Food on a Stick!

     

     Here's an easy multiple choice question for you to answer:

Which of the following will Vinny sample this weekend at the Minnesota State Fair?

A.  Walleye Stuffed Mushrooms

B.  Sriracha Balls

C.  Maple Bacon Funnel Cake

D.  Deep Fried Ribs

E.  All of the above

Stay tuned for a full report when I return!

Pretzelvania

     Pennsylvania has many firsts to its credit.  But one of the tastiest is that of being the place where the first commercial pretzel bakery was founded.  Pretzels have a long history, dating back to Europe where monks twisted dough in the form of arms crossed in prayer.  After baking they were given to children as a reward for memorizing Bible verses.



     It was in Lititz that Julius Sturgis, quite by chance, began baking pretzels and selling them from his home on Main Street.  Legend has it that a hobo alighted from a train behind the Sturgis family's bread baking operation and followed his nose up to the bakery seeking employment and a meal.  And while Julius wasn't able to provide the man with a job, he did invite him to sit down with the family at the dinner table.  In exchange for his hospitality the hobo gave Sturgis a pretzel recipe.  And after 11 years baking bread Sturgis began to turn out soft pretzels in 1861.

     The family business prospered and when one relative moved from Lititz to Reading the pretzel baking continued there as Tom Sturgis sold the hard pretzels he baked.  

     The original house built in 1784 still stands on Main Street in Lititz and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  You can't miss it!  There's a huge pretzel out front.





A Sip Down Memory Lane

     Growing up there was no room in the 'fridge for soda.  Nada, zip, zilch.  When it came to sugary beverages in our house my Mother made New York's Mayor Bloomberg look like Santa Claus.  That's one reason I always looked forward to visiting my cousins in Lansdale. Their mother allowed them to mix up Kool-Aid on a hot summer day.  And I could join in adding the sugar and flavored mix and then sipping (or more accurately, gulping) the icy, cool sweetness in the shade.

     It wasn't until I was well into my teen years that I won some sort of door prize that was a $2 gift certificate to the local market in town.  That may not sound like much but fifty years ago two dollars could go a long way, especially when the purchase was for sodas that cost less than ten cent a can.  And that's exactly what I did!  I took home as many cans of A-Treat soda as those two dollars would cover.

     I purchased A-Treat for 2 reasons.  1. It was always the local favorite for things like family picnics and parties, and 2. It was the cheapest soda on the store shelves, about half the price of the national brands.  



     Bottled in Allentown the A-Treat Company was established in 1918 when two brothers, Joe & Jack Egizio, expanded the operation founded by their parents.  They bottled their carbonated soft drinks in the old fashioned, traditional method using essential oils and cane sugar rather than the more popular process using extracts and high fructose corn syrup.  The list of flavors was amazing!  In addition to the ones you might expect like root beer, cream soda, black cherry and grape, they had unique flavors that included big blue (blue raspberry), champagne cola, fruit punch, grapefruit, pineapple, strawberry, sarsaparilla and something called Treat-Up.  They also manufactured 2 kinds of ginger ale (pale dry and golden) and 2 different orange flavors (regular and dry).  I also recall a bright green lime soda as well as one that was a tonic water Tom Collins mixer.



     The sodas were distributed primarily in the 3 state region that included Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland for nearly a century.  But sadly at the beginning of this year operations ceased at their Union Boulevard plant.  That caused a run on stores selling the soda as customers stocked up on their favorite flavors.  All seemed lost until turkey producer Jaindl Companies purchased the A-Treat brand and worked out a packaging agreement with Coca-Cola of the Lehigh Valley.  Along with the brand name, Jaindl also acquired the flavor formulas and other intellectual property.  That meant things, including the taste, would remain the same.

     Former A-Treat President Tom Garvey was involved in taste testing the first flavors to come into production just to make sure they live up to the A-Treat legacy.  "Everything tastes perfect..." he proclaimed.  So once again local market chains like Giant and Redner's will soon be restocking their shelves with the local favorite.

     I wonder how many  A-Treat sodas I can get for $2 today?



Back in the Day

     Long before the cola wars fought for domination over the taste buds of American youth, local brands dominated the refrigerators of families in the Delaware Valley.  Coke and Pepsi took a back seat to a hometown favorite, Frank's.  But you have to be of a certain age to recall the advertising  slogan, "Is it Franks? Thanks!"  And you would only know that if you lived within a 50 mile radius of Billy Penn's hat on top of Philadelphia City Hall.

