Hodge Podge Day

It's official. Today is Annual Hodge Podge Day -- not only did I make Hodge Podge today, according to Grampa's diary I also made Hodge Podge exactly one year ago today. That's because Hodge Podge is one of those seasonal dishes. You have to wait until the local peas, potatoes, beans, and carrots are ready. We spit on foreign potatoes. We pick our teeth with frozen green beans.

 

Most people have their own special way of making it. This is the recipe I've used for the last two years, adapted from the one found here. I did use carrot this  year but I never, ever, ever use turnip because turnip is the vegetable of the devil and also because I don't like it. And I don't bother to thicken the broth with flour -- it doesn't need it. I also add garlic and onions sauteed in olive oil first. All the quantities are very general -- I usually just use all the veggies I've purchased because this stuff gets eaten up fast. And I'm sure I throw in more cream and butter than I probably should.

Anyway, Holly chopped up the veggies for me this afternoon, which is why they are so neat and pretty instead of looking as if a raccoon chewed through them, and then I boiled all of them for half an hour in water before adding the potatoes, butter, and cream. The kids and I went out on the porch while it simmered.

 

Sylvie was too hungry to wait so she ate some sand and then some dirt. Luke  found a pretty feather on the front lawn and also a half-decayed dead squirrel. In the interest of keeping things appetizing, I didn't photograph it and post it here. If I were truly, deeply, madly committed to eating local, I probably would've tried to serve it as a side.

Sylvie had a refreshing beverage. And then we went inside to eat.

 

We followed the Hodge Podge up with locally made cinnamon loaf topped with Nova Scotian blueberry apple butter.

Comments

[daysgoby]

YUM! I think we'll follow your lead this weekend....

[Nathalie]

YUM!! I'm bound for NS this week and can't wait to try your recipe in situ.