If June is here can Summer weather be far behind? Well, considering that it was 54 on Monday and not much better yesterday, there is validity in this question. I am just hoping that things will get progressively better.
I was greeted with hope this morning as I see my first tomato is actually ripening. I did cheat a little and bought this “Early Girl” as a plant several weeks ago. It seems to be living up to its name. I am truly looking forward to some clear warm days as my brain is shrinking as we speak due to lack of sunlight.
I read an article in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal while I was sitting in the hotel lobby in Georgetown at 7am about this year’s tart cherry crop in Michigan. This was very disheartening – the entire tart cherry crop was destroyed due to the warm weather we had in the Spring and then a subsequent cold snap. The farmers are devastated as are all of their customers! This is sad news for all – the supply is basically nil, save for some frozen from last year, and the prices will likely be exorbitant. This is a loss of over 185 million pounds of cherries! I guess the sweet cherry crop is ok – I have had some very good cherries already. I watched an episode of America’s Test Kitchen over the weekend where they “perfected” cherry pie. They added a plum and used sweet cherries. I don’t know how I feel about this. (Hmmm……you know my attachment to my Mom’s Cherry Pie recipe) I believe there is a crop in Oregon as well. Will look into this.
Ok, so it’s Wednesday and I have already scanned the food pages of the NYT and the Star Ledger. The latter actually had some coverage this week – featuring Mario Batali and his Zabaglione. I am hoping they can come up with more features on New Jersey chefs. Anyway, the story of the day has to be the front page article in the Dining Section on the Foie Gras ban in California. I’m sorry, I know there are many inhumane issues in the food world, many smaller and many larger, including but not limited to starvation and the issues of factory farming, but I am definitely in support of the elimination of force feeding of geese and ducks for the purposes of harvesting foie gras. Sorry, find something else to eat – no one needs foie gras. Have raw oysters or something. There I said it. To defend this product by saying that ducks don’t have a gag reflex is ludicrous, sorry.
Love Melissa Clark’s article on green garlic. I have never used this and will definitely go looking for some asap. Need more peaches too.
Also love the two page ad for Agata and Valentina – a new food emporium at 64 University Place. Hope to visit there and Todd English’s food hall at the Plaza tomorrow.
Also love Nick Malgieri’s tribute to the genesis of the New Jersey blueberry industry – circa 1911 in the June Saveur!
Have a lovely day – off to do some baking.
Don’t you just love Knock-Out Roses?