Archive for the ‘Rhode Island’ Category

BIG BAMBOO UPDATE

Posted: June 12, 2014 in Food, garden, Rhode Island, Southern New England, Uncategorized
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As I mentioned a little while ago, I grow two varieties of bamboo in my yard, and although they are quite invasive, I have my own methods of keeping the plants in check.

One stand of bamboo is in a corner of my yard that is overrun by brambles and other nasty vines. So I have no issues with the bamboo taking over this area at all. I’d rather have a desirable invasive than an ugly one.

The other stand of bamboo is a larger variety that grows to 25 feet tall, and it requires more maintenance to keep it in the area I want it to stay in. So, when some of the shoots get in my way, I simply cut them with a hacksaw and use them in my garden.

image

I use them as tomato stakes, supports for my cucumbers vines, and even pea brush, as shown here. For pea brush, I don’t remove the smaller side branches, which gives something for the peas to attach to. The photo above was from earlier in the season. Here’s what it looks like now: over 6 feet tall!

peas1

Another view earlier in the season…

Peas with pea brush, kale, spinach.

Peas with pea brush, kale, spinach.

…And now…

peas2

The kale and spinach have been harvested. (The weather’s too hot for them now.) And I’ve sown some lettuce mixes in their place. Since the bed of lettuce is on the north side of the peas, the lettuce will be shaded by the peas in the hot sun.

Bamboo is a great way to give my garden a more natural look, and not having rusty metal poles everywhere.

THE LOBSTER ROLL: SIMPLE PERFECTION

Posted: June 9, 2014 in fleur de sel, Food, lobster, Rhode Island, salt, seafood
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Nothing says summer here in New England like a lobster roll. But I never go to a clam shack to get one. Their prices are ridiculous, the meat can be overcooked, and they often add ingredients I don’t want.

Lobster boat LTL

You have to start with fresh lobster. I get mine from my lobsterman buddy, Gary, just down the street at his dock in Tiverton, RI.

A view of the Sakonnet River from the back of Gary's lobster boat, the Edna Mae

A view of the Sakonnet River from the back of Gary’s lobster boat, the Edna Mae

 

 

The next step is to cook it right. I always use sea salt to salt a large pot of boiling water. I make sure the water is at a rolling boil before the lobsters go in. And I cook them for no more than about 8 minutes.

Lobster catch LTL

After the lobsters have been removed from the pot and have cooled for a few minutes, I get to work: cracking the claws and tail and removing every bit of beautiful meat I can find. Lobster lovers will tell you that the legs have some meat in them and that the tomalley (the green liver and pancreas) and roe (eggs) are delicacies not to be missed. For the purpose of making lobster salad, I don’t use these parts. But I do save the tomalley and roe for a separate treat…and I save all the legs and cleaned empty shells for lobster stock.

Lobster roll LTL

 

Everyone has their own opinion about lobster rolls: what goes in ‘em…and perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t. I am no exception. For me, no veggies whatsoever: no chopped celery, no lettuce, no pickle. No paprika or Old Bay seasoning. A pinch of celery salt? Sure. Mayonnaise? Only Hellman’s. White pepper, not black, and just a touch. Salt? A pinch of Fleur de sel. And my secret weapon to bring out all the flavors: the tiniest squeeze of fresh lemon juice…not enough to give it a lemon flavor…just to brighten the taste.

Measurements are really up to each person’s personal taste.

I prefer those long rolls from Martin’s potato rolls: straight out of the bag or lightly grilled with a little melted butter brushed on.

 

BIG BAMBOO

Posted: June 4, 2014 in Food, garden, Rhode Island, Southern New England, Uncategorized
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I grow two varieties of bamboo in my yard, and although they are quite invasive, I have my own methods of keeping the plants in check.

One stand of bamboo is in a corner of my yard that is overrun by brambles and other nasty vines. So I have no issues with the bamboo taking over this area at all. I’d rather have a desirable invasive than an ugly one.

The other stand of bamboo is a larger variety that grows to 25 feet tall, and it requires more maintenance to keep it in the area I want it to stay in. So, when some of the shoots get in my way, I simply cut them with a hacksaw and use them in my garden.

image

I use them as tomato stakes, supports for my cucumbers vines, and even pea brush, as shown here. For pea brush, I don’t remove the smaller side branches, which gives something for the peas to attach to.

 

Peas with pea brush, kale, spinach.

Peas with pea brush, kale, spinach.

 

A great way to give my garden a more natural look, rather than having rusty metal poles everywhere.

NEED A FAST-GROWING VINE? TRY HOPS!

Posted: May 24, 2014 in grilling, Rhode Island, Southern New England, travel
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If you’re looking for a fast-growing vine to cover an arbor or other structure, nothing grows faster than hops…that’s right, like the hops in your beer! Hops farms in Germany grow the vines vertically, extending lines up to 30 feet in the air.

Once you’ve bought a few hops plants, they will reward you with interesting healthy vines that will spread quickly. And soon, you’ll also be able to split large plants and transplant them to other areas of your yard.

