Things are dull. Pointless. Slow. Specifically: my knives. Intent on cubing beef or beet, I find myself embattled. There’s sawing and hacking, yielding ragged, tired clumps and ragged, tired cook.
I need to sharpen up. I try that heavy poker in the knife drawer. I slide the battered blade along the gritty surface. My knife flashes a weak smile, then gets back to hacking.
I try the mall. There a noisy gadget promises precision bevel. Fifteen minutes and $15 later, both knife and cook have been gouged.
Then, while stalking broccoli at the farmers market, I meet a knife sharpener — the human kind, with stone and wheel and patience. He studies the blade, grinds slowly and wraps up the restoration along with a Band-Aid. Cuts both ways.
At home, I chop broccoli, disappointed. I must have chosen a rotten bunch — my knife sinks from crown to stem in a single sweep. Then I realize the vegetables aren’t soft; the knife is strong. It’s sharp, clean and edgy — the way things ought to be.
Beet Orange Salad
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Makes: 6 servings
6 medium beets
3 oranges
1/4 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
Flaky salt, such as Maldon
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
Roast: Scrub beets, trim stems to 1 inch, leave tails intact. Settle beets in a baking pan. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with foil; slide into a 400-degree oven and roast beets until tender when poked with a fork, about 60 minutes.
Slice: When beets are cool enough to handle, snap on disposable gloves. Using a freshly sharpened knife, lop off tops and tails, slip off skins. Slice into 1/4-inch thick circles.
Arrange: Meanwhile, slice away north and south pole on one orange. Slice away peel and pith from north to south, exposing the naked orange. Slice into 1/4-inch thick circles. Repeat with remaining oranges. Arrange sliced beets and oranges on a platter. Pretty, right?
Dress: Melt jam and butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Pour in juice. Boil 1 minute. Stir in vinegar. Strain this dressing over beets and oranges. Let stand, 10 minutes. Scatter on salt, pepper and mint. Enjoy.
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