Trinity

Many cuisines have ingredients that are the backbone of their cooking. For instance, Cajun cooking leans heavily upon a "holy trinity" of bell peppers, onions and celery.  Spanish cuisine often uses sofrito, a combination of finely chopped onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes. The French employ a mirepoix of diced onions, celery and carrots in many of their dishes. Middle Eastern cooking relies on spice blends such as turmeric, cumin and coriander. I am not sure if my Dutch heritage had a go-to combination of ingredients. My ancestors arrived in the upper plains over a century ago and I suspect they were more concerned about survival than finding the perfect flavor combinations for the food they put on the table. Working with what you have is probably the hallmark of the best cooks. 

Long before the farm to table movement became trendy, many home cooks were doing just that. The family farm I grew up on was providing us with milk from the family cow, no extra charge for the flavor enhancements from the cow's diet. Our chickens were giving us enough eggs for baking and cooking. My mother sold the excess eggs to the local creamery to supplement her "grocery money." Our bountiful garden pumped out enough produce for fresh eating in the summer and jars and jars of canned vegetables for the winter. I often tired of the work involved with our large garden (sorry about the whining, Mom) but I never grew weary of eating vegetables. Our cows and pigs gave us delicious meals and of course, bacon, a pig's greatest gift to mankind. 

My own cooking is far removed from my ancestors who first arrived on the stark prairie landscape. Easy access to grocery stores and on-line purveyors makes it possible to procure just about any ingredient one desires.  I recently ordered gochugaru so I can explore fermenting kimchi. This would boggle the minds of my Dutch grandparents and perhaps elicit a shaking of their heads as they muttered something about the downfall of the young 'uns.  

Despite my desire to explore different cuisines I am still a product of my past. My comfort food meals often involve a manifestation of potatoes, carrots and onions, easy ingredients to keep on hand and extremely versatile. My "holy trinity" is definitely carrots, onions and celery. Depending on the dish I am preparing, a few sweet peppers might be tossed into the mix. Standard seasonings are salt and pepper, of course, with a smidge of this and that added for flavor interest. And don't forget the mustard. Everything from whole-grain mustard to Dijon to the good old-fashioned neon yellow stuff can be found in my refrigerator. 

As I write this post, a pot of vegetable beef soup is simmering on the stove. A week of below zero temperatures provided the inspiration for a bowl of this cold weather elixir. There is nothing fancy in the soup. The beef bones are simmered with carrot, onion, celery, peppercorns, salt and a bay leaf. The broth is strained and chunks of beef are added with tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, oregano and more salt and pepper. And, of course, my trinity of carrots, onions and celery is needed. Barley is a final addition and voila, hearty vegetable beef soup. 

If you are looking for a super simple, but tasty trinity, might I suggest a combination of popcorn, broken potato chips and a few cheetos for a pop of color. Goodness gracious, that is an enchanting trinity.