     Frank's Beverages was the official name of the company founded by Jacob Frank in 1885.  Jacob was a Russian immigrant who made lemon soda from freshly squeezed lemons on the streets of the City of Brotherly Love.  The headquarters and bottling plant of their beverage operation was in the Juniata section of the city at G and Luzerne Streets.



    
      And according to Larry Mendte who penned a 2010 article entitled The Cheesesteak of Beverages, "Franks...had a great cream soda and a pretty famous birch beer, but the Black Cherry Wishniak was the stuff of legends.  It is the only brand that has lived on to this day."





     But what exactly is Wishniak?  Jacob Frank knew that in Russia and Eastern Europe it was a cordial made with sugar, cherries and vodka.  One day when taste testing new flavors then company president Mulford Frank sipped a soda made from Bing cherries and said, "This reminds me of a Wishniak."  And the rest, as they say, is history.



     In 1990 Frank's was bought out by C & C Cola (another local brand).  The new company kept the brand and its famous bottles around for awhile.  But the new owners realized that it wasn't financially feasible to make a soda for just one city and so Frank's disappeared from store shelves.  But Frank's is back now.  Or at least the Black Cherry Wishniak is being bottled by the Honickman Group owns the brand and distributes it along with Pepsi, Canada Dry, Evian, and Snapple among others.  Frank's is now being bottled and distributed from a plant in Baltimore and is sent across our great nation to ex-patriot restaurants and sandwich shops that cater to transplanted Philadelphians with items like Tastykakes, soft pretzels, hoagies and cheesesteaks.  It's no longer available in the iconic bottle, just cans and a case of the famous Black Cherry Wishniak will set you back $70.

     That's quite a chunk of change to pay for some Philly nostalgia!





When life hands you lemons...

   In the July issue  of bon appetit magazine there was an article in the "fast, easy, fresh" section entitled Sunny Dressing.  The author, Chris Morocco said this:



     When you leave lemon peels behind on the cutting board, you're (literally) throwing away free flavor.  The peel adds a mild bitterness that we love, plus a bit of texture that instantly makes a salad interesting.  This whole-lemon vinaigrette can take on much more than Bibb lettuce.  It's substantial enough to go head to head with blistered string or flat beans, smoky grilled meats -- you name it.

     So take 1/2 lemon (yes, with the peel), thinly slice it, discard the seeds, and finely chop it.  Place it in a bowl with 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice.  Grate in 1/2 garlic clove, season with salt and pepper, and whisk it all together.


     Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?  So when you try it and like it, tell people you received the recipe from Vinny Garette!



Memorable Answers

     Yesterday I listed 10 slogans used to catch your attention about some familiar name brand cereals.  Here are the answers:



1. The cereal shot from guns                                             i. Quaker Puffed Rice

2. Stays crunchy, even in milk                                          a. Captain Crunch

3. It's a honey of an O                                                        h. Honey Nut Cheerios

4. Kid tested, mother approved                                        b. Kix

5. Two scoops of raisins...                                                 g. Raisin Bran

6. Snap!  Crackle!  Pop!                                                    c. Rice Krispies

7. The Breakfast of Champions                                       f. Wheaties

8. He likes it!  Hey Mikey!                                                d. Life

9. They're great!                                                               j. Frosted Flakes

10. They're A-B-C Delicious                                           e.  Alpha Bits

Memorable

     Manufacturers spend millions annually to promote their products.  That is especially true for companies in the food industry.  They pay a premium to advertisers to come up with a perfect catchphrase or slogan to make their product a household term.

     That is especially true with the cereal we pour into our bowls each morning.  According to the website Mr. Breakfast some taglines are more memorable than others.

     See if you can match up the cereal brand with the slogans listed below:


1. "The cereal shot from guns"                                        a. Captain Crunch
2. "Stays crunchy, even in milk"                                     b.  Kix
3. "It's a honey of an O"                                                   c. Rice Krispies
4. "Kid tested, mother approved"                                    d. Life
5. "Two scoops of raisins..."                                             e. Alpha Bits
6. "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"                                                   f. Wheaties
7. "The Breakfast of Champions"                                    g. Raisin Bran
8. "He likes it!  Hey Mikey!"                                            h. Honey Nut Cheerios
9. "They're Great!"                                                            i. Quaker Puffed Rice  
10. "They're A-B-C Delicious!"                                        j. Frosted Flakes            

     

BTW:  Got Milk?

answers will appear tomorrow...

