“You could starve to death in the midst of plenty if you didn’t have garlic!”
— quote by SFH
I’ve always loved the idea that no matter how tart the lemons of life, you can always find some sugar to sprinkle on top. You know, sweeten things up. I forgot you can also mix garlic with lemon and create some tastiness too.
I was reminded of that fact this morning by that fellow in my life. He is quoted above. He is absolutely notorious for his use of garlic. And while one might think that he is joking about starving without garlic, let me assure you that he is not. In our time together, I have gained a whole new appreciation for garlic spears in steak, garlic-based marinades for beef, chicken and pork, and garlic-rubbed toasted bread served with sliced tomatoes and smoked salmon.
He is perhaps most famous for his pesto. Traditionally, he makes it with fresh basil, lemon juice, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, some black pepper … and a ton of garlic. Now at the drop of a hat, he can make all sorts of variations to accommodate allergies, e.g. replacing pine nuts with carrots for my young cousin. At some point he started adding sundried tomatoes. When pine nuts became a bit scarce, there was a hazelnut experiment. Black walnuts didn’t work so well.
One day I hope to convince him to sit still long enough to write about his philosophies of food, especially around garlic. But I suppose most people would prefer he just keep cooking. 😉
Here in New England we’re awaiting the arrival of what’s being called an epic snowstorm. A might coating of white will cover the land soon enough. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to the warm oranges and reds of the moro or blood orange. Given the amount of digging I’ll be doing over the next few days, I’ll need all the Vitamin C I can get. Wherever you are in the world, be well. 😉
A colorful snack pulled together, well, for its color more so than potential taste. Luckily, with a drizzle of olive oil and basil-infused basalmic vinegar, the flavor measured up to the visuals. 😉
Words + Images 