This is from him, too– Dad’s idea, but you know I had to go add things to it, “play with the curtains” that he used to say I didn’t need to do. But I’m still his girl, one of his daughters, the “emotional” one that saw the details, just had to put in the print and the colors wherever I could imagine them to be inserted…
There were two lavender lilac bushes in the front yard, one on each side. When I was the only girl in our immediate family on up to the time they gave me a new baby sister, I played under the lilac bushes, chased after the birds and the butterflies. And when the chickens weren’t to be running in the yard, I chased after them, too, underneath those lilacs. When my sister became tall enough to run around outside, skip and play, jump-rope, write with chalk on a worn sidewalk, we played tag under those same lilac bushes and chased an Irish Setter that belonged to our oldest brother– He was always bringing home a dog or a cat for us to enjoy.
I was always late coming back home to Dad, just was the daughter who showed up a few minutes off time planned; always “a lot on my plate” even then… In our father’s last days, my sister was there with him; I was late by 20 minutes. Things I wanted to say are in this tribute to him, through his foods. What I got with him in the kitchen, she got in those days before he had to leave, both receiving time with him just in different ways. This is his legacy.
(He eventually took out the lilacs.)
Red Cabbage Lilac
~ Skirt in the Kitchen ~
In unsalted butter and olive oil, on medium heat, saute rhubarb.
Add 1 small sliced yellow onion, red pepper flakes,
and 1 small head of red cabbage– chopped. Season with freshly grated black pepper and kosher salt…
Add torn fresh spearmint,
Boxwood basil,
and the blooms of 1 plume of an organic (unsprayed) Butterfly Lilac.
They are lemony edible.
So are the larger lilacs of standard size.
Continue to saute, stir often. Add a little at a time, balsamic vinegar– a total of 1/4 to 3/4 cups, depending on preference. The balsamic vinegar will cook in/cook down slightly. May need a little more salt; taste to adjust.
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