Christmas (3)

Gemma and Sirius sat down in the empty seats by the dining table, and Gemma set down the basket in her hands.

"These are pickled vegetables I made myself. They go with turkey or cold meat. I used cucumbers and carrots grown in our own yard this autumn, pickled them with vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and black pepper for the whole autumn. After fermenting fully, the flavor should be a little richer." She placed the basket at the corner of the table. "I brought some over. Try them with your dishes."

Pabbie came back from the Kitchen, carrying two sets of cutlery and two empty cups. She placed the cutlery in front of Sirius and Gemma, then poured some Pumpkin Juice into each of their cups.

"Try a little of the stewed carrots first. I changed the method this year and added a few bay leaves to stew with them for forty minutes. Compared with the traditional butter-stewed version, the texture should be a little more complex. Vivi said it tasted pretty good. See if it suits you."

Sirius cut off a small piece of turkey and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he praised it. "Better than what Molly made last year. The amount of Thyme is just right. It doesn't steal the flavor of the meat itself."

"It is Thyme," Pabbie said. "Rosemary is too strong, and when paired with traditional turkey seasonings, it easily overpowers everything else. So I adjusted the ratio and used Thyme and Sage as the main notes, with only a tiny pinch of Rosemary, letting it serve as an accent rather than the lead."

"That really is more balanced than last year's version." Gemma also cut off a piece and tasted it, dipping it in a little cranberry sauce.