Early in the season, and the vines are already 2 feet up!

Early in the season, and the vines are already 2 feet up!

The vines are strong, the leaves are beautiful, and the hops flowers smell great and are different from anything else you may have in your garden. And if you brew your own beer, how cool is it to have one of your ingredients growing in your yard?

A bed of hostas below, the hops grow up this "umbrella" every year.

A bed of hostas below, the hops grow up this “umbrella” every year.

Hops are hardy perennials that will come back bigger and stronger every year. In the fall, the leaves die off and leave a wooden skeleton behind that looks great in the winter and also supplies birds with nesting material the following spring.

You can find hops plants on Amazon.

GARDENING SEASON HAS BEGUN: THE BASICS

Posted: April 7, 2014 in Food, garden, Rhode Island, Southern New England, Uncategorized
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Here in New England, it’s time to seriously think about what to plant in your garden. I’ve already sowed peas, arugula, radishes, broccoli raab, and turnips back on St. Patrick’s Day. They can be sown in the garden now, as soon as the soil is workable. Simply, that means you take a handful of soil and squeeze it. If it stays in a hard, wet clump, it’s too wet and not ready. If it crumbles apart, get gardening!
That doesn’t give you a green light to plant all your veggies, however. Many need to wait until temperatures get much warmer.
I’m currently taking courses at the University of Rhode Island to get my certification as a URI Master Gardener. Gardening can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it, and if you’re starting out, the task of deciding where to put your garden may not seem like an easy one. It varies with every home, every yard. But there are some basic things to keep in mind, and all of it is common sense. Do you have any common sense? Good. Then you should be fine…
Greenhouse greens

Greenhouse greens

You want your garden to have all the benefits possible for the best chance of success. Just remember this easy acronym: LSSDA. OK, it’s not that easy, but I couldn’t figure out how to spell anything with those letters.
Location: You need to decide if your garden is going to be something you want to see every time you look out your window, or view from your deck as you smoke your cigar at the end of a satisfying gardening day…or something that is more practical than beautiful, and therefore something that you might want to have on a side of the house where it doesn’t block an already enjoyable view.
Sun: Where you put your garden must depend on the sun. You may think you have the perfect place for a garden bed, but if it doesn’t get a full day’s sun, you can pretty much forget about growing those amazing tomatoes you drool over when you go to the local farm stand. You can always shade your garden if there’s too much sun…it’s highly unlikely you’re going to set up a bank of klieg lights if you don’t have enough.
Size: In the beginning, this may be tougher than it seems. If you’ve got an old-fashioned garden envisioned in your mind, with long rows of veggies 2 or 3 feet away from each other, you’re going to need a huge space, which means huge work. If you go with the method that I suggest: small (8-foot by 4-foot) raised beds with intensive planting, not only are you going to need a lot less space, you’ll find that you’re requiring a lot less work to get the same results. I use the Square Foot Gardening method originated by Mel Bartholomew many years ago, and I’ve never had a reason to change. I get the most food in the least amount of space. (www.squarefootgardening.com)
Distance: This means the distance from all those tools and your water source. Sure, you may be pretty damn excited about your garden in the beginning, and you’ll happily drag water 400 feet to your remote garden location…until about June. Then you’ll start making every freaking excuse under the planet to avoid watering or working in your garden…and that kind of defeats the idea. Unless you have some motorized means of hauling all of your tools and buckets out there, try to locate your garden near a garage or shed and a water source so you spend more time in your garden and less time going back and forth to your garden.

Access: Make sure you pick a place that you can easily get to. If your garden requires that you go through an archway or similar structure, you may not be able to fit certain tools, bags of peat moss, wheelbarrows, or even your own fat ass at certain times.

These are the basics to setting up properly. I have 6 raised beds that measure 8-by-4 feet, giving me a total of only 192 square feet, and yet I grow more veggies in that space that my family of 3 can possibly eat. The idea is to get more vegetables per square foot of gardening space, not per plant. When you plant things closer and more intensely, you will get better results with less work and cost. And if you can time it so that you have new plants ready to take the place of those that have been harvested, you’ve got more harvests in even the shortest of seasons. But that’s a discussion for another time.

PLANT YOUR PEAS ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Posted: March 18, 2014 in Food, garden, Rhode Island, Southern New England
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That’s how the saying goes here in New England. I’ve sown my peas in my garden as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring for years with great success. In addition to peas, you can sow arugula, broccoli raab, radishes and onions. Sprouting the peas indoors before sowing by placing them on a moist paper towel for a days or two can speed the process, but I usually just sow them directly.

peas

I also start some seedlings early indoors, including tomatoes. These will go under grow lights for several weeks until the weather outside is warm enough for them to be transferred to my unheated greenhouse.

seedlings

 

 

WINTER IN NEWPORT, RI

Posted: March 3, 2014 in Rhode Island, travel
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“The Wave” needed a little warmth!the wave

A FOODIE BENEFIT FOR THE PROVIDENCE ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE

Posted: February 28, 2014 in Cocktails, Drinks, Food, restaurants, Rhode Island, Southern New England
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Join me on Saturday, March 29th for “The Rescue,” now in its 7th year. Great drinks, tasty food bites and auctions all to help the Providence Animal Rescue League. The VIP Reception features a bourbon tasting this year. And the food bites are provided by some of the best restaurants in Rhode Island.

