The Unboxing

 by Matthew López-Jensen

“Is it snowing again?”

“No, it’s actually sleeting. You can hear it on the windows. It sounds like sand.”

“It was snowing earlier. Big fat flakes.”

“Should be done and the sidewalks cleared by Wednesday for the pick up.”

“We did sign up for it; for the winter walks.”

“So worth it, though.”

“For the greens alone.”

“I know. Eating a salad with these greens in the middle of winter in the middle of everything that’s going on. It almost feels wrong.”

“That’s just how tame we are. A salad feels illicit.”

“Not that kind of wrong. It’s just at what other time in history could you walk a few blocks and snag amazing organic veggies with organic baby greens grown in the middle of winter.”

“Maybe you just feel bad eating anything that has the word “baby” in it.”

“Could be. But there’s like five kinds of babies in there!”

“Are you going to make the same dressing you made last time?”

“Is there anything else?”

“No. What do you put in there again?”

“Half a lemon, three teaspoons of olive oil, squirt of Dijon mustard, pinch of salt, black pepper, and a bunch of the dill I dried in November. Dill tastes like summer.”

“That’s it? Why’s it so good?”

“Maybe it’s the dusting of lemon zest. The box this week came with a bunch of red onions. I think I’ll mince some, just a bit, and put them in the salad.”

“You can pickle some.”

“I will this weekend. Along with some of the radish. Faaa! These apples. It’s February but they look perfect, like Crispins.”

“Let’s eat one now.”

“The potatoes look amazing.”

“We’re having them tonight in rice and beans.”

“Yes, please.”