Memorial day gets me all confused. So full of mixed emotions. Part of me can’t stop thinking about how war is so horrible, in every way. Part of me can’t not dwell on the fact that we should have figured that out. Why haven’t we stopped it? How can we allow something so unspeakably evil to continue, seemingly perpetually? It’s impossible not to think about these questions, today, but I know this isn’t the place to address them, or the day.

And I do love the idea of taking a day to remember. Time is running and passing like a caravan freighter, and I love to think that, as a nation, we stop everything for one day, to remember. And to be grateful. And to celebrate being with our friends and our family. And, yes, of course I love the idea that the way we celebrate is by making a meal together, because, as far as I can tell, after the parade, that’s what memorial day is all about.

So, if you happen to be grilling anything this weekend, think about this almond aioli as an accompaniment! We don’t eat mayonnaise in my family. David had a supermarket deli job as a teenager, and that gave him a healthy aversion to mayonnaise from which he will never recover. I like it, but I don’t need to eat it. I’m okay without it. I make it, from time to time, and that’s nice, but I eat it all by myself. Well…I had the bright idea to make it with almonds instead of eggs. I think it turned out very nice!! It’s intensely flavorful, with dijon, capers, and roasted garlic. So you just need a bit. I’ve been putting it on everything!! Roasted veg, beans & greens stews, french fries. I think it would be lovely with grilled vegetables. It didn’t get quite as smooth as mayonnaise, but I made it in my blender. I wonder if you had a good food processor if it would get more creamy? It’s good, anyway, with a bit of texture.

Here’s Bob Dylan’s Two Soldiers. So sad and beautiful.

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 clove roasted (or toasted) garlic
1/2 t dijon mustard
1 t capers
1/2 t honey
1/2 t lemon juice
salt/pepper
3 T olive oil
3 T water

(optional…tarragon, rosemary, cayenne…)

Combine the almonds, garlic, mustard, capers in the blender and process till sort of smooth. Add the honey, mustard, lemon juice and pepper, and salt, and process a bit more. (I added 1/2 t of salt, and it was very salty, I like it like that! But you have to remember that the capers are briny as well, so maybe start smaller and proceed with caution.)

Pour the olive oil in a thin stream, as you blend, and watch it get nice and thin and creamy. Then add the water and process till it’s just as smooth as you like it. And that’s it!!

You can add tarragon or rosemary or cayenne, if you want it to be spicy ore herby.