Tomatoes From the Garden

ripening

window ledge ripening

hairy stalks!

It's nice to grow tomatoes in your own garden as they taste so different -- much more sharp and tangy -- and of course watching them flower and bud is very interesting. For instance, I had no idea how hairy the tomato stalks are and I assume that's to stop bugs crawling up to get at the flowers or fruit.  Also, the yellow flowers turn out to be very pretty and you can see how the centers become the fruit and how they get that little star shape at the top.  I generally pick mine once they start turning white to yellowish and then finish the ripening process on my kitchen window ledge so as to avoid feeding critters or birds that might spy them glowing in the garden. This year I've had over 30 tomatoes already so we've had super salads, crock pot stewed tomatoes and tomato snacks for a while. They make a great extra snack to pack into lunches to go to work with (with a little salt added!). And once when I had 5 tomatoes all ripe at the same time, I put them on home-made pizza. Such bounty from the Creator!

House Caught in Twilight Zone

along Massachusetts Ave NW

I'm quite intrigued by how this little twilight zone house from DC's past got left behind and is now an eyesore surrounded by gleaming new brick and steel and glass buildings of a completely different scale. It's #433 on Massachusetts Avenue NW and I see it from the bus window every time I take the Circulator bus to work. It was a pizza place for a while, but now it's abandoned and unused, other than by some rats and other non-rent paying tenants. I vaguely remember hearing something about the owner holding out for a better offer when the developers started buying up the block, but somehow he missed the moment and this is what happened -- they built the development all around him. It's referred to as the "Ledo property" and there was a few articles on this in the Washington Post during the last big housing bubble when the owner refused to sell, thinking he could get more. I looked it up in the City's property database and the record shows it was bought in March 2011 for $715,000 and there was obviously problems with a previous owner not paying taxes on time.  Someone told me the property was still in some sort of  legal limbo with the city wanting to demolish it as it's unsafe -- apparently it lacks a back wall! and the owner was supposed to fix it or make it safer. So, this little brick building stands unkempt, trapped between yesterday and tomorrow, neither preserved nor renovated, a blighted memorial to a deal that didn't get made. 

Rustik Tavern in Bloomingdale

Well, it's just amazing to me that there is now a decent bar where we can go for a drink and snack and that is within walking distance of my house in this section of the city I have lived in for over 25 years. This is the Rustik Tavern which opens at 4 pm every day and serves drinks and pizza and a few other things up to 1 pm daily. We went there Saturday evening about 5 pm and hubster ordered a Ying Ling beer and I had my customary vodka martini while sitting at the bar watching Manchester United beat Manchester City on the large HD TV screen hanging over the bar. The smiling waitress also served us a pizza -- I think we got some sort of veggie thing -- that was about 12 inches diameter and enough of a snack for two people. They make the pizzas in a fiery gas oven over on one side of the tavern that you can watch while they cut and chop and bake 'em.  While we were there nearly all the tables filled with mostly all the young people who have moved into the neighborhood over the past four to five years. They even bring their kids in with them as one little girl was running up and down between the tables and the row of bar stools.  It's a very nice atmosphere and we stayed for a couple of hours and even noshed on some baked potatoes with bacon and cheese bits and a poached pear dessert during our second round of drinkies.Of course, I had to check and see if there was a wheelchair accessible doorway that my son could use when he comes home and wants to go out for a beer or whatever. And yes, they have such a doorway but it's a bit blocked by surplus chairs on the inside. That's a No-No!  I got the impression that this bar attracts more singles later in the evening but I'm really not sure about that.  It's clear that when the weather gets warmer they will have tables outside and that might be a fun activity too, watching the world go by on Rhode Island avenue in Bloomingdale.   I might try the kale salad then, which I'd seen being delivered to another table. Well, we'd prayed for the neighborhood to improve, and now, prayer answered! Thank God!

Gassy Pizza and Coffee at Emilio's

On the way to visiting my mother in Leesburg, VA recently, I discovered I had arrived a little early and decided to have lunch by myself at Emilio's in Lansdowne, a "village" development on the outskirts of Leesburg. Feeling like one of the Real Housewives -- who always seem to be eating out in brand new restaurants with trendy Italian or similar themes in brand new buildings -- I sat down and ordered a coffee and a pizza. It was a thin crust, the kind I like, and layered with thinly sliced zucchini, red bell pepper strips, some black olive slices and cheese. Not a tomato in sight! Well, it tasted fine except there was a faint odor of the cooking gas underneath the flavors, which is something I really don't like. But the service was very good and the waiter quite professional and friendly, so I didn't really have much to complain about except that gassy taste which is significant in my opinion. You really shouldn't be able to taste the cooking fuel unless it's hickory smoked or something. So, I found myself contrasting this restaurant with downtown DC restaurants. One, there really aren't pizza restaurants in downtown DC. There's a pizza van, but not a restaurant. Two, I was the only customer at 12 noon, although several others came in later to fill about 4 tables of the 20 tables they had. Everyone was white, or seemed to be anyway in this location although I think I did espy one Black person in a car driving by. A typical DC downtown daytime restaurant is usually very busy with most of the tables filled. Three, I parked my car in the street right outside the restaurant. That is highly unlikely in DC, to say the least, where just a couple of hours parking can cost $10 at least. Then, the other patrons were not what you see in DC restaurants at lunch time which are suited men and women, or otherwise dressed in office smart clothing, with a high proportion of "single" people it often seems. In Emilio's was a grouping of suburban ladies in baggy blue jeans and pants, loose tops and anorak coats, and none of whom seemed to have combed their hair or put on any makeup or jewelry that day. They were gaily ordering a pizza and salads and beers and just didn't look like DC lunchtime restaurant patrons. The other table was an older couple, a man and a woman, who seemed to be staring vacantly out the window in between eating their chicken salads. Not really lunchtime patrons in downtown DC either.I'm not sure where I'm going with this commentary other than to say I enjoy living in the city, which is much more bustling and diverse than are the far exurbs and where pizza either comes delivered to your door or you buy it off a truck. 

