tanabutler

I've had tomatoes and ginger as the basis for a shrimp stir-fry, and added other green herbs (that vary), along with yellow bells and whatever else looks good at the moment.

These are not Romas, but for those of you who don't read the "What we cooked for dinner" thread, here is the fate of three of the heirlooms I, um, inherited, from that big box upthread. I call it "Stoplight Caprese": TomatoFest heirlooms with "Mondo X" Italian olive oil that my friend brought me (it won some grand prize in an Italian olive oil competition), and balsamic. Basil from Dirty Girl Farm. They are Green Zebra, a red/black one, and I think Oxtail Orange. Soooo good.

Always to read about an absence of cat pee. You're the best. How's the poetry chapbook coming along?

Paging Andrea Nyugen! Paging Andrea Nyugen!

Hey, people could get creative with this. Texas wineries could start adding mesquite chips for flavor. It'll start a fad!

An excellent point, made even more potent by the fact that European imports cost about $3 more/bottle on the West Coast. On the other hand, those Gruner-Veltliners are made of rocks, and we jist cain't get 'em out here. They are worth the mark-up. --minerally sigh.--

Silk is easy to kill. It only needs a layer of dust. Bow down, Monica. I killed an air fern. It was in the bathroom of my aunt's house, and the humidity should have made it thrive. But no. Dead. Quickly dead. I have since successfully planted some herbs and such. Mint is your friend, but if you don't contain it, it will choke the life out of everything else around. (As noted subsequently to your post. Mint is the bamboo of the herbal garden.) Cilantro (coriander?) is easy, but keep pinching the tops off so it doesn't bolt. ("Bolting" is when something gets really tall, really quickly, and produces flowers. These are undesirable conditions for things like herbs and lettuce.) Other herbs have good flowers (marjoram and thyme come to mind). Monica, where do you live? Surely people here will help you. I think you need some professional help, in the best way--someone who grows to come and point: "There's where you can plant that, ma'am." Maybe a neighboring eGulleteer? No one should be forced to create a garden without help, never having done so. P.S. You SHOULD kill silk plants. They're tacky!

To continue with a food-related post, Katie, GO! Think of all the sisters and brothers who will offer you a veggie burrito for "a miracle"!

Doesn't that hurt?

I had my first Screaming Orgasm in the Eighties. Et vous?

Ah, I just got a telephone call from my friend who is on the island of Formica, sipping marsala and gazing out at the ocean. But I have laryngitis so bad I can only whisper, and will have to wait to hear what he ate. He always has great stories, since he goes to Italy about six times a year.

Along these lines, I had the good fortune to be at Frog's Leap Winery on July 24, for one of the Outstanding in the Field dinners. I regret not having taken notes of John William's tour of one of the vineyards. (Photos here.) This is a close-up of John, making a point about the care they take each year in amending the soil. He's not only organic, he's biodynamic. He spoke about wineries have to "double oak" (I think that's the phrase he used) wines to put flavor into them, because the grapes had been growing in such sickening and depleted soil, treated with chemicals and additives. His land, during the winter, has cover crops...I can't remember exactly what, but I think he said peas and barley. I will try to find out. It's one of the prettiest wineries I've ever seen, and visitors are encouraged to pick fruit, vegetables, and herbs in the surrounding gardens. Carolyn, this blog is just wonderful. Keep up the good work. I'm thinking of doing a farm blog with one of our local farmers. We'll see.

Speaking of Super Freak, Rick James just died (of natural causes) at age 56.

I am solidly an Emeril lover, and unapologetic about it. Emeril-bashing is such look-down-the-nose sanctimonious bullshit. And yes, I've eaten at one of his restaurants. He knows more about food and more about wine than 99.9% of the people on this board, I bet. Note: it was the New England Conservatory of Music where he was offered the full scholarship, not Julliard.

What a Feeling! You could serve some cream, but make sure you Whip It. Whip It Good. Girl, where are your leg warmers (That's What I Like about You!)? Are you feeling Under Pressure? Serve "We Don't Need Another Hero" sandwiches!

