Easter Ham

April 16, 2020

I realize it is no longer Easter, but it is Eastertide, so this is still relevant.  While we were preparing for the different activities of Holy Week, Melissa let me know we also had to figure out what to eat.  Easter is a time we usually go out for brunch.  I like brunch, and especially on Easter.  There are different kinds of meats and side dishes.  There are entrees from both breakfast and lunch.  There is usually an entire table dedicated to a variety of deserts.  Even though I rarely eat desert, I love to stand at the table and think about how good each one would taste.  The only thing I don’t like about brunch, is I always eat too much.  I know in my mind I’m telling myself, “If I’m paying this much, I’m going to get my money’s worth.”  I usually regret it later even while at the time I enjoy it immensely.

We have family around us and having a big shared meal has been another option in the past.  Sadly, that was out of the question this year.  Melissa did hear of one of the local restaurants offering ham dinners with sides and desert for takeout only.  When we called, they had sold out of their pre-orders.   We asked if they could make an exception for us, but apparently that was not possible.  That left us with making our own dinner at home.  Lucky for me it was time to order supplies from the grocery and Melissa said she would get what we needed.

When Melissa got to the store, dutifully wearing her mask made by my sister, she found two types of ham were all that was left.  There was a 10-pound bone in ham and a small half ham lying in the cooler.  Knowing it would take the two of us weeks to finish the 10-pounder, Melissa opted for the small half ham.  This was served with steamed cauliflower and a low-fat scalloped potato dish that was truly excellent.  Did I mention the ham was small?  It was the tiniest ham I have ever seen!  I couldn’t image the size of the pig it came from, even with the other half.  As small as it was, it did taste good and as I cut the ham it was obvious this was not a “pressed” ham, just a really small pig.  We still have leftovers.

THOUGHTS:   The consequences of the pandemic came even closer this week when we learned of the pork processing plant in South Dakota closed due to virus among the workers.  While this didn’t affect the meat, there was no one left to process.  We have seen stories on milk being dumped and gathered vegetables rotting in the field, all while the food distribution lines grow daily.  Technology has found ways to manufacture masks and ventilators, but people are still needed to harvest, transport and stock our food.  In our high-tech world, we are still vulnerable to low-tech distribution.  Perhaps it is time for innovation in this area as well.  If it is possible, Stay home. Stay safe.