Favoring What Matters

By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op

Walking down our snowy hill in the winter dusk to the tall-spired church, singing carols by candlelight, wax dripping on the velveteen-covered pews—this was the rhythm of Christmas Eve. The night ended with a starlit walk home, stomping snow off our boots, and steaming bowls of clam chowder with oyster crackers. My childhood traditions never varied, and while I’ve changed, this sense of reverence and expectation remains at the heart of the season.

Festive Favorites?

When my children were young, I reflected on what I wanted the holidays to look like. I knew what I didn’t want: the frenzy of overcommitment, overspending, weight gain, indigestion, and the resentment that comes from trying to meet a set of expectations I never signed up for. But what did I want? Slowly, the answers came, rooted in the wonder felt as a child on Christmas Eve.

Letting Go of “Have To’s” and Embracing “Want To’s”

Over the years, I’ve let go of the “have to’s” and embraced “want to’s.” I want to make corn and sweet potato chowder on the Solstice, a recipe I wrote years ago for my first husband, who passed away. He loved the rich bisque, buttery sweet corn, and the subtle heat of chilies.

Making gingerbread cookies, and dried fruit studded panettone with loved ones; slow, cozy afternoons of baking, the scent of spices filling the house, and the joy of sharing. I especially want to sip coffee and nibble on panforte with my best friend, savoring our conversations, which are gifts.

The holidays aren’t about elaborate feasts or grand gestures. Instead, I enjoy making everyday foods feel a tad more special—folding napkins in a festive way, using holiday dishes, or serving a sparkling drink alongside a meal. I appreciate the small, colorful details that brighten the season: thrifted cut crystal bowls filled with pears and oranges, their sparkling prisms of catching winter light, or warm punches infused with pomegranate and ginger.

And then there are the kitchen amaryllises—my indulgence. Each year, I add to the collection, and their blooms bring joy well into February. Two are opening today, and I can’t wait for the others to follow.

Our holiday playlist is curated with ancient carols, hammered dulcimer melodies, and a touch of Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. These are the sounds that make the kitchen feel alive as I putter and Fa la la la la, la la la la.

The Secret Ingredients of a Joyful Holiday

For over 25 years, the holiday season remains one of the best times of the year by keeping things simple and beautiful. The secret? Focus on what brings joy and let the rest fall away. Gather loved ones together in manageable doses, create festive moments as the spirit moves, and put time into what we truly enjoy.

One of my favorite traditions is making consumable gifts. People always appreciate spice mixes and herbal salts, which add a spark to winter cooking. I use the bulk Celtic salt from the Food Coop, it makes a moist salt mix. My second favorite is “Real Salt” from Utah. I keep little tins and jars on hand, so it’s easy to whip up something special.

This season, I encourage you to reflect on your own “want to’s.” What traditions bring you joy? What can you let go of to make room for simplicity and beauty? I wish you warm, wonderful holidays filled with the flavors of the season.

Solstice Soup

Makes about 4 quarts

sweet potato, star anise, corn with chilies and lime

Serve with Sunshine Salad in Extra Recipes 

Stock

2 quarts/2 litres water

2 star anise

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

4 generous slices of fresh ginger

4 generous slices fresh turmeric (2 teaspoons dried)

1 head garlic crushed

1 dried ancho chili

all the sweet potato peels

Soup

4 lbs garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

8 medium onions diced and caramelized in ¼ cup coconut oil

1 can whole coconut milk

½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 ½ teaspoons sea salt

4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 limes for serving

1. Simmer stock ingredients for 1 hour and strain

2. Caramelize onions with coconut oil in heavy-bottomed skillet

3. Cook sweet potatoes in stock, when soft blend onions, sweet potatoes and stock together until velvety Pour puree back into soup pot, add coconut milk, bring soup to a low simmer, add corn, cayenne and salt Taste and adjust as needed.

4. Serve with fresh lime juice

Note: I caramelize a lot of onions and have a technique that breaks culinary rules but ends up with melty sweet onions every time: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on low. Slice up  8 medium yellow onions.

