The season has changed in the city. The sky has turned that unmistakable clear September blue, and the trees are edging toward yellow, with bunches of leaves giving up altogether and falling from trees still green. The sounds of fall are here too–the brisk wind and the last frenzied twittering of the birds. I can hear both right now through open back door. Though almost dead, my yellowed tomato plants out on our 3rd-floor roof deck have started sending brand new shoots into the sky (a tribute I guess to the cooler daytime temperatures). And yesterday, we got our second shipment of jewel-toned pears in the CSA share, signaling that fall really is here. [Read more…]
roasted chicken with collards and tomatoes
Lately, our apartment had gone from “slightly chaotic” to “post-apocalyptic.” Our one year-old is walking a bit, but more often and more worryingly, she is climbing anything that’s climbable. She has recently made appearances standing on the kitchen table, teetering atop almost every chair, and pulling up on all manner of boxes whether they are sturdy enough to support her or not. She’s also fond of sitting on the very edge of almost any drop off, including the bed, couch, or steps. Needing to watch our budding Evel Knievel every second of the day means there’s a lot less time for almost everything else, including family dinners.
So when the nice folks over at Real Simple asked if we wanted to get involved in Real Simple’s Month of Dinners blog relay, we said yes. Simple dinners? For a month? We (really) need that. [Read more…]
getting it done (mightily)
now in season: watermelon
Watermelon started showing up at least a month ago, but now the last melons are being harvested. We received a (blessedly) tiny one in our farm share this week, and I’ve been staring at it wondering what to do. I feel like as long as I have it, this fantastic summer won’t end. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re coming out of a rough few years filled with struggles, ridiculous busyness, and stress. But this summer we’ve traveled, vacationed, and enjoyed a more relaxed pace in life. I’m afraid that once the fall begins, and really it has, our lives will return to swirling chaos. And so here we are with one last summer watermelon, promising at least one more summer dish, and one last evening of summer bliss. [Read more…]
tomato lime jam
At last, fall has arrived in the city. For a procrastinator like me, that means it’s time to put up the season’s food. Last year, I was hampered by the new baby, a sick dog, and a hurricane. But this year, I was ready. Or so I thought. Brian went off the the Union Square Greenmarket in search of canning tomatoes. And when he called asking if he should get 25 or 50 pounds, we both thought 50 would be best. [Read more…]