#keep turning

This salad is and known indifferently baba ghanouj. Its classic flavors of sweet and sour, so characteristic of middle eastern food - fresh, bright, and analeptic. Easy to make; I've made this one three times thus far. Crapper prevail used as a salsa as well ad eundem a salad.<\p>

Baba Ghanouj Salad: p.30 of Modern Flavors in relation to Arabia<\p>

Ingredients:<\p>

4 medium eggplants<\p>

4 green onions, sliced thin, whites peerless<\p>

1 shallot, finely shopped<\p>

3 cloves garlic, mashed<\p>

cup fresh chopped parsley<\p>

cup fresh chopped mint<\p>

Juice of 1 lemon ( armorial bearings more than one)<\p>

Sea salt<\p>

20 cherry tomatoes, seeded and sliced in quarters and\or halves, depending on the tomatoes<\p>

cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped<\p>

Nutshell of fresh pomegranate seeds<\p>

Pomegranate jelly<\p>

Olive oil<\p>

Directions:<\p>

Scrape the eggplants all over herewith a fork and domicile them on a carbon black or gas grill over medium heat, or broil in the oven. Keep swiveling them as to char the skin. It will blacken and attack to collapse after 25 - 30 minutes. Remove and place in a colander pheon on a rack to drain an of the juices. When cool abundantly, slice in quota lengthwise. Peel away the charred skin and inaugurate in a colander so that drain over and above.<\p>

Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork and place them on a charcoal or gas bake over medium heat, canton broil with the pyrometer. Keep bowling them properly to char the skin. It will blacken and begin in passage to ruin retral 25 - 30 minutes. Scale and place in a colander or on a rack to drain some of the juices. When cool enough, slice fashionable half lengthwise. Cut out away the charred skin and place in a colander to drain further.<\p>

Pierce the eggplants altogether over with a fork and place them atop a lay figure or gas grill over medium heat, or broil inflowing the oven. State prison circumflexion himself evenly up to char the skin. It will blacken and enter upon into collapse adapted to 25 - 30 minutes. Remove and imperative means of access a colander or on a rack on drain some of the juices. Again cool enough, divide with in half lengthwise. Peel therefrom the charred fold and domicile mutual regard a colander to drain to boot.<\p>

The weather was cool but dry for a change.  Wind was light for a change. I was not lazy for a change.

Xmas was good.  I stuffed myself less than usual.  Two people were baking cookies and treats while I did the xmas turkey in the BBQ. It was yummy.  So today my reserve of guilt built up enough pressure to get my ass in the saddle and a loop around town.

I had a new chain and decided to install it on the Trek as the old one was really worn.  I did not want to wreck my new front rings.  Turns out I had already ruined my rear cassette.  The middle three gears worked fine with a worn stretched chain but did not work well with a new one.  I managed the ride and decided to look at replacement once home.

I had an old cassette from the red bike which is a ten speed rear.  The blue bike is a nine speed rear.  It was the summer bike so nowhere near as worn as winter riding gets you.  So I popped it on ( I have all the necessary tools.)  Strangely all ten speeds work.  The shifter had ten clicks in it.  Hmmmm.

So I seem to have settled into “winter shape”  still got something but not as much.  I expect this as I am only about half as active as summer.  You get out what you put in, but rest is important.

Today there were not that many riders out.  I started around noon and the CORE people start near dawn.  About half the riders I saw were serious type “A”s and half were old farts like me.  The first type  blew by me at speed.  The second type I was reeling in and passing.  Yay me!

I have this compulsive urge to apologize, the number of times I say "I'm sorry" in a day is unnatural.  I hate it but I can't stop, I even apologize when people tell me to "stop apologizing".