10:25.232-07:00oh yeah, speaking of BACON!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MJgbinq2iZcNuC-FWGQcGgZBskeiZkhytes1eOpBYeobdUk6GIEvg1JP9B7_WGHd6pEeBk_9eEGOyV3wXLGuSo0k98BZnRqdc4NxKx1ORuR1xyFmSqffNES0HbpDKpRAkfqpJgBbVYo/s1600-h/tomato1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MJgbinq2iZcNuC-FWGQcGgZBskeiZkhytes1eOpBYeobdUk6GIEvg1JP9B7_WGHd6pEeBk_9eEGOyV3wXLGuSo0k98BZnRqdc4NxKx1ORuR1xyFmSqffNES0HbpDKpRAkfqpJgBbVYo/s400/tomato1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367763880258685010" /></a>We made bacon & egg & tomato sammiches for lunch. They were <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">grrrrreat</span>. The tomato was one of the great-smelling heritage guys I picked up today. Picked up and then dropped onto the street after trying to juggle too much produce. So we had to use it pronto. <div><br /></div><div>I cooked the ill-fated tomato on lowish heat in large wedges in a few knobs of butter, trying not to poke it too much. Added the eggs, which poach/fry nicely in the tomatoey butter sauce. If you're worried the eggs are going to stick, add a couple more little knobs of butter into the pan, where you will be putting the eggs. <br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocGSe8bLTUxNW31rA1hi5M6xGP5MuqBoFrxEGZlGFjtzDkjmUzPFwiDoueTDCDOeMaGYUGMrUf3u1Cdp-oulRlM29jDnPB5O4NkcgnDCPbMyVxBHNFnbEPKPXzTjD0LJT5m-OLxqeTIQ/s1600-h/eggs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocGSe8bLTUxNW31rA1hi5M6xGP5MuqBoFrxEGZlGFjtzDkjmUzPFwiDoueTDCDOeMaGYUGMrUf3u1Cdp-oulRlM29jDnPB5O4NkcgnDCPbMyVxBHNFnbEPKPXzTjD0LJT5m-OLxqeTIQ/s400/eggs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367763761238794690" /></a>Over easy, garnished with some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_de_sel">fleur de sel</a> and a few leaves of arugula, on lightly mayo'd bagels.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTf_iG65mW_givdC0TEwbm2jPJmqHjZp0SUqFV4Pc6tXKcdXQs85kGrUEwtKaSt4hZ8mAPkbBRHUsHUdLhVXxYka8lODM0_FgTJAFGt313K-1VHGjjpAIBEf5VJKZzI4D4YKMftYmspg/s1600-h/eggs2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTf_iG65mW_givdC0TEwbm2jPJmqHjZp0SUqFV4Pc6tXKcdXQs85kGrUEwtKaSt4hZ8mAPkbBRHUsHUdLhVXxYka8lODM0_FgTJAFGt313K-1VHGjjpAIBEf5VJKZzI4D4YKMftYmspg/s400/eggs2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367763636791228338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1u-OPAsJiDmA0IDoPUUtGgaJNtb0jFI8yEnU4ixkALSqkRjfy8mtZZpToa_4jjy5VuRFcuFdlMevDj58SS5oZ19QuUTGnY5breJwU8yhCm5K1amuNI9euuHJTlfSyY037HAyeTxxM4A/s1600-h/sammich.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1u-OPAsJiDmA0IDoPUUtGgaJNtb0jFI8yEnU4ixkALSqkRjfy8mtZZpToa_4jjy5VuRFcuFdlMevDj58SS5oZ19QuUTGnY5breJwU8yhCm5K1amuNI9euuHJTlfSyY037HAyeTxxM4A/s400/sammich.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367763521197538962" /></a><div><div>With bacon. Always, bacon. <br /></div></div></div></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-9012146211434983162009-08-08T17:06:00.000-07:002009-08-08T17:50:05.412-07:00Mmmmm quality BACON!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT5Ck4a4ZC_k8Qq9AWP6DzEjRed6iOqXHrZJ7d3jzO_j1m5-u8q1DUUlkWE0nGMZ_fkcDRrOwXHMccPs78P9jN4U4zAByM4QZK6qQzs7MAJcdUL9_Ebssw7DJtkK5ErYGBoPJcO5f2KA/s1600-h/bacon1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT5Ck4a4ZC_k8Qq9AWP6DzEjRed6iOqXHrZJ7d3jzO_j1m5-u8q1DUUlkWE0nGMZ_fkcDRrOwXHMccPs78P9jN4U4zAByM4QZK6qQzs7MAJcdUL9_Ebssw7DJtkK5ErYGBoPJcO5f2KA/s400/bacon1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367749879149033202" /></a>When I first bought some of this bacon from the farmer's market a month ago, I fell head over heels in love. <a href="http://www.geldermanfarms.ca/">Gelderman Farms</a> is in Abbotsford, BC and is a family-run farm. The pigs live in these nice uncrowded naturally ventilated & lit pens. Also, the Gelderman family actually blend their own feedstock for the pigs right on their farm with all vegetable components. Which, y'know... is pretty reassuring, knowing what I know about what most corporations will do to save a buck. <div><br /></div><div>(Also, the Geldermans totally recycle all the sawdust the pigs sleep in into <a href="http://www.geldermanfarms.ca/products/go_green_compost/">compost</a> for all kinds of gardening... which is pretty creative and awesome.)