#80 | 🇺🇦 You Are Not Allowed To Cry
Asparagus #Protips
Hello!
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum-trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
—Sara Tisdale, first published in the July 1918 issue of Harper's Magazine, “just after the start of the 1918 German Spring Offensive during World War I, and during the 1918 flu pandemic about nature's establishment of a new peaceful order that will be indifferent to the outcome of the war or mankind's extinction.” Wikipedia
By the way, I'm Bruce Cole, Publisher of Edible San Francisco. Welcome new subscribers and thanks for joining us!
🇺🇦
“You’re not allowed to cry. This is not your tragedy.” Nina Quincy, director of operations for Underbelly Hospitality in Houston, flew to Poland to volunteer with World Central Kitchen and, as she says, “saw the best of humanity and the worst of humanity.” After a shivering Ukrainian woman hugged and kissed her on the cheek upon receiving a cup of hot chocolate, Quincy almost started crying. A volunteer pulled her aside and reminded her, “You’re not allowed to cry. This is not your tragedy. We’re here to be strong.” Eater Houston
The Breadbasket War: “The blocking off of Black Sea wheat flows because of the war is going to mean starvation. Starvation may be too strong of a word, but certainly household collapse in much of North Africa and the Middle East.” Mother Jones
Fallow or Furrow? “Farm groups are urging the U.S. Agriculture Department to allow farmers the ability to plant on acres set aside for conservation, to help fill the absence of Ukrainian corn, wheat and sunflower oil amid Russia's invasion of the country.” Reuters
Asparagus Soup: “The first time I made this soup, I knew I had done a good thing. It’s light, fresh, and truly tastes of spring.” Heather Hardison in Edible SF
Asparagus #Protips:
JUMBO Asparagus spears have a tender middle that serves as a reservoir for that grassy vegetal flavor we 💚, and thick stalks are also higher in soluble fiber and vitamins B and C than thinner stalks.
"Although many shoppers think 'younger and thinner' equal tenderness, the opposite is true for asparagus. A young asparagus plant is putting more of its energy into producing spears that will stand upright, so most of the plant material in the spears of younger asparagus plants is crude fiber." –Peter Ferretti, professor of vegetable crops, Penn State
Rose-Colored Nostalgia: The search for simpler times is littered with sprinkles. Time and again, stumbling in the dark, we’ve come across these brightly colored, marginally edible items and found uplift. Taste
Salad, With Feeling: How Emily Nunn Turned Salad Into a Soapbox. The New York Times (paywall)
More Than Sour: You're not adding enough vinegar to your vinaigrette. Food & Wine
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Bayonne Ham: The Melt in Your Mouth Charcuterie from France
IS IT BRUNCH YET?
Now that San Franciso has ended its mask mandate and the weather is warm, it’s time to claim your ground, unroll a picnic blanket and invite some long-lost friends to the park for a little weekend brunch. Here are a few tips for putting together a delicious and original menu. We always try and plan our menus around a cornerstone ingredient and this time we’re including one of our favorites from France, Bayonne ham.
Let’s start with a well-curated charcuterie board. Stack it with local cheeses (especially Pt. Reyes Blue), olives (you can’t go wrong with castelvetrano), spicy roasted nuts, pickles, and crusty bread. Stop by the farmers market to snag some fresh spring strawberries of course, and don’t forget the Bayonne Ham, which goes just as well with soft cheese and just-picked fruit as your favorite salami or mortadella.
If you’re breaking out the grill for brunch, (always a good strategy, it doubles as a crowd warmer if the fog blows in) it’s time to make room for the new burger in town. Although the bacon-cheeseburger is an American classic, the Bayonne burger has its own distinctive French flair. With a salty and savory profile, slices of Bayonne ham are right at home nestled under a slab of beef and melting cheddar. You may never go back to bacon!
Instagram Is Dead, Long live TikTok: Wine influencers found popularity (and notoriety) on Instagram, but TikTok is proving more successful in luring Millennials even though the app bans the sale or solicitation of alcohol on its platform. A TikTok video by sommelier and wine educator Amanda McCrossin generated over 1,100 new subscribers to winemaker Harvest Duhig’s list. SF Chronicle (paywall)
Here’s that TikTok: Secrets from a Napa Valley Sommelier
Food Businesses Lose Faith in Instagram After Algorithm Changes The New York Times (paywall)
If Instagram Were A Person The Chris Hau
You’re Too Old: The Drinks Industry has an ageism problem as experienced professionals are pushed aside. SevenFifty Daily
I Want A Beer:
Towards A More Sustainable Dogfood: “If you consider U.S. pets as their own country, they rank fifth in global meat consumption.” A new cricket-based dog food, Chippin, is an insect-based protein alternative. Grist
Bigger Boycott Looming For Amy’s Kitchen: “Participants in the boycott include Mandela Grocery Cooperative in Oakland and two co-ops in Portland. Others, including Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco, have told SFGATE they’re also discussing whether to pull Amy’s products from their shelves.” SF Gate
Farmworker Awareness Week (March 25 through 31): Meet the essential people who feed you. “With 85% of our fresh fruits and vegetables being handpicked, it’s undeniable that our wellbeing is bound to that of farmworkers.” Foodwise
On repeat this week: Everybody Wants To Rule the World on Tidal, with Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and Common.
That’s all for this week.
We’re outta here. Be well and take care,
–Bruce
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"Despite its artistic intentions and its many accomplishments, humankind owes its existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains." —Anonymous