in good taste, vol. 51: eminent domain
squirrel gangs, train travel, arctic accents, and thyme aioli
As new homeowners/landed gentry, Adrian and I have quite a bit of flora and fauna in our backyard. But honestly, I am not a great steward of nature’s bounty, even if I planted it. I get distracted, don’t take care of the plants, then I feel guilty. Guilty enough to position my desk to an unobstructed view of the failing backyard.
Not to entirely punt the responsibility, but the issue is not helped by the roving gang of jerk (this is a family publication) squirrels who eat up my dehydrated, struggling tomatoes in planters. They’ve been in this backyard longer than we have, it seems; they’re claiming eminent domain. And they don’t care for tomatoes.
If you have anti-squirrel fall garden remedies that are appropriate for a very lazy, very guilty gardener, please don’t hesitate to hit up the hotline.
THERE WILL BE A QUIZ
The thrill of traveling on a restored 1948 20th Century Limited train
This latest in Arctic news: the Antarctic accent
Naming unrelated words (divergent thinking) can be a predictor of creativity -- take this 4-minute verbal creativity test
Old iPhones become faster if you change the region to France
IT’S THYME FOR SOME HEY-YOOOO AIOLI
A few years ago someone on Instagram influenced me into buying this very cute mini food processor (mine is bright yellow, but the pink is cute too), and I love it for smaller amounts of dressings or condiments, like this aioli/fancy herb mayonnaise.
Last week, I drizzled this on some roasted salmon (skinless - I know - at 425 for 10 minutes); last night, we had it over grilled lamb chops. It would also make a very good dip for fried potatoes :)
INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt & pepper
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
¾ cup olive oil
WHAT TO DO
Add garlic, lemon juice, and seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme -- these are all just herby and seasoning suggestions) to the bowl of a small food processor, or a high-sided bowl, if using an immersion blender. Let the garlic sit in the juice to mellow out a little, just a couple of minutes. Add your egg and egg yolk to the mixer, then blend just to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running, about 30 seconds or so. Taste and season accordingly.