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.
Daikon radish as described by my quietly kind (and British) brother-in-law:
“It’s a mixture between potato and radish, it’s lovely” (or oh-some, I can’t remember, he’s sort of Canadian-ized now).
My response, before he had even finished the sentence:
If you’ve been following us for a while, you will know that when you see we are making Szechuan green beans, they are going to be a little bit different than what you’re used to. Like, in a good way though. No pan/deep-frying, no store-bought sauces, just bright, real food flavours that help our in-season green beans strut their fresh stuff.
Green beans are a favourite around here once they finally hit the farmers market. The rest of the year, I find they can taste a bit like plastic straws, which I think is why people don’t always get super excited about them. But when they are grown locally and eaten close to when they were picked, they are sweet, tender, and even juicy.
If you’ve ever been to a steakhouse and aren’t a steak person, you’ve probably noticed that the veggies are an afterthought. Under/over-seasoned, under/overcooked, generally unattended to and unloved. I don’t know if this is because they assume nobody eats them anyway, but if you’re only really eating the veggies, it’s not that cool. And even if you’re there for the steak, why should the guys it’s sharing a plate with be overlooked, especially with all of the menu brags that the steak quality gets?
I think about food too much, but I do still think this is a strange oversight. And I’m definitely not telling you to go to a steakhouse; I’m actually hoping to show you how to show up to a friendly, omnivorous bbq without being the guy who brought the hummus.
