I've got two fresh pinapples from Hawaii!

Coffee Tree!?!

Coffee Tree

I found a few cold process tomato shrubs in the Kindle book “Shrubs”. Thanks to whoever alerted me to the sale on that.

TOMATO AND CELERY SHRUB

Sadly no, but thanks for the guesses!

Dingus McGee’s Roadhouse maybe? If so they may have just changed locations because we couldn’t find it last time through the area. I remember that it was a big, funky rambling place, very near Auburn.

Oh!I thought you meant in Vacaville!

Oh sorry, I couldn’t remember where it was really, DH confirmed it was near Auburn.

Don’t think I’ve ever been to Auburn, so I can’t help there!

Shrubs are great in cold water, sparkling water or seltzer or club soda, or as a cocktail ingredient. I’ve also used them recently in hot water as tea (ginger shrub specifically).

Blueberry shrub would be great added to a gin+tonic/soda, or vodka+tonic if that’s your preference. Lemon or lime to finish. Or add some to lemonade (boozy or otherwise), or Prosecco or cava.

My sister and sister in law reminded me of the tomato shrub, and I have SO many. That one is good in vinagrettes and bloody marys.

Ah! That’s a great idea. I like a slightly sweet-tart dressing on some of my salads every once in a while.

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New batch of pineapple vinegar.

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Are you thinking of Ikeda’s, in Auburn? Maybe not, because it’s still there.

If it’s the same place, that wasn’t the name of it back in the late 80’s, early 90’s. Wish I could remember! :thinking:

Must be a different place then, because that’s the era from which I remember Ikeda’s.

Presumably the particular pineapples in question are long gone so the discussion is academic.

We cut pineapple into rings and grill them for ham or chicken. Chunks for salad and omelet. Juiced as a sub for lemon or lime juice. Lots of Caribbean dishes that pineapple goes nicely with. Sub for mango with coconut milk as a dessert. As a native New Yorker: never EVER on a pizza.

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Thanks for the additional ideas! Using in place of citrus juice is especially interesting!
I did get another one last week, but as it was just one, it was hastily dispatched, “as is”. I did start some more pineapple vinegar as well.

We are all the products of our experience. I think of pineapple in the context of Hawaii and the Pacific rim. I poked a bit and realized how many Caribbean dishes have pineapple. Apparently pineapple reached the Caribbean sometime in the 13th or 14th century, so longer ago than tomatoes reached Italy! That means pretty much anything with chicken or goat is a candidate for pineapple. This https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjaRmvXLr88 sweet and sour chicken got me thinking about Chinese dishes with pineapple. Again, chicken and goat and perhaps yak (good luck sourcing that). Yak got me thinking about yogurt and that led me to (I may be making this up) a tzatziki variant with pineapple instead of cucumber. That circled me back to sweet and sour and made me think you could make a pie with rhubarb and pineapple (use a strawberry rhubarb pie recipe and sub).

While the pie is baking you can weave a saddle blanket from yak hair.

Clearly I have led a complicated life.

Oh – pineapple base for marinading mutton.

Fresh pineapple is least expensive here on the right coast in early Summer. I hope I remember these ideas then. Hmm - mutton is often available about then also. I can practice with sweet and sour chicken using canned pineapple in the meantime.

Jeepers - how could I forget pineapple conch?

Pineapple in cornbread is interesting too, and pretty good, with more of a cake like texture. ( To those of you from the American south, please forgive the blasphemy). :pineapple:

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Sounds right to me, but my mom and in laws are Caribbean, and I’m pretty sure when they think pineapple they think canned. Coconut , mango, and especially avacados on the other hand, are fruit to be “pegged” with a stone, like you would an irritating animal here in the US.

Here in California we think “Hawaii”, and all that that entails.

When you are talking about “pegged” @shrinkrap, do you mean thrown or tossed away, or used as weapons?

My husband (from Jamaica) uses “pegged” to mean throw rocks at until it falls. Could mean mangos, avacados (“pears”), cats, or birds.

This is a row of “stones” he keeps for “pegging” if I don’t stop him.

I remembered wrong; it’s avacados that he liked to “peg” rather than eat. It’s been awhile.

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