Celery Toast

Better than it has any right to be. Delicious even.

Feeding a toddler is unpredictable. One morning you’re fending off demands for ice cream (ok every morning) and the next he’s requesting…celery? They are the most fickle creatures when it comes to food—exhausting, because I might dismiss a food as something he dislikes, when really it might be worth giving another shot. He might devour meatballs or chicken nuggets one night and refuse them the following.

The other morning, after rejecting a frozen waffle and “yoggi jam” he asked to go into the fridge himself—a favorite activity—to pick (“I wanna pick”). First he opened the freezer, and when I said no to the ice cream he pulled out a loaf of sandwich bread instead. Ok, so toast. And then we went back to the fridge and he pointed at a celery salad that I made the previous night to accompany Molly Baz’s Bratwurst with Dijon Lentils (from Cook this Book).

As he was buttering his toast (another favorite activity), it occurred to me to make celery toasts. It rocked my world. I buttered my toast very generously, topped it with celery that had previously been cut on the bias and dressed with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Before eating, I seasoned it all once more with Maldon, more pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. A perfect little meal, it turns out.

I’ll be back later this week! There’s so much to say about the meal I made for Christmas. And New Years is nearly upon us.

xo AV

While I have you…some recs:

• The cornflower blue Gil Rodriguez cardigan I’m wearing in the above photo is my current favorite item of clothing. Actually it’s a toss up between it and her ballet version in black. Made from the perfect beautiful cotton and in gorgeous colors, I love pairing them with her Matisse tank.

• The most recent novel that impressed me was Yael van der Wouden’s THE SAFEKEEP. It more than impressed me, it knocked my socks off. I’m not going to describe it here because I think it’s best read without knowing anything about the plot. Avoid reading the description if you can. I selected it as our December selection for Golden Hour Book Club. The perfect way to end the year.

• Growing Paper Whites around the holidays is my new obsession. I impulsively purchased some bulbs arranged in a gorgeous ceramic pedestal bowl and it transformed our kitchen. Once I moved them to the window they began blooming and it makes me happier on a daily basis.