Bring heat to medium and add ¼ cup butter or coconut oil. Add onions and put a lid on the skillet. Reduce the onions by steaming for about 10 minutes. Stir and adjust the heat as needed. They shouldn’t burn, but don’t fuss with them. Once they’re translucent, take the lid off and start cooking off the moisture. Give them a stir every few minutes, but don’t babysit them. You’ll know they’re getting close to ready when they demand more attention. You’ll have to stir them more often and their color will change to a caramel color. When they’re sweet, thick and melty, then they’re done. I know they’re done when I can’t stop snitching. (Makes about 2 cups)

Sunshine Salad

Serves 4-6
Salad

2 cups grated carrots

2 cups grated celeriac root

1 sectioned Ruby Red grapefruit cut into bite-sized pieces

1 sectioned juicing orange such as Valencia cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large fennel bulb trimmed and finely diced

Seeds from one pomegranate
Dressing

⅔ cup walnut oil

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 clove garlic finely minced

1 teaspoon fresh minced finely or ½ teaspoon dry turmeric powder

1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely minced
For Salad: mix grated root vegetables and fennel together and lay sectioned fruit on top in a sunburst design. Let the diners individually dress their salads at the table.

To make dressing in a food processor: pulse ginger, turmeric and garlic together into a paste. Add lemon juice, zest, mustard, salt and spin. While the machine is running, slowly add the walnut oil until emulsified. 

Svaneti Salt

Makes 2 cups
In the Svaneti region of Georgia, with the highest mountains in Europe, live the Svans. The story goes Svans prized salt so much that in olden times a measure of salt was worth as much as a cow in trade. The Svans parsimoniously stretched their valuable salt by adding herbs and spices. Svaneti salt’s popularity has spread throughout Georgia and perhaps the world; now, people offer it in small bowls for sprinkling on salads, sides, beans, grains, potatoes, and meats.

1 cup coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon dill seeds

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

½  teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Briefly toast the caraway, fenugreek and coriander seeds together until fragrant.

2. Using a spice grinder, grind all the spices together into a rough powder.

3. Grind the garlic into the salt, it’ll make a moist salt.

4. Stir in the ground spices. Store in a jar within reach, because you’ll want to use this salt often.

Sale Alle Erbe delle Port Townsend

Makes 300g about 1 cup

Made from sea salt and fresh herbs, rosemary and sage, grown in Port Townsend and blended with local garlic. We add black pepper to perfect the flavor. It adds a true Coastal Mediterranean character to any dish.

1 cup/200g coarse sea salt (I used a bulk Celtic salt, it’s moist with a gray green color and perfect for seasoning salts.)

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon/19g fine sea salt (I used bulk Redmond Real Salt)

½ cup (lightly packed)/10g fresh rosemary leaves, not stems

3 tablespoons/45g (about 6 to 8 large cloves) homemade garlic paste

2 tablespoons/3g chopped fresh garden sage leaves

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon/9g whole black peppercorns

1. Gather ingredients.

2. Using a spice grinder, grind the peppercorns with the fine sea salt.

3. Peel and chop the garlic and using a small food processor grind into a paste.

4. Measure and chop the herbs, grind together until fine in a small food processor.

5. Combine the coarse salt, fine salt and pepper, herbs and garlic paste and pulse until evenly combined. It will be moist. Put into small jars. You can use the salt right away, but the flavors will meld and deepen with time. Use within six months. 

Red Adjiki Wet Salt

1 ½ cups
Red adjiki is a salty aromatic chili condiment, not dissimilar to Tunisian Harissa. This version is for a moist salt and is useful for anything from roasted vegetables, meats, soups, stews and beyond. Make yourself up a batch and you won’t regret it.

2/3 cup course Celtic sea salt

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons fenugreek, toasted

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

2 tablespoons fresh or dried peppermint

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

1)    Using a spice grinder, in two batches: grind the coriander seeds, turmeric powder, toasted fenugreek, celery seed, fresh or dried peppermint, garlic, sweet paprika, and cayenne pepper until somewhat smooth. Store in a jar and use within 3 months.

2)    Toast the fenugreek on a medium heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Toast until they’re lightly browned with a maple syrup aroma. 

Quick Loukaniko Sausages

Makes 16 sausages

Mildly spicy orange and fennel scented sausages. They’re rolled into sausage lengths without the casings. Excellent on their own, or serve with Kale in tomato sauce.    

2 lbs ground lamb (you can use other ground meats.)

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced into a paste

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  

Dry spice mix

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 tablespoon whole cane dark sugar

1. Using a spice grinder, grind the whole spices and herbs. Add the spice mix, garlic, zest and vinegar to the ground meat and combine so that everything’s dispersed, but not gummy.

2.  Divide the meat into two balls, divide each ball into two again, and so forth until you have 16 evenly sized balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a 3 ½ inch sausage.

3.  Bake the sausages, on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet, in a preheated oven at 425 F, for about 15 minutes or still juicy but cooked through without pink color. Don’t overcook. Serve warm or at room temperature.