 

rescue image compressed

 

 

PARL does great work, and they need your help. All the details of the event are here:

http://www.parl.org/news-events/rescue

 

 

 

 

 

ONLY DORA WOULD MISS HER BACKPACK MORE…

Posted: September 16, 2013 in Capri, Caribbean, ile de re, Maine, morocco, New York City, New Zealand, Paris, Rhode Island, Santorini, travel
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After years of unfailing service, my trusty backpack has decided that its days of journeying are over.

It was all so sudden…

Edges fraying, zippers jammed, stitching coming loose, rubberized grommets dry and brittle, mesh water bottle compartments sagging–their elasticity nothing but a memory–I suppose I simply refused to acknowledge the signs of a life well-traveled coming to an end.

BACKPACK

Over the past five years, my backpack has carried bottles of wine and bags of fava across Santorini…ocean-carved granite stones from Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine…conch shells from the beaches of Anguilla….an unlikely combination of amber and smoked fish off the Baltic coast of Lithuania…jars of pate from gourmet stores in Quebec City…questionable electronics purchased on a street corner in Times Square…crocks of magnificent Maille mustard from Paris…gurgling 5-liter cans of olive oil from Puglia…cryo-vacced sausages from San Sebastian…sacks of Fleur de Sel purchased roadside in Guerande, France…dried fruit and nuts from the Souk in Marrakech…and full-sized, stinky wheels of young Pecorino from an outdoor market in Faro.

My backpack cradled all the things that ensured my safety and comfort on my journeys: passports, wallet, pocket knife, flashlight, a few feet of rope, note pad, business cards for livethelive.com, water, energy bars, Valium and Ambien for those long plane trips, Pepto for those bad food choices, and Immodium for those really bad food choices.
It accompanied me while snorkeling in St John…loading up on pasties and smoked whitefish at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula…swimming with dolphins in Moorea…riding camels along the Morrocan coast in Essouria…slurping oysters by the dozen in Pensacola Beach…flying in a hot air balloon over the vineyards outside of Barcelona…diving off the rocks in Capri…circling the dog track at the New Orleans Jazz Festival…boogie-boarding at Nauset Beach on Cape Cod…touring via helicopter over mountains and glaciers to Milford Sound in New Zealand…and relaxing poolside at the Four Seasons Resort in West Palm Beach.

Always behind me and never a complaint. A fond farewell. Thanks for watching my back, pack.

GOOSEBERRIES, MAKING A COMEBACK

Posted: July 9, 2013 in Food, garden, Rhode Island, Southern New England
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Gooseberries grow on a bush that can get anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall, the branches having sharp spines on them, making picking the berries a bit of a challenge. Berry colors are usually green, though there are red and even purple varieties. They feature a skin on the outside much like a grape, and flesh with seeds on the inside. But they’re not super sweet…just sweet and tart enough.

Gooseberries are used mostly in desserts, but in some countries, like Portugal, people mix gooseberry juice with soda, water or even milk to make a popular beverage.

 
 
I’ve always enjoyed gooseberries simply straight off the vine. My Mom had several gooseberry bushes in her yard, and the early ripening fruits were a special treat in my childhood.
 
Moving to Rhode Island 20 years ago, I had hoped that I could grow my own gooseberry bushes someday. But unfortunately, a disease called white pine blister rust made that impossible. The way white pine blister rust survives is by traveling back and forth from 2 host species. One of them, obviously, is the white pine. The other is…well, the family of plants that gooseberries belong to: Ribes. (Currants belong to this family of plants as well.) So, the logic was that if you don’t plant a gooseberry near a white pine, the rust has nowhere to go and never gets past its first of 5 stages. You literally could not plant a gooseberry within a few miles of the nearest white pine, which for Rhode Island meant nowhere! And although most states got rid of this ban back in the 1960’s, Rhode Island kept it on the books for many more years. (Part of the problem is that many gardening catalogs and websites have not updated this information and still refuse to ship gooseberry plants to Rhode Island.)
 
But recently, the ban was lifted! I visited my pal Rick at Peckham’s Nursery in Little Compton, RI and I saw gooseberry bushes sitting there, just waiting to be bought. I scooped 2 up immediately and planted them in my yard. Rick explained that the ban on gooseberries had been lifted, in part because the disease was no longer a threat, and also because new varieties of gooseberries have been developed that are immune to white pine blister rust.
 
So the next time you see a local farmstand with a basket of funny-striped grapes, look again. It may just be a basket of gooseberries…a treat that we can now all enjoy again.
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