We have a short winter here, and one of the things I celebrate the most during the cold months is the welcome dietary change that comes once it cools off. So many foods are just no good when the weather is warm, let's face it. But with chilly nights comes the stews, chili, hearty casseroles, and warm desserts.
Tonight I'm making a big plate of chicken curry. Curry is one of those foods that will warm you from within, mainly because of the spiciness of it and the heaviness of the curry itself. Add in some whole grain rice to bulk it up, and it's a dinner fit for any cold night. Summers, on the other hand, are when I find myself in the mood for things like tapas, sandwiches, and cold chicken and potato salad.
Salads are the only thing we do backwards here. In July, it's much too warm for lettuce, so we eat our salad greens in late fall, winter and spring. But since everyone's usually cold and hungry when they come home in the evening, I actually serve the salad last, almost like it's a pre-dessert. It's a great way to finish the meal, cleansing on the palate, light and crispy.
So while my curry is simmering, I'm heading outside to pick my post-dinner, pre-dessert salad. Yes, here where we live, curries, stews, and -- yes, salads -- are the tastes of the season.
You're so lucky. I wish I could pick something from the garden right now, but we had 8 degrees last night. Even my kale and sage are gone now.
ReplyDeleteAw, I'm sorry Redhorse. But I'll bet you will have a wonderful lettuce crop when it's much too hot here to grow it!
DeleteIt is so fun when it's cold enough to justify making all the hearty stuff! Curries aren't really in my repitoire at all. They should be. One of my clients made me a lime and coconut milk curry that was amazing! I tired to replicate it to disastrous effect. I'm a king of making pasta and a fool of rice! Haha. That was the best thing of my 5 month vegan experiment: I finally was able to make rice without overcooking it to mush. It's my lot in life to ruin simple things. I burn cookies, forget about rolls, let gravy boil over.
ReplyDeleteOne of our best-loved dishes at the winery cafe is samosas...especially with the vegan diners! Bet you'd like them, too, they have a bit of curry flavor but they require NO rice whatsoever! They're a bit challenging for me, but for you -- probably a cinch!
DeleteSometimes I feel as you do about cooking; I feel like I can mess up even the simplest things, like cookies. But then again, that's why cooking is called an art and not a science. It's not always going to end up being a Picasso, and sometimes, more like a bad fingerpainting lol.