<br /><div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_7nIUVNVzO0BRPZBnfhz2wAyyT0r9Z-Q3ETrhlSPPDq60w1-NCDSTbEv7uJdFidPQh39frRoeGjkLeqDO2l5pqZzfmh09nNK9E-91tCFXO5zumbbMpDh7Y_G9wBdyy00bI9hmZeUEfA/s1600-h/baconprime.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_7nIUVNVzO0BRPZBnfhz2wAyyT0r9Z-Q3ETrhlSPPDq60w1-NCDSTbEv7uJdFidPQh39frRoeGjkLeqDO2l5pqZzfmh09nNK9E-91tCFXO5zumbbMpDh7Y_G9wBdyy00bI9hmZeUEfA/s400/baconprime.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367749565939051250" /></a>My secret recipe for cooking bacon... just stir it up in a cast iron frying pan. Don't worry about laying it in strips. It'll all cook eventually. It does help to have a fabulous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Creuset">enameled cast iron</a> frying pan, mind you. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYfNIwyobCNOy91PcZWI2YreCOTFhmFvmmGFi4iWPkKLGLDjcKRf6vqGAYJB0aFDkd4W7_uSVwrOycQvh5uoOe4r352e_-VjA0ZWsa2u3mRkpBYTULsoTKIarbFJrMf7nIxtg5Vyv1Kw/s1600-h/bacon3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYfNIwyobCNOy91PcZWI2YreCOTFhmFvmmGFi4iWPkKLGLDjcKRf6vqGAYJB0aFDkd4W7_uSVwrOycQvh5uoOe4r352e_-VjA0ZWsa2u3mRkpBYTULsoTKIarbFJrMf7nIxtg5Vyv1Kw/s400/bacon3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367749561876929682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifF-Las0PAumceZQxxiihTNUXWVSv9nnSM9cT6A5JmPfEmso2IPHoO-Qac0CR1W4yLK7c3YDgxX-qtWAXkNSJrdg3I4oPFw2Y6GQ-FRYTzprKphDZEawFlJL3XgxkfeAOiBTQK9V0RSYo/s1600-h/bacon2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifF-Las0PAumceZQxxiihTNUXWVSv9nnSM9cT6A5JmPfEmso2IPHoO-Qac0CR1W4yLK7c3YDgxX-qtWAXkNSJrdg3I4oPFw2Y6GQ-FRYTzprKphDZEawFlJL3XgxkfeAOiBTQK9V0RSYo/s400/bacon2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367749563380932594" /></a>Works every time. And let me tell you, this bacon is absolutely incredible. Sweet, crispy, chewy, perfectionary. I heartily endorse this product, and/or service. <br /><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 16px; "><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; font: normal normal normal 0.95em/1.2em Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; padding-left: 100px; background-position: initial initial; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; ">Aug 15 - Location Not Decided Yet</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; ">Aug 19 - Main St. Station at Thronton Park</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; ">Aug 22 - Trout Lake Farmers Market</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; ">Aug 22 - Abbotsford Farmers' Market</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; ">Aug 29 - Haney Farmers Market, Maple Ridge</li></ul></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-88828337401455878042009-08-07T09:20:00.000-07:002009-08-07T16:10:55.213-07:00Pasta Primavera with Arugula<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:100%;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Welcome to part 3 of my ongoing recipe series. Today we're making pasta sauce with whatever veggies and things in the fridge need to be used up. This sauce smells out of this world. I encourage you to reheat your leftovers in very public places, thus torturing everyone around you with the fact that they don't have any. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">First, cook up some diced onion (at least half an onion) in a bit of butter until golden. Because the zucchini takes a little bit to fry up, I added it in before the garlic. Once the zucchini is looking done-ish, add some chopped garlic if you've got it, chopped salami and the carrots. