Veranda

My sincere hope was that I would not have to write this post. But, alas, here we are, seven months and counting and the big C-19 is still with us. It has changed our lives in unimaginable ways and continues to shape shift as all monsters do. The list of heroes continues to grow and at risk of offending any group who is toiling away in situations that require them to serve others in capacities that are uncomfortable to their own well-being, I simply say, "Thank You!". You know who you are and I am forever grateful to you for your unselfishness and courage. 

We have also added nuanced meanings to our vocabulary choices. Masks are no longer just related to Halloween or convenience store robberies. They are actually fashion statements and the stuff of daily commercials. Quarantine immediately implies 14-days, self-imposed or otherwise. Pandemic is not just a word from our history books. It is painfully real. Shortages are also painful and words like toilet paper and meat still make me wince a bit. Hoarding is no longer just a creepy, voyeuristic show on television. It is a choice we all grapple with. Bottles of hand sanitizers are chained down at many retail centers, encouraging customers to use before shopping but, please, keep the bottle out of your purse. On-line grocery shopping has been with us for many years but has exploded in the past few months to a level few would predict in such a short time. My grocery store has an entire parking lot wing dedicated to the pick-up of on-line orders as compared to a few parking slots just a few months ago. I have not taken advantage of the service as I am using my old tried-and-true method of arriving at stores when they first open. I usually have the grocery store to myself so social distancing is not a problem. And I am horrible at navigating the one-way aisle situation so I only have to apologize to the on-line shoppers. 

The term that I could have never predicted but has become a very real part of my life is "window visits". My ninety-two-year-old mother is being carefully protected in an assisted living home. It is no secret that she belongs to the most dangerous demographic and their group living status makes it even more precarious. Wisely, the residents are not allowed to have outside visitors which has, of course, changed how we take care of our loved ones. Gone is my ability to join mom in weekly church services and other facility activities. I can no longer drop by for a cup of tea and a cookie. I am unable to tidy up her piles of "I-might-need-that-someday" stuff. (Tidying is another way of saying "dump-when-she is-not-looking. Don't judge.) And a slice from a rhubarb pie I just made is not so easily shared with her. But, we do have our window visits now. Because my mom's room faces an interior courtyard she is required to meet me at a window that faces the facility's veranda. At first we found it awkward and uncomfortable. My choice of masks in the beginning confused her, especially if it was my Minnesota Twins mask. She thought I was teasing her with some kind of crazy writing on my mask (her eyes are not the sharpest). Now I only wear the standard blue disposable mask. We deal with weather's capriciousness by selecting days and times that are the most comfortable. The roof on the veranda provides shade and there is often a breeze that cools my sweating mask face. She enjoys the wafting of warm air on her arthritic knees and I enjoy the occasional blast of conditioning that reaches me. My mother's dementia helps her forget that we visited any other way. And I am grateful for a way to connect beyond the telephone. 

There is one term I will never adopt and that is "new normal." Folks, our current situation is NOT normal. I agree that we are making different decisions at this time, rightly so, but the configuration of relationships as they stand now should not be viewed as normal. My crystal ball has never functioned well so I have no prediction as to when we will be able to revert back to sanity but I know that we have to soldier on and take care of others in ways that make sense to us for now. And my heartfelt prayer is that we will have the patience and discernment to persevere. 

Carry on, dear friends. 

   

Repertoire

Most of us who cook have a rotation of meals we prepare on a fairly regular basis. Our choices can be based on time constraints, ease of preparation, number of folks around the table or simply what is on sale at the local grocery store. Seasonal availability often drives our choices as well. My garden is currently bursting forth so every meal includes a vegetable or two or three. I am not complaining. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked green beans with a little (or a lot) of butter and a sprinkling of salt. Perfection. 

