Tuesdays are the night I help in the Miracle Garden, my community garden. I’m expected to be there by 7PM to water the plants and sweep the sidewalk in front of the garden. I got out of work just after 5PM and jumped into MoMA, (where I maintain an artists membership) and headed straight to the 6th floor to check out the Alighiero Boetti show – Game Plan. An artist of the Arte Povera movement, I was very inspired by the museum’s contextual commentary on time and interval, and the concept duality plays in his work. His works on paper and drawing are also very inspiring to me.
Watering the garden was a real chore tonight. The heat alone made the watering seem like a non act, a feudal attempt but we kept at it. Once the woman who heads up the garden felt we did the best job we could she invited me to join her for a swim at the ‘Ham Fish Pool. I showed up like I’d been going on a routine basis. It was glorious. The water was a lovely temperature and clean, the sun was setting, the sky a periwinkle blue. I stretched my mind,body and soul with two long laps before the multiple whistles blasted.
I made it home in time to settle into a Master Chef episode – I swear, watching this show this is my vice now. I talk out loud to the television. I have my hopefuls – I’m in hook line and sinker. I even follow the show on twitter
Of course I became hungry. I’m in quite the austerity mode lately, looking in my -fridge and knew I had to practice what I preach. I had to make something from nothing. I made the strangest thing I think I’ve ever made but I loved it. I had half a napa cabbage that had been hanging around for way to long, a hot red pepper and 1/2 a used can of tomato paste. I sliced thru the napa cabbage, 1,2,3, from the top to the stem, thin slices. Washed that and got it in a pan with some sesame oil that was just getting hot. I added a swirl of Mirin to the wilting napa cabbage and put a lid on the pan which was now over a medium heat. I finely minced the hot red pepper and got that in the mix. Once the cabbage was wilted I added the the tomato paste – it was probably about 2 Ts (Capital T is the abbreviation for Tablespoon, a small t is the abbreviation for a teaspoon.) The mixture looked a little thick & almost gloppy so I added some plain whole milk yogurt which had just the right amount of liquid in it to thin this out and help pull this ‘dish’ together.
I gotta tell ya. I loved it. I’m not sure yet what to call it. It was almost like a pasta in a tomato cream sauce. Served to myself in one of my hand thrown cups, topped w/some Salt of D Earth I was pleasantly surprised and happily satiated.
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