Replies

Same here, a lot like you and Diana and Pollard. We had a lot of rain here along the I70 corridor, about 4 inches total. Then cold, same as you. Anything exposed is gone, basil and tomatoes.

She enjoyed her 250 Lb + of heirloom tomatoes and capri salads and bruchetta, but now Mrs. Pete is tired of the buckets of tomatoes and things ripening in the kitchen! (I want my kitchen back!! Do you hear me??)

I think we will warm up and dry out enough to set out garlic and potato onions. (Japanese Multiplier Green onions and Catawissa walking onions from Bakers creek are already established and should take off in the spring.) Today or tomorrow I will clean up any thing left that is not in a low tunnel. If it warms up enough I will remove the winter cover I threw over the top of the nylon mesh and give the broccoli and cauliflower more sunlight.

Regarding rain and tomato salads, (A drizzle of balsemic vinegar on your caprese salad!) here is a BBC article on Balsemic Vinegar:

Why your balsamic vinegar is likely fake!

"Traditional balsamic vinegar from the two provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy is made from grape varieties grown in the mildly calcareous soil of the provinces. "To produce it, mosto cotto (cooked must, or crushed grape juice including the skin, stem and seeds) is progressively aged for decades in sets of aromatic wooden barrels known as a batteria (battery)," said Lara Vecchi, a fifth-generation traditional balsamic vinegar maker at Acetaia Bompana in Modena. This slow process takes place in an acetaia, a dimly lit attic, where its cold in the winter and warm in the summer, and this change of temperature is key to a fragrant, dark and thick liquid with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours."

(more at link)

Sure enough, I just checked the bottle I have from Trader Joes. While it is PGI (protected geographical indication) it is not "tradizionale"! (Which is ok, I did not expect that it was!) So the ersatz product but from Modena.

Spring is when the annual refilling of the barrels at Bompana’s vineyards in Modena is done (Credit: Priya Mani)

Recipe from the above article: Calzogatti (polenta cooked with beans)

Calzogatti con aceto balsamico recipe
By Lara Vecchi

Serves 6

4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup polenta (corn meal)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can borlotti beans, drained
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
a few sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable
traditional balsamic vinegar, for serving

Method
Step 1 In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the salt. Slowly and steadily add the polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent any clumps. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook slowly, stirring for about 30 minutes, until thick, smooth and creamy.
Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the beans, tomato, garlic and cook for a few minutes, until thick and saucy. Stir in the chopped rosemary.
Step 3 Mix the bean sauce into the polenta evenly.
Step 4 Line a rectangular cake pan with parchment or smear a spoon of neutral oil on the base and the sides of the pan. Tip the polenta and bean mixture into it, flattening the top and covering it neatly with a parchment sheet. Let it cool overnight at room temperature or refrigerate for 3 hours. The polenta will be set into a cake. Flip this over on a wooden board and cut into 5cm (2 in) squares.
Step 5 In a medium frying pan, heat some neutral oil over medium-high heat and pan fry the polenta pieces until golden and crisp on the outside. Drain on a kitchen paper and continue until all the pieces are done. Serve warm, with drops of traditional balsamic vinegar.

( Looks great, but does this not cry out for a squash / pumpkin for bean substitution? )

CF: French Corn Pumpkin "pie"

Mrs. Pete wants her kitchen back... sounds like a perfect time to suggest the construction of a summer kitchen.

I can’t imagine doing the canning/preserving that I do here in Mrs. Augie’s kitchen.

It’s nowhere close to big enough to set up two or three banjo cookers, not that it would be safe to do so, and it keeps the mess out of the house.

I would love to have a dedicated space to do that sort of stuff, but for now I’ll have to be content doing it in my workshop like I have since we built this place.