It’s no secret…2024 has been the hottest summer on record since we began measuring this sort of thing. (Yes, Paul Newman starred in the movie…so just give me a moment.)…..
OK, we’re good…continuing on…
Here in mid-August, we finally got a taste of the summer we were expecting in early June. Bright blue sky, puffy white clouds and just enough breeze to keep humidity in check. In other words…Perfect! And it looks like more to come.
And of course…more to come on the produce table as the calendar ticks down.
But let’s talk about what’s there now…Have you had enough of the sweet corn, or those monster-sized ‘lopes? I thought not. And that recipe for peach cobbler won’t do you any good in December…And it’s finally cool enough to light the oven…so hop to it.
But, maybe you’re not feeling all that domestic…It’s also perfect weather for sitting in a shady spot with a good book. What’s on your pile of “waiting for the time” reading?
If you’d like to stay in the culinary category, may I recommend Barbara Kingsolver’sAnimal Vegetable Miracle. Relocating her modern desert-dwelling family to the family farm in the Appalachian hills, Barbara and her family settle down to the life lived there a generation ago…when all food was local, when the barter system was a necessary way of feeding the family and knowing your neighbors. Told with equal parts humor and amazement, it’s the perfect read for a perfect day.
Or, if you’re feeling a bit more cosmopolitan, may I recommend Stanley Tucci’s(I’ll need another moment, please) Taste…which you almost can. You’ll also get tips on a perfect martini along with some lesser-known facts about the author.
Of course, if you’d rather take in a movie…food porn is on the menu. Beyond the ubiquitous nods to Tom Jones, may I recommend Delicious…a French film (with subtitles), the story of how fine dining began…of course the French got there first. Google it. Stream it. Wear a bib.
It’s worth a Market Buck for anyone who stops by to tell me your favorite foodie read. That’s 100 times better than a penny for your thoughts!
Raise your hand, and maybe stomp your feet, if you were here last week to hear the West African drum rhythms of Saeed Abdul-Samad and his Africa Rocks Productions. He even got the little kids (and several senior citizens) to bang out a few rhythms…and bit by bit other muscians showed up with more drums, and even a swinging sax …and much fun ensued. Saeed is as much about the history of the music as the music itself, and how different instruments can speak to us and move us.
I couldn’t help but marvel at how this small town and its own rhythms have changed and multiplied in the past decade. We have gone from waltz to watusi and all stops in between. Remarkable.
While we’re talking about Lansdowne music…I need to say goodbye to Joe Todaro and Todaro’s Music. Joe has been a fixture in Lansdowne, sharing his expertise and his love of instruments with so many young and not so young musicians. I’m hoping to lure him and his mandolin back for a stint in the music tent next year. Good Luck, Joe…thank you for helping me keep the beat.
Next Week in the Music Tent: The awaited return of Noodle Theory with Bill & Simone. A little of this and that…from the Beatles to Adele to whomever is topping the charts this summer.
Now, before you crack open that book…take an extra minute to go a) scroll down and send me a hello…it gets lonely on this page all by myself….then read the entire LEDC Newsletter. Make notes on things to do, and then head for that shady tree…or the beach…or the sofa.
See you on Saturday
Terry B.