June 19, 2005

I finally complete digging up my entire plot in the community garden yesterday. Overall, things are looking good. Tiny green beans have appeared on the plants, the first tomatoes are growing on the vine, and the squash and cucumber vines are growing by the day. Pictures to come...

Tonight was another salad night...I picked some really nice lettuce, and augmented it with a garlicy, mustardy potato salad, a corn and red pepper salad (accented by some fresh basil), and a red cabbage and carrot slaw, dressed with olive oil and some of my precious balsamic vinegar.

So here's the story on the vinegar. For my birthday, Glen gave me a completely extravagant gift card to Sur la Table. While I did buy some practical stuff, I was seduced by a $50 bottle of balsamic vinegar. (See the Villa Mondori balsamic at http://www.surlatable.com/common/products/product_details.cfm?PRRFNBR=13092) It really is true, that as far as vinegar is concerned, you get what you pay for. It is just really a different product, and it makes a very nice salad. Not to mention a nice accompaniment to strawberries, or a hunk of good Parmesan.

I have heard somewhere that, in Italy, there are people who carry tiny bottles of balsamic vinegar on chains around their necks, and they dole the precious contents out with an eyedropper. I don't think that I'll ever go that far...but I do understand where they are coming from.