Mainely Martha

You have gotta love New England; absolutely frigid the past few days and then practically balmy today and looking pleasant for the foreseeable future. But with the flux in temps there has to be some agility in dealing with it…freezing, thawing and then freezing again, long down coat or light jacket..and for the boys the dreaded “can I wear shorts?”

This morning, after enjoying getting outside for a run in the mild temps, it was great to walk into Starbucks to have the barista make me an iced tea vs. a hot tea without even asking…he just knew. If only planning for meals as the weather takes such dramatic swings were just that simple.  While I was whipping up batches of chili, onion soup and other warm comfort foods over the weekend, I am now faced with the on-going dilemma of “what’s for dinner”.

The snow is now gone from the deck, so it’s easy enough to start grilling… do I want to? I love the variations in seasonal cooking and it’s not that I can’t make a soup or stew to simmer in the dutch oven on the stove; when it is so nice out and not cold enough for a fire…well, I guess it loses the appeal. And the quandary begins; do I swing by the butcher or fish market to get something for the grill? Do I make pasta and salad? Ugh…what to make! But, as fate would have it, I received a text from my dear friend Erin this afternoon to meet for dinner…perfect; I get to visit, catch up a bit and get an order of a year-round comfort food…chicken wings; grilled protein and a salad!

So while tonight’s dinner was taken care of, there is still the forecast and meal prep for the week ahead that I need to contend with. Luckily, while I may fall back on some grilling, there are root veggies to help mix things up so winter meals are not feeling so summer-like. A nice grilled medley,  perhaps in a risotto or winter salad…there are options to lighten up the comfort food. And while it will be too warm to fire up the bee-hive oven, flatbread pizza can be grilled too! I also do not see the slow-cooker collecting dust; pulled pork and roasted chicken are good all year round.

Embrace the variations in the weather and the opportunity to expand your menu utilizing seasonal foods to create new dishes.