From This Weekend's Market

Heirloom tomatoes are finally affordable! Above are some green zebras, a garden peach, possibly a Cherokee purple, and I'm not sure what else.

Baby artichokes waiting to be fried in olive oil. Just when you thought I bought the same damned things every week, the season progresses.

An assortment of baby squashes dedicated to Ya-Jo (especially the round ones). Those little crooknecks are about the size of my pinky finger!

Sweet bell peppers.

These Marconi beans are some kind of heirloom miniature variety of romano-- just the opposite of the huge Spanish romanos we had a few weeks back. No peacock broccoli this week, and the farmer who sells this stuff has suddenly clamped up-- isn't as chatty as she was. I'm-- of course-- convinced that she hates me, but I'm also sure that this clamping up or whatever really has nothing to do with me.


As soon as I finished my photo shoot, the sun came pouring through the kitchen windows:

Not pictured: amaranth, fingerling potatoes, corn.

Under the Influence

Inspired by Praveena Tooknap's recent post, I've been experimenting with mozzarella perlini.

"I like things small." - Candy Darling in Trash

I am a published haikuist and mean

The local weekly alternative newspaper Isthmus, for whom Kenneth is currently the arts and entertainment editor, asked readers to submit haiku about Madison for the Annual Manual supplement.

My poem, which-- as I understand it-- was selected for inclusion anonymously and without Kenneth's interference-- appears below.

Making Zucchini Carpaccio

From the UW Archives: Helen C. White

1965 demolition to make way for H. C. White, which currently houses the English Department.

Construction shortly after.

H. C. W. from North Park Street, circa early 80's. There are lovely views from the 6th- and 7th-floor classrooms, but I wonder how my graduate school experience would have differed had it been set primarily in those lovely cottage-like buildings by the lake, the ones being destroyed in the initial picture above. Although... I understand that before H. C. W., the English Department was housed in Bascom Hall, a grand old structure. I'll try and post an image of it in the future.

H. C. W. from Lake Mendota, circa early 80's.

Summery detail from above picture: my favorite part of all this has little or nothing to do with H. C. W.

From This Weekend's Market

Bi-color corn.

Melons grown in Wisconsin soil are particularly delicious, and I believe the orchid melon is my favorite. It's slightly headier and has a slightly more intense flavor than what I associate with straight-up watermelon.

Round zucchini.

I can't say no to okra, and I'm delighted to report that more and more farmers seem to be growing it. The above is from Harmony Valley.

When I requested a bunch of amaranth this week, the farmer replied: "Oh, we have variegated this week; would you like to try that?" Yes, please!

These sun golds are like sunshine turned into sugar turned into tomatoes. Perfect. And this batch was surprisingly inexpensive.

Peacock broccoli and dragon's tongue beans requested that I photograph them together this week.

Mixed salad greens.
Not pictured: pattypan squash, red okra.

From the UW Archives: For Kenneth

Quonset huts constructed on Library Mall (1946-53) to accommodate increased enrollment following the war.

Spot Sequence - Update

The Spot lies between my office and my gym, the Shell as it's called. When I'm on foot, it's easy to keep up with the Sequence. However, when I'm traveling by bike, I generally don't cross the spot. As a result, a large gap appears below in the Spot Sequence. I suppose our vacation also contributed to the lapse. Early in August, however, I had to have my bike repaired and was able to capture some exciting activity on the Spot.

8. 8. 2008

8. 7. 2008

8. 5. 2008

8. 1. 08

6. 9. 2008

George Gogshelidze of Georgia

"Rich season or poor season, one moves on in life with style, requiring a combination of innate knowledge and outward inquiry."

-Vogue's Mrs. Exeter

Past Cord

How beautiful is this post card. How perfectly melancholy this message.

Amazing Footnote

I love Johnstone's approach to footnoting below. I would like for all of my future citation to emulate this. Chrysal btw is tremendous-- if everyone read it, the world would be a better place-- *but* you need only see the asterisked note at the bottom of the page to get what I'm after here.

From the UW Archives: Registration Line

circa 1941. School's a'comin'.

A Nearly Perfect Salad

Pictured here both w/ and w/o flash is a corn, torpedo onion, roasted sweet chili, and sun gold salad with fresh purple basil. I think just a few wee cubes of a very mild, dry, and somewhat firm cheese would make this a perfect salad. I shopped for Queso Panela or Queso Fresco when formulating the dish but couldn't find any at m'co-op. Actually, the formerly derided Hidden Springs Bad Axe (which was available) would be great, but it's too damned expensive for anything but the most special of occasions during which this salad might be served. Until then, I'll settle for the sweetness of this nearly perfect version.

Crowded Kitchen Table, Late Afternoon, August 16

From This Weekend's Market

Torpedo onions presented here especially for Ms. Tooknap.


Green and red okra once again this week. The green is from a farm that's new to me. We ate it up last night, and it was, hands down, the best okra we've had from WI.

These Spanish romano beans are huge-- an average of 10 inches long. From the farmer who grows the Dragon's Tongue beans. In my chat with her, we agreed that they should be served whole, because cutting them up just isn't as exciting.

Gorgeous amaranth again-- so tasty and beautiful, it's a new favorite.

More delicious peacock broccoli. This week's bunch-- selected with much care for me by the farmer-- isn't quite as leafy as last week's. I'm excited to give it a go.

Mostly sun golds, with a couple of others varieties hiding in the basket. Tomatoes have finally reached full force here.

Yellow and purple beans.
Not pictured: corn, muskmelon.