Lima bean mysteries

an artichoke

Artichoke, "Green Globe" (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)

galangal happiness

Proof that a little love and nurturing is a just adequate substitute for tropical heat and humidity - I present to you: galangal, grown in Cape Town, 34 degrees south of the equator.

pining for the tropics

If you know where to look in Cape Town, fine Indian dining and the ingredients required to replicate it are at hand. Fresh curry leaves? Easy, brought in from Durban several times a week. A vast and dazzling array of dried spices, secret and not-so-secret mixes, and sacks of rice in suitably picturesque printed cotton? No problem. Choose from dozens of shops, replete with ceiling high stacks of stainless steel tinware, and the heady scent of authenticity.

The rest of Asian cuisine is rather more of a challenge.

cruelty to vegetables

is, and should be, a very serious matter.

better than Peter Mayle

Rodale (ca. 1950) How to Grow Fruits and Vegetables by the Organic Method, 31—Harvesting and Storing Fruits..........p654:

"Melons— The gathering of them is a fine art. They must be ready to leave the parent vine—a trifle reluctantly, perhaps, but the parting is definitely in order. The seeds should be mature, the fruits as heavy as they will every be and, again, that subtle change has taken place in the colour of the rind. In case of doubt, test as you would a cheese: cut a plug and examine and taste it.

Grapes—Grapes are never so good as when they grow, spread out, over a stone wall in the sun. When they drop at a touch, then bring them to the table and let their perfume fill the room."