
Annie_H
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Everything posted by Annie_H
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I've been on a tomato forum for years. An adorable Spanish member has been sending to us seeds even with limited English language skills. I've been saving seeds for a few years. --And we send what he wants to try. He just calls it 'Mallorca Long Keeper'. It is golden red/yellow about the size of a marble shooter, a bit smaller than a golf ball. Long keepers are traditionally, in Spain and Italy, are hung in cold storage, not fridge temps, but cool, and rubbed on toasted bread all winter.
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Short story. DH went to a nephews wedding 5-6 years ago in SCarolina. His hotel was next to a weekend farmers market. 6 weeks before our tomato harvest, he asked if I wanted a few tomatoes...."only if they are blush". He found a vendor that pulled some beauties from under their table that knew about blush. In his luggage were three gorgeous massive heirlooms. Weeks ahead of my harvest in NY. Blush on the counter out of direct sunlight will ripen to perfection. An informed grower/market vendor, should educate their public shoppers showing a blush, and a few on the scale to ripe. They would/will sell more tomatoes teaching the blush to ripen on a counter. A nice tomato, each day, all week. As they ripen like an avocado or a banana. Vine ripen is BS.
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Tomatoes are challenging in most climates. Cold, rain, and heat are enemies. Leaf diseases, etc. I have grown over 500+ varieties over 30 years. This years 4 1010, 36 cell trays, 3-5 seeds per cell. A couple early trays for insurance. Potting up now I have 300+ having a good year but I gift starts to neighbors and friends. Similar to SteveSando keeping old varieties alive, I play the same game with tomatoes and new varieties being crossed. Typical August-Sept Sunday morning harvest. I have to harvest heading back to the city for the week. Circled is probably a 4-5 but would be totally lost during the week unattended. Obviously more than we can use in a week but roasting, smoked, and frozen are tomato packets all winter. Similar is threat of frost we harvest in early-mid September. Cherry tomatoes go into zip-locks whole. For frittatas and pizza. Spanish long keepers and blush greens last through the holidays.
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Looking forward to my first ataulfo tonight. The smaller one is very ripe. Probably straight up or on the side of a salad plate. Tomatoes are climacteric. If you can find a market vendor that knows what that means you will be much happier with heirlooms. If you look at ripening say 1-10, a good solid blush around 5-6. 7-8 is good but any fruits over that I consider ripe. Picked early morning they will continue to ripen out of the sun and heat and be best that evening, maybe next day. Watching the weather and picking 5-8's before a storm prevents splits and waterlogged. Pick an 8 or 9 and I risk birds pecking and critters taking bites. Old timers will have none of it. Like home bread bakers that will continue their laborious habits and not even glance at KenForkish pinch and fold or JimLahey methods. climacteric vs non-climacteric fruit "...Whether or not a climacteric fruit can ripen to its full extent is dependent on if the fruit was harvested at the proper maturity stage. An example we can all relate to is with tomatoes. Tomatoes are climacteric fruit that continue ripening after harvest. However, they need to reach a certain maturity stage while still on the plant in order to ripen properly after harvest. If not and they are harvested prematurely, it results in the issues we see with store-bought tomatoes that cannot compare to home grown tomatoes..."
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Dry brining ribs to smoke tomorrow. Potato salad with lots of celery, the leaves, and a good pinch of celery seed. Excellent in tuna/chicken salads...any salad. The sprouted root ends I grow make a massive head of pencil thin stalks with lots of leaves I use all summer/fall up until the holidays. On the deck, in a pot outside the kitchen door.
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I do like that they often leave the celery top leaves on. So much flavor. We love celery. I soak, sprout, and plant the core ends. Most farmers cut short and leave the tops in their fields.
