Happy Veteran’s Day John,
We biked the trail along the river to a restaurant we visited in the first month of living here, and hadn’t been back to since. We’ve done takeout, but this was our first dining out locally since February 28, 2020. Outdoor patio. Masked when we weren’t eating. It was familiar and delicious and so, so foreign. Maybe that’s what everything feels like these days. The return of beloved experiences that were familiar. But with the edge of awareness of different risk tolerances, different boundaries.
Sometimes I manage to be intentional about the small interactions. Asking the Dad if he wants a picture of both of them after he’s posed his kid and snapped a shot. Complementing the woman on her coordinating blues from glasses to shirt to shoes. Bigger conversations still feel awkward, but I can practice bit by bit. Maybe someday it will just feel familiar.
In This Week’s Box
- Bosc Pears
- Honeycrisp Apples
- Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
- Bok Choy
- Purple Broccoli
- Pink Celery
- Romanesco Cauliflower
Garden Potential
- Last volunbeans
- Few more starfish pepper
- Radishes
Still in the Fridge
- Apples: Many apples
- Bartlett Pears, Asian Pears, Bosc Pears
- Greens: Savoy Cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Leeks
- Celery
- Peppers: Yummy, Lombok, Starfish, Banana, Jalapeno, Carmen, Cubanelle
- Baby Hakurei Turnips
- Carrots
- Red beets
- Squash: Red Kabocha, Spaghetti, Robins Koginut, Acorn
- Garlic
- Sweet onions
- Potatoes: Blue, Sweet
- Ginger
- Sunchokes
Open Preserves
- Preserved eggplant
- Dill pickle juice
- Lacto-fermented green cherry tomatoes
- Lacto-fermented blueberry jalapeno hot sauce
- Lacto-fermented habanda jalapeno hot sauce
- Pickled red onion
- Pickled banana peppers with oregano, basil, and black pepper
- Plain pickled banana peppers
- Pickled fennel stems with orange
- Spicy pickled fennel stems
- Radish kimchi
- Sunchoke relish
- Green tomato chutney
- Sour cherry chutney
- Freedom berry jam
- Apple butter
- Quince jelly
- Probably still more uninventoried
Meal thoughts
- Soup nomination: knock-off pho. Aka rice noodles in garlic-ginger broth with bok choy. Add some dried mushrooms, soft tofu. Top with lime, jalapeno. We’re out of basil, alas. And the cilantro isn’t quite established enough to want to pick its leaves. (It might die before we get there. That’s okay.)
- Aloo gobi! I think this is the recipe we used for virtual Indian Friendsgiving. It feels weird to make it with the different cauliflower and blue potatoes. I bet it still tastes delicious.
- Roast the broccoli? Serve with lemon juice and pasta and feta/chevre?
- Celery salad with dates and parm + apples. Expand the recipe in Six Seasons.
Love you,
Sarah
Planning Inside The Box 