A scene (by Anna) from Ross' tomato-laden garden

The urgency of ripening of fruit has been a reoccurring theme since my return to Oregon. It started with a batch of plums, then figs, crab apples and pears. It is a community event, rallying together to make the most of what nature so generously supplies; a degree of anxiety accompanies the various harvests- the window of opportunity short but the quantity great.

Last week my friend Ross' birthday (Ross Kanaga of What People Eat: Oregon fame) coincided with the ripening of a large number of tomatoes. So in the vein of the themed birthday parties of our childhood, the evening was made into a tomato-centric affair. Everyone brought a dish with tomatoes. Lack of central communication yeilded more varieties of caprese salad than I could have thought possible, but they all tasted a little bit different and nothing beats fresh ripe tomatoes. We had two kinds of stuffed tomatoes, tomato pizza, dried tomatoes, bread with tomatoes baked into it, grilled cheese sandwiches with that same bread and fresh tomatoes, and a delicious carrot cake with dried tomatoes on top (carrots love tomatoes, in the garden and in the mouth- it sounds weird, but I'd encourage it again)

Now the plums on my friend Charley's tree are ripening by the bagful. And we can't eat them or give them away fast enough. We had a movie night last Thursday where we watched my new favorite movie "La Pointe Courte" by Agnes Varda and ate plum tart that Nancy made. She sent me the recipe for the tart that night and I've made it two times since. It's my perfect dessert right now. The original recipe is from epicurious, I'm reposting it here with Nancy's adjustments so you can all try:

Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons (about) ice water

Topping
1 1/2 pounds plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 slices
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For crust:

Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

For topping:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss plums, 4 tablespoons sugar, ginger and cinnamon in bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 12 1/2-inch round. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl; sprinkle over dough, leaving 2-inch plain border. Arrange plums in concentric circles on dough, leaving 2-inch plain border; drizzle with melted butter. Fold dough border in toward center. Sprinkle border with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake tart until plums are tender and crust is golden, about 45 minutes.

Cool tart 1 hour on baking sheet. Run long thin knife under tart to loosen. Using 9-inch tart pan bottom, transfer tart to plate; serve at room temperature.

Fish Couscous with Fregola Sarda

This week marks the 11th Anniversary of the Cous Cous Fest of San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily. It is known that couscous is a staple of North African cuisine, where it is usually served with rich tagines of meats mixed with various fruits and spices. However, it is also true that couscous has been eaten in other parts of Europe for more than 800 years, mainly in Sicily. And it was in fact through Sicily, and not through Southern Spain, as one would assume, that this grain product entered the European culinary repertoire.
Sicilian cuisine is as rich and multilayered as its history. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Normans, among others, have ruled this predominant Mediterranean island, leaving their mark in agricultural practices, cooking styles, and eating habits throughout the ages. Under Roman rule, Sicily, along with North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, formed the breadbasket of the empire. The fertility of Sicily and its famed wheat production is what lured the Romans to conquer the island, which supplied the wheat for the empire’s swelling population. It almost goes without saying that wheat, known as “Similia”, was a major agricultural staple, and its subsequent culinary preparations formed the base of the diet. The most common Roman wheat dish was “puls”, a basic wheat porridge, from which there were many variations.
In 902 the Arabs gained control of Sicily, and their rule left a lasting legacy on the food and culture of the largest island of the Mediterranean. The Arabs improved the irrigation technology and agricultural productivity of the island, and introduced the hard “naked” variety of durum wheat, which was much sturdier than the softer wheat varieties of the Romans. They also brought the craft of rolling couscous, which in Italian is known as “incocciata”. Rolling the wheat with water and salt into small balls, then drying them in the sun, as couscous is prepared, was a way of preserving the wheat for Winter and times of scarcity. This is the same for dried pasta, of which the preparation was a major contribution of the Arabs to the Mediterranean diet. In fact, Sicily became a major exporter in that era of dried pasta throughout the region.
Western Sicily is where one can see the most prominent vestiges of Arab dominion, though one can see the legacy of the 400-year rule throughout the whole island. Couscous probably made its way to the island in the 12th century, and has remained a culinary tradition to this day. While in western North Africa couscous is served with poultry, beef, fish, or vegetables in a variety of combinations including fruits and spices, in Sicily the preparation is with seafood only. The cuscusu is steamed twice in the fish broth, known as “la ghiotta”, and is not always served with the actual fish pieces. The final dish is then garnished with a strong herb pesto of garlic, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.
This week we join in the Cous Cous Fest of San Vito Lo Capo with a few recipes that play with cuscusu and its derivatives in a playful way. We are not seeking authenticity with our recipes, but rather we hope to share what we have learned about this cross-cultural grain and the magical island of Sicily through our preparations.

Yesterday I made a great discovery. I was on the go and did not have time to sit down to eat, so I went into my local health food store for a snack to tide me over. Among other things, I picked up a packet of raw and vegan Ko-Ko Krunchies by Didi's for Health. Their texture is sort of a cross between that of fruit leather and an energy bar. They contain only hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, dates, carob, and vanilla. They are not sweetened, but get their flavor from the natural dried fruits that they contain. The carob gave them a subtle chocolate flavor, and the dates were present, but not too rich, which often happens in energy bars. The only recommendation I have is to really take your time with the chewing. I ate mine at a steady pace and ended up with a really sore jaw afterwards.