A Sweet Summer Classic



     Back in June when I attended the State BBQ Championship in North Carolina I was introduced to more than just chicken and ribs.  For the first time in my life I tasted the iconic Southern beverage, sweet tea.  It's a favorite for a lot of folks who live south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Sweet tea is a great way to beat the heat and humidity of Summer in the South.


     Southern Living magazine in their August issue says that "making perfect sweet tea isn't difficult, but isn't random either.  It's the little things that make all the difference.  In the article Sheri Castle offers these tips:

Tea Tip #1:  Begin with fresh water each time.  Using water left in a kettle can give the tea a flat taste.

Tea Tip #2: A bit of baking soda keeps the tea clean and guards against excess bitterness sometimes found in tea's natural tannins.

Tea Tip #3: Tea bags should be fresh and aromatic.  Stale bags have no flavor. Store tea in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tea Tip #4: Cover brewed tea with plastic wrap before refrigerating to prevent it from absorbing food odors.

Here is their recipe:

Classic Sweet Tea

We love this recipe because it's got strong tea flavor without being bitter, and it's sweet but not cloying.

12 regular-size tea bags

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 qt. distilled or bottled water

1 qt. ice cubes

1 1/4 cups Simple Syrup

1. Place tea bags and baking soda in a large heatproof glass pitcher.

2. Bring water just to a rolling boil in a saucepan or kettle, and immediately our over tea bags, making sure bags are submerged.  Cover and steep 7 minutes.  Remove tea bags without squeezing: discard tea bags.

3. Add ice, and stir until ice melts.  Stir in Simple Syrup, and serve over ice.

Simple Syrup

This versatile syrup is the best way to sweeten tea because the sugar is already dissolved.

Bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes.  Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

A Taste of Summer

     No day trip down to the Jersey shore was complete without stopping at one of those roadside produce stands along the White Horse Pike.  There were cantaloupes, watermelons and cucumbers galore, but what everyone really wanted was a basket of Jersey tomatoes.  After all, they define a Jersey summer as definitively as the cheesesteak defines Philly.  Those heavy, orange-red, slightly flattened spheres were thin skinned & meaty with rich flesh, almost jelly-like seed pockets and an intense sweet-tart flavor.  Sliced thick and slathered with Helmann's mayonnaise between two slices of Wonder Bread they were a meal all by themselves.

     But is there really such a thing as the Jersey Tomato?  Search through the Seed Savers Exchange among the 43,261 varieties listed and no, you won't find one with that name.  But we all recall that distinctive taste of summer so it must be real!!!

     More than likely the Jersey Tomato that we enjoyed back in the 1960s was officially known at the Rutgers Tomato, introduced in 1934.  It was prized on both sides of the Delaware River. The Heinz Company in Pittsburgh used them to make ketchup and Campbell Soup in Camden purchased them for their iconic condensed tomato soup.  But unfortunately since the Rutgers seed was never patented it was cross bred with other varieties by seed companies and lost it's distinctive flavor and texture.  Other tomatoes like the Beefsteak and the Ramapo have come along to fill the void but with less fanfare.

     So is it the variety, the climate or the geography that makes a tomato worthy of the moniker "Jersey Tomato?"  The state is blessed with light, sandy clay soil, ample water supply and months of warm days and cool nights.  And tomatoes grown in the Garden State, while not traveling well, are left to ripen on the vine, not gassed with ethylene while still green and shipped hundreds of miles to a produce bin in a far away market franchise.  That gives them better taste, the one we all remember fondly.

     But there is hope!  For the past 6 years Tom Orton & Jack Rabin, Rutgers University researchers have been collaborating with Dot Hall and Bill Bangs, 2 Campbell Soup retirees to breed a better, updated version of the tomato of our youth.





     I'm heading out this morning to get some Wonder Bread & Helmann's!

Shirazi Salad

     If you're like me about now you are stockpiling numerous varieties of tomatoes.  Every day I'm picking more than my share of cherry, marzano (plum), big boy and sweet treats.  I've been able to find recipes that will use one or the other for a meal.