This thread should be in the General Food Topics section, because, c'mon, who doesn't love a farmers market? Markk, your table is luscious. Keep 'em coming, y'all.

I love that you have a dog named Atticus.

I haven't been to the classes, but I worked with Jonathan at an Outstanding in the Field farm dinner last October. (He brought the cheeses and bread, which I photographed.) He is a lovely man, filled with light and joy, and I would take a class in a heartbeat if it meant spending time with someone like that. Do it.

The rest of the label on the bottle: imbogliato da: "Soc. Agricola 15 Giugno r.l. montarioso, Sarteano , (51) Contenuto ml. 750e Da condumarsi preferibilmente (?) entro il: When I removed its cork, I tore the label that sealed the top. What remains says on one side says "LE MOLE" (and the paper tore right at the edge of the E); on the other side "MONDO X." I Googled for "Mondo X olive oil" and found this: "Founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1212, the huge convent was more recently claimed by the charismatic Padre Eligio, who runs dozens of recovery centers throughout Italy for children with drug problems. These young adults maintain and administer the hotel and restaurant on the premises." There is a restaurant on the premises, and everything served is grown at the community. Also, this. The MondoX.it website is not functioning.

Someone recently told me of a Bobby Flay recipe for grilled avocados. I couldn't find it, but I found Grilled Avocado with Goat Cheese and Bell Peppers. I like avocados in omelets, Cobb salads, in sushi, but don't know if I'm ready for avocado soup yet.

You know what, Dale? You were completely ripped off. I Googled, and found this page: French 75. It plainly states: "Entrees: $20.00 - $32.00." Yet they doubled their entrée price, which is a blatant scam, foisted on the innocent. I'd be writing the management a letter so fast, and so furiously, their heads would spin off their necks. I looked at the dinner menu, and only three of the ten entrées are $30 and above (and one, despite the $20 tag above, is only $18). It's unconscionable that they would jack up the prices and not make the diner aware. Your post is knowledgeable and articulate, and I feel terrible for you. Any decent restaurant would, of course, tell the prices when reciting the specials. Those that don't are loathsome scammers trying to shame people into feeling cheap for asking. Caveat emptor. I am going to give those people a heads up to your post. They've got some 'splainin' to do.

Yeah, I don't think "prime rib" when I dine out in Santa Cruz. For what it's worth, you can get P L Bar Ranch beef at the Hindquarter (a steak house where I've never eaten, though I may now that I know PL's meat is there) or Green Valley Grill in Watsonville. They provided the steaks for a recent farm dinner, and many people at the dinner think it's some of the best meat they've ever had. It rivals any beef I've ever eaten, and that includes 23 farm dinners' worth. I am very glad you enjoyed Oswald, and I bet the vegetables were wonderful. Damani and Eric have such a good touch. And of course, "duck confit" are two of the most beautiful words in the English language.

It doesn't look like a dive, but what about the Latino store right when you turn off the highway into Rutherford? I didn't have time to stop there a couple of weeks ago, but was curious. It looked like The Real Deal. Info?

I don't know any of the tomatoes except it is clearly the Green Zebra. The yellow ones were actually my favorite. Sweet but pure tomato. It occurs to me that tomatoes are part of my religion. I went to my next-door neighbor to offer him some of the bounty. "Do you like tomatoes?" (Who the hell says they don't like tomatoes?) "Uh, no. I sorta do," but I knew he was being polite. He was cool about me not being polite and not bestowing any of these 500-carat rubies on him. Squeat, the olive oil I tried to Google with no results. It's from Siena. The label says: "Le Mole dell'Amore" Olio EXTRAVERGINE d'Oliva Brucatura a mano, molitura a freddo, in macina di pietra nella Communità di Mondo X I can type up the rest of the label in the daylight. It's a dark label, and some oil has darkened the tiny type. I am glad if you liked the Stoplight stuff. I read so many chef's menus, and like the poetry and the humor. I was just creatively goofing.

You're THIRTEEN? Oh, boy! You probably have great drugs! You don't?