Giving Thanks

This week there will be a lot of people standing in line to get a turkey. While this phenomenon is not unique to Piedmont Grocery, it is always fun to catch up with long time customers and watch their kids grow up before our eyes and listen to neighbors greet each other while standing in line. It’s very Norman Rockwell and it’s what I love about being a neighborhood grocery store.

True, the scene is not always as serene as we would like; the stress of our busiest day of the year can get to the best of us. (If you have ever been in our parking lot the week before Thanksgiving you know what I mean.) But amidst the dwindling piles of cranberries, pies, potatoes and Parker House rolls, there is an underlying sense of community that makes me thankful to work where I do, with the people I do and for the customers I do.

To all of our customers, employees, friends and family I wish you all a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Butternut & Carrot Soup

The Great Pumpkin

So, we’ve established in previous posts that my family is, well, peculiar. We do things differently than other families. That includes holidays. This latest psychosis comes courtesy of my father.

Certain annual holidays have some sort of living thing associated with them…like trees or squash. When this occurs, Dad must have the biggest one he can find.

As a kid, I was told that Dad’s need for the biggest pumpkin or tree was because he never had one when he was a kid. (And, of course, he walked to school in the rain.) It wasn’t until, as an adult, I was talking to my grandfather that the truth was revealed. No, Dad didn’t have a big pumpkin or tree…at least not in his room. The family trees and pumpkins were all of significant size.

The reality is that Dad never matured past the age of eight. And he has now passed his enthusiasm for big down to his grandchildren. Exibit A is the picture included with this post. This pumpkin was delivered to our house for Halloween. (The apple is for scale). The kids have requested we carve it to look like a vampire. (Carve is a relative term. To carve these pumpkins you need to use a keyhole saw because the wall of the pumpkin is so thick.) We will see how it turns out.

One thing we do know will be good is our Halloween tradition of Grilled Cheese and Pumpkin Soup. It’s one of my favorites no matter who’s knocking on the door, and there’s no better way to get ready for Trick or Treating. This soup is a mishmash of a few of my recipes. Enjoy!

Here’s hoping you have a Happy Halloween!!
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Pomegranate Martinis and Margaritas

The Problem with Pomegranates
Pomegranates. I’ve got a lot of them. When I was a kid, pomegranates weren’t the craze they are now and they could be hard to find. I remember my grandmother would get so excited when we were over and she had a pomegranate that we could open and pick apart.

I have always liked pomegranates but they were kind of a one time deal. Once I ate one I was good. I didn’t need to have a stash. These days, thanks to the wonderful people of POM, if I need the seeds or juice for any recipe, I can go downstairs and grab some anytime.

Flashback about 3 years when we bought our current house. Among the various trees that came with the property was a rather funky looking pomegranate tree (though frankly it looks more like a large shrub). We pruned it and watered it and basically left it alone. The next year we got a couple pomegranates before they split. Last year was the same. This year? Three bushels. I have pomegranates coming out of my ears.

So, what to do with them? We ate some. We froze some. We gave some away. Our chickens get to eat the ones that split and spread seeds all over the ground but we still have too many to handle.

I don’t want to waste them especially since my kids and I braved the 3 inch spikes on the branches to pick them. (Note to self: When picking pomegranates, wear chain mail to prevent turning your person into a pincushion. We were a sad looking bunch when we were finished.) So, I have decided we will drink them. Preferably with alcohol (for me anyway). It’s medicinal. Gotta make sure those pokes heal and don’t get infected.
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Cherry Cola Ribs

Cherry Cola Ribs For me growing up, the Fourth of July has always meant barbecue. When I was really little, it meant going to my grandmother’s house for a rowdy party with her 8 brothers and sisters and their families. We Danes know how to have a good time.That was back when firecrakers were a requirement and my Great Uncles (many of them Vetrans) acted like 8 year old boys. It was awesome.

As I got older, Fourth of July was spent on the pier at Lake Tahoewatching the different fireworks displays and freezing along side friends from the four other families we considered part of our extended family. Still do. In fact, three generations of all four families meet up in Tahoe every August for two weeks and I am certain the fourth generation (when they arrive) will do the same. Again, awesome.

But I have to admit some of my favorite Fourth of July celebrations occurred when I was single and running around with my group of guy friends lovingly dubbed the Usual Suspects. We had a Fourth of July tradition: The Festival of Meat. It’s what happens when you let totally unrepentant carnivores control the menu. Of course if you’d ask them they would tell you that the five food groups were all represented. They are: Cow, Pig, Chicken, Sausage and Bacon (for the Potato Salad). It was a vegetarian’s nightmare, we all ate nothing but salad the rest of the week, but it was soooooo good and so worth it.

As we all got married things changed as they usually do but we did try to continue the Festival tradition. One year I discovered this rib recipe, and you gotta try these. They’re the bomb! They are also extremely addictive.

If you are having a BBQ or attending a BBQ this holiday, I wish you good times and laughter and hope you come away with your own fond memories.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!