Anatomy of a Migraine

It's been more than a year since I had a full-blown migraine, or I should say one that I wasn't able to head off at the pass before it got bad enough to make me wish I hadn't gotten out of bed that day.

I woke up with a headache; that's typically how they start for me.  If I'm smart and take two Tylenol right away, often times it stays a dull roar all day.  Today I was busy with work stuff, and chose to ignore the headache.  It stayed a dull roar most of the morning.  I had coffee like always, and some raspberries for breakfast.

Then WHAM, the headache went from a dull roar to a gut-clenching, soul-killing, head-throbbing, make me want to puke kind of pain that I had almost forgotten about.  It happened so fast I literally got on a conference call and bowed out immediately, saying I was ill.

I finally took the Tylenol, but it was already too late.  My migraines include a runny nose, sneezing, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.  Sometimes a hot shower helps, even though it's contrary to what the physiology of a migraine is.  A migraine supposedly results from dilated blood vessels; they get big and set off the pain.  And cold will shrink the blood vessels; heat will expand them.

Yet for years, a hot shower with the water directed at the back of my head has brought relief, along with breathing in eucalyptus and peppermint essential oil while in the steam.  Not so today.  I took two hot showers, with vomiting in between, and pacing the floor in between that.  I'm not one that can lay down in a dark room with a migraine - it makes the pain worse, so I have to sit up or stand up for the worst of it.  But past history has shown me that the vomiting signals the end or nearly the end.  I was finally able to lay down propped up on 4 pillows and wait it out.  With my eyes closed I could see shapes like an old fashioned kaleidoscope, all silvery and moving together.

I finally dozed off, and when I next opened my eyes, sweet relief.  I'm never more thankful for feeling normal (well, mostly normal) than after a bad migraine.  I feel shaky, out of it, still with little appetite, and a bit headachy, but compared to what it was like just a couple of hours ago, I'll take it!

Tomato Tomahto

Last week I was too late - a lady bought the bushel of Roma tomatoes just as I got in line at my favorite Farmer's Market vendor, Lida Farm.  And oh, did she gloat!

So this week I got there early, and was the first person in line; in fact the booth wasn't even set up yet, so I "helped" display the peppers, cukes, cherry tomatoes, kale, beets, corn, and assorted other beauties.  I saw the bushel of Romas behind the table and told Ryan (the farmer) that I'd take 'em all.  He thought that it was about 25 pounds, but having experience carrying 30 and 40 pound containers of cat litter, I think it was closer to 30 pounds.

He also had some yellow Romas - I couldn't resist those either, but stopped at 2 quarts.  And took two ginormous red onions, a dozen jalapenos, a bunch of basil, and a dozen ears of corn.

So what does one do with 30 pounds of tomatoes?

First up - dehydrating.  I took the yellow Romas and some of the little red Romas and cut them in half and put them skin side down in the dehydrator.  These babies were juicy; I cooked 'em 12 hours yesterday and only some are ready.  Once dry, they'll be vacuum packed and frozen for the long journey back to Texas.  To use, I'll pour boiling water over them and let them reconstitute for about 30 minutes, then use them for pasta, stews, bruschetta, etc.

Next up, I made a batch of basil garlic tomato sauce for the canner.  I can see throwing some meatballs in this sauce and slow cooking it all day.

I still have two large bowls of tomatoes left, so today I'll can some in their own juice, and also make some salsa.  I don't have any cilantro, and I'm feeling very lazy today, so I might wait until tomorrow after I can get to the store.  Since I'll likely be giving all the salsa away, I'll use cilantro even though I can't stand the stuff (apparently I'm genetically special in that regard, as was Julia Child).

I also have a few tomato plants of my own.  The Cherokee Purples are gorgeous and so sweet!  And with the cukes I have growing up a small trellis, I made a delicious and simple salad Friday night.

I added feta cheese just before serving.  The vinaigrette was olive oil and red wine vinegar, with salt, pepper, and a little za'atar thrown in.  Za'atar is a Lebanese spice mix of thyme, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds, which I can't seem to get enough of.  Order it from Amazon.com since you're unlikely to find it in a grocery store around here.  It's also the traditional topping for Labneh, which is nothing but regular yogurt with some salt added that's been strained in cheesecloth for a couple of days until it's the texture of cream cheese, but oh so much better tasting (and better for you).  Top the labneh with extra virgin olive oil and za'atar and eat with Pita bread, veggies, or chips.

Preserving My Summer

I am a curious cook and love this time of year, when my gardens and the Farmer's Market overflows with fresh produce.  Yesterday I made wild rice (grown here in Minnesota), pattypan squash, and apple sauteed with baby kale and it was surprisingly good.  

I've made Caprese salad for the neighbors with my beautiful Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes, and my cucumbers have made delightful salads as well as pickles (both dill and refrigerator).

To give you an idea of what I've preserved this summer:

Sauerkraut; plain, with caraway, and with celery seeds (3 batches)

Fermented kosher dills - 3 gallons

Fermented garlic

Strawberry Rhubarb jam

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Blackberry Lime jam

Fermented dilly carrots

Fermented dilly beans

Fermented asparagus

Pickled jalapenos, Serrano, and Hungarian hot wax peppers

Pickled ginger

Pickled beets

Tomorrow I'm going to make rhubarb chutney, which I've made before.  It's a sweet, savory, chunky sauce just perfect for pairing with pork or chicken, or over a block of cream cheese.  I'm also going to make a savory pluot jam.  A pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot.  This jam calls for honey, rosemary, balsamic vinegar and fresh chives.  

And the Farmer's Market is tomorrow, so I will probably get more beans and dill...

And frozen food - I invested in a Food Saver vacuum packing machine, and I wonder how I survived all these years without it!  I've frozen 18 ears of corn (blanched and cut off the cob), tons of rhubarb, fresh sage (who knew you could preserve it this way?), fresh chives, and even quartered heirloom tomatoes.  I was going to can the tomatoes, and still will when I get more, but I didn't have lemon juice at home and was too lazy to go back to the store.  

I've given away lots of my jars, but still have a lot to pack in my car for the drive to Texas in October.  I'm gonna have to ship everything except jars and frozen stuff, and even then there will barely be room for the cat!