Caught in the Wintertime Blues
The winter doldrums have hit hard in my household. We’re bored and uninspired. We’re restless and itchy. We glower at the kale and turnips that not so long ago were sending us into rapture with their funky and surprising sweetness. Seems like all the tangerines are shriveled and bitter and the cabbage may end up as a soccer ball, kicked up and down some back alley, if it’s not careful.
It’s a little early for the winter doldrums, which is worrisome. If it’s like this in January, what are February and March going to feel like? We decide emergency measures are in order. We consider a party or maybe a wassail? Maybe a block-long dungeness crab feast with buckets of melted butter and funky tunes blasted out of speakers wedged into windows? (Sorry, non-west coast folks, but it’s unseasonably warm and dry in these parts. You may think that sounds wonderful but it’s not. Trust us.)
A friend organized a make-your-own-sausage gathering which was nice. Someone else remembered that we’d better get on concocting our annual vin d’orange while the Sevilles are still in season. OK. There’s a movie night planned and the possibility of a bonfire. All good.
But still, the mood persists and lingers and finally I decide not to fight it anymore. It’s just plain old wintertime blues and sometimes it grabs me in its wintry hug and won’t let go. Best to wait it out because there’s no worse suffering than railing against something you can’t change. And there’s nothing more out of our control than the weather and the seasons.
Meanwhile, speaking of that delicious vin d’orange, I seem to recall there’s a wee bottle leftover from the last batch …
How are things in your part of the woods? Sparkly and exciting? Cozy and sweet? All hot soups simmering on the stove and crusty heels of freshly made bread? Or do you have the restless winter blues like me? If so, what are you fixing to do about it?
P.S. If you’re not familiar with vin d’orange, Samin has a great recipe here.