Fran Honan has been contributing her writings to theglorifiedtomato.com for the past 13 years, and her stories have always resonated with me. I’m excited to share her peice with you. It expresses sentiments about giving, community, and food.” – Paula
A few weeks ago, on a cool night in the fading days of summer, our neighbor Augustin rang our doorbell with some of the season’s bounty. It was a white basket filled with green and purple figs, grown with love and care from him all season.
I’ve been obsessed with figs since I was a little girl growing up in Bensonhurst. In our mainly Italian neighborhood, fig trees and grapevines were a staple in every garden.
In my Sicilian grandfather’s small backyard he lovingly grew tomatoes, basil alongside the vines of grapes and his prized fig tree. Each summer his children and grandchildren lined up to receive a fig or two; I cherished them.
A gift from Augustin Frans-neighbor.
His death in 1959 put an end to his garden and I always longed for my own tree.
Years after moving to Rockaway my friend and colleague Adam Funtleyder brought figs into our school one day and I was brought back to my grandfather’s backyard. I shared my love of the fruit with him and he gave me a cutting of his tree, which also had roots in Brooklyn.
Adam’s tree came from a cutting from his father Eliot’s backyard, and that tree came from a cutting from his childhood neighbor in Brooklyn, an Italian immigrant who also grew them and shared with his Jewish neighbor.
That spirit of sharing has continued since growing my own figs. Our neighbor Frankie, another Brooklyn Italian, shares his figs and oversized basil leaves every summer. And now we had the basket of figs from Augustin, who hails from Poland. We got to talking about the fruit in church, which spurred his generosity.
When I left Brooklyn for Rockaway after getting married, my Italian-American mother wondered how I could leave my Italian neighborhood for an Irish one. Where would I shop for Italian food?, she asked. She meant everything, including figs.
My mother died 33 years ago and never had the chance to see my fig tree thrive, or to see the multicultural sharing the figs have inspired.
If you are lucky enough to have a neighbor with delicious figs. give them a taste. I have included a simple recipe if you receive a bountiful harvest like I have. MANGIA.
I made a new friend at Seany Pizza. Juliana Rodas is a self-starting entrepreneur who’s hardworking, energetic, kind, and a lot of fun to be around. In my first few weeks, Juliana helped me navigate the POS register – without judgment, sigh – I’m 20 years her senior. I had a hunch that working at Seany’s would open the gate to meet new people, like Juliana in my community that I otherwise wouldn’t cross paths with. It’s so wonderful!
Photo courtesy of IG @for.the.love.of.bread
During our hours crafting pies at Pizza World, I’ve gotten to know Juliana and learned she is a baker! This year she started her own business, For the Love of Bread, sharing her homemade goods at the RISE Market. Juliana loves bananas! Her offerings include four banana options: classic banana bread, banana nut, cocoa chocolate chip banana, and peanut butter banana bread. Can we put bananas on pizza? In addition, finds Edgemere Farm-grown zucchini baked into her soft zucchini breads and she offers sweet carrot bread. I’ve tried many of Juliana’s baked goods – the flavors are rich, the slices are thick and the bread is wonderfully moist. My favorite might be the peanut butter banana bread. It’s hard to choose a fav with so many tasty varieties and flavors! PSA: For the Love of Bread is the only vendor at the RISE market that sells coffee.
Juliana Rodas, a Rockaway native of Colombian heritage, discovered her passion for baking at the age of 11 while spending time with her Aunt Ada. As a skilled home baker and Juliana’s mentor, Aunt Ada introduced her to the craft of baking through a cherished Christmas recipe book. These memories of learning from her aunt have left a lasting impression on Juliana and continue to inspire her love of bread.
Juliana Rodas at the RISE Market
The RISE market, located on 60th Street under the El, offers a fantastic blend of urban energy, music, locally grown fruits and veggies, artisanal products, and delicious baked breads, creating a hip market experience. Visit every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., through October 12. Supporting local businesses strengthens our community by creating jobs and building meaningful connections among neighbors. Come through and say hi to Juliana and the other talented vendors at the RISE Market (@riserockaway) this weekend!
