hello-good-bye

And so it happens, Labor Day comes and goes and Mother Nature seems to know we are finished with our beach rentals; pool memberships are being considered again for next year, and everyone is back to work in earnest. Even my garden has gotten the note – cucumbers are petering out and the tomato branches are showing signs of exhaustion. However, it is the crimson display of my pineapple sage that signals the seasonal shift for me. All summer long this abundantly, aromatic garden sentinel perfumes my iced teas, and offers a bit of magic to my husk tomato pie. I have been seen just nuzzling up against it for a sweet smelling hit.

The profusion of flowers that erupts from it this time of year is a siren’s call to hummingbirds as well as myself. I guiltily snip the flower heads knowing I am stealing a beak full of nectar from a creature that is fueling up in order to successfully make it back to its winter home. But those darn flowers are so seductive –

I have tossed them into an evening’s salad along with nasturtiums, rose petals and Johnny Jump-ups for an ethereal first course and buried them in layers of sugar in an effort to preserve them.  Since I cut the plant back before the first frost hits, and have it winter under an insulation of hay I have no need to allow the flowers to go to seed. It is tragic that summer must end for I would gladly live in a world where tomatoes are always ripening and cantaloupes engorge on their vine, but alas, life has it cycle, and what a beautiful way to signal a change.

Pineapple Sage Vinegar

2-cups pineapple sage flowers and leaves (you cannot use too much)

1-part white distilled vinegar

1-part rice vinegar

1-part coconut vinegar

In a clean glass jar place the pineapple sage, and pour over the vinegars. Cover with a tight fitting lid, and place in a cool, dark place for 6 to 8 weeks. Strain into a clean glass bottle with a tight fitting lid. 

Splash of Tang

I am most proud of the vinegars I made this year – they are the most flavorful with the best acidity I have ever produced. It has been about ten years since my first attempt at making my own vinegars. It started after my trip to Sicily and a visit to a Regaleali Winery. In the windowsill sat a large glass jug filled with herb stems and remnants of leftover wine. I was amazed that it could be that easy. The truth is, yes it is that easy, however, I have experienced that it is always possible to make mistakes. My attempt to produce coconut vinegar proved to be a good medium for mold rather than the bacteria I needed. Undaunted, I successfully managed to used Champagne with strawberries and roses as well as cherry pits to make sweet, fruity vinegars. This year I went a tad more traditional with Mexican marigold in red wine and two whites: lemon grass and lemon verbena and a Thai basil and pineapple sage

combination.

I started with the red wine as my first batch of the season, which I fed a bottle (1-quart) of unfiltered, raw apple cider vinegar for 2 bottles (750 ml) of wine. I did this to guarantee I would have the acetobacter present. This is an aerobic bacteria found on plants, fruits and even in soil, and consumes the alcohol and through its metabolic process generates acid – hence vinegar, sour wine. Because it is an air loving bacteria I cover a jar with a linen cloth to allow the passage of air and stow it away in an out out-of-the-away spot for 1 to 3 months. If all goes well you will have a tart liquid covered by what will resemble a thick, unctuous cap, and while its appearance may be off putting, it is actually the colony of the bacteria we are looking for.  The usage of the raw unfiltered vinegar in my first batch hedges my bets, and I don’t have to hope that the acetobacter is present on the herb stems I stuffed into the jar. My subsequent vinegars this year have all been acted upon by that original “mother” and I have continued to more her forward into new bottles – letting her feed. Right now, she is feasting on Champagne and pomegranate seeds.