     But the website hellawella highlighted a salad recipe by Mindy Kobrin that utilizes 3 different tomato varieties.  It is a refreshingly delicious salad that is perfect on a hot summer's day and originates from the Persian city of Shiraz.  With herbs as companions to the tomatoes it is a meal in itself.  Here it is for you to try:



Garden Shirazi Salad

Ingredients

1 red onion, thinly sliced                                            1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar                                          1/3 tsp ground pepper

1 lb seedless cucumbers, cut into discs                   1/2 bunch of chives, cut into match-stick

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced                                            size pieces

3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced                             1/4 cup tarragon leaves, chopped

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges                          1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved                              1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, divided            1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided                        1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

Preparation

1. Combine sliced onion with red wine vinegar in a small bowl.  Set aside for 15-20 minutes.                                     Drain

2. Gently toss with your hands the marinated onions, cucumbers, garlic, tomatoes, fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Transfer to a serving platter.  Add fresh herbs and remaining half of lime juice and olive oil to the large bowl. Season to taste.  Toss. Pile herb mixture atop salad.  Serve immediately.

Humble Beginnings

     As I learn more about the culinary arts I am intrigued with the similarities in different cultural cooking techniques around the world.  One prime example is the way fried dough is prepared and enjoyed in almost every culture.  From funnel cakes at country fairs to Egyptian aish balladi, a whole wheat flat bread.

  Another is the topic for today the vegetable base that is the foundation for hundreds of dishes around the world, from soups to curries to roasts.  Aromatics lend flavor then virtually disappear.  Michael Pollen in his book Cooked refers to them as "unprepossessing herbs and vegetables."  They can include onions, carrots, garlic, tomato, celery, bell peppers, bay leaves, peppercorns, mushrooms, shallots, leeks, and celeriac that are all finely diced and are then sauteed lightly in either butter or olive oil.

Here's just a partial list of these Humble Beginnings:

Italy-Soffritto (or Battuto)
France-Mirepoix (or Duxelles)
Portugal-Refogado
Germany-Suppegrun
 Cajun-Holy Trinity
Spain-sofrito
Poland-Wloszczyzna
Puerto Rico-Recaito

All Clad Metalcrafters in Canonsburg, PA offers this recipe for their version of Spanish sofrito:



Sofrito

The sofrito can be used as a base for sauces, stews, soups, pastas, and grains.  

Yields about 3 cups.

Ingredients

2 lbs, (about 10) Roma tomatoes

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4 1/2 cups onions, finely diced

1 clove garlic, very finely minced

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

Fill an All-Clad 4 quart sauce pot with water and bring to a rapid boil.  While the water is heating, use a paring knife to cut out the stem from each of the tomatoes and score an "X" through the skin on the opposite end.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Plunge the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 5 seconds or until the skin begins to slip off the tomatoes.

1. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of ice water.  When the tomatoes have chilled, remove them from the water.  Discard the boiling water and ice bath.

     Cut the tomatoes in half.  Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and squeeze all of the seeds out of the tomatoes and into the strainer.  Press all of the liquid from the seeds, then discard the pulp.  Chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes very finely, combine with the juice, then set aside.

     Wipe the 4 quart sauce pot dry, then place the pan over medium-low heat.

2. Add the olive oil, followed by the onions and 1 tsp salt.  Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they reduce in volume and become golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, the bay leaf, and 1 tsp salt.

3. Cook the tomatoes down until all of the excess liquid has reduced and the tomatoes just begin to fry in the oil.  Season to taste with salt, Discard the bay leaf.

     Store the sofrito refrigerated for up to a week.  To use the sofrito, pour off and reserve the olive oil covering the surface.  Spoon out the desired quantity of sofrito, then cover with the reserved oil.

Chilling Out

     This time of year tomatoes are everywhere you look.  Gardeners are secretly leaving them on the doorsteps of neighbors.  And it seems that recipes for using them are everywhere as well.  And for good reason.  Fresh garden tomatoes taste so much better than their mega-mart counterparts.  

     In the September issue of Food Network Magazine there are no less than 15 recipes that highlight the end of Summer fruit.  Under the caption of So Cool is this recipe for a chilled tomato soup they claim is the world's easiest to make:

Ingredients:

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 shallot
1/2 cup olive oil
champagne vinegar
salt 
chives

Directions:

Thinly slice the shallot and cook it in the olive oil over medium-low heat until soft, about 20 minutes.  Puree the tomatoes in a blender with the shallot and oil; add champagne and salt to taste.

