I spent, what felt like a whole summer, but more realistically was probably a stretch of two days, making fresh summer tomato sauce. Marking each tomato with an X, dipping each into a pot of boiling water, inspecting them for when the skins began to curl up like the corners of a page. I’d fish them out, with a bowl of ice water at the ready. "Blanched." It sounds like a grandmother who wears short white gloves and long white pearls, a small hat pinned to her head with a fine netted veil pulled down, lipstick on her teeth. A real tomato.
I skinned each tomato, revealing a mealy, veined, translucent oddball, filled with seeds. How they haven’t been commonly compared to testicles is beyond me. I slipped a finger up its center, then broke through each of the chambers, the viscous seeds slipping into my garbage bowl. I passed the broken bodies through a chrome food mill, cranking the handle over a mixing bowl, as beads and mash passed through. A raw puree.
I should take the time to savor more than summer. Continue to delight in the small side roads that give me a strange sense of peace. I should go outside more and let grass stick to the backs of my thighs. I should learn how to make a fire in my fireplace. I should toast some marshmallows and work on a good ghost story. I shouldn’t feel guilty about the fact that I’d love to spend an afternoon doing nothing but planning the perfect fall picnic menu for when the leaves begin to change. I should learn how to tailgate properly. I still need to buy a flask. I love the smaller moments, but I need to be better about sharing them.
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Speaking of sharing and capturing moments: A friend of mine has a gallery show in New York, and this week is the last chance to see it! His work is stunning, especially if you love New York. Imagine one of his prints in my New York room?! Stop by for me. I wish I could be there. Information below:
INCANDESCENT
Group show with Joergen Geerds, Richard Roth and Carol Salmanson
532 Gallery (http://532gallery.com)
532 West 25th St, second Floor
Open: Tuesday to Thursday, 11-6 and ALSO by appointment
Close: August 15
And for anyone checking in on Phil’s results, they still are not in, which makes my stomach squirrely.
