Nuts......and other things

On May 26, 2:21*pm, "Russell D." wrote:
On 05/24/2011 08:33 PM, Giles wrote:





Rumor has it that there are still a few chestnuts around that have not
yet been planted and are still viable. *Maybe so. *But it's hard to
believe given the late killing frost last year, the bizarre behavior
of the chestnuts (nearly all of which dropped their seed from the
still attached burrs), and the consequent paucity of collected seed.
In any case, the whereabouts of the rumored seed is a deep mystery
whose solution seems unlikely given that a seat cushion for one of the
deck chairs (which, it should hardly require stating, is considerably
larger than a chestnut.....regardless of species) remains MIA three
weeks or more after its disappearance. *No ransom note has as yet been
received.....or even so much as hinted at.

So we turn our attention elsewhere. *Today was spent mostly in pruning
a mixed bag of conifers lining a hundred yard long stretch of the
driveway and in disposing of the detritus. *Much of it was
chipped.....until it was discovered that the chipper had a major
hydraulic leak. *The rest was burned. *And a lively blaze it was,
indeed.

Alas, there is just so much killage and burnage that is justifiable
(despite liberal tolereances) in a given day. *So the early evening
hours were spent in planting herbs (arugula, basil, cilantro, mint and
oregano) and sunflowers. *Yes, we are aware that arugula qualifies as
an herb only by virtue of liberal definitions.....but we really don't
give a **** about that.

The plan is for the sunflowers to form a rampart around the deck which
will forestall the need for early feeder intervention in the late
summer and through the fall. *They are also pretty. *This doesn't hurt
at all. *Larry is dubious. *This is synonymous with "Larry has never
done this." *This is pretty much a working definition of synonymy.

He'll change his mind when he sees the sunflowers.

Meanwhile, the mower, the chipper, the chainsaws, the gator, the log-
splitter, and all of the other power equipment is in serious need of
professional service......isn't that EXACTLY what I was saying all
****in' winter long??!!

Yes, it is.

But.....

But **** still keeps growing at a stupefying rate. *Green is
everywhere. *Each hour of sunlight puts on more wood than was burned
throughout the past six months.

Fecundity on an obscene scale. *It boggles the mind.

giles
who would grow squash, beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes and other such
truck but for the fact that he can get it for free from others who
grow more than they can sell or legally dump......and the asparagus,
dandelions, violets, day lilies, morels, fiddleheads, berries (of
various sorts) and sundry other goodies are free for the taking
without so much as a by your leave wherever found.

things could be worse.

Well, that's all just fine and dandy, but who in their right mind would
plant cilantro on purpose. OK, I planted cilantro, but she made me.

It's easier if you think of it as the vegetative portion of coriander.

Russell

Who thinks that weed tastes just like a bar of soap.

EXACTLY my first (and second and third and fourth.....) impression of
cilantro.

giles
who confesses that he wasn't exactly enamored on first encounter with
coffee, beer, wine, whisky.....or brussells sprouts.

Russell D. typed:
snip
Well, that's all just fine and dandy, but who in their right mind
would plant cilantro on purpose.

Me. I LOVE the stuff. Almost everything tastes better with cilantro, and
salsa would just be tomato sauce without it.

OK, I planted cilantro, but she made me.

I like her - who is she?
--
TL,
Tim

On 05/26/2011 07:48 PM, Tim J. wrote:
Russell typed:
snip
Well, that's all just fine and dandy, but who in their right mind
would plant cilantro on purpose.

Me. I LOVE the stuff. Almost everything tastes better with cilantro, and
salsa would just be tomato sauce without it.

OK, I planted cilantro, but she made me.

I like her - who is she?

My wife. She loves the stuff. She starts chopping up the stuff and I
have to leave. The smell literally hurts my nose.

Check out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

And my favorite:

http://ihatecilantro.com/


Russell

On May 27, 10:30*am, "Russell D." wrote:
On 05/26/2011 07:48 PM, Tim J. wrote:

Russell *typed:
snip
Well, that's all just fine and dandy, but who in their right mind
would plant cilantro on purpose.

Me. I LOVE the stuff. Almost everything tastes better with cilantro, and
salsa would just be tomato sauce without it.

OK, I planted cilantro, but she made me.

I like her - who is she?

My wife. She loves the stuff. She starts chopping up the stuff and I
have to leave. The smell literally hurts my nose.

Check out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

"The senses of smell and taste evolved to evoke strong emotions, he
explained, because they were critical to finding food and mates and
avoiding poisons and predators. When we taste a food, the brain
searches its memory to find a pattern from past experience that the
flavor belongs to. Then it uses that pattern to create a perception of
flavor, including an evaluation of its desirability."

Interesting. A bit earlier in the article mention is made of
"aldehydes." Beer lovers may be familiar with this class of
chemicals. Aldehydes of one sort or another are a common enough (and
much loathed.....generally) byproduct of the fermentation of grain
products. They are reponsible for what is often termed a "cardboardy"
flavor and aroma. Very accurate comparison, in my opinion.....as one
who has occasionally chewed cardboard.....for reasons that have been
forgotten, although the results have not.

The references to genetic predispositions are about as boring as
virtually ALL references to genetic determinism has gotten in recent
years.

And my favorite:

http://ihatecilantro.com/

Also interesting. However, they go fatally astray in the second
sentence (well, third, if you count "Welcome" as a sentence). They
are not "rational people." They may in fact be rational.....or they
might be people. But if they were the former they would certainly be
aware that they cannot possibly be the latter. Whereas, on the other
hand, if they are the latter.....well, they might just well believe
anything. There are people (and other creatures) in this world that
eat beets. There are people (well, reputedly, anyway) who like Adam
Sandler. And there are people who believe that Murrica has been (and
remains) populated by liberals and other communists.

Go figure.

giles
who, in recent years, has come to appreciate the indian philosophy of
cooking. put enough spices on it and it really doesn't matter all
that much what the vehicle is. unfortunately, this eminently rational
culinary rationale does not carry over well into the worlds of
philosophy and theology.