Earlier this summer, I actually ventured into backyard gardening in a tiny way: I planted three tomato plants and two basil plants. The tomatoes are taller than Miles now, and the basil isn't far off, which is a bit of a surprise, given my usual black thumb. I had my first tomato harvest this afternoon!
They're not quite all ripe, but since we're leaving on vacation tomorrow, I picked any that were close to yellow, and made myself a Caprese salad with my fresh basil and some leftover mozzarella.
It was pretty good. Not perfect; truly wonderful fresh mozzarella is prohibitively expensive considering the quantities we consume. The cheap stuff is basically melty plastic, so this stuff was a compromise: OK but not as authentic as might be. I also haven't forayed into the $30-an-ounce type of balsamic vinegar. I know people rave about it, but I don't actually dislike the cheap balsamic vinegar I already have on the shelf.
For the sandwiches, homemade bread is going to be key, I can tell; my local "bolillo" roll, while a good-sized vehicle for vegetable and cheese, doesn't add anything flavor-wise.
So I've got the tomatoes, basil, and bread down, and now I'm pondering making my own mozzarella. A couple websites insist that it's not only possible, but easy, if you can find the right kind of milk (and order some gross things like liquid rennet). We'll see how motivated I am; this may be my dabbler personality lurching out in yet another non-productive direction. (Remember the quilting? The half-finished cross-stitch? The scrapbook? Becoming a step aerobics instructor? Becoming a ski instructor? The weed-free but nothing-planted-in-it flowerbed? The various fitness/cleaning/becoming a better overall person regimens? Wait, is that the plural of regimen?)
I mean really - cheese making? Surely my time could be used more wisely, right? I could spend hours nurturing my little ones...working out...scouring my floors...blow-drying my hair...planting, uh, plants...accessorizing my outfits...not to mention working somewhere for a paycheck, which is pretty far down my priority list...
Making your own cheese? Wow- that's a whole new thing. I hope you do- would love to hear how that goes. We've got good balsamic- it is pretty amazing. But, of course, I keep cheaper stuff on hand too;)
ReplyDeleteJason is forever talking about making our own cheese here which would be defitly cost effective since it is quite pricey...if you do let us know!!
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