Caprese

I'm told that Insalata Caprese should never involve vinegar.

Oh, well. I happen to like a good balsamic vinegar. I even like it used in excess, but for this salad, I go light.

And I live in Virginia, not Italy. I'll use what I wish. ;)

Here's what I do... walk out to the garden and gather tomatoes. Right now, I'm harvesting Sweet Olive tomatoes, which are a cherry tomato variety. They look like miniature Romas. On my way back to the house, i grab a few fingerfuls of globe basil. It's hardier in our heat than the regular large-leaf basil, and the flavor is better. I take these inside and wash them and let them dry in their sieves.

I take some fresh mozzarella out of the fridge. While I can get mozzarella di bufala around here, I usually opt for cow's milk mozzarella--it's cheaper and just as tasty. I take it out of its water and cut it into bite sized pieces. If the balls are small and bite-size, I halve them. I put them on a plate. I halve and quarter the tomatoes. I tear and scatter the basil leaves. Then I drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the plate. I carefully select the 10-year aged balsamic vinegar from my shelf of many sour things. I uncork the small bottle and waft a bit of the lovely aroma toward my nose. I sparingly drizzle a bit over the plate.

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy.

As peppers come into season, I'll probably add more heresy to the sacrilege by roasting them and tossing them in the mix.

fourth of july

Who's up for a goofy goth outing to see fireworks tonight? I can bring at least one or two blankets, provided someone helps carry them. We could bring small bags of food, too. No alcohol, please, we don't want to get kicked out. But I do mean goofy--the mosquitoes were bad last year, so I think I'll wear a multi-layer black tulle veil. I plan on parking near jb98's current pad and walking down to McIntyre Park, with the masses of people. It makes crossing 250 much easier when there's a crowd.

The yardwork needs doing, but it's hot and humid out. Blah. I went outside briefly to turn off the hose (left it on last night, but the nozzle was closed) and have spent the last two hours breaking out in wee blister hives (dishydrotic eczema, though... with steroids, it'll go away in a mere 3-5 days) of doom. GRRRRR! Grass pollen is the devil. The other possibility is that the chocolate I bought yesterday is not, in fact, soy-free. The label doesn't list lecithin. Soy is a far more likely culprit than grass pollen, though grass has done it in the past.

Wheat-free, soy-free gravy

Does anyone have a wheat-free, soy-free recipe for a brown gravy? I tried a mix from Road's End Organic for Golden Gravy, but the rice flour in it is too grainy for my palate. I just want some poutine... and I need a decent golden or brown gravy.

I have an onion dip packet which is soy-free and wheat-free, but I don't know how to make gravy without using wheat flour. I also have two soy-free miso pastes, one of which is lighter, one darker.

(oops, this was supposed to go in vegetarian, but I'll leave it here.)

EDIT: shortly after making this post, I wandered into the kitchen and spied the cornstarch. I just made the gravy by rote after that point... onion dip mix, cornstarch, water, heat, whisking... then added tamarind chutney at the end. poured over fresh french fried potatoes and fresh cheddar curds. YUM!