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Noticed this past week they have NewOrleansZapps hotter-n-hot potato chips but way too hot for me. Nice boxes this week but they forgot the hot sauce, 🙄, and sent almond extract, not ordered. Credited very quickly. I have two back-ups in the pantry including a YellowBird DH loves. I'll gift my neighbor the almond and will get something back. She bakes and makes all sorts of chocolate items. Probably over-ordered the vegetables but we always seem to go through it. Crisper drawer is divided 1/3rd, 2/3rds. On telescopic hinges and comes out easily to the counter to clean. When need-to-use produce barely fills the 1/3rd section, I welcome the next order. Every 3-4 orders I get a cold pack. New item is merguez, just lamb and spices. Carton of eggs under the chorizo. Cheeses are pretty pedestrian but nice to have. The VermontCreamery butter and goat cheeses are good but I still have that from a month ago. If the merguez is good I'll stock up and get a couple pasture raised chickens for a mixed grill gathering for the up-coming 3 day weekend. The cold pack was just over 30$, maybe 32. Light pantry with a few snacks. 25$-ish rounding up. No charge for the almond extract. Vegetables was about 60$ rounding up. 90% basic staples I like to have on hand. Ataulfo mangoes and watermelon are just seasonal fruits I like to have. Always a few items are generous like an extra big onion, and extra sweet potato because one was small. Two nice knobs of ginger close to half a pound. 89cents for both. A double fisted pile of golden beet greens loose, as well as the ones attached. I do find it odd that they post on my invoice my savings. 55$. I would call that more like 40$. Chips, crackers, pork rinds, chocolates, or any snacks I don't consider necessary staples. Like a co-workers wife that retired early a few years ago and has been shopping more than usual. Three twenty dollar scarves were 1/2 off. She claims she saved 30$. He claims no, you spent 30$. They really did not need three more scarves. Socks are necessary, not scarves. Tube tomato paste is a staple, as well as tinned tomatoes. I don't stock many canned goods but at 1.29 nice to have for chili and such.
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Pizza night being quick. Hatch/habanero green sauce. Chorizo, (burnt mushrooms)😒edible. Smoked mozzarella and usual parm. Then the favorite. Roasted artichoke hearts, prosciutto, olives, cherry tomatoes, three cheese. Roasted garlic cream. Red sauce.
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Nice looking cookbook. I do get giddy when I come across similar at yard sales. Restaurants often save a few quarts of pasta water for the next days 'starch'. Must be a sweet spot when to save it. Then back burnered to add as needed.
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Last night... Roasted garden tomato/smoked hatch chilis and roasted garlic soup. Panini--smoked mozzarella, parm and gouda, prosciutto, pastrami, and salami.
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Misfits keeps improving. Step-by-step. They have side lines so I can go straight to, for example, 'vegetables'. No hunting or scrolling. Now they have a search function. I usually order during CBSSundayMorning and get on with my life. I have a couple days to check back but usually don't bother. Last night I remembered I need some more hot sauce. Quick search I added a new-to-me habanero and verde RedClay brand. Zip, done. Then noticed another promo code for friends and family---including social media. 20$ off. Misfits discount...that never works but the code is COOKWME-WV5KVC My parents where I grew up, EasternShore, are in a food desert as well as my brother and SIL in Idaho. When we all gathered a couple months ago east coast, I had a couple boxes sent so I did not need to pack coolers from NY. My SIL now orders once a month even though she gardens....garden seedlings are 5-6 inches now and she can't grow some of the Misfits offerings like avocados and mangoes. My crisper is thinning but lots of variety and many 'singletons' that need using. Looks like a slaw is in my future.
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That is about how we see it. I might let Misfits go for 4-5 weeks in the summer, but local grown/farm markets/CSA's have exactly what I grow in my garden. Bad year for one crop is the same in our similar climates. NYC has had FreshDirect for 20+years. A fulfillment center in the Bronx, (maybe more), but the point is no overhead keeping traditional groceries stocked. And expensive real estate. Misfits is on my doorstep well ahead of the back dock of a grocery. Cutting out all that handling, packaging and travel. 90% comes un-wrapped, no plastic. (depending on choices). Good system now with Misfits. No order, no sent box. Next week, early Spring lacking crops and winter snow packed months?. --I would have a seizure without my fresh slaws, salads, pickles, kimchi, kombucha, fermented kraut. All winter. Getting three varieties of mango and a baby watermelon this week. A new hot sauce to try. The seasonal rotation is kinda perfect.
