In Love with France, At Home In Italy

1. THE ITALIAN WASHING MACHINE is a wonder in more than one way. I always wonder what it could possibly be doing for the length of time it takes to do a load of wash. On the other hand, it is a wonder at getting things clean. 2. MY NEW DEHYDRATOR People my age are generally looking for ways to hydrate.  But not we farmers whose orchards runneth over at times when  even the Italian sun may not be enough to help. As you may recall  from the August 2012 post           WHAT TIME OF YEAR IS IT? IT'S "TOO MANY PLUMS" SEA... my "appliance" of choice for drying fruit is our 2002 Renault Megane: stick that foil-lined IKEA broiler pan (loaded up with the fruit-of-the-moment) onto the windshield, close the door, and you're good to go.  Or, more accurately, you're not going anywhere until the Umbrian sun dries to perfection those figs, apples, peaches, pears, or plums. But there's a drawback to this n...