Pantry

Lovage Salt

Year by year it grows. This year, it forced the sorrel out of its path, and 7' of bolting blooms choked out the light for the thyme. Lovage is taking over our garden.

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Green Almonds and Sour Plums

About once a month we head out to explore some of the many ethnic grocery stores that are north of our house. These expeditions are always fun, and sometimes they yield a real gem -  a food, a place, or a shopkeeper we visit again and again.

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Candied Bergamot Zest

I came into some bergamots. Like an inheritance, four gleaming orbs showed up one day unexpectedly, their pocked skins sending missiles of mouthwatering spray into the air. Visions of bergamot gumdrops danced in my head, my imagination sparked by that familiar floral perfume.

But it wasn't meant to be.

Precious though they were, I was the victim of poor planning and had but a few hours to make them last. Zesting and candying might be my best chance to preserve them for the days when the light shines longer.

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20lb Cherry Challenge

It's not everyday that you get to bring home 20 pounds of peak-of-the-season fruit, but I did just that after taking the Cherry Bus to Yakima, WA recently. Naively, I'd hoped to bring home a couple pounds so that I could make cherry ice cream or brandied cherries. I didn't even consider I'd bring home as much as I did, so I had to work extra hard (and quick) so not to waste a single stone.

So what did I do with 20 pounds?

Potted Cherries with Balsamic and Tarragon

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