There is a fantastic little store not far from here that sells balsamic vinegar from a drum with a spigot. When I saw the drum, I thought that couldn’t possibly be where this delectable balsamic comes from, but it was. Just one of those funny things.

Anyway, this balsamic vinegar is unlike any other I’ve had. It’s sweet, with highlights of tanginess, but without the tongue curling burn of most vinegars. It’s so good, I could drink it. Maybe. The store is called Villarina’s and it’s part of a small franchise chain in the New York metro area (all the stores are independently owned).

This orgasmic balsamic vinegar was the driving force that convinced me to give balsamic vinegar another try. For years, I avoided it and turned my nose up at the mere mention of it. But this changed it all . . .

I’ve mentioned before that I prefer a mix of oil and vinegar and homemade dressings to bottled dressings. I like the control you can have over ingredients, flavors, layers. It works for me. And while my basil vinaigrette is my fav new dressing of this summer, this honey balsamic that I made recently is really good too.

Especially if you use good vinegar.

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Oh my. Apparently, the  pumpkins really like the sunshine and occasionally bouts of heavy rain. In the past week, the leaves have gone from what I thought was a good size to enormous and they have extended vine fingers into my lawn … with curly-ques that are wrapping around whatever they can reach. It’s sort of like Little Shop of Horrors, without the creepy talking plant.

Meanwhile, I picked a handful of ripe sungold tomatoes today and saw several more that will ripen in a few days time. The New Girls are stubbornly green still. So much for being an “early” tomato.
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