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">These just happen to be the veggies I had left over from the farmer's market. As I said, any ingredients are optional, feel free to use what you've got. If you have soft things like peppers, I'd put them in at the very very end so as not to overcook them. Added note: I find all this works better when you use a cast iron saucepan to cook in, rather than aluminum. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHM3_oSdDnnJEYmftY1YT4jZB18OIqyHSuncTvVd63QI2VlEO-eee6qaZL3ux5WHIOdjGg_Lz1bBeEntl1pshCXUFUzXXAdUsyIT8hoF8mkZAZbkjjoFNzTsw-Leupwm63MvgHGo9bGo/s1600-h/cook1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHM3_oSdDnnJEYmftY1YT4jZB18OIqyHSuncTvVd63QI2VlEO-eee6qaZL3ux5WHIOdjGg_Lz1bBeEntl1pshCXUFUzXXAdUsyIT8hoF8mkZAZbkjjoFNzTsw-Leupwm63MvgHGo9bGo/s400/cook1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364525812836242050" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And then it's time for the magic - turn the heat down a bit and add a bigass dollop of cream cheese. mmmmmmm. This stuff will melt, but you will need to stir it with vigor in order to get the lumps out of the sauce. Add lots of milk at this stage too, to thin out the cheese and help with incorporating it into the sauce.</span></div><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeqwBdB-9a2qtH18v0tIFsNE19tKqmUtb-nSPc_Kah6nleIumW7ZqGK07JTwbaoYyrzk2ngMn6CtHJD2418000rXv7ZOkASZEn-C51HidtGX4y44YLe8Y_vvUYQ54CcH4NAjwsyItPKs/s1600-h/cook2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeqwBdB-9a2qtH18v0tIFsNE19tKqmUtb-nSPc_Kah6nleIumW7ZqGK07JTwbaoYyrzk2ngMn6CtHJD2418000rXv7ZOkASZEn-C51HidtGX4y44YLe8Y_vvUYQ54CcH4NAjwsyItPKs/s400/cook2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364525713749077042" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Get some pasta on the go. We got penne, as it's great for sucking up lots of sauce. </span></div><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuXw31T1FFwFZtehjFKI26xBR5bIR27_4xmglNX7jJvKhjzwZHn4i_L0ZMON5wt8C6ttSbn4moHu9S9-1d9_urp35XSHubw_VPa6oD8DynLBdFoinXoDiotHHgIKPFn7GYTcj-E1wvkc/s1600-h/cook3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuXw31T1FFwFZtehjFKI26xBR5bIR27_4xmglNX7jJvKhjzwZHn4i_L0ZMON5wt8C6ttSbn4moHu9S9-1d9_urp35XSHubw_VPa6oD8DynLBdFoinXoDiotHHgIKPFn7GYTcj-E1wvkc/s400/cook3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364525616923766082" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some chopped garden chives to go in at the very last minute. </span></div><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fMV6Ue3t35Wj6cBZfukhHplOQ7N-rUobab-RNBQkGvuCUYZQSYig4yR4Z7m35Y4KVc2fKudPveS5fN7y4RlB9ISwfee6NP9kk-qMTfeLYG1kgKNapXw6ms4P3Kv4qYAkJm3u2baxe3Y/s1600-h/cook4.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fMV6Ue3t35Wj6cBZfukhHplOQ7N-rUobab-RNBQkGvuCUYZQSYig4yR4Z7m35Y4KVc2fKudPveS5fN7y4RlB9ISwfee6NP9kk-qMTfeLYG1kgKNapXw6ms4P3Kv4qYAkJm3u2baxe3Y/s400/cook4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364525484296697586" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 400px;" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Because my patio garden is so small, I always end up with more seedlings than planting space. Often I'll just stick the extras in a bit of dirt in one of these black tubs you get seedling in for transplanting - and they'll often thrive in these cramped conditions. I harvested a few dozen little arugula leaves from these pots to garnish our pasta dish. </span></div><div face="Georgia,serif" size="3" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The peppery bite of arugula really cuts through the creamy sauce, and it's the perfect combination with Parmigiano-Reggiano (I'm a total parmesan snob). If you get your timing right and ganbatte (work real hard), you can often crank this dinner out in about 20 minutes. </span></div><div style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; width: auto; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CRlcu6W-F5KFFxmTPEgXYpSwoBeQNpoxE684Il5jyzq7YVXK00Heg_-PhXGwGlMrvGKH3Rd9k3wIt3WU-hpmYNiuQCZSnyNn50yCwhwKa8XboCBO3_ZwK5DVY4oWno1BKJmwTTyoZlE/s1600-h/cook5.