Townie Tomatoes

A police siren accents the background cacophony of O’brien Highway and Main Street, Charlestown, as I plant our townhouse-top garden. The moist, hot breath of a westerly city breeze rolls over the roof tops, one of which will house my impromptu garden of this new growing season. Not quite the typically picturesque family garden of my mind's eye – no rustic stonewalls, no lush woodlands, nor any ancient orchard trees – but a garden that, with creativity, an open mind, and tenderness, will flourish. At least that is the goal…our goal.

While the Island plot lay fallow, overrun with peppermint, feral carrots, other “weeds”, even holdover oregano and thyme, I toil further north, in our home that shelters my family; my beautiful heirloom Emily, and sweet-top carrot sprout, River. This year we’ll nurture and grow closer to home.

With a bit of research and Portagee improvisation a modest container garden, self-watering and all, was cobbled together using plastic storage bins, PVC pipe, trash bags, chicken wire, potting soil, compost, and regular old garden soil (from a bag). Oh, there are also a few herbs (cilantro, thyme, sweet basil, sage, and lemon verbena), Swiss chard, lettuce, better bush tomato, brandywine tomato, sunburst tomato, bush bean, and hail-Mary summer squash too. One thing I’ve obviously not learned over the years is moderation. Optimism is not always rationale.

Situated to sunlight exposure, the new seedlings settle into their new home, sandwiched between two brick townhouses, somewhat smothered by an upper-level condo, and lulled by the steady hum of passersby. And although the cast of characters is less diverse than in years past, they hold so much hope for a bountiful future.

Out with the Old, In with the New - Confit d’oie sauvage et pomme salardaise

Back when the wind had bite, and the windows were sealed tight, a batch of confit came to be.

After months and months on, and confit almost gone, I dug the last bits from the lard.

Upon looking around, AHA! fresh farmshare abound, I set to wed old with the new.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chilmark Pond goose confit (pulled and crisped), 1 lb Parker Farms new potatoes, 8 oz Parker Farms spring onions, 1 tbs Savenor’s duck fat, 2 tbs olive oil, 2^nd floor sage (2 tbs) and thyme (1 tsp), salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 deg, cut potatoes and onion into preferable bite size, roll with olive oil, sage and thyme, salt and pepper, bake until tender and corners are browning.

Pull goose confit, saute crisp in duck fat with 1 tbs julienne sage

Toss it all and serve.

Result: Good. The crispy richness of the goose and duck fat, smoothness of potato and sweetness of onion made for a robust dish. Perhaps a bit rich for summer fare. A little acid helped cut some of the richness from the fats - I used Sriracha hot sauce.