Refrigerate 1 hour to serve chilled (with a drizzle of olive oil and chives).

Inside Out

     It's been a bountiful harvest for my porch plants.  About now I am picking more tomatoes than I know what to do with.  And while enjoying them for lunch and dinner daily (still not ready for a breakfast tomato) I have just about exhausted my repertoire of recipes.  Tomato jam, tomato salsa, fried, stewed, and grilled tomatoes as well as sliced ones in salads have all been employed.



     Editor-in-Chief of Living magazine, Eric Pike, offers up a new and creative way to enjoy the prolific summer fruit.  Here's what he says in his editor's letter:

"Tomatoes are in their prime this time of the year.  If you can't get enough of them (I know I can't), you'll love this inside-out fork-and-knife version of a grilled cheese sandwich, which goes heavy on the tomatoes and light on everything else.

INVERTED TOMATO SANDWICH

1 slice Italian bread, 1/2" thick

Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 slices heirloom tomato, 1/2" thick

Red-wine vinegar

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh basil leaves, torn if large

1. Brush both sides of bread with oil, then pat cheese evenly onto both sides.

2.  Heat a dry non-stick skillet over medium.  Add coated bread and cook, flipping once, until cheese is golden brown and melted, about 5 minutes.

3. Place one tomato slice on a plate.  Sprinkle with vinegar, then drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Layer with toast and remaining tomato slice.  Sprinkle with vinegar, then drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Top with basil and serve.

 



Feast-i-val!

     Across our great nation the vast majority of the emergency service organizations are volunteer.  The work they do is dangerous and expensive.  Raising the necessary funds to stay in operation is an ongoing challenge.  Many fire companies and ambulance companies routinely sponsor things like bake sales, golf outings, hoagie sales, beef and beer nights and fun runs.  But the Rescue Fire Company in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland has hit upon a successful event and for the last  36 years hosted a Seafood Feast-i-val and invites the public to an all-you-can-eat afternoon on the waterfront.

     So I was more than willing to pony up $37 for my ticket, knowing that it was going to a good and worthy cause, as well as providing me with an outstanding meal.  And as I read the advertising I noted that the menu was impressive:

     Steamed Crabs                           Crab Soup                           Fried Fish
     Fried Clams                                BBQ Chicken                      Hot Dogs
     Sliced Tomatoes                        Corn on the Cob                 Watermelon
     Ranch Fries                               Sweet Potato Fries              Soda


     The feast-i-val was scheduled to be held at Sailwinds Park in Cambridge rain or shine from 1pm-6pm on Saturday August 8.  So I made sure I was there in plenty of time, arriving around 12:30.  There was already a line waiting to get into the park, so I found my place at the end and looked around at all the others standing patiently in the noonday sun.  And right away I realized I was in trouble.  Everyone else had either a large cardboard box lid or an aluminum baking pan in hand and I did not.  It was clear that I was missing something as a neophyte to the event.  So I began to ask those around me the purpose of the boxes and pans.

     The explanation was simple.  To reduce the number of trips back and forth from the food booths and the tables under the big top tents the boxes and pans acted as large trays.  They could be loaded with several different plates of food, like half a dozen crabs, some soup, a chicken leg and an ear of cornall at the same time.  Without the makeshift tray I would have to go back and forth for each separate item.  Realizing my error in preparation a man in line just behind me kindly offered to return to his car and fetch me an extra box lid for me.  That proved to be a very generous gesture that benefited me greatly.



     I spent the next 3 hours enjoying the food, the musical entertainment and the conviviality of those sitting around me.  It was quite an education as I watched feast-i-val veterans work their way through mountains of food.  It was an amazing event!





     Next year I will be better prepared.

The Versatile Peach

     Peaches are amazing!  They can be eaten right off the tree, baked in a pie, stewed, jellied, preserved, grilled, juiced and roasted.  They can be the star of a meal or lend a supporting role to an entree.

     "Peaches taste great in salads and salsas too and this recipe will help you start using peaches in a slightly different way," so says Maria Ushakova as she offers up this recipe:

Peach Salsa with a Secret Ingredient

Ingredients

     4 peaches, diced

     1/3 red onion, thinly sliced

     1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

     3/4 cup chopped parsley

     20 mint leaves, chopped

For the dressing

     1 inch long piece of fresh ginger, grated

     2 Tbsp olive oil

     juice of 1 lemon

     pinch of salt-optional

Instructions

     1. Place the peaches, onion, red bell pepper, parsley and mint into a salad bowl

     2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the grated ginger, olive oil, lemon juice and salt (if using)

     3. Pour the dressing over the peaches mixture and toss to combine.

Notes:

     Keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours in a glass container with a tight lid.

