LindaK

I never would have guessed sesame oil. In pho?? The Sriracha, I thought I was the only one who needed that. Love the stuff.

My own dining table is relatively inexpensive but is old teak and pretty wood, so I use a runner as an accent and as a safe place for placing hot or messy platters full of food. My role model is a friend of both taste and money. His dining room table is an antique George Nakashima--a collectible, really--which is too beautiful to cover with anything. He entertains often and informally, so that no one worries much about the fact that the value of his table is far more than that of our collective, recently renovated kitchens. He keeps plenty of coasters around for water and wine glasses, and puts trivets under serving pieces. Things get spilled or dripped, we wipe it up. Valuable, yes, but to be enjoyed with friends, not in a museum.

Beautiful! Maybe I missed it upthread so feel free to refer to me to an earlier posting, but what does "after...sauce" mean? It can't just be fish sauce, right? The "after" looks so rich compared to the "before." Maybe why good pho is so delicious.

This is what happens when I get busy and can't check posts--cherry tomatoes gone wild! If anyone actually went ahead and injected cherry tomatoes, please report back. This could be the next big thing in party snacks. hummingbirdkiss, if you disolve the celery salt in one of the liquids, injection problem solved.

Has anyone tried Legal Test Kitchen? On Congress Street, just over the Fort Pt. Channel. Same chain, a less traditional menu.

Thanks to Nakji's omlette idea, I used a handful in a frittata last night for a quick late-night meal last night. I didn't have cilantro, so threw in some mint--there's always mint. Yum.

Ah, so my colleague's suggestion of an "edible bloody mary" [see above] wasn't as crazy as I thought! My community garden--where my cherry tomatoes grow--is having a bbq tonight. I'll poll my fellow gardeners for other interesting ideas. great links, everyone. I'm not feeling so overwhelmed anymore.

For those who have suggested stuffing them as appetizers, do you use any special tool? Mine are not that big, so not sure how you'd actually do it. Sounds delicious, though.

Amazing. It would never have occured to me to freeze them, or roast or make sauce with such little guys, much less use them in Thai food or on a kebab. Love all these ideas. For those of you who freeze them, would the frozen ones work in recipes such as the foccacia, or just in the cooked pasta sauces? Merstar, I'd love the recipe for tomato chutney. I also love the ketchup idea, but have never made it before. Any required seasonings, besides vinegar? Someone at my office today had a novel idea: skewer them on a toothpick, soak them briefly in vodka, then dip in the appropriate seasoning for an "edible Bloody Mary." Don't know if it would actually work, but fun to envision! Tonight I warmed them and tossed with green beans and tarragon, to go with the roasted cod. They are tasty!

Good question. They were ubiquitous during my childhood but I haven't had them in years. My mother's version was of the bitter/sweet variety that was heavy on dark molassas and salt pork. Very good, now that I think about it. maybe we could orchestrate a come-back if we could properly pair them with other foods?

I'm awash in cherry tomatoes, and can't use them fast enough. I have two cherry tomato plants in my community garden plot--a Sweet 100 and a Sungold, maybe best of all--and they seem especially productive this year. If you grow cherry tomatoes, you know what that means. Giving away bags of them, of course. Keeping a bowl handy for snacking--done. Halved on top of sliced tomatoes, with or without mozzarella, basil, and evoo--done. Tonight for a side, I added a big handful of them, halved, at the last minute, to a saute of thickly julienned zucchini, topped with a chiffonade of mint and some crumbled feta. Wish I had a picture--it was beautiful as well as delicious. So what do you do with yours?

I think the answer depends on how much room you have to play with. My first priority would be for a large, deep sink that easily holds large pans, etc. If I still had room left for a second sink, I'd go for it, I can easily imagine that it would be handy sometimes. But a primary sink that is too small--just to have a second sink--seems wrong. Nice choice, Cali. I'm shopping for one myself and will keep this one in mind.

Geez, I'm feeling old. Along with Fifi, Varmint's thoughtful and knowledgeable postings lured me into eG way back when. True, highlights were the Pig Pickin' as well as the kitchen revovations, but Varmint's advice in numerous threads were always pearls of wisdom and humor. Thank you, Dean!

I'm with snowangel about strategically using leftovers to beat the heat. Cook once, eat twice. Last weekend, leftover poached salmon made an excellent addition to a composed salad, and extra potatoes and green beans made for a quick salad nicoise. I'm also partial to frittata as the center of a quick summer dinner. If cooking isn't an option, then just give me good tomatoes, bread, and cheese.

All these ideas sound delicious, but I'm writing this one down for when I have an oven that really works. I can actually envision a pizza version of this cooked on the grill. Lucky are those who have figs dropping from trees around them!

