Cake and Coffee at Death Cafe (Calgary)

Okay - this is pumpkin pie and not cake.....

Hi Everyone,

There's an extremely influential group in North America who is changing how we view death in the 21^st century – Baby Boomers!

As they begin to confront their own death and dying they are beginning to consider a number of issues ahead; funeral rituals, euthanasia, the right to die with dignity, living wills, and so many more.

We all have questions about death and dying. However, sometimes it’s a bit difficult to find people willing to talk to, and about this somewhat culturally taboo subject.

But here’s good news for those of us who like to explore our own feelings and thoughts through conversation with others. There are some new forums for these types of discussion causing a stir in Europe and North America -  Death Cafes.

Here’s what Lizzy Miles says about Death Cafes which she’s been facilitating in Columbus , Ohio:

“The beauty of the Death Café is that it brings people together who want to talk about the “taboo” topic of death (and all that it entails).  Many of the attendees reported in their surveys that in addition to telling their own story, they found comfort in hearing the stories of others.  The participants who have come to the Death Café events have a wide variety of backgrounds.  The diversity of experiences, beliefs and opinions contributes to the in-depth discussions that we have.”

Interesting concept, isn’t it? There is lots more information about the history and philoshophy behind Death Café at their website Deathcafe.com .

I wonder if I’ve got you thinking about some of your own questions about death and dying. Well, if you’d like to sit down for a coffee, or tea, and a bite to eat while you chat with other individuals wondering about similar things, there’s a Death Café coming to Calgary. It’s something new to write on your social calendar.

You can find more information about the Death Café coming to Calgary on March 10, here or follow me on Twitter.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts about green burials?

Warmly

Wendy

Pig and Potatoes in Tuscany

Lapo at Casale Della Torre

“Lapo make you supper tonight!”

Lapo, our host for 2 weeks at the agriturismo Casale Della Torre, in Cortona, Tuscany spoke with his quirky custom of referring to himself in the first person.  In this case, “Lapo” actually meant his family:  Paula, his always-working-and-cooking wife, and two delightful 20-something-year-old daughters.

We’d been welcomed by the Salvadori famly, with open arms (literally), along with a table loaded with home-produced goods; red and white wines, fragrant pecorino cheese, grassy olive oil and salty, stinky salami – oh, and marinated olives in orange peel – delectable. Everything that went in our mouths had come either from Lapo’s farm, or the agricultural co-op to which he belongs.

Paula's biscott at "first bake" in outside oven

There at their agriturismo, in early September, we were invited to indulge in the ripe tomatoes in the garden, pick fresh figs from the trees, and season our food with the abundant rosemary, basil and other herbs found throughout the property. Is it that everything tastes better with fresh ingredients, or is that everything tastes better cooked in Tuscany?

So, back to the “Lapo dinner…We, and twelve new friends, started the meal with ribollita - Italian bread soup. Take day-old Tuscan bread, mush it into minestrone soup, and this thick and hearty soup makes a “stick to your ribs” meal. Although early September days in Cortona are still hot and sunny, the soup was the perfect start to a generous outpouring of food and kindness by the Salvadori family.

Next onto the table, came platters of braised wild boar which had been marinated in white wine, bay leaves, and other spices, which I’d be happy to share with you if I had understood Italian well enough to comprehend what Paula explained to me.  Too bad, because if you could get your hands on some wild boar to recreate the dish, you would never forget how  sweet, sour, fragrant, and devoured in mere minutes this meat can be.

Tuscan Roast Potatoes and Chicken

The quintessential Tuscan vegetable, roasted potatoes, accompanied the pig. Soft and steamy on the inside, crunchy and brown on the outside, these potatoes seem to go with anything else you might want to serve. They, too, were consumed that evening in moments – mostly by me and, well, by me.

I’m going to save the rest of the story for another time;  there’s so much good food, wine and fun to share. In the meantime, if you’re planning to turn on the oven for another dish anyway, why not make some of those Tuscan roast potatoes? Here’s my recipe from the Tuscan cooking school, Villa Delia, where 10 years ago, I spent 10 of the best days of my life.

