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Suspending The Alphabet Kitchen Project

When a simple project that should really take 26 days ends up taking over three months...then it's probably time to table it for awhile. 

And honestly, I didn't want to post here unless I had a letter for you.  But I rarely had a letter, so I rarely posted.  Trapped, as it were.  So, I'm letting the project go for awhile.  I want to write more often here, and now, I suffer no more from the paralysis.

WanderLunch the food truck is now open for the season.  Our first day, Saturday the 12th, was a long, but profitable day.  Then, we opened for our weekly lunch crowd on Thursday and Friday, and those days were a disappointment.  We had low turnout both days, and I have no reason why.  Maybe it's still too cold, maybe people have forgotten about me - hard to say.  It's completely possible people really are not liking my sandwiches anymore and instead of telling me, they're just not coming 'round.  Worst case scenario, right there.

There.  Now that I have let my paranoia run away from me, I'll remind myself that I'm only one chilly March week into WanderLunch season.  Tomorrow, we're supposed to get cold and snow, and I've made the executive decision to be Not Open.  I guess that's the bonus to being your own boss.

Did I ever discuss my menu with you all, dear readers?

We made a few changes.  We took two sandwiches off (The Midwest of Eden and the Hamlet) and added three sandwiches (Brave New PB&J, Turkey Fight Club, and The One Reuben).


We ran the Reuben as a special last season, and it was a hit.  This year, I tweaked it.  No potato chips, and a housemade Russian dressing.  I attempted to corn my own beef in test runs, and while it was interesting, I'm not sure it's worth the effort.  This sandwich's name reflects my love of Tolkien; its full name is The One Reuben (To Rule Them All).


This is my Fourth Child.  My baby.  I personally love grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I'm baring a little bit of my own soul with this offering.  The peanut butter (with a handful of rough chopped peanuts for crunch) is made by moi, as is the jam.  Not just strawberry, but strawberry-lavender.  Lavender buds really bring a subtle floral quality to all that sweetness.  Brave New Peanut Butter and Jelly.

I don't have a picture of it, but I've added a turkey sandwich as well: Swiss cheese, bacon, turkey, tomato, lettuce, and garlic aioli.  The name? The Turkey Fight Club.  And hey, Rule #1: Don't Talk About It.

For the three days we've been open, the Reuben, TFC, and California have been the top sellers.  This is not a surprise.  Meat is good, and people want it.  We also offer a half-sandwich portion this season as well...that was a request we heard a lot last year.  Still got Cream of Tomato every week, plus one rotating "guest" soup.  When the hot summer rolls around, we'll probably try some cooler, lighter, fresher alternative sides...salads, fruit, etc.

So, yeah. Time to just wait and see how things shake out.

And now...let's talk for a moment about chili.  Chili is something we eat a lot of at Chez Nelson.  It's versatile, tasty, easy to throw in a crockpot, etc.  I could go on and on, and forever extol the virtues of chili.  But I won't tonight.

Three things: cubed sweet potato, coconut milk, garbanzo beans.  In with a standard chili base and a can of red kidney beans...this particular chili is sweetly satisfying.  I would definitely do this combo again...maybe dish it over some farro next time?  I think I might still have summat sitting around.


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