nothing seems as significant as a solid holiday week – incomparable is the buzz and hum surrounding the notion that we’re all about to gather. it’s an electricity stitched into the air supply, making for the most festive oxygen. plans are being discussed, weather is being watched (c’mon snow), preparations are being made, oceans and miles are being crossed. we contemplate the terminology of what constitutes as ‘family’, and then we are family. we give, and we are given.
we open our hearts and release the pressure. we are homeward bound, and if not physically, always in our minds. we are stoking the fire with recognition and appreciation. sentiments that will carry us into the next year and enable us to experience the next eternity. we are curating our future with romantic practicalities (crazy, right?). i’m climbing trees and looking out across the land – singing hymns to the miles we have yet to traverse. everything is still. for a day the wind is mute. there are no fires. the sky is the brine of our minds. the day turns to night and we’re howling at the moon. we’re questing the stars for something new, as well a hint that the old is everything we’ve ever striven for.
my well wishes extend to you. those of you that are reading this and are able to share the convictions. you also have my heart even if you’re not in holiday mode. hopefully you’re able to slow your heartbeats and feel the caress of this certain time of year that allows us to grow so much wiser. my thankfulness is a deep and wide cavern, ever weaving into the portrait of a lifetime. thank you for coming to this space and reading these lines. thank you for viewing these pictures and considering this food. happy holiday friends, i’ll be thinking of you.
- succotash:
- 1 small rutabaga, diced
- 1 small turnip, diced
- 1 small parsnip, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, chopped into small wedges
- 1 / 2 small cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1 small leek, rinsed, white and green parts chopped
- 1 / 2 lb brussels sprouts, halved
- 3 tbl olive oil
- 1 tbl smoked paprika
- 2 cups fordhook lima beans, thawed if frozen
- bbq sauce:
- 1 / 2 tbl olive oil
- 1 shallot, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 / 4 cup brown sugar
- 1 / 2 tsp red miso
- 1 / 4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- juice of 1 / 2 a mandarin
- 1 1 / 2 cup cranberries
- 1 1 / 2 cup vegetable broth
- optional: flatbread/naan
- preheat oven to 425 degrees. toss vegetables with oil and paprika and spread out on an extra large sheet pan, or two sheets if needed. roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp. the last 10 minutes of roasting time, add lima beans and mix to incorporate.
- meanwhile, for bbq sauce, heat oil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan and add shallot. saute shallot until softened, 5-10 minutes. add garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant. add brown sugar, miso, tomato paste, and mustard. heat mixture until melted and darkened, stirring constantly. add mandarin juice and cranberries. heat 3-5 minutes, until you begin to hear cranberries popping. add vegetable broth, stir, and simmer mixture for 10-12 minutes, until thickened. if a smoother consistency is desired, blend sauce.
- serve succotash on flatbread, or on the side with bbq sauce.