Sunday supper

We're celebrating Gail's eldest son's 24th birthday today, so I fired up the Weber, seasoned some boneless ribeye steaks, and cooked them and baked spuds on the grill. Also fried up some okra (tossed in cornmeal seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, smoked and sweet paprikas, and a touch of ground cumin). It was so good, I'm so stuffed, and next week I'm gonna be in so much trouble with my doctor, because I go tomorrow morning for a physical and cholesterol check. But boy, was that steak worth it!

It must be an indulgent day: I grilled a boneless leg of lamb (marinade: soy sauce, lemon, EVOO, pesto, tarragon, thyme, black pepper, lots of smashed garlic) for use tomorrow. Then I grilled red & yellow peppers and skirt steak (marinade: Worcestershire, garlic, cayenne, thyme, black pepper) for tonight. While keeping that warm, I sliced a huge Striped German and splashed it with EVOO and sea salt. Finally, I sauteed segments of Hen of the Woods in butter, S&P. I am so pleased with myself!

Oh yeah, here's the last bit of that prep: http://public.fotki.com/jeffg165/wine/grilling-1/0907prep.html

Oh yeah, here's the last bit of that prep: http://public.fotki.com/jeffg165/wine/grilling-1/0907prep.html

Gee, I didn't take you for a granite counter kinda guy.

Gee, I didn't take you for a granite counter kinda guy.

It was here when I moved in.

[Jenise]

Jeff, dare I ask a gay man what is "a huge, striped German"?

(If the pic would have illuminated, don't scold. Tried to look but got an "unexpected page outage" message.

I dunno. I assumed he meant a bit of sausage.

It's a tomato.

I went simple yesterday.

Just sliced some yellow tomatoes, smashed some garlic and sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes, added a touch of Madeira, some chicken stock, a sliced cayenne, and let simmer for a while.

Put on a pot of water to boil, and went outside to harvest a bunch of large sage leaves. Took a few side trips to check on the plumbs--quite big and sweet right now, and the pears. Picked some greens and brussels sprout leaves for a salad, and by the time I got back to the kitchen the water in the pot was boiling.

Threw some penne into the boiling water and turned my attention to the simmering yellow tomatoes, et al. Grated some grana padano, sliced a large pat of butter, stirred them into the yellow tomatoes, lowered the heat to just above cold.

Sliced the salad greens and a large brandywine, threw some pine nuts and Moroccan olives into it, sprinkled with fig balsamic and some white pepper and made two salads.

Sliced the sage leaves and threw half of them into the yellow tomato sauce.

Drained the penne, turned off the flame under the sauce, mixed the sauce and penne in a large bowl, topped with the rest of the sage leaves and served.

Drank a 2007 Ravine's Gewurztraminer (Finger Lakes) with the meal. Good rose-petal nose, nice slightly tannic finish (skin contact), but weak in the middle from being nearly devoid of fruit and r.s. (.3%, too low for that wine).

In all, however, the wine was ok with the penne dish.

Jeff, dare I ask a gay man what is "a huge, striped German"?

Two capital letters, dearest Jenise: Striped German.

With regard to your question, as Prof. Y said, it is an heirloom tomato. As such, it is open-pollinated and almost certainly indeterminate.

(If the pic would have illuminated, don't scold. Tried to look but got an "unexpected page outage" message.

You might try again.

Jeff, dare I ask a gay man what is "a huge, striped German"?

Two capital letters, dearest Jenise: Striped German.

With regard to your question, as Prof. Y said, it is an heirloom tomato. As such, it is open-pollinated and almost certainly indeterminate.

(If the pic would have illuminated, don't scold. Tried to look but got an "unexpected page outage" message.

You might try again.

Jeff,

I've got a German tomato, that is called a strawberry. Not striped, but definitely shaped like a strawberry and quite orange colored. Also have a Polish tomato that is oblong and striped--can't remember its name. It looks somewhat like the Striped German in the pic, but the Polish version isn't an eating tomato--it's a great sauce maker.

Until last year, I had no idea how many tomato varieties are in this world, and how good they can be.

A tour through my tomato supplier's farm is enlightening. She's got over a hundred.

Start here and click through the next four or five pix.

The strawberry one you describe reminds me a bit of the Deer Heart.

Oh, yes, there are about a zillion tomato cultivars. My local greenmarket usually sports about a dozen.

I am also discovering heirloom watermelon cultivars, too! (The thrice-damned seedless variety is tasteless and has completely taken over my brick & mortar grocers.)

Oh, yes, there are about a zillion tomato cultivars. My local greenmarket usually sports about a dozen.

I am also discovering heirloom watermelon cultivars, too! (The thrice-damned seedless variety is tasteless and has completely taken over my brick & mortar grocers.)

Can you get Ogan melons in Brooklyn? If not, get thee to a catalog and plant some next year. It will make you forget all about other melons, except maybe Persian melons, which I have yet to see in NY State--the real ones, that is.

sp: Ogen, I think.

I'll have a look around. The photos I can Google seem to show green flesh. I much prefer cantaloupe to honeydew, so I'm not sure this is going to be a good marriage....

sp: Ogen, I think.

I'll have a look around. The photos I can Google seem to show green flesh. I much prefer cantaloupe to honeydew, so I'm not sure this is going to be a good marriage....

Yes, it is green flesh, but it bears no relationship to honeydew, although the honeydew I taste around these parts is hardly ever ripe. I pull these melons off the vine when they are ready to fall off by themselves. They are sublime, to me. Once had a cat who loved them, too. She demanded her share whenever is at down to eat one.

I've seen it spelled both ways in catalogues, er, catalogs, and every time I spell it, either with the e or the a, someone corrects me.

I visited my mother in Pittsburgh this weekend. Since Cincinnati is a veritable black hole when it comes to Italian and pizza, I indulged myself as per the norm. Had good pizza for lunch on Saturday (note: skipped breakfast). Saturday night was dinner out: veal parmigiana with a side of mostaccioli and a nice Chianti. Sunday breakfast was leftover pizza, cold. Then picked up another pizza to go as I was leaving town. That was dinner Sunday night when I got back to Cincinnati.

I've seen it spelled both ways in catalogues, er, catalogs, and every time I spell it, either with the e or the a, someone corrects me.

It was Google who corrected me.

I've seen it spelled both ways in catalogues, er, catalogs, and every time I spell it, either with the e or the a, someone corrects me.

It was Google who corrected me.

One more reason not to use Google's browser

Tonight, no grilling. Just a big Brandywine (EVOO, sea salt), a burrata (sea salt), and a little dish of lump crabmeat (lemon, grains of paradise).

I treat myself so nicely!

Mmm. Everyone's Sunday suppers sound so good. Jeff, I love marinated butterflied leg of lamb--I haven't made it in so long. Think I will have to do that soon. Incidentally tonight we are having Lamb Osso Buco (remember, we are not allowed to say "shank" in our golfing household...)

I returned from my trip to the Pacific Northwest Saturday night. It was a great food trip--I think I ate seafood at every meal. Incredible. Sunday I was eager to get back in my kitchen. Len and I went to Fresh Market and got all kinds of yummy stuff--especially great veggies. I made Cipriani pasta tossed with asparagus, shitakes, sliced shallots, lemon zest, and shaves of sauteed veal scallopini. The liquid was reduced chicken broth and Chardonnay that had been added to the veal pan drippings. I topped it with EVOO and a few shaves of aged Gouda.

The salad was Boston lettuce with the most flavorful tomatoes, pickling cukes, Vidalia onions topped with a dollop of bleu cheese dressing.