Peachy Keen

     Danielle Hanson of the Brampton Inn in Chestertown, MD reminds us that August is officially Peach Month.  In her occasional newsletter she listed the following facts:

There are 2,000 different peach varieties.

They were already cultivating peaches 2,500 years ago in China.

Peaches found their way to Persia, hence it's Latin name Prunus persica.

Alexander the Great brought peaches to Europe.

The Spaniards introduced the peach to the New World in the 15th Century.



So celebrate with something peachy this month!  They are good and good for you.  Peaches contain salicylates, the same compound found in aspirin.  And they have a low glycemic index which helps to regulate our blood sugar levels.



Tomorrow: a recipe for Peach Salsa with a secret ingredient!

Peter Piper

     We all know that Peter Piper excelled at pickling peppers.  But I wonder if he ever tried the same fermentation process with garden fresh tomatoes?  In the September issue of Food Network Magazine there is a tab marked "Fun Cooking" with a recipe for Quick Pickled Tomatoes."  So a few days ago I gave it a try.



     It was indeed fun, and easy.  I had more than enough Sweet Treat and Cherry tomatoes from my porch plants to fill a jar and so I followed the recipe.  Here it is for you:

Bring 1 cup each cider vinegar and water to boil in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon each coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.  Let cool slightly.

Gently poke 1 pound assorted cherry and grape tomatoes with a skewer or toothpick; place in a heatproof bowl with 1/2 cup roughly chopped dill.  Pour the pickling liquid over the tomato mixture.  Let cool to room temperature; divide among jars and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

An additional note reads:

"Pickled tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.  Serve with sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, or grilled fish or chicken."

A Very Special Delivery

     The 37th Annual Garlic Festival has come and gone.  But on Monday I had the opportunity to relive just a bit of the event when a package arrived for me in the mail from California.  It was from the Garlic Festival Shop and contained the items I had purchased while there.  Everything was carefully wrapped and arrived whole, much to my delight.

     And with my purchases was this note:

THANK YOU for your order...Your Garlic Festival goodies have been carefully picked from our shelves like delicate berries and placed into a wicker basket lined with garlic tops.  With the grace of a seasoned garlic braider, we tip-toed them to our packing station where Garlic Gnomes prepared your order for shipment.

Your products were methodically placed in each box using techniques taught to us by a former Tetris World Champion.  Using a pair of tweezers, we placed hundreds of packing peanuts one-by-one into every nook and cranny to endure safe transport.  We are proud that our packing is re-usable and 100% recycled, and our packing peanuts do not trigger peanut allergies...

As the delivery truck pulled away from our warehouse dock, a rare double rainbow appeared overhead.  That's when we knew the products we had created with tender love and care, were on their way to a better home.  Please use them in good health and, we promise, they will take care of you.

You just don't get messages like that from Amazon.

True Blue

     Blueberries have been touted as a super fruit.  But what are the actual facts?  Here is the "skinny" about them from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council:

A 1 cup serving contains only 80 calories.  That same serving size provides 3.6 grams of fiber.  And they are low in fat.



Blueberries deliver 25% of the RDA of Vitamin C.  They also contain Vitamin K and manganese, which is vital for done development.

The polyphenols in blueberries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  They help our bodies stay healthy and when we are sick they help us to regain our health.  Scientific research is continuing to investigate how blueberries contribute to our cardiovascular & brain health, insulin response and the ability to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

North American blueberry consumption has increased from 15.5 ounces per person in 1995 to 39.5 ounces in 2011.  That's 853 million pounds!

When purchasing fresh blueberries look for ones that are firm, dry, plump and smooth skinned with a silvery surface bloom.  They should be deep purple-blue to blue-black.  Reddish ones aren't ripe and won't ripen after being picked.  Avoid ones that look soft or shriveled or have any signs of mold.  Refrigerate them as soon as you get home, either in the original plastic pack or in a covered bowl or container.  Don't wash them until you're ready to use them, and eat them within 10 days of purchase.