Tuscan Double Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

1. As many potatoes as you need for the number of guests. Make extra; these are always popular
2. A handful of fresh sage (or a generous sprinkle of dried sage will work okay in a pinch)
3. A handful of fresh rosemary (or a generous sprinkle of dried herbs will work okay in a pinch)
4. A few garlic cloves with skin on (to avoid burning and releasing too much flavour)
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. A good quality olive oil – either use just enough to lighten coat the potatoes, or alternatively, drizzle some on the potatoes  once they are on the baking sheet.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into bite size pieces.
3. Mix the potatoes in a bowl with the other ingredients and spread on a baking sheet. Don’t crowd the potatoes – if necessary, use a second baking sheet.
4. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Do NOT toss, turn or touch the potatoes while in the oven.
5. Remove the potatoes and leave on the counter to cool for at least 10 minutes.( If done to this point earlier in the day, cool and cover with a clean, dry tea towel until ready to finish cooking.)
6. Scrape the potatoes off the bottom of the backing sheet and toss so that another part of the potato touches the sheet. Put back in the 400°F oven or 10 minutes to finish cooking.

View from the patio at Lapo's

Serve on a flat platter to maintain the crispiness.

There you go – how easy is that? Buon appetito!

Do you have an Italian recipe or story to share? Maybe it’s something you learned from your Italian Nonna, or an Italian neighbour;  maybe it’s a  visit to Italy that you can’t forget, for one reason or another.

I'd  love to hear anything about Italian anything.

Warmly,
Wendy Kurchak

Flavours of Italy and Germany

I'm back!

An extended visit to Italy and Germany was fun and heart-warming as I made new friends, spent time with my partner's family, and ate and drank until, as they say in Bavaria," Ich bin satt!" ( I am full!!)

Over the next while I'll be sharing stories and recipes, tips for travelling through Tuscany and Bavaria, and all the the while, being very happy to be home again.

In the meantime, while I gather my thoughts and organize my stuff, here are a few photos of the trip for you to have a taste of what's to come. Enjoy!

In Lucca - we ordered a 1/2 bottle of red wine - we were told to drink to the line marked n pen on the label!

Buying squash at the Saturday market in Cortona - the veggies are HUGE.

Scenic Montepulciano

Sheep ricotta and homemade pasta by wonderful Lapo and Paula at Casale Della Torre in Cortona!

 

Getting down another prosciutto ham at Trattoria Marione in Florence - for our 'melon with prosciutto'!

1/2 chicken, bratwurst, pretzel and beer at the Paulaner Beer "tent" at Oktoberfest, Munich

 

More to come!
Warmly
Wendy

Corn on the cob and messy hands

Option: remove husks to char the corn...

While pounding drum sets, blowing out my lungs on any number of wind instruments, and conducting fellow music students at the University of Western Ontario, I decided to have my first adult dinner party.

In 1979, tacos were a novelty and seemed like great fun to me, albeit a surprise for my selected group of dinner guests. As they stared at their place settings, void of eating utensils, my friend Ted, a clarinet major, repeated numerous times, “You expect us to eat with our hands?”  It’s easy to visualize this if you think, “Felix” from the Odd Couple movie and add a goatee…

Our foray into eating sans utensils resulted in a mess in our laps and on the floor, and an ensuing search for straws with which to finish our wine – the glasses kept slipping out of our greasy hands. 

Thirty-two years later (argh) I have no qualms about serving my guests a meal which may not require forks and knives. In fact, as the corn from Taber Alberta appears at roadside stands right around this time of the year, one of my favourite menus includes BBQ ribs, potatoes in foil, raw veggies, and this thoroughly messy, lip smacking, never- can –eat- enough corn- on- the- cob recipe. I found it years ago in a Gourmet magazine, but I can’t remember which year or month. 

It’s been so long since I read the recipe, I don’t even remember the name of the dish; I call it “Corn with Feta and Lime” It’s so easy you can just memorize the ingredients and method. Grab a pile of napkins; roll up your sleeves – here goes.

                                             Corn with Feta and Lime

Serves 4

4 – 8 cobs of corn with husks on – I usually count 2 cobs for each guest, but I still often run out…

2 cups crumbled Feta cheese (or more)

½ cup Yogurt or mayo

3- 4 Tbsp. hot sauce – or to taste

4 limes quartered

1.      Mix the yogurt or mayo with the hot sauce in a couple of small serving bowls – place the bowls so that two people can easily share one bowl.