Most fresh vegetables need little intervention to be tasty but a variety of preparations can help avoid vegetable fatigue. Some vegetables lend themselves well to cooking or baking such as the ubiquitous zucchini. If you raise summer squashes you know that it doesn't take long before you are asking the neighbors if they like squash. Sharing is caring. I have several recipes I use to help manage the abundance of  squash. If I want a full meal with them, I make a zucchini dish with ground meat, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese stuffed into little squash boats. I also like squash sliced thinly pole to pole, brushed with a little olive oil and grilled. Quick and easy. If my squash gets a little larger than I prefer, I slice them into coins, dip them into a beaten egg, roll them in Panko crumbs and saute in oil until golden and tender. Top with Parmesan cheese and they are better than french fries. Almost. I must confess that my all time favorite way to eat summer squash is straight up boiled until very tender, excess water drained off and a generous amount of butter added. Finish with salt and plenty of black pepper. My mother often prepared squash this way and I never tire of it.

Cucumbers are best just as they are, crisp and cooling but a few adjustments can be made for a little variety.  I often make a quick dressing of a little mayo, salt and a pinch of sugar. Great with any meal. Recently, I tried a recipe for smashed cucumbers with an Asian style dressing. It was an interesting change of pace but I am not sure it will be added to my regular repertoire. If you are facing down more cukes than you can eat and your neighbors are starting to avoid you, they can also be made into delicious refrigerator pickles (the cucumbers, not the neighbors). No canning necessary and pickles last a long time in the fridge. 

And then there is the tomato. A sublime gift from God, for sure. The first bite of a vine-ripened, freshly picked tomato wipes away the memory of all the sad, tasteless tomatoes eaten throughout the majority of the year in the upper plains. A plate of sliced tomatoes is good enough for any meal but the addition of bacon, lettuce and toasted bread doesn't hurt either. Chopped tomatoes, onions, fresh garden peppers, lime juice and cilantro make an unbeatable salsa. And tacos have an elevated level of taste when the tomatoes are fresh and juicy. 

I hope your meal repertoire includes plenty of garden fresh vegetables this summer. 'Tis the season. 

Worth It

"I'm going to put a $100 bill on the table if it means more of these," said my husband. I looked over at him to determine the source of such exuberance coming from a guy who is usually rather soft-spoken. We were just finishing our dinner meal and the mound of pits on his plate explained it all. Cherries, and not just any cherries. I had served Rainier cherries. They are golden yellow with a rosy blush and even sweeter than Bing cherries. And for someone like my husband who has a sweet tooth, they are certainly one of his favorite fruits. The only thing not to love about these cherries is the cost. They are often double or more the price of Bing cherries and are not always as readily available. 

My husband does not do the grocery shopping so he is at the mercy of my purchases. When Rainiers start appearing in the store I usually stall out when I see the price. Knowing how much he loves them, I eventually break down and purchase a few, hoping he will not push the issue. That never happens. He always asks for more and I always reply, "They are so expensive. They will just have to be an occasional treat." This dialogue has been going on for years until this year when he decided to remove all barriers and throw in the cash. No cash actually changed hands but I have been a little more generous in my cherry purchasing decisions. 

We are certainly enjoying the cherries but more than that, we are in the feast season of fruits. Apples and oranges will have to wait until the clutches of winter grab us again. Now is the time for the berries, melons, plums and other juicy goodies. 

Fruit also keeps us humble. We may think we know how to pick out the perfect watermelon as we thump them and listen for a hollow sound, check for a creamy yellow spot on the underside and feel the heft of the melon, only to cut into it and discover a pale flesh with lackluster taste. Cantaloupe can be even more deceiving. The sniff test is recommended as well as applying gentle pressure to the stem end, checking for a slight give. Sometimes this works but just as often the melon is either crunchy or so ripe it is ready for fermentation. 

Bright red strawberries can also lure us into a purchase with their ruby color and promise of juicy sweetness. Sometimes they are very good and other times, there are fuzzy babies hidden in the center of the container ready to contaminate the rest of their container mates. And some strawberries are just plain crunchy and will never be close to juicy. Raspberries are even riskier. It seems that I have a twelve hour window from their purchase time to eating time or I have a moldy mess on my hands. 

Yes, fruit can be risky business and expensive, too. But, for those of us in the upper plains, it is time to eat away. Soon enough we will be back to apples and oranges and of course, none of us wants a bad case of scurvy.