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CRlcu6W-F5KFFxmTPEgXYpSwoBeQNpoxE684Il5jyzq7YVXK00Heg_-PhXGwGlMrvGKH3Rd9k3wIt3WU-hpmYNiuQCZSnyNn50yCwhwKa8XboCBO3_ZwK5DVY4oWno1BKJmwTTyoZlE/s400/cook5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364525199651529618" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></a></div></span></div></div></span>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-7508832743643996812009-08-05T09:07:00.000-07:002009-08-05T09:15:08.606-07:00Tomato-watch Today!<div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C9sQH7NnNPuoGxWWOVqxnSFBRBi11jS8OO_U4skiLjxtfgHjEBQL5x25z4RWenED0n5Nta7YooMtmNVK-kroSPl6t57CnLAKdQygLD8hriRiyqF3ar4vcmxg-mA1InYDBad7bECuIc/s1600-h/tomatotwo.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C9sQH7NnNPuoGxWWOVqxnSFBRBi11jS8OO_U4skiLjxtfgHjEBQL5x25z4RWenED0n5Nta7YooMtmNVK-kroSPl6t57CnLAKdQygLD8hriRiyqF3ar4vcmxg-mA1InYDBad7bECuIc/s400/tomatotwo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366142092342364418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a>BEHOLD! One of the new couple of tomatoes starting to form on my happy little tomato plant. Thus bringing my total number of tomatoes to three!! I LOVE to count tomatoes. Mwah hah haaa. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDnYGEtAMZNaOj7Il2HD5oqHGQXpq3Be8D6s-n53m7qXbh6PLCnrIJzLM7DIc6JODRJDO-2nwxNFKl5PfRapm9Dwi5WR0lkICcbiSkFtNhcj92HWZ8soQAGwpH3xPKh-q_Tvju0hyphenhyphenu3M/s1600-h/tomatoone.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDnYGEtAMZNaOj7Il2HD5oqHGQXpq3Be8D6s-n53m7qXbh6PLCnrIJzLM7DIc6JODRJDO-2nwxNFKl5PfRapm9Dwi5WR0lkICcbiSkFtNhcj92HWZ8soQAGwpH3xPKh-q_Tvju0hyphenhyphenu3M/s400/tomatoone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366142088672573954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>Tomato prime is looking fat and healthy. Is very exciting.<br /></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-42091086591475901852009-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:002009-08-04T20:01:04.630-07:00Chicken Salad, a la Wa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8hLwKywHmNO5nrtIfUoadaT1fxwQMwVKp4zsLdIBd6q3ENftq9wdQRpE963LxmG3B1qgsLfQIGf0GS_cuObSm3ekDGxToxLuwbk5MJp69JQPp5feTqHrBR72_mTL9-RXZGaF5dNillM/s1600-h/celery2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8hLwKywHmNO5nrtIfUoadaT1fxwQMwVKp4zsLdIBd6q3ENftq9wdQRpE963LxmG3B1qgsLfQIGf0GS_cuObSm3ekDGxToxLuwbk5MJp69JQPp5feTqHrBR72_mTL9-RXZGaF5dNillM/s400/celery2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366139797781813522" /></a><br />This one is for my grandmother, who gained the name Wa when my eldest cousin Simon started speaking. When I visited her last, we made a very similar chicken salad to the one I describe below, which was awesome. She's well known in her group of friends for a series of trademark delicious recipes, several of which I have now gotten her to teach me how to make. <div><br /></div><div>So last night I made the most basic, most delicious chicken salad sandwiches for dinner. Ingredients: half a roasted organic chicken (light and dark meats), a small head of celery, some mayo, and garnished with a few slices of cucumber. Also, salt and pepper. Chop, mix, spread on sandwiches. </div><div><br /></div><div>I like making simple recipes, and not just because I'm lazy. When you have delicious fresh ingredients, cooking something that's too busy or overpoweringly flavoured can be gilding the lily (or as Edgar Wright would say, over-egging the pudding). I wanted to really taste the celery, which is the first full head of celery I've harvested from my garden, so I made a meal where the celery was one of the starring attractions. