We found our way to Russo's in the afternoon--an agreeable place to shop when the farmer's markets shut down.
We were motivated to go in part because we realized that we use enough olive oil now to warrant buying a large can (I used to be more restrained with it, and was terrified of having a large unused quantity go rancid--I have experienced rancid cooking oils in other people's homes, and am alert to it). In any case, I have been using plenty of EVOO recently, understanding that a time may soon come when it is unavailable or prohibitively expensive to transport here from Italy or California (and when this happens...I suppose we'll start using lard more, right? Or duck fat....)
A side note: I am half-waiting for Eliot Coleman to figure out a way to trick olives and lemons into growing in the Northeast, as he has done with my favorite, the artichoke! (What a revelation it was to find those at the Blue Hill co-op last summer. We enjoyed them on the deck of our friend Ben's home Chamois, in the middle of the bay, whisking up a mayonnaise while underway!)
What did we manage for dinner?
I chopped up part of a napa cabbage, and grated a black radish over it, and dressed it with lemon and oil....
casually hacking up a napa cabbage in this way reminds me of my visit to Suméne, France. I stayed with Sophie, an aerobics and dance instructor. She had part of a napa cabbage on her counter, and a large plastic bowl containing what was left from the last time she had had part of the cabbage, and for our quick dinner before aerobic pour les veilles dammes she just added a little fresh cabbage to the old and tossed it together. I think she may have added some kind of dressing, but I can't remember what it was. The whole scenario struck me as vaguely squalid and possibly depressed, but maybe just French--I could not decide. It didn't matter, as I was prepared to be influenced. And actually the salad was quite refreshing. in any case, it was this experience introduced me to the tender and mild napa!
