“Are there carrots?” asked my friend.
The question was not existential. He was coordinating many meals, and wanted to ensure a supply of proper condiments.
“Carrots” means pickled carrots and peppers, packed in quart jars with a sweet and salty vinegar brine. Once upon a time, these spicy, crunchy pickles had served as a currency among a certain circle of friends who believed that to properly feast, a jar of carrots must be on the table. In those days, I would make about 30 quarts per year, for gifting, for swapping, and for the table, where we enhanced our food, mid-chew, with the spicy, sour, salty, and sweet of pickled carrots and peppers….