Love Apples Are in the Air
Well, it's that time of year, and love apples are in the air. And on the air. I enjoyed listening to Arthur Allen talk about his new book Ripe: The Search for The Perfect Tomato on the radio last week. I just ordered my copy. I will let you know what I think! Click here to listen to the interview.
Speaking of love apples, and apples, I wanted also wanted to pass along this tidbit that I learned from Karen Caplan, CEO of Frieda's Inc., The Specialty Produce Company, whom I recently had the pleasure of meeting. (From her blog):"...I believe that the No. 1 reason tomatoes don’t taste good is that they are NOT supposed to be refrigerated! And I’ve visited too many friends and gone into their kitchens to find them putting their lovely fresh tomatoes in the refrigerator and their apples on the counter. REVERSE THAT! If you put tomatoes in the refrigerator, you kill the flavor. And apples – well, they SHOULD be refrigerated to keep their crispness."
And there you have it.
--StellaCadente*
Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista
Trish on April 08, 2010 at 05:13 AM
I'm right there with you on tomatoes. I don't grow them anymore (they don't seem to do well here in Nebraska - at least in my backyard) so I am so excited for the Farmer's market to finally open here. We do grow a cherry tomato plant on the patio in a pot - my granddaughter (4 years old) loves tomatoes too and she loves to come over in the summer and pick the little tomatoes off the plant and eat them.
Scott on April 08, 2010 at 05:33 AM
Yeah, I remember the tomatoes too, Stella. On one particular day in Abruzzo, I scored, steamed, peeled and seeded, then sliced and diced around 25 kg of tomatoes for an upcoming wedding banquet. It seemed like I did about 10 kg a week when we didn't have a large banquet.
I brought in some San Marzano tomato seeds last fall, along with the pachino tomato seeds. My wife is the gardener, and she planted them a couple of weeks ago. They are sprouting and thriving. Here in Colorado, though, we can't put them in the back yard until mid-May.
As sick as I was of doing tomatoes that way last year, I always do my cooked tomatoes that way now. It really does make a difference, don't you think? And it really doesn't take that much longer.
Keep writing, I love to read what's happening with you.
StellaCadente* on April 08, 2010 at 09:11 PM
@Scott, I *totally* forgot about pachinos. Rats! I will have to savor them vicariously through you. And thanks for the kind encouragement! I don't think I will ever, ever, ever get sick of tomatoes.
@Trish: good to hear your granddaughter is starting off on the right foot! ;)