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^nice looking pizza. Planning a mid week pizza night...including gorgonzola. Managed an electric smoker day even in the rain---under the eaves. Small smoker but four shelves. Top shelf mozzarella (for pizza), then a couple salmon filets---one for tonights sushi. Oven par-baked ribs, then a good 2 hours on the smoker. Perfect. Good bark and just a light tug off the bone clean. Low and slow. Heap of a plate that should be a full tasting menu--well, nice thinking. If house guests or a dinner party I would make an effort and serve cocktail small shared plates standing, then a sit down for the Nasu Dengaku, (miso glazed roasted eggplant). Then Ribs and roasted radish. I was so happy with the ribs I had no reason to impress myself any further, 😂. All vegetables and root crops cooked as we like them. (just ordered more eggplant)
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NorthEast is about 36Hours now of steady soggy rain. And a bit chilly. We canceled our weekend road trip. A good thing. BC, (before covid), we would put off that dismal shopping trip---Costco, HMart, WholeFoods, (Fairway before Bankrupt) etc...usually in a piggy-back trip with a car service that needs a reservation for a Saturday free loaner car. 4-5 hour shopping trip every 5-6 months. Ikea and ChefSupply sometimes. Shit trip after a long work week. Walden Local meat share we keep postponing having some meals in the freezer. Vegetable heavy household. Shopping on-line today and enjoying the Kentucky Derby. Such a pleasure and so thankful it exists. Started my Misfits and have 24hours to add/subtract for next Thursday delivery. Re-visited WildFork I never used last holiday. Nice a-la-carte selections but out of lamb rack and other selections might be tempting. They have RedHeritage Chickens worth a look. The last of my salmon from BristolBay is in my smoker now. I've ordered twice a year since 2016. Small cryo-vacked portions, deep frozen so just ordered again. 25-30 small 5-6 oz portions. Salmon for pasta, cakes, steamed, sushi. Once a week is a good weekly meal and thaws quick. Sushi grade. I'm back to pre-covid ordering. Walden Local, Misfits, and BristolBay.--online. My local Italian butcher, HMart, Costco, I prefer to shop in person. IGourmet, SuperMarketItaly, Eataly, Baldor restaurant supply, all fine during lockdown but no longer needed. Excellent for those in a deprived food desert. Keeping it simple. 10pounds of Salmon, 4 pounds of wild gulf shrimp ordered, --Cold Spring, early summer, easy meals.
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I've never had spot prawns and would love to try them. Ann-T gets them locally. Hence my interest in a tasting like we have for oysters and clams. Often various crabs like king, blue, east coast, west coast, etc. Crab meat is 40-50 a pound now. Dad will easily get a bushel of live crab my next visit from a friend. We have traps from last spring but that is a day long hunt and hope to get a dozen. A bushel at a friendly price I can pick some for next day crab cakes.
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I lean towards agreeing with that. Not as a literal comparison but as a somewhat comparable passive appliance. I have a few smokers and all have their uses and quirks. I like our electric wood chip for a light smoke and stacked with a mixed grill. Ease of use all winter. (new to us 2020). Nice to have SV and can add multiple proteins for a work week of prepped/cooked options. Passive and boring. I prefer an old school oven braise in enameled cast iron. I would not call your choice 'entry level'. Just need to figure out how to get the best outcome for what you have. Oven par-bake with a dry rub for a couple hours low and slow. Multiple stacked shelves can make an impressive mixed grill, even octopus on a cedar plank. Salmon, shrimp and scallops...for a gathering of friends I might first smoke cheese, then a half slab of salmon with lots of lemon slices and fresh dill, then fridge and serve cold. Wood fired, shrimp and scallops, then whole chickens go on and ribs. Low and slow at 225-250. All comes off at different times all afternoon. Lots of sides and salads. A dozen ears of fresh corn on the far right side. I like the wood fired dance. Hands on with a wood fired cedar hot tub, barn pot belly stove, bon fire, and tending the smoker is 4 fires simultaneously. But that is a 6acre farm in the mountains. Not practical in a backyard in Brooklyn. Most of my friends have gas or Krieger pellet, or a kettle that pretty much does all.
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Gorgeous shrimp. Would love to attend a shrimp tasting. So many varieties. And one treat from the sea that has not hit the roof in cost. We get lots of fresh from the sea scallops, lobster, crab, oysters, mussels, uni, sole, cod, etc.--rarely live shrimp unless from a filthy poopy tank.