To learn more about Juliana Rodas’ bread business check out this article in The Wave. And follow For the Love of Bread on Instagram – @for.the.love.of.bread
Some years our garden harvest does better than others. Why? Many factors come into play, including weather, temperature, soil, planting time, pests, and the gardener’s consistency and effort. I’d like to share about what’s happening in my garden:
The parsley in my plot overwintered. Other gardeners mentioned that theirs did too. It’s not the best sign as it means we had another mild winter. I use all parts of the parsley plant in my red sauce and in homemade dressings. This is a lovely dressing recipe from my friend and fellow gardener Melissa. Use this sweet and tangy dressing as a base and add in all your favorite fresh garden herbs.
Shoutout to my neighbor Steve O’Sullivan, for donating his hand-built picnic table to the B91 Community Garden, Thank you Steve!
My cucumbers are doing amazing! I’ve done nothing out of the ordinary. I know cucumbers thrive with plenty of sunlight (check), consistent watering (check) and well-drained soil (check). I add compost to my plot in the Beach 91st Street Community Garden every season and cucumbers (all veg for that matter) benefit from those nutrients. A trellising system is needed. I actually used tomato cages and that worked pretty well. In the past, the community garden had a problem with squash beetles, which will decimate cucumbers, not this year, so that has been working in my favor from the start.
Couldn’t be more perfect cucumbers!
I’m growing green peppers and although they’re coming in slowly, they look healthy. I ate my first one the other day and it had a surprisingly spicy taste. Inconsistent watering can affect peppers, so it’s important to be diligent about watering the plant. Luckily, we’ve had some good rain this season. It’s crucial to keep an eye on the weather—that’s an important job for us gardeners.
I’ve begun making my annual “Paula’s Pesto” batches. My basil is thriving, and my garlic harvest was plentiful. Make sure to pinch off the basil flowerheads, and when harvesting, always take a clipping just before a new leaf node. This will ensure your basil plant keeps producing.
Now… for the tomato update… My tomatoes are behind schedule. I planted them a week or two later than I intended. I walk around the community garden with an eye of envy – everyone’s beefsteaks are turning from green to red. Plot #12 has so many indigo roses and I see clusters of red romas all over. But there’s still hope for a tomato-girl summer. My plants do look healthy and I have cute little tomatoes forming. Only time will tell. Patience is a virtue they say.
My first tomato of 2024!
You start with a tiny seedling, invest time and care. You watch it transform. It takes months. It’s pretty amazing when you think about start to finish. Gardening teaches us to appreciate the value of food and makes us reflect on food waste after knowing its journey.
For more on gardening, follow me on Insta for the day-to-day – @theglorifiedtomato
by Paula D.
on August 10, 2024 10:52 am in Food / Recipes
I thought I smelled French toast but I walked into the narrow surf shack galley kitchen and it was a surprise to see eggs, strategically placed in the middle of sliced semolina bread. My friend Mike – over the stove – said his family calls the breakfast “surprise eggs!”
It makes sense, as the over-easy eggs (if done correctly) are perfectly meshed within the bread, making it hard at first glance to know there is an egg hidden within. As you slice the bread, a golden river of yolk streams out, quickly disappearing as it’s soaked up by the buttery, shoreline toast.
Surprise Eggs by Chef Mike
Many people call this breakfast many different names – egg in a hole, egg in the basket, popeye eggs, yolk in a crater, and sunrise sandwich to name a few. What do you call it?
I’m calling it ‘surprise eggs!’ because, believe it or not, I’ve never encountered this version of over-easy eggs before and thanks to Mike, I’ve been egg-lightened. So, I’m going with his name.
Why so many names? Family traditions play a big part, regional differences (Mike is from the midwest) and cooks love to add their own twist.
Despite not being Italian or Catholic, Mike’s family’s name for this breakfast might carry the most significance. According to the smart internet, the Kinder Surprise Chocolate Egg was created in 1974 by Michele Ferrero and William Salice for Ferrero, the Italian chocolate company. The chocolate egg treat was inspired by an Italian Easter tradition where children (and Pontiffs) received large chocolate eggs with toys inside. I imagine this familiarity translated into the breakfast concept
In 2012, an Italian chocolatier gifted Benedict XVI, with a 6.5 foot tall chocolate Easter egg weighing 550 pounds. Photo by L’Osservatore Romano, AP.