Cropping the Basil

Late this summer I planted some basil seeds that someone had given me from their garden and by the end of September I had a good yield. Here's a photo of these little plants that I just harvested before they flowered.  After washing them and brushing off any strange looking yard bits, I pulled the leaves off and put them on paper towels on a cooking sheet to dry them. To speed the process I put them in the oven after I had finished cooking dinner, and so they slowly dried out overnight.  I noticed the next evening -- when I went to cook dinner again in the oven -- that the leaves were not completely dry, so I put them back in the oven overnight for another drying session (that is, after the oven was turned off!).  By the third day they were nice and dry and I could crumble them into a sterilized dry jar. So now I have home grown basil to cook with.  I threw some of the leaves into a soup the other day and when we next make pizza you know I'm going to use these then! There's something very satisfying about growing your own stuff and eating it! Praise the Lord for warm ovens and green basil!

Sidetrip to NYC

Times Square

Ellis Island

Empire State Building

Typical Lamp Post

Freedom Tower Half Built

This past week we took a little trip to another city, the big city, the big apple, that is, New York City.. Last I  heard there were at least 8 million people living there and it felt like that. Everywhere you looked there were crowds and large groups of people going about their daily business, or eating or shopping or lolly-gaggling like us.. In comparison, the streets of D.C. seem almost bare!  And the streets just went on and on with little store fronts selling pizza, or clothes and handbags, gadgets, and luggage (just like the street vendors on the streets of DC!) and big store fronts selling Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors and all kinds of brand name expensive labels that I learn about from watching television and that I never buy (sorry Mad Men!). We took a cruise around Manhattan Island and passed Ellis Island and learned a little history about the millions that came through there. Where else can you also see the Empire State building from the river with a yacht passing in front of it! We also saw the site where they are building the Freedom Tower where the World Trade Center towers used to be. I had to admit I had some emotional flashbacks to September 11 seeing this construction site and found myself glancing at the scarfed women on board the tourist boat with us, to see if they had any reaction. They were dutifully photographing the Colgate clock on the NJ side of the Hudson River, however. We had a lovely time and prayed that NYC would last forever!

The Best Pizza is Homemade

We're a bit suspicious of ordering pizza because we are not really sure what ingredients they are using and the pies are often too greasy. So I've got in the habit of making our own. The trick is to have available some pizza dough such as a mix from Pillsbury or Betty Crocker, or even Bisquick and to have enough to stretch thinly into the whole pan.  Then, all it takes is sprinkling a little salt and herbs on the dough crust first before adding the cheeses, onions, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  We use mozzarella and goat cheese or whatever is left over, such as a bit of cheddar or Gouda either sliced or grated, or some crumbled feta cheese. You can also add any left-over meats or vegetables such as sliced sausage, or chicken, green beans, or whatever you like. We're actually planning to make a ham and pineapple one too which is pretty easy as you don't need much ham and there's always a can of pineapple somewhere.  This one -- made with sliced smoked portobello sausage left-over -- was a great Sunday dinner, thanks be to God.

DC Slices in the Square

I was hurrying back from physical therapy the other day when I spotted this van parked in Farragut Square. At first glance I thought it was some sort of emergency van but it turned out to be a Pizza Van! I've never seen such a thing in DC before -- security trucks, ice cream trucks, hot dog trucks, Brinks trucks and even a green Cup Cake van in the same square the week before -- but not this. So of course I went up to the guy in the window to ask for a slice as I do like a good slice of pizza occasionally. Unfortunately, I was too late but I did find out that DC Slices is a new business and they show up in the square every Friday to sell pizza  for $4 a slice and you can buy a whole pizza if you get there before 12 noon. So I thanked the NICE YOUNG MAN who was counting up the proceeds in the front seat and who kindly answered my pesty inquiries and who answered the critical question of "What Type of Pizza is It? New York or Chicago Style?" And when he said "New York Style" I was delighted and told him I'd be back for a slice next Friday.

Pizza For Friday Dinner in DC

I made homemade tomato, onion, and cheese pizza this evening using a dough that was pre-made that I pressed out to make a Chicago-style pizza crust. First, I brushed both sides with olive oil and then added on the ingredients. These were chopped fresh tomato and diced onion, grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and Italian spices. I then cooked it for 15 minutes at 425F in our gas oven. We ate it piping hot and it was delicious, said my husband. It also looked very good.