Hurray, hurray the first of May outside cooking starts today. There is also an alternative ditty to that saying but beings this is a family newspaper we don’t need to go there.
This is my first column since my husband, Ralph, passed away at the end of last year. He had a great life, a good death and a wonderful sendoff that was like a going away party with family and friends.
We were at a COL at the Elks Hall back in September for a friend from the Ormsby House and he said to me, “I can see a little something here when I go.” It was a no-brainer, I joined the Elks, got the date I wanted, and everything went beautifully.
I’m going to give a little plug to the Elks Lodge as a place to have your gathering for around 85 with tables and seating plus a bar. If the weather is nice, you can also use their patio for additional seating and more people. They have a commercial kitchen if you want to bake or cook anything. It is a great local venue.
Back in January when I was in the throes of my grief, I attended a Sierra Chef Cookbook Club event that is geared to bring women together, share recipes and enjoy the sisterhood of the cucina. On this Sunday that gathering was a lifesaver for me.
Charlie and Karen Abowd were the first featured guests and he picked three recipes from his book, Recipes and Rambles. There were 24 ladies in attendance, and you picked which dish you were comfortable preparing and bringing to the potluck.
You can choose beginner, intermediate and expert. I chose the salad because it’s one of my favorite recipes in his book. You were given the options of following the recipe verbatim or adding your own culinary spin. I tweaked it a little but only with vinegar and oil.
Charlie’s recipe calls for no vinegar and olive oil. I subbed 1/2 vinegar for the lemon juice and used walnut oil instead. Charlie cubed his fresh tomatoes; I used small hothouse tomatoes that have better flavor in the dead of winter.
Ingredients
3 hothouse cucumbers, cubed
3 tomatoes cubed or one package of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup walnut oil (Charlie uses olive oil but I don’t like the way it coagulates in the fridge)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons, and 1/4 red wine vinegar and a splash of my raspberry and citrus vinegars (Charlie uses all lemon juice))
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl, mix well. Place in the fridge and chill. It is easier when cutting cucumbers if you peel them with a potato peeler. Cut them lengthwise so you have two pieces. Lay them on the cutting board and slice into half-moons approx. 1/2 inch thick. This makes about eight servings and keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
On a last note, if you want a copy of Charlie’s book you can have him sign it at the Greenhouse Projects Mother’s Day Plant Sale at the high school this coming Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with live music by Bitter Root, Mark and Kate Johnson.
Recipes and Ramblers would make a terrific Mother’s Day gift. If you can’t make the sale, he will be at the Farmers Market (opening June 8) selling and signing his book by the Greenhouse Projects booth on select dates.