I was trying to explain to my 10 month old what Christmas tastes like. It was a fairly one-sided conversation but I’m pretty sure she got the gist of it.
I was cutting pomegranate seeds in half for her like the paranoid mom that I have become and she was mmmm-ing as she swallowed fistfuls of them whole. These had been preceded by some sage-y buckwheat with mushrooms, all flavours that seem very Christmassy to me.
It’s that time of year again! Although it’s almost too late to start a batch of sauerkraut in order for it to be ready in time for gift-giving (or perhaps to mail a tea set to you niece in Amsterdam), it’s perfect timing to start thinking about most other gifts.
Last year we made bath salts for the people we love. The recipe is here along with a big list of other thoughtful ideas for people who may (or may not) be going through cancer treatment. We have a fresh new list of ideas this year too.
Something that never ceases to amaze me is the versatility of vegetables. I try to use the lesser-known ones too, mostly to show you what to do with them when you see them and to highlight their nutrition stats, but if all you can find where you live are the most basic of veggies, you can still make a huge variety of recipes.
Take a look at the vegetables used in this recipe. They’re just the everyday stuff found at the farmer’s market or any grocery store (where I live). But this soup tastes rich, exotic and nourishing, not at all like a yawning fridge.
This recipe was a long time coming. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that my husband has a thing for spicy food, so this hot sauce (and/or this spicy ‘compote’) is something that I make all of the time and is always in our fridge.
I guess I was waiting for a week during this end of summer time, when so many of the most exciting local fruits and veggies are at their best, to find room in my heart for something as everyday as hot sauce. Evidently this was the year, and I hope you find it to be worth the wait.
