Re: [gardeners] 4th of July in Bastrop Co.
penny x stamm (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 5 Jul 1999 17:57:03 -0400
Hi, Allen, We had a very non-traditional 4th. Drove out to New Jersey to
the cousins on the 3rd, trembling with negative anticipation about
bar-b-quing in the back yard at 97 degrees with 100% humidity -- but
they took pity on us (note the white hair, what there is of it <g>) and
kept us indoors with fans. Not exactly paradise, but at least bearable.
They served grilled chicken breasts, rice pilaf, cole slaw, and grilled
green & red peppers, with daiqueries and daiqueries -- I don't really
know how I stayed awake! Cheese cake & coffee, and that was it. This
being the N'Orleans branch of the family, I rebelled and demanded
hey, where are the baked beans? The pickles? No spare ribs...????
Cousin offered to pull the hot dawgs out of the freezer, but no, that
wouldn't have done the job...
Driving home by 9:00pm, we found our exit on the parkway gridlocked
with a massive accident caused by rubbernecking at the local fireworks.
Jimmie grasped the situation instantly, and drove down the side strip
of the road to escape -- but there were already so many police roadblocks
there that we could not even reach our own house! By the time we got
inside, the TV said the cars were backed up for 15 miles...
Sunday, Jimmie requested a special dinner: calf's liver, bacon & fried
onions, mashed potatoes and spinach, with a Lillian Russell for dessert.
The weather had not changed one degree, so there was no use arguing
about bar-b-que. Big disappointment.
Tonight we're still in trouble -- last time I looked at the thermometer
(4:00pm) it read 110 in the shade. OK, so we will celebrate with curried
chicken, rice, peas, salad, and honey dew melon. And then I'll make my
4th foray out into the yard for the day to hand water those shrubs which
had only been planted 3 weeks ago... The only crop in the veggie garden
which has survived the prolonged heat wave is onions .... walking,
yellow,
garlic chives --- they have soaker hoses.
So here I sit reading about your bar-b-que and sob.. The 4th is supposed
to be a certain image, and I am unfufilled. My son up in the Finger Lakes
of
New York promises to make up for it for us, next week.... Corn on the
cob is
not in yet, around here. Whatcha gonna do...?
But would you please tell me how you slow cook a brisket over a bed of
coals? How do you prepare it? How large is it? How long do you cook it?
Maybe I can try fixin' it in November -- I'm not kidding! We bar-b-que
all
winter, even in the snow or rain. Jimmie sticks the beach umbrella in the
pipe in the middle of the driveway which is meant for the tether ball,
pulls
out a beach chair, turns on his little radio, and tends to the fire.
Great
uplift, even if he looks funny sitting there in his mackinaw with a big
wool
scarf around his throat....
Penny, NY zone Hades
___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.