You're so fortunate to have access to lovely apricots, Naomi! I found some two years ago in Vermont (but they were from Pennsylvania) and made as much jam as I could but here on the coast of Maine they just don't like the weather much.
However, I loved the idea of the skillet cake and might make two for Labor Day picnic lunch, one with blueberries, the other with chopped strawberries, mixed right into the batter. I'll let you know how they turn out.
Excellent... I often put chopped apple or pear on top, lightly softened in butter or else raw...and blueberries in. The Ontario apricots are unusually terrific this year because of the hot sun (and drought). Same with peaches.
You remind me that these nourishments whether singing or baking are so key. It's otherwise such a scary & frankly mostly awful world right now. I feel absolute disgust for Americans.
This is excellent. That’s a forgiving cake. I was waiting for you to describe how you made the entire thing on the stove top though, as I’ve been doing with pizzas and flatbreads and even boules. And thanks for the country to the South shoutout! As if we had anything to do with it, or can actually do anything about it. It’s too late to consider whether some obscene hagiography will replace fact in anything remotely resembling what we used to call history. You speak of things as if they are just starting. They have been in motion for decades. Watch the movie 2073, inspired by Chris Marker’s La Jetée. No longer a science fiction docudrama! At first I thought it was the News! It’s a map of what happened and when. How can apricots be sweeter based on hot weather? Was it cold last winter? That’s what would determine sugar content, unless the fruit is smaller with less water content. Actually more photosynthesis could be taking place, producing more sugars that are concentrating in the fruit.
I don't know the answer to your apricots question. But I was told by a farmer chef here who is from Turkey that you need plenty of sun to give apricots full flavour and that this year's wonderful apricots are proof of that
That makes sense. Coupled with the drought extended photosynthesis would really increase sugar content. The drought part more because of water reduction so the sweetness becomes more pronounced tasting, although not necessarily because it’s actually sweeter. It’s similar to what gets done with oregano, mint, even tarragon in sunnier climates. They just deprive them of water to concentrate oils and other volatiles.
Stress produces more intense flavour. Patience Gray told me they didn't water their tomatoes, artichokes, beets, etc in Puglia and the consequence was more intense flavour
Wow! I was going to ask you whether you had ever met her. I am formally envious! Interesting my grandmother from far Northern Italy a goat rearing community in no country’s land in the Alps did the same. Not with betterave though. She did it with fennel tomatoes basil oregano and corn destinex to be dried. She was able to grove figs on the Jersey shore so I thought it was just one of her many super powers!
I was very lucky to meet her and all due to my wonderful friend Nancy Harmon Jenkins. (We shared a rented car during a stay in Puglia and then to drive north to Vercelli. I was chasing after rice.) We had lunch with PG and the sculptor at their house, ate tender May vegetables from their garden.
I hesitate to question the wisdom of Patience Gray, but if there is no rain for days and weeks, and tomato plants aren't given any water, they wilt and die. There's a difference between irrigated crops, which can have pallid flavor, and keeping your plants alive in a drought, by giving them water to prevent the soil from completely drying out. Mulching helps to keep the topsoil from drying out, so perhaps her tomato and artichoke plants were well mulched and didn't need extra water between episodes of rain. Can't help adding a bit of personal gossip here: my British son-in-law's maternal grandfather was Patience Gray's employer, design mentor, and neighbor in Hampstead Heath before she started writing about food. MY SIL's mother grew up playing with Patience Gray's children, and as an adult visited PG several times in Puglia. And we are on the same page about singing with other people -- I belong to a community choir and am joining a second singing group. Joining your voice with others in harmonious vibration is both healing and thrilling.
You're so fortunate to have access to lovely apricots, Naomi! I found some two years ago in Vermont (but they were from Pennsylvania) and made as much jam as I could but here on the coast of Maine they just don't like the weather much.
However, I loved the idea of the skillet cake and might make two for Labor Day picnic lunch, one with blueberries, the other with chopped strawberries, mixed right into the batter. I'll let you know how they turn out.
Excellent... I often put chopped apple or pear on top, lightly softened in butter or else raw...and blueberries in. The Ontario apricots are unusually terrific this year because of the hot sun (and drought). Same with peaches.
You remind me that these nourishments whether singing or baking are so key. It's otherwise such a scary & frankly mostly awful world right now. I feel absolute disgust for Americans.
Your skillet cakes are legendary, Nom!
Skillet cake - brilliant! Now I’m going to have to translate the measurements into anglo -speak. Possibly pounds n ounces rather than grams n kilos
sorry. I got lazy! Don't cup measures work for those who don't do metric?
This is excellent. That’s a forgiving cake. I was waiting for you to describe how you made the entire thing on the stove top though, as I’ve been doing with pizzas and flatbreads and even boules. And thanks for the country to the South shoutout! As if we had anything to do with it, or can actually do anything about it. It’s too late to consider whether some obscene hagiography will replace fact in anything remotely resembling what we used to call history. You speak of things as if they are just starting. They have been in motion for decades. Watch the movie 2073, inspired by Chris Marker’s La Jetée. No longer a science fiction docudrama! At first I thought it was the News! It’s a map of what happened and when. How can apricots be sweeter based on hot weather? Was it cold last winter? That’s what would determine sugar content, unless the fruit is smaller with less water content. Actually more photosynthesis could be taking place, producing more sugars that are concentrating in the fruit.
I don't know the answer to your apricots question. But I was told by a farmer chef here who is from Turkey that you need plenty of sun to give apricots full flavour and that this year's wonderful apricots are proof of that
That makes sense. Coupled with the drought extended photosynthesis would really increase sugar content. The drought part more because of water reduction so the sweetness becomes more pronounced tasting, although not necessarily because it’s actually sweeter. It’s similar to what gets done with oregano, mint, even tarragon in sunnier climates. They just deprive them of water to concentrate oils and other volatiles.
Stress produces more intense flavour. Patience Gray told me they didn't water their tomatoes, artichokes, beets, etc in Puglia and the consequence was more intense flavour
Wow! I was going to ask you whether you had ever met her. I am formally envious! Interesting my grandmother from far Northern Italy a goat rearing community in no country’s land in the Alps did the same. Not with betterave though. She did it with fennel tomatoes basil oregano and corn destinex to be dried. She was able to grove figs on the Jersey shore so I thought it was just one of her many super powers!
I was very lucky to meet her and all due to my wonderful friend Nancy Harmon Jenkins. (We shared a rented car during a stay in Puglia and then to drive north to Vercelli. I was chasing after rice.) We had lunch with PG and the sculptor at their house, ate tender May vegetables from their garden.
I hesitate to question the wisdom of Patience Gray, but if there is no rain for days and weeks, and tomato plants aren't given any water, they wilt and die. There's a difference between irrigated crops, which can have pallid flavor, and keeping your plants alive in a drought, by giving them water to prevent the soil from completely drying out. Mulching helps to keep the topsoil from drying out, so perhaps her tomato and artichoke plants were well mulched and didn't need extra water between episodes of rain. Can't help adding a bit of personal gossip here: my British son-in-law's maternal grandfather was Patience Gray's employer, design mentor, and neighbor in Hampstead Heath before she started writing about food. MY SIL's mother grew up playing with Patience Gray's children, and as an adult visited PG several times in Puglia. And we are on the same page about singing with other people -- I belong to a community choir and am joining a second singing group. Joining your voice with others in harmonious vibration is both healing and thrilling.
So interesting! I think they mulched. I wondered occasionally what it was like being her children. Not easy I imagine!
My SIL's mother stays in touch with PG's daughter Miranda, who sings by the way. I believe she sings in a Balkan music chorus.