lperry

Mushroom, red wine risotto finished with a little fresh goat's milk cheese and butter Roasted acorn squash and dates with lemon thyme

Another round of peppers got ripe, so I chopped them up and tossed them into the jar with another pinch of salt and cup of wine. I was feeling lazy so didn't seed this batch.

70% of the pages in the new flyer have at least one pumpkin product on them. I'm boycotting.

What was very likely the last tomato paella of the year. The tomatoes aren't as good as they were even a week ago, and there aren't many more out there. I guess fall is here.

^ That's a good point to make. I use mineral oil and orange wax regularly on all my boards, and that undoubtedly contributes to their longevity.

^ I'm not sure. RIght now it smells kind of weird with the fruitiness of the peppers and the wine combining into something that's a bit overwhelming to my sense of smell. I may go the old-fashioned way and just keep adding peppers in as they get ripe outside. I first heard about this being done in a commercial kitchen (poor memory - maybe Commander's?) by the chef who added leftover peppers to a fermentation jar that lived on a shelf, and that was the house sauce. I'm hoping it turns out well.

I have a John Boos board, and it is about eight years old now and has nary a crack in it, although it could probably use a sanding for all the cutting I've done. They are pricey, but I don't think I'll ever have to buy another one.

Peppers are mostly seeded (de-seeded?) chopped, and in the jar with sea salt and a cheap Riesling. Ready to ferment.

Yeowch. That seems excessive. I resurrected mine with a citric acid treatment, but it's making a screechy sound, so it just buys me a little more time to decide. FWIW, CR likes Bosch, but Whirlpool has the best rep for not needing repairs.

I am intrigued by this article on making a fermented hot sauce, similar to Tabasco. I also happen to have three ají­ Lí­mo plants that are on the verge of falling over because they are so covered in fruit. I'll put the jar together tonight. Is anyone else in?

A lentil salad with roasted beets, a yellow pepper from the graden, a handful of flat-leaf parsley (garden) and tarragon (deck), dressed in a sherry, Dijon vinaigrette. A side dish for most people, but a fall, heavy-ish dinner for us.

Chickpea, smoked paprika soup from Leite's Culinaria Roasted acorn squash (garden) and dates with thyme (I had lemon in the garden, so used that) from this month's Bon Appétit, minus the garlic In case you were wondering, dates roasted with coconut oil taste like tropical caramels.

Thirded. It's been creeping for a couple of days and is getting progressively worse.

Sweet potato and potato gratin with herbed goat's milk cheese (lemon thyme, chives) String beans in a Dijon tarragon vinaigrette

Also, can I get opinions on installation? Home Depot and Lowe's charge an extra $150 or so to install, and Costco has it included in the total price. Costco comes in below both Home Depot and Lowe's with the installation included, and I tend to trust them (American Express) more than the others for backing up their work, but I'd like to hear from others about it. Everything online about HD and L is a horror story. They can't all be horror stories, right?

Brown rice penne with caponata, the perfect end of summer garden dinner.

Ours just died. Any new recommendations? I know one of the companies has one with new water spraying technology. Hated models are also of interest.

Bold Rock Virginia Apple hard cider with homemade cranberry liqueur. The "Tastes Like Fall" cocktail.

Night before last, home grown eggplant and tofu in a Thai green curry, served over jasmine rice. An unusual meal in that I cooked something for myself instead of foraging from dregs in the fridge. Tonight, Sweet corn, black bean, poblano (garden) tacos with lime. Vegan for Mr. lperry who wants to try the Mark Bittman approach to weight loss and health, but with a random two meals a day instead of the "Until 6" concept. We'll see how it goes.

Pentagon CIty has cases of Bold Rock Hard Apple cider, 24 bottles for $29.99. (That's more than a 6-pack for free compared to what I've been paying.) They also have the veggie Better than Buillon now in addition to the beef and chicken, and bags of fresh cranberries are already in the cold room. Time to start the cranberry liqueur.

So sorry I missed the fun. I'm at home with Miss Vivienne the tortie cat who is nearly nineteen and is trying to get over an infection. Mr. lperry is out of town, and I'm afraid to leave her. Some of you will understand, and others will think I'm mental, but that's OK. I made some tomato jam to make the day about food, and I raise a glass to everyone who makes this such a great, friendly group. Cheers! -L

That is both interesting and exceptionally useful information. I had no idea there were airline cliques.

Don't cancel. People who don't RSVP always show, and the one picnic that was made thin by some pretty awful weather was really enjoyable because we got to talk and know each other much better. Let the humbuggers stay home.

I'm a carbivore, but I just finished an impromptu lunch of steamed broccoli tossed with some leftover peanut/sesame sauce I found in the fridge. I feel like I ate a truckload of food, and it was a pretty small plate. It's been an hour, too. This is a really nice, versatile sauce, and the only carby thing in it, assuming you use a no-sugar-added soy sauce, is a tablespoon or so of xiaoxing wine, and you could probably leave that out. In no particular order: equal-ish parts lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, xiaoxing wine, then a couple of chunks of raw ginger and maybe a half cup of peanut butter. Add hot sauce at will. Hit it with the immersion blender and pour/spoon over the vegetables of choice. Toast a few tablespoons of sesame seeds, grind them in a mortar and toss on top. When you can eat carbs again, this makes a fabulous salad with noodles and julienned vegetables. I got interrupted several times while typing this post. Still full.

Brown rice penne with Fairytale eggplant caponata. 2:1 veg to pasta ratio, and a big bowl of eggplant is used up. The garden and I are looking forward to tomorrow's rain. And more eggplant.