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmusVahutXKIfM4385RUd9y2_-4e8NO3Nujr9pKVv3q9o5blhCsqz2DItTvUVCwL0St31-eMaqRHA2mcpr9fCU5EvMpHygjCgIkM_wfObVpX_qUwwnPnjiGQYu-AISghpH9kI-W_QhQ1w/s1600-h/celery1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmusVahutXKIfM4385RUd9y2_-4e8NO3Nujr9pKVv3q9o5blhCsqz2DItTvUVCwL0St31-eMaqRHA2mcpr9fCU5EvMpHygjCgIkM_wfObVpX_qUwwnPnjiGQYu-AISghpH9kI-W_QhQ1w/s400/celery1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366139794289095986" /></a><br /></div><div>Funny celery story - apparently my celery plants are home to a few dozen families of little grey spiders. They were none too happy when I uprooted their green condo, and I have a few bites to prove it. I'm rather proud of myself for handling it so well when I realized that the sensation of little spiders running all over me <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">was actually the sensation of little spiders running all over me</span>. <br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXcMx9rgSMfukz9sm85orAEJKpUinhX6kja-nIHYd0Z5hpiCyhFZOZBkGb7cLG_nlur76yoMxNF54FviVRZZyc1b4lGa9l0mvsAyrVu9QQOaDHVmrle8W8sYd0SZYobCAuhO7W-0MD1w/s1600-h/dinnercuke2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXcMx9rgSMfukz9sm85orAEJKpUinhX6kja-nIHYd0Z5hpiCyhFZOZBkGb7cLG_nlur76yoMxNF54FviVRZZyc1b4lGa9l0mvsAyrVu9QQOaDHVmrle8W8sYd0SZYobCAuhO7W-0MD1w/s400/dinnercuke2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366139804173349586" /></a><br /></div><div>I also caved and picked the first little tiny cucumber from my garden. It never got any bigger than my ring finger, but it was starting to look a bit off, so I picked it rather than let it die a slow death (bonus, because the other cukes on that vine pretty much doubled in size over the night). My sous-chef Hank actually dropped the cucumber when he first tried to pick it up because he didn't realize the spikes covering the fruit would be so pointy. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeCmMWIGYNZLQ-ObURQRKp0VPEeB8K9XjNhzuZTyUs6FUqwS3lGPIeI3hyphenhyphenGWz1OBrvgmhddbURFJTrV21jNEy_OU6v9mWN5JyAXkroY_6K35eB8ujBdI1YdDXqWVELkfAsLfiXElv5go/s1600-h/dinnercuke.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeCmMWIGYNZLQ-ObURQRKp0VPEeB8K9XjNhzuZTyUs6FUqwS3lGPIeI3hyphenhyphenGWz1OBrvgmhddbURFJTrV21jNEy_OU6v9mWN5JyAXkroY_6K35eB8ujBdI1YdDXqWVELkfAsLfiXElv5go/s400/dinnercuke.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366139807573537634" /></a><br /></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-46788445764073591482009-08-03T15:06:00.000-07:002009-08-03T18:08:34.295-07:00Yeah, how about THESE tomatoes?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXn1gZZvIEF8nHGVJwBVWU1m-uiqYz1IleQZL7bcNDiRr-bjb_UjmTeClM5ia7XNQTtwituviWZeXoEfAEYFN4CQPOaB8StVsxcOxE_3c29-KCDp-_Atw_4-M3TVq4xyWoBSi01eJffw/s1600-h/toms.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXn1gZZvIEF8nHGVJwBVWU1m-uiqYz1IleQZL7bcNDiRr-bjb_UjmTeClM5ia7XNQTtwituviWZeXoEfAEYFN4CQPOaB8StVsxcOxE_3c29-KCDp-_Atw_4-M3TVq4xyWoBSi01eJffw/s400/toms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364480511861242594" border="0" /></a><div><div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Heritage. Organic. Local. Cherry tomatoes</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">O farmers market, I love you. Check these babies out, you NEVER see any of these varieties in the supermarket. The round yellow ones are almost translucent, and supersweet and soft. And do you see those dark ones? You'd think they were cherries or something. All the varieties except the little orange ones are heritage. They've still even got some field dirt on 'em. </span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Heritage</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">heirloom plants</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> are an interesting topic for me because of my background with plant biology. I mean, I'm all for maintaining and increasing genetic diversity, and that's what heritage cultivars are all about. Also, heirloom plants can often be more disease resistant and easy to grow in local conditions, because they have adapted over the years to the particular stresses and challenges of their environment. The novelty of getting to sample unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables is another big factor in my purchase of heritage produce.