Sunday, February 03, 2008
Last Tomatoes, First Daffodils
I missed the opportunity last fall to do much in the garden -- my attention was elsewhere -- so I'm now playing catchup in winter. The endless rain hasn't helped, but I got out to do some cleanup today and found a few Supersweet 100 tomatoes lingering on an overwintered plant, as well as the first daffodils opening up. I also pulled some carrots.
At this point Cousin Jim in Minnesota is checking the date on this post. Yes, on February 3, I found some edible tomatoes outdoors. They're not going to win any beauty or flavor contests, but it's fun to have them.
At this point Cousin Jim in Minnesota is checking the date on this post. Yes, on February 3, I found some edible tomatoes outdoors. They're not going to win any beauty or flavor contests, but it's fun to have them.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Little Lyon in Dubai?
Surreal story in today's New York Times about an entrepreneur in the United Arab Emirates who's so smitten with the French city of Lyon that he wants to build a small version of Lyon in Dubai. Among the points of interest:
I, too, love Lyon. It's the home of our dear friend Hélène and the setting of many wonderful memories. It's a superb walking town -- the Castro Valley Boulevardier would appreciate it. Its festival of lights is breathtaking -- do a Google image search for "Lyon 'Fete des Lumieres'" to see some examples. Lyon has the finest farmer's market in France, which says a lot. (Interpol headquarters is there, too -- what could be cooler than that?)
But loving Lyon is one thing; trying to re-create it under a dome in the Middle East is something else entirely.
The Paul Bocuse Institute is hoping to set up a branch to train young chefs and restaurant and hotel managers. The Museum of Textiles is poised to open a silk museum and lend select treasures from its vast silk collection. Lyon’s soccer team has signed up to operate a center to train a Dubai team. Research is under way to cool outdoor spaces naturally to make strolling bearable during dust storms and 105-degree heat. [Emphasis mine.]
I, too, love Lyon. It's the home of our dear friend Hélène and the setting of many wonderful memories. It's a superb walking town -- the Castro Valley Boulevardier would appreciate it. Its festival of lights is breathtaking -- do a Google image search for "Lyon 'Fete des Lumieres'" to see some examples. Lyon has the finest farmer's market in France, which says a lot. (Interpol headquarters is there, too -- what could be cooler than that?)
But loving Lyon is one thing; trying to re-create it under a dome in the Middle East is something else entirely.
Labels: food, France, friends, science, weather
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Last Apple
Last night I ate the last apple of the season from my tree.
The tree's a dwarf Granny Smith, planted in the front yard next to the alley. This year I got some twenty apples from it -- surprising for a tree that's only about four feet tall. We worried when we planted the tree by the alley that its fruit would all be used as projectiles by passing schoolkids. But the sad fact is that kids don't walk to school anymore, and the homeschool kids who take piano lessons next door are polite enough not to mess with the tree, so the fruit stays on the branches until I (or gravity) take it off.
And I like to leave Granny Smiths on the tree for a long time -- ideally until after Christmas. Left on the tree, the fruit turns golden and sweet, like a Golden Delicious only not mealy. Perfect for slicing and eating. But for now, it's back to commercial apples.
The tree's a dwarf Granny Smith, planted in the front yard next to the alley. This year I got some twenty apples from it -- surprising for a tree that's only about four feet tall. We worried when we planted the tree by the alley that its fruit would all be used as projectiles by passing schoolkids. But the sad fact is that kids don't walk to school anymore, and the homeschool kids who take piano lessons next door are polite enough not to mess with the tree, so the fruit stays on the branches until I (or gravity) take it off.
And I like to leave Granny Smiths on the tree for a long time -- ideally until after Christmas. Left on the tree, the fruit turns golden and sweet, like a Golden Delicious only not mealy. Perfect for slicing and eating. But for now, it's back to commercial apples.
