Dinner? Uh huh....

I am not talking about the family affair, every day routine.  You can use this for time with spouse or that rare and momentous time, when at last you are, dare I say it, alone!

Just the other day, the produce manager told me to come over to his "back room". Chuck is the produce artist: a man with a passion for his job. Our mutual joy and "luxury is that we have ONLY organic produce.  He gave me two yellow pears. I just checked, one still left, they were perfectly ripe Bartlett pears.  He warned me about their juicey- ness. I laughed and told him an abbreviated version of fruit and lovers. He wanted to know more but since we were at work I couldn't say more.

Good fruit and all good food can be a wonderfully sensuous and energizing experience. Very fresh, moist, and sweet strawberries are available now and at a very low price.  You can get the picture.

Remember the delight as a child of eating wild strawberries or blueberries. Peaches from a tree, or have you ever had an organic grapefruit recently fresh from (within 24 hours from Florida or Arizona?) Although these delight were plentiful as a child, they were also always precious to me. Ditto freshly picked sweet peas or just husked corn.

Set the stage:  you will be alone for an hour or more. You have selected the food you have been yearning for, almost lusting after. I will give you an example:

Herb salad greens from a pack. 1 ripened organic pear. 6 strawberries sliced. 6-10 leaves of red lettuce torn to bite size. Some cheese crumbled.  Mixed greens, optional green chopped onions, dulse seaweed, black currants or dried cranberries. Add sliced or cubed fruit. Mix/toss (optional). Drizzle lightly your favorite oil or olive oil.  Choose a beverage of choice. If you have an outdoor patio, a porch or stoop, a yard:   . Barefoot if appropriate. Great at sunset.

Eat slowly. Savor each bite and flavor. Adding the currants and seaweed accentuated delight because they were nearly forgotten burst of almost unidentifiable flavor. Take time to gaze around and appreciate the nature around you. My wonder centered on new sprouting plants, a bird's trilling, a raven's call. as sunset progressed there were so many oranges, pinks and purples. The gentle evening breeze increased and teased my face. Then, ah, another strawberry slice lingered in my mouth and tingled on my lips.  The crumb of cheese,  used an ordinary provolone, seemed sharper, round, and nourishing. The bitter greens cleared my palette for the next morsel wrapped in greens with just a few drops of oil:  perfecto.  Thanksgivings flourished with each mouthful. Joy with each bird who visited.  The stray cats seemed amused and wonder if I'd have leftovers for them.

Very simple. Sometimes more than affordable. One bowl and set of silverware to wash.  Food, prepared easily can sometimes provide immense ecstasy. Wash your hands and face, and you can easily return to your world renewed.  If you want to indulge, add a stick of dark chocolate.

Having re-discovered these delicacies, I have been varying the ingredients, loving my porch and the onset of spring, and committing these power dinners several times a week. However, I essentially, live along since my housemate is very private and our schedules seldom match. 

 I have friends who do this frequently as a couple.  S. pre-cooks a variety of veggies, has hummus, cheese, or dips, maybe a pre-pared cold soup (homemade) lots of fruit options, carrot and celery sticks ready: she cooks several days worth at a time.  She opens the refrigerator door and declares here's the options, and in 10-15 minutes dinner for two is prepared and they are out under the cloth gazebo, on the wooden chairs or bench around the table lounging and either being casually focused on one another or free to read their current publication(s). Meanwhile birds, lizards, and an occasional rabbit provide entertainment.  Sound romantic? It's part of a seasonal lifestyle they use to chill out and celebrate life.

Create similar menus and take the kids on a picnic. They can run about while you take turns resting. Nature, food, and you the star and director makes for a splendid recipe for energy.

Mary MacIntyre