Playing With My Food

Now that January is here, the garden and seed  catalogues have been in the mail box on a daily basis.  I love leafing through the brightly colored pages of  juicy, ripe produce, beautiful flowers, and green, aromatic spices.  It seems I always linger on the pages of  fresh  berries and sweet corn.   The varieties are always amazing and every year, Hubby and I sit and plan out the garden.  Row by row we figure on what we use, what we never keep up with, and what never even makes it in the house!  Sweet baby green peas never make it inside.  They are always gobbled up, pods and all while we weed the rest of the garden.  Tender, green asparagus stalks also get chomped up and rarely make it inside or even more rarely make it to the grill.

    Even though we are in the midst of  a January thaw, my cupboards and pantry are full of  foods that we "put up" for winter time.  We have had soups and stews, pickles, sauces, and jams.  I have opened numerous boxes, jars, and cans to create various soups, stews, and casseroles.  But I miss playing with my food.  I miss gathering the tender green beans,  weeding the sweet carrots, and popping tiny, paper thin onion sets in the soil.   I miss picking black and blueberries until my fingers (and mouth) are stained with berry juice.

        So this week, I've been playing with my food,  indoors.  For our New Year's celebration, I made guacamole.  It was so satisfying to make the creamy, green  mash, and I have to admit,  I loved using my hands as my tools.  There is something so satisfying about using your hands to peel, mash, and mix.  Mixing and mashing onion, garlic, and cilantro into a paste and then peeling and mashing the glorious green of fresh avocados.  Feeling the sting of fresh lemon juice running down my hand and into the bowl to preserve the beautiful green and the sharp bite of clear, salt crystals. I imagine the vibrant green of the avocado tree.  Someday, I will see one. (Not my photo....but someday it will be.)
      The next adventure my hands had was making applesauce cinnamon ornaments.  Now I know that Christmas is over, but I'm in withdrawal.  The house always looks so naked and empty. This year, I left the greenery on the stair railing and hung red lights for Valentine's Day.   I used fragrant applesauce cinnamon dough to cut out small, crinkle, edged hearts.  When they dried, I edged them in white acrylic paint  and hung them to scent the house. 

     Playing with the various veggies and spices, and a fridge full of holiday leftovers inspired me to try a jambalaya.  What a party for eyes, noses, hands, and mouths!  Right along with avocado trees, I will get to New Orleans someday to try the food.  What fun a jambalaya is!  You begin with chopping onions, celery, and carrots.  Normally you would use peppers for the "Holy Trinity" of southern cooking.  However, none of my guys are pepper lovers, so I substituted carrots.   It's a veritable feast for the eyes of green, white, orange, and red.  Slicing sausage, and chicken gives bulk and heft to the meal.  Adding cilantro, cumin,paprika, cayenne pepper, onion, and bay give the mixture a delightfully spicy, aromatic  scent that tickles the nose and begs for heat.    Let the dry, dusty grains of  rice run through your fingers and add it to the steaming pot.  Hot Tabasco  sauce adds the necessary heat when you add it with chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce.  Finally add the final touches of peeled, and deveined shrimp, and freshly minced parsley.    It will bubble in the pot and bring everyone into the kitchen with "What's that cooking?  It smells really good!"

        Your hands will remember the feel of  peeling, and dicing, slicing, and mincing.  Your eyes will revel in the fresh greens, and whites.  The heat will remind your taste buds that the days are getting longer and spring will be here before you know it!

***Indicates that recipe is included

Sunday
Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken, and Sausage***
Crescent rolls

Monday
Guinness Stew***
applesauce

Tuesday
Clam Chowder
French Bread

Wednesday
Cheryl's Rice Pilaf ***
Asparagus
Grilled Flank Steak

Thursday
Deli Beef Burgundy
Noodles
Carrots

Friday
Subs