<br /><br />I read <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/07/22/consumer-local-food.html">an article</a> recently which had some interesting points which are not often discussed when it comes to local food. Rather than think only about how far your food has travelled, the author suggests that we should also consider how efficiently it was grown, the amount of time and resources that went into its production, the amount of CO2 produced in the plant's full lifespan. While I find this interesting to consider, I think that even though some varieties are less efficient to grow, they are worth saving anyhow.<br /><br />Personally, I would much rather subsidize someone on a family farm struggling to grow the same varieties that his great-grandfather did, than someone planting a monoculture of Monsanto <a href="http://www.monsanto.ca/seeds_traits/roundup_ready/soybeans/default.asp">Roundup Ready 2 Yield(TM)</a> soybeans. But I can understand how the Federal Government might consider the latter a much better bet than the former. Western society has already gone so far down the road of growing only the most efficient, high-yield, transportable, truck-ripening of plants, there is no coming back. In the meantime, I don't think there is any harm in trying to support local, heritage farmers the only way we can - with our grocery-buying dollars.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One thing you cannot deny - </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_tomato"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">heritage tomatoes</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> have some </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tomato_cultivars"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">damned awesome names</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Hillbilly, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Zebra"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Green Zebra</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (not a true heritage tomato btw., est. 1983), Abraham Lincoln, Dwarf Champion, Banana Legs. Maybe I'll become a heritage-tomato-spotter or something.<br /></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKDLMB3a-RIuyvvp6fKQHm6kAH0U6aybiwLMeH5PJUKd-bPTOvB0M1y_bleoN0EqHQJRR1xorKLaH3IS-YmjoVXA9utTCeGuTSIv7b8FHIJvWN6GG9H52RiSa5z6eXe7naZFDzwJv8as/s1600-h/cutom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKDLMB3a-RIuyvvp6fKQHm6kAH0U6aybiwLMeH5PJUKd-bPTOvB0M1y_bleoN0EqHQJRR1xorKLaH3IS-YmjoVXA9utTCeGuTSIv7b8FHIJvWN6GG9H52RiSa5z6eXe7naZFDzwJv8as/s400/cutom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364479670484537938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;">*Note: the 7 little fruits in the upper right hand corner of the top photo are actually tiny plums, not cherry tomatoes. </span><br /></div></div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-32720099193690321312009-08-02T13:52:00.000-07:002009-08-02T14:19:32.335-07:00Quesadillas De Flor De Calabaza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-uDk4u7iEiIPpvW8ipC3FI7qRZCRtDn4W4dmh6h6dFSmS8ikql7htXBt0ymq7NFHE5qn7ElozReA3pady_U12UW0BKy0wFcS6BhFq_0Zf_UGlpCpA6EhjJRqH_AZeEZ7tpvNRYYkNTo/s1600-h/quesa2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-uDk4u7iEiIPpvW8ipC3FI7qRZCRtDn4W4dmh6h6dFSmS8ikql7htXBt0ymq7NFHE5qn7ElozReA3pady_U12UW0BKy0wFcS6BhFq_0Zf_UGlpCpA6EhjJRqH_AZeEZ7tpvNRYYkNTo/s400/quesa2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365472714958697378" /></a>I usually end up doing some research on the plants I pick up to grow, and I was fascinated to read that in Mexico, the squash or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabaza">zucchini blossom</a> is sometimes considered more desirable for the kitchen than the squash fruit itself. Since other cultures usually have much to teach us, and since I had a surplus of zucchini flowers on my two plants, I figured I ought to try out one of the most popular and traditional recipes, quesadillas de flor de calabaza. <div><br /></div><div>And Madre de Dios, am I glad I did! These were some of the greatest quesadillas I've ever eaten. I pretty much made <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Quesadillas-De-Flor-De-Calabaza-Squash-Blossoms-138704">this recipe</a>, with a few substitutions. I didn't have any fresh chiles around the house, so I used jalapeno jack cheese, which added some spice. And without access to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphania_ambrosioides">epazote</a> (an anisey traditional mexican green), I had to substitute some arugula and chopped cilantro. