Food – Page 8 – NealEnJoy

Cutesy Tuesday: “The Power of Every Individual”

Posted on May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 by Neal Saye

Today I am starting a new, occasional blog post category: “Cutesy Tuesday,” highlighting what I consider to be cute.

So yesterday, Robert and I went to our favorite produce stand near us here in Savannah, Davis Produce, out near the Atlantic Ocean, and bought a big bunch of stuff.

But mainly pink-eyed crowder peas and okra. Okra is my favorite vegetable in the history of vegetables; okra is HR’s least favorite vegetable in the history of vegetables. Our marriage is vegetatively tenuous.

But looky there in the lower right-hand corner above (well, and below). When I emptied our bag of goodies, I saw him.

A lone peanut.

Somewhat robust, and holding his own against the okra.

I asked him why he came as the lone peanut, crowded out by the crowder peas and okra.

He responded,

Let us move forward as powerful individuals.

Five Friday Happy Bringers

Five Friday Happy Bringers 4/7/23

Posted on April 7, 2023April 7, 2023 by Neal Saye

My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.

1. Robert’s preposterously delicious beef pot pie from the other night.

2. Our buddy and theology student August and his beautiful black shawl.

3. The belief that our nation is strong enough to withstand the right (and left) extremists.

4. Attending the surprise 70th birthday party at Midtown Sports for buddy “Fluff.”

In this photo, Fluff looks a bit underwhelmed.

5. Balanced rest.

May your weekend ahead be exactly what you want it to be.

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling?

Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 3/13/23

Posted on March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 by Neal Saye

So last night, I looked in the pantry and saw one lonely sweet potato.

A bit of butter and a sprinkling of dark brown sugar—then five minutes later our humble abode sprang to joyful and deliciously aromatic life.

I can still smell the sweet potato life this morn.

Simple marvels.

Delicious Joy

Sure, Charcuterie!

Posted on January 2, 2023January 2, 2023 by Neal Saye

Robert and I are off to a delicious new year …

How? By charcutering, of course! Dinner tonight …

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas: “Images of Peace” 12/12/22

Posted on December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 by Neal Saye

For this blog category, “Countdown to Christmas: Images of Peace,” each day between December 1 and 25, I share some of our photography that invites rest, peace, tranquility and love.

A Piece of Pizza Peace

The other night Robert made perhaps his very best pizza ever on his newish and he’s-so-proud-of-it pizza stone.

Food Joy

Sunday Night Broth

Posted on November 27, 2022November 27, 2022 by Neal Saye

If you’ve read much of my little blog, you may remember that it doesn’t take much to make me giddily happy.

Think Red Hots.

When I am in the depths of despair, if you hand me a box of Red Hots, all of a sudden, I am a 10 on the Happiness Scale. Like a toddler.

So tonight as I was preparing a Thanksgiving Post-Gluttonous Salad for HR and me, I saw all the beginning-to-wilt produce from our holiday meals. And felt sad. (I obviously needed Red Hots.)

So I decided to make broth!!!

I make homemade broth regularly with leftover vegetable scraps. Don’t you? And use it for soups, stews, smoothies, or just a healthy sip.

Tonight I plopped in scraps from green onions, bok choy, celery, spinach and yellow onions.

In a few minutes, I will smell the incredible aroma and then pour the life-enhancing elixir into these …

Peaceful Sunday Night Slumber to You.

The finished product …

Delicious Joy

My Saturday Evening Post: 11/19/22 “I Miss Tomatoes”

Posted on November 19, 2022November 19, 2022 by Neal Saye

About this time of year, every year, I fall into the “depths of despair,” borrowing a phrase from my very good friend, Anne of Green Gables.

Why so low, you ask? Simple.

THERE ARE NO LOCAL, SUMMERY, VINE- RIPENED TOMATOES!!!

The tomatoes you find at the grocery store this time of year are, to use part of Donald Trump’s newsy allegation, “fake” tomatoes!

They taste like … well, fake tomatoes.

Side Note: Please do not tell anyone that I agreed, even if just half agreed, with anything Donald Trump has ever said.

So what I like to do in mid-November is remember, somehow both sadly and joyfully, July tomatoes.

Here are a few memories of the Real Deals.

The vine-ripened beauties my parents always had on the table (along with “fried corn” snd candied yams) when I went home for a summer visit.

My Tomato Pies!

Tomato beauty.

I miss you, July Tomatoes.

Food Joy

Collarding Up

Posted on September 29, 2022September 29, 2022 by Neal Saye

I love fall food.

One of my VERY favorites is, well, ANYTHING in the Leafy Greens Family.

Collards, Turnips, Mustard, even Poke Salad. (You have to be careful with Poke Salad—it can be poisonous. But it was my Granny’s favorite, and she taught me how to find it. In the wild.)

Well, yesterday, I found a beautiful bunch of local Savannah collards at our favorite little grocer near us in Habersham Village.

If you have read a bit on my blog, you know that HR (Husband Robert) is the fancy pants chef, and I’m the I-cook-what-Mama-taught-me fellow. Usually in cast iron.

So last night I pulled out our cast iron (heavy!) Dutch oven. (Okay, technically Robert pulled it out.)

And I went to work.

First, you gotta wash the greens, if you buy them fresh. And why wouldn’t you? A time-consuming task.

My Washed-Collards Bouquet.

I cut the thickest stems away from the leaves.

But don’t throw them away! I make homemade vegetable broth with them.

After cooking the ham hocks in water to provide the base for the “pot liquor,” I sauté onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil in the Dutch oven, pour the liquid from the ham hocks in, layer the ham hocks on top, and cover until the greens wilt.