Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#346)…and a quick recipe

Things on the bike; all the ingredients for tomato sauce:

4 quarts fresh tomatoes (click here to see them)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 bunch fresh basil

(This is a simple but excellent tomato sauce that can be used as is or as a base for other sauces. I usually make this a few times throughout the summer months–as the tomatoes ripen in the garden–and freeze it in increments. This way I have homemade sauce throughout the winter. This recipe makes about 6 quarts but it’s really just a guide; see below for directions)

Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds; discard the seeds and dice the tomatoes. Heat the oil in a heavy sauce pan; add the onions, then the garlic, then the sugar, salt, fennel, and hot pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and the chicken broth (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook the sauce for about 45 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened. Stir in whole basil leaves and remove from the heat. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Taste it for seasoning, then puree in a blender. Refrigerate until needed.

Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#346)…and a quick recipe

Things on the bike; all the ingredients for tomato sauce:

4 quarts fresh tomatoes (click here to see them)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 bunch fresh basil

(This is a simple but excellent tomato sauce that can be used as is or as a base for other sauces. I usually make this a few times throughout the summer months–as the tomatoes ripen in the garden–and freeze it in increments. This way I have homemade sauce throughout the winter. This recipe makes about 6 quarts but it’s really just a guide; see below for directions)

Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds; discard the seeds and dice the tomatoes. Heat the oil in a heavy sauce pan; add the onions, then the garlic, then the sugar, salt, fennel, and hot pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and the chicken broth (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook the sauce for about 45 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened. Stir in whole basil leaves and remove from the heat. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Taste it for seasoning, then puree in a blender. Refrigerate until needed.

Peace Now and Then

This is a little weird and scary…is it a premonition or just a metaphor? I originally took the top photo this past spring and posted it here; I titled the post “We Need This Now More Than Ever.” Since then it seems the world has gotten crazier than ever. The building the phrase was spray-painted on was recently sold, and this morning as I rode past it there was the above pictured bulldozer plowed straight through Peace Now. Sort of gives me the shivers.

Peace Now and Then

This is a little weird and scary…is it a premonition or just a metaphor? I originally took the top photo this past spring and posted it here; I titled the post “We Need This Now More Than Ever.” Since then it seems the world has gotten crazier than ever. The building the phrase was spray-painted on was recently sold, and this morning as I rode past it there was the above pictured bulldozer plowed straight through Peace Now. Sort of gives me the shivers.

It’s Almost Time…

Beautiful aren’t they? While most of my vegetables grow in the front of my house I have two grapevines that have all but taken over my back yard. For the past few years I’ve said I was going to make wine, and a couple years ago I even purchased this antique grape press (click here to see it)…maybe this is the year. At the very least they are delicious to eat and I have enough to give away to friends and neighbors.

It’s Almost Time…

Beautiful aren’t they? While most of my vegetables grow in the front of my house I have two grapevines that have all but taken over my back yard. For the past few years I’ve said I was going to make wine, and a couple years ago I even purchased this antique grape press (click here to see it)…maybe this is the year. At the very least they are delicious to eat and I have enough to give away to friends and neighbors.

The Bicycle Commuter

I came across this short video today, it’s an advert for a new line of Levis jeans called commuter. Ok first let me say this about it. I am so glad that bicycling has become so popular that a huge company would not only portray them in their ads but actually design an article of clothing for it.  What I don’t like is that the person they portray is not a commuter, per se, but more of a young trendy guy on a fixie. This, of course, is just my opinion, and I realize that you can be trendy, ride a fixie, and still be a commuter. But when I think of a commuter I think of a person of any age riding an upright or nearly upright bike in sensible clothes on a comfortable bike. Again…just my opinion. I hope not to have irked too many people. Notwithstanding, and as aforementioned, I’m glad they are portraying a cyclist in their advertisement. I’ll get off my little soapbox now. If you want to see a few NYC bike commuters, click here; to visit a blog devoted to bike commuting, click here; and to see an example of what I consider an excellent American-made commuter bike, click here.

The Bicycle Commuter

I came across this short video today, it’s an advert for a new line of Levis jeans called commuter. Ok first let me say this about it. I am so glad that bicycling has become so popular that a huge company would not only portray them in their ads but actually design an article of clothing for it.  What I don’t like is that the person they portray is not a commuter, per se, but more of a young trendy guy on a fixie. This, of course, is just my opinion, and I realize that you can be trendy, ride a fixie, and still be a commuter. But when I think of a commuter I think of a person of any age riding an upright or nearly upright bike in sensible clothes on a comfortable bike. Again…just my opinion. I hope not to have irked too many people. Notwithstanding, and as aforementioned, I’m glad they are portraying a cyclist in their advertisement. I’ll get off my little soapbox now. If you want to see a few NYC bike commuters, click here; to visit a blog devoted to bike commuting, click here; and to see an example of what I consider an excellent American-made commuter bike, click here.

Precious Resource

The above photo was taken in my garden after a rain today. We needed it…it has been hot and humid, but mostly dry this summer. Water is such a natural and precious resource…sometimes (most times) I forget this; most times I don’t even think about it. But I should. It’s beautiful–jiggling and shimmering on a broccoli leaf in the sun–isn’t it?