Comfort food – the words alone bring comfort. It may be macaroni and cheese, chicken and dumplings, meat and three or simply lovin’ from the oven. Whatever your comfort food is, there is something about the wintertime that makes us long for, yearn for and crave it! Maybe we’re inside too much away from the sun’s warmth or need to sooth winter blues or even just feel like nesting in our own abodes that make this time of year the time for comfort food. These foods feed our souls as well as bellies and help us make it through another long winter.
This winter has been mild, pleasant, and, I might say, quite enjoyable for this Farmer. I must confess, it is my second favorite season – I love seeing the lines of the limbs against the winter blue sky, the rye grass beneath the gray pecan groves, the deep shadows of thick pinelands, and the general thought of a time for rest before the high buzz of the coming vernal equinox.
Speaking of the latter, spring-like temps have abounded this winter in my neck of the woods, my appetite, though, still turns towards the foodstuffs of cold winter days. Chilies, soups, stews (this dish notwithstanding) have been on my plate and on all those, too, who have supped with me this season. I love making a big pot or pan of something that will feed me for days as well as my staff, family and friends – when you make this dish, all three will surely be in tow!
I’m not sure why I always through crumbles needed to be sweet. Is it because I’m usually eating them weekly smack dab in the middle of summer? Probably. But last month in Paris we stopped by a lovely little shop and café for lunch where Adam ordered a Zucchini Crumble, a small dish of tender eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions topped with a savory buttery topping and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
One of the things that has stuck with me most from my trip to England some years ago was the unique names used for many traditional British dishes. There is bubble and squeak, which is potatoes and cabbage
cooked together. Toad in the hole is a dish of sausages baked in a
batter. Spotted dick is a bread pudding with raisins, drowned in
custard. And one of my favorites is bangers and mash, sausages with
mashed potatoes. All these dishes are commonly served in pubs all
around England.
I’m a firm believer in the adage that a tiny plot can feed a whole
lot! Granddaddy’s tomatoes keep rolling in and BLT’s, pies, sauce, and
simply sliced dishes of tomatoes are abounding on our tables.
In hopes of starting the year with a sweet and steeped memory, I hurried into my kitchen to whip up a quick tea–infused treat. Faced with several perfectly ripe pears, chocolate chai tea and whole grain flower (that never made its way into holiday cookies), I decided to give a basic muffin a delicate, tea-infused twist.