I love Penzey's Double Strength extract.

mmm. I may turn into a tomato soon, I'm eating so many of them while the season lasts. If we're talking minimal ingredients, I agree that technique matters. I like to start with a flavorful sourdough baguette, halved then cut into slices approximately the width of your average tomato slice. On a large plate, slice tomatoes thickly, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and evoo, sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice. Let all sit a minute to let the luscious tomato juices flow, then place the slices of bread cut side down to absorb said juices and let the bread soften for easy eating. Flip them over, top with tomato slices, perhaps some shredded basil, for an open faced sandwich. Enjoy. If we're embellishing with cheese, I'm partial to some crumbled French feta. A delicious alternative to mozzarella and no interference with easy eating.

I'm guessing that the "pistachio vinaigrette" includes pistachio oil. It's a specialty item that can be hard to find, and it's a little pricey. It's strongly flavored so a little goes a long way. For that reason, I doubt it would replace all the olive oil in a standard vinaigrette recipe.

This is a very useful perspective, especially if this is for a Mensa event. I would imagine that there will be folks there who know art history and would expect an accurate reference (in some form) to the artist. Me, I esp. love the suggestions from kouign and jackal10. As an educated person with a but superficial knowledge of art history, I associate Bosch with grotesque images of hell. Have fun.

What a wonderful story. One of the things I've remembered from family and friends' funeral and tragedy sadness is the lack of anything fresh. The most precious gifts came in the form of fresh stuff; the perishables we didn't have the time nor energy to shop for. Don't forget the veg and fruit. Maggie, I'm sorry to learn that your mother passed recently. Very sad. I was struck by the earlier comments about lasagne, etc. Delicious but heavy for summer. Speaking for myself, this time of year i want light and seasonal. pre-cooked: - a pasta or couscous salad, including lightly steamed veggies such as broccoli or pea pods. - a roasted chicken or two, or some cooked chicken breasts or wings with a basting sauce for reheating. - stuffed peppers or zucchini (meat or veggie stuffing, as you prefer) - a meatloaf, with sides such as potato salad and fresh veggies (beans, etc.) prepped and only needing a quick blanche. - a big batch of ratatouille, great as a side, or with pasta or an omlette. Or how about the components for a quick, homemade meal: - a batch of homemade pesto, with some fresh pasta - some good tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and a bunch of basil for a caprese salad. - chicken salad, with tomatoes, cucumbers (you can peel, slice in advance and pack in a ziplock bag), good bread. Surely others can add to this list. I agree with everyone that home baked goods are always welcome.

I don't belong to the CSA. my meat consumption is limited and I wouldn't know what to do with all that meat. I pick things up at the farmers market on an as needed basis. Because you never really know what they'll have with them on any given day (or if other customers will beat you to it), on those times when I've wanted something particular on a given day, I've ordered in advance. Or, like last week, someone ahead of me was buying a lovely slab of bacon along with their bag of heirloom tomoatoes, and suddenly I had to have one too. Snagged the last one they had. BLTs!!

Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells. Purchased last weekend and already well-read but not yet tested. I'm a fan of her previous cookbooks as reliable sources of recipes for classic, relatively easy French food. This one seems different, however, more original and modern in its approach. It has gotten great reviews, and I think will live up to the hype.

At some point during Sunday’s “Shop ‘n Eat” lunch in Providence, the conversation drifted from Minh Hai’s delicious eggplant and tofu to Michael Pollen’s book, the Omnivore’s Dilemma, and the difficulties of finding locally and conscientiously-raised meat. I thought I would start this thread to pass on the name of a source in MA that I’m aware of, and give others on the New England forum a place to add the names of other local producers in the region, assuming they're out there. Since I moved to MA, I’ve been a regular customer of Stillman’s Farm at my local farmers markets around Boston. Last year, Kate Stillman and her husband Aiden Davin purchased an adjacent property and began raising cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. Although their banker was dubious about the enterprise, the Turkey Farm at Stillman’s already appears to be a success, with demand from local chefs as well as their farm stand clients. They’ve begun a meat CSA as well. You can read more about their farm, philosophy, and products on their web site. I can personally vouch for the quality of their lamb, bacon, and extra thick pork chops. And they offer specialty products like uncured pork belly and leaf lard. Earlier this year, the Boston Globe ran a story on them, and it looks like the link is still active: Staying down on the farm. If you live in the Boston area, check them out. They’re cool people as well as good farmers. Any other recommendations out there?

Your pictures and recipes are beautiful--no cherries at our local farmers markets here in Boston. I love sour cherries, nothing better for pies or canning. Someone, please, make a gateau basque with fresh cherries!

Breakfast was pastry from Sonia's with my morning coffee--the ghatas, which are a rich but still light and flaky sour cream dough swirl of pastry. wonderful. but in the end, I think my favorite was the unnamed current-studded cake that we sampled in the store. Others bought much more pastry than I did--any other must try sweets from Sonia's?