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I did similar last week using almond butter and a bit of tahini---using what I had on hand. Garlic, lots of ginger, soy. Mixed nuts and seeds but really missed peanuts. Had to keep tasting to get it right. A big tBsp of Korean chili flake helped. Flavor good but made my sauce before taking the package of rice noodles from the pantry. Must have been a shopper substitution. My least liked noodle in pasta or rice. All wrong, but the flavor was there. DH liked it and took it for lunch. Not bad cold.
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5 egg frittata with more of a deconstructed lasagna vibe. Using leftover Thursday nights pasta. Hot straight from the oven it is always a cafeteria blob. Packing for a weekend road trip this was an easy one pan clean up. ---and todays lunches.
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I see number costs all over these pages including my posts. Also links to websites where you can look around without signing up. Every item in my pantry pic above is 75 cents to 3 dollar less than WholeFoods. Exact same brands. So that averages about 25$ less than I would pay at the grocery in person for the same 9 items. My April 17th order was 117$ total including shipping I rounded up. (and posted cost). I had put away about 40$ of my cold pack. When ordering I often cross check prices. I take pics of my local Walden meat share and Misfits so I can just look at photo files and plan meals without digging in the freezer or crisper drawer. Wines average about 45$ for three bottles. 95$ for six. No 3BuckChucks. I still have a couple cases from my local AstorWines so I have no need for any now. I would add a 5Buck wine for cooking and a weeknight glass if they had such a thing. New item this week is something I use and am running low. 2 dollars less than I pay locally. I order what I need and will use every two weeks. And a few pantry treats. Can't get more transparent than that.
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It is a rough time for appliance replacement. Even service calls. When we began our 1962 built original kitchen , 🙄, it was a play-by-play what we replaced first, second, etc. That was ten years ago and was still difficult. I went with a 24inch killer oven we love, stacked over a Miele steam oven. No way was I going to sacrifice an architect teak Dutch designed kitchen except removing the useless cabinet above the fridge. (we went with counter depth dual compressor). We don't stuff a fridge. Look at all options available. I ordered my oven and it sat for two years waiting our time and electrician. (it was being discontinued but did not want the bells-and-whistles)---simple dials. Love that fucker. Best oven ever. We trouble shoot all our appliances via y-tube and blogs. Never have needed any service calls ever. (knock on forehead). Even our RO water filters we replaced better ourselves than the house calls we accepted pre covid. Better pressure using a bike tire pump, etc.
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^we have different fulfillment centers. Would like to try the mushrooms but not on my shopping product list. I still have a full crisper drawer and enjoying it's variety. Just sent a gift box this morning to a friend in Brooklyn going through a tough break-up. Tates cookies, crackers, nuts, chocolates, 😜, but mostly vegetables, greens, root crops, avocados, and fruit. Misfits has baby watermelons, cantaloupes, and a couple varieties of mango now. All were so good this time last year. She has a Vitamix so it should be a nice soothing gift to blender not in the mood for cooking a meal. (A TJ's shopper for frozen meals). Loves her smoothies. And my quick pickles. A dream, (?), or did I just receive an e-mail for the next RG bean club. Time flies. I only cook a half pound at a time. RG beans have always been great gifts when I have an abundance. Not many dinner parties these days to gift. I send my MIL 5-6 pounds of rhubarb every year so maybe she will get a layer of RG beans. (she lives with my SIL now in Charleston SC, so will be enjoyed.) BIL and his wife just closed on a new home, PNWest, so maybe a house warming gift of beans, 😂. And some homemade spice blends. Shipping costs suck but who cares when only once/twice a year.
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Gorgeous color. Curious what they look like fresh and live. Google search not much help. Pasta with salmon and merguez. Celery, fennel, red onion, olives, capers. Usually a few shrimp but I'm letting the freezer/pantry thin a bit. Last of the heirloom fall roasted tomatoes made a nice sauce stick blended. Homemade chili crisp for some spice. A favorite meal in our monthly rotation somewhat quick that made a nice lunch today and maybe a pasta frittata tonight.