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD4vX4vr1sUmSxWb_tmHnx-fK9CcXGRZ6reUpw4_6JiTn6VZTGgx9VV4ABggMD6f-_YIk9lDbiOP2QxHaiAMictn4RpASr-8Atu2dI5qZcrOkvRyDmFMrUkV4VD8XWgpo6ox-G7S6jwk/s1600-h/quesa1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD4vX4vr1sUmSxWb_tmHnx-fK9CcXGRZ6reUpw4_6JiTn6VZTGgx9VV4ABggMD6f-_YIk9lDbiOP2QxHaiAMictn4RpASr-8Atu2dI5qZcrOkvRyDmFMrUkV4VD8XWgpo6ox-G7S6jwk/s400/quesa1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365472707940054370" /></a>So in the above photos, the filling is fried local walla walla onion - cooked until golden, then you add a diced clove of local garlic, cook for 1 more minute then add a diced heritage tomato, cook for 1 more minute then add the squash blossoms and wilt them for about a minute and a half. And that's it! For each quesadilla, spread out a big spoonful of the filling, some grated cheese and some of the greens, fold over and fry flat in a pan with a touch of oil. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised at how meaty and thick the petals were. The taste was really out of this world! This was also one of the first meals this year where I was able to use 100% local vegetables, some from no farther away than my own back yard. I'm working on some kind of ratio system for tracking the percentage of ingredients in my meals that are sustainable, but I'm still working out the details of the equation. Keep you posted!</div>Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7212212747458527544.post-17241004070446507202009-07-31T09:08:00.000-07:002009-07-31T18:57:16.502-07:00My first tiny tomato<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm5k3zIrqdw3kWnZqnt17Wbg54RbY2XatrHbF6swXswdEQgH26yO3uFwf8qKC-vfJBZ9jkXNtC1Km4XSo4Nox1NA_wtJJbnstPvo6gOjj-p-JaF0MQzOMHj6I-NhCvDxZa2cYeajXiGg/s1600-h/at+last.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm5k3zIrqdw3kWnZqnt17Wbg54RbY2XatrHbF6swXswdEQgH26yO3uFwf8qKC-vfJBZ9jkXNtC1Km4XSo4Nox1NA_wtJJbnstPvo6gOjj-p-JaF0MQzOMHj6I-NhCvDxZa2cYeajXiGg/s400/at+last.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364657270410251170" border="0" /></a>I'll be the first to admit, lots of the things I've grown this year haven't produced anything in the way of crops. I bought this tomato plant out of peer pressure, but any tomato plants my mom ever tried to grow usually end up getting some kind of vascular wilt and passing on before producing any tomatoes. My hopes were anything but high. So imagine my very great surprise, when after 3 fruitless little cymes of flowers, I saw the above little tomato poking out from the calyx! Success at last!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFZhztuH5CNStlyVONHpsGCEoX3GyL5Vl3EskLQSxP8zlU4BpO3ExFu5W2IiJ3jmi9JPqEPVO-lY7ohd-hJSaWAlzcTfNDCItkVcnDlutvJSdWjg2BdG9Ac3uDNX4wWar1hUv02l1nsg/s1600-h/cuke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFZhztuH5CNStlyVONHpsGCEoX3GyL5Vl3EskLQSxP8zlU4BpO3ExFu5W2IiJ3jmi9JPqEPVO-lY7ohd-hJSaWAlzcTfNDCItkVcnDlutvJSdWjg2BdG9Ac3uDNX4wWar1hUv02l1nsg/s320/cuke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364657136650985378" border="0" /></a><br />This is one of the first two cucumbers I've managed to grow from my 2 cucumber plants. The bees aren't doing much in the way of pollinating this year, and I finally managed to get this guy to start ripening after hand-pollinating the flowers. It's still about ring-finger size, but I've got my eye on it. If the fungus that seems to be working its way up the plant gets anywhere near it, it'll be harvested before you can say "pickle".Mad5l5in5http://www.blogger.com/profile/09450099837772862336noreply@blogger.com0