ndrosen

I’m not at work yet; I’m taking some leave, because the exterminators are coming to my apartment, and I removed various items from the kitchen counters and the top of the refrigerator.

I have eaten asparagus now and then, but I don’t believe that I had ever cooked it for myself until a couple of days ago. I boiled a few stalks Tuesday evening, and then on Wednesday, I roasted some asparagus with a bit of olive oil. Both turned out pretty well, although the boiled asparagus would have been better cooled in ice water. Here’s to a more varied diet.

Last week, I bought some yogurt, as cold yogurt goes well with hot borshch, and also contains protein. The plan depended on buying beets at the farmers’ market on April fourth, but the vendor who had had beets for sale wasn’t there, perhaps on account of the rainy weather. I’m hoping to find beets this weekend, and make borshch, which may depend on Sunday being unlike today; we have had heavy rain basically all day.

Someone asked about borshch on Quora, and the answer elucidated the differences between Russian and Ukrainian borshch, the Russian version typically using beef, and the Ukrainian version being more likely to use pork or chicken. Also, Russian borshch is typically eaten with sour cream, and Ukrainian borshch with lard. I don’t think I would want extra lard with my borshch even if I were not a vegetarian. Probably no country in Eastern Europe has a tradition of eating soy yogurt with borshch, but that is what I hope to do! As I have done before, even if this form of fusion cuisine offends the purists.

And slava Ukraini, heroiam slava!

I have obtained ingredients for a pumpkin pie, those which I did not already have on hand, and am hoping to find some time for baking this week, so there will be pie on Pie Day (3/14).

Tuesday evening, I made a pumpkin pie, and ate a slice, or a mess of crust and custard that was supposed to be a slice. It was still lukewarm, and not fully solidified, but still edible. I had another slice Wednesday evening, and then one Thursday, and I have more pie to look forward to.

I will soon depart, to catch the shuttle bus, and go work at the Patent Office.

I had a dinner that isn’t in my usual rotation last night. I opened a box of falafel, soaked the powder in water, and made a batch of falafels to eat. I also simmered two carrots and two parsnips in a mixture of water and apple cider, with a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Tonight, I plan to make more falafels, and to reheat the half of the carrot and parsnip dish which I didn’t eat last night. I also had salad and a couple of chocolate chip cookies last night, which I pretty much plan to repeat.

I gave blood Thursday morning at a bloodmobile parked outside the Patent Office, and then I walked the seventy paces or so to Sprig’s Cafe, to get a cup of coffee. Alas, it had shut down, and there was a sign thanking us for our loyal patronage these past two years. If only I had patronized it more frequently, it might still be in business, but realistically, more patronage from a hundred or several hundred people would have been needed. I walked a few blocks to Whole Foods, and got a cup of coffee there.

After getting home in the evening, I collapsed and fell asleep, and then had a midnight dinner: the third and final serving of a black bean chili which I made Tuesday, some guacamole, a bowl of salad, and then two chocolate chip cookies. I baked the cookies tonight, after making the dough and putting it in the refrigerator about twenty-four hours earlier. Now to go to bed, and get ready for tomorrow.

At the farmers’ market this morning, Twin Springs Fruit Farm had apple cider for the last time until late September or so, and their cider spoils me for the supermarket version. I bought a half gallon to fit into the freezer somehow (after I pour some into jar for short-term consumption, since I don’t want to destroy the container when the liquid expands into ice). Except for occasional defrosted cider, I will have to do without the good stuff for a few months, but I look forward to blueberries, melons, peaches, farmers’ market plums, and cherries, in the months to come. The authentic versions of the last two, especially, are way better than the supermarket versions.

The Girl Scouts were at Giant Food on Saturday, so I bought several boxes of Thin Mints, which are now vegan, and ate a few for desert Saturday evening (after pasta with tomato and acorn squash sauce, and a bowl of salad).

Back on Saturday, I removed several bags of acorn squash seeds from my freezer — I save the seeds when cooking the flesh of the squash — and roasted them in the oven with a little salt. Now, when I’m hungry and dinner will take a while, I can munch on a few high-protein pepitas to take the edge off my stomach’s complaints.

I can take supermarket cherries or leave them alone, but I do like farmers’ market cherries, and I bought a quart of Twin Springs Fruit Farm cherries last Sunday, so I enjoyed them several times this week, and look forward to eating more of them.