2.      Put the feta cheese into a couple of small serving bowls – place the bowls so that two people can easily share one bowl.

3.      Put the limes into a couple of small serving bowls– place the bowls so that two people can easily share one bowl.

4.      Soak the corn in warm water in the sink for about 30 minutes. Remove from the water, shake off the excess, and put on a hot BBQ.

5.      Grill corn for about 20 minutes or until done – the corn steams in the husks. If the kernels become a bit charred, even better.

6.      Test for doneness. Shuck and serve the corn hot.

7.      Now, to eat:

a.      Spread a bit of the mayo hot sauce mixture on the corn.

b.      Smoosh some feta onto the corn.

c.      Squeeze lime juice onto the feta.

d.      Eat with gusto.

I find it easiest to prepare small sections of the corn at a time – the feta sticks better.

Over the past decades I’ve lost touch with all of the guests at my first dinner party. Sadly, Ted died a number of years ago but every time I eat with my hands, and there’s a mess all over, I recall Ted’s voice at the end of that meal, “This was really a fine idea, Wendy.” And I smile – sweet, sweet memory.

In the meantime, if you can get your hands on some Alberta corn, do it. It really does seem tastier having been grown out on the Canadian prairie.

Warmly,

Wendy

Wendy's Summer Chop Chop

I just had my favourite summer lunch. I created this dish based on something I ate at some deli, at some place and at some time. It's one of those things that we all eat - something which will likely never find its way into a cookbook, or maybe even onto the table for friends and family: maybe it's something like, jam on your ham and cheese sandwich, or pancakes with peanut butter....naw, I don't eat those things, but I do love this recipe. I think it's yummy enough to share.

Wendy's Summer Chop Chop

Ingredients

 Mix together in a medium bowl:

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 

1 large celery stalk chopped

1 apple, cored and chopped

1/2 medium red pepper chopped ( any colour will do)

1 can drained solid tuna ( salmon would work, too, and so would leftover cooked chicken I imagine, although that would make it chicken salad...)

Dressing

Mix together in a small cup:

2 generous tbsp. fat free yogurt

1 small tsp. mayo ( added fat for satiety - you could easily leave it out...)

generous sprinkle of celery seed

generous grind of pepper

scant shake of salt

generous tsp. curry powder ( or more to taste)

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Add the dressing to the other ingredients, mix well, and serve. I like to eat this with Frank's hot sauce, and chopsticks.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can add or change ingredients everytime you make it - it's always "to taste".

I don't have a picture of my Summer Chop Chop, and the bowl I used looks messy with splotches of curry and Frank's, so here's a picture of summer laundry drying at the wonderful cottage we rented on PEI a couple of years ago...

Near Montague PEI - http://www.vrbo.com/247931

In the meantime, I had a fitness trainer who said the perfect meal or snack should include a protein, carb and fat. This dish has them all, and it's so easy-peasy to make. A little bit of kindness for me.

Warmly,
Wendy

Rhubarb Blueberry Cake makes for new friends

Make a dinner reservation at a restaurant, or make a dinner party at home? That is the question.

Hubert keeps a Beck's for himself!

Well, if meeting Adrian's family for the first time, I’m going to choose, “come for dinner at the house.” Why, you may ask, would I take on the preparation of a Sunday dinner for my partner's daughter's boyfriend's family at home instead of choosing the ease of ordering in a restaurant? Sun stroke?

It could be that I think that the stress and excess energy that often accompany first meetings may be more easily dissipated in a house than a restaurant. It’s all about movement; moving from the living room to the patio to enjoy the sun, from the patio to the kitchen to pour some drinks, from the kitchen to the garage to get lawn chairs, and so on. Movement in a restaurant? Really, how many times can you excuse yourself to the restroom before others name off their favourite urologists?

Then there’s the flexibility of time. If all’s going well at a house dinner party, people can stay late into the evening until everyone is talked out – not so at a restaurant. However, if the gathering is becoming a colossal flop, no need to wait for your server to appear at the table; dessert and coffee can be brought to the table as soon as graciously possible.

Finally, there’s the gift of your time and effort. Even if some of the dinner dishes include take-out from your local Costco, (such as the 9-grain Salad in the cooler section – so yummy), the smell of a grilling BBQ, or the sight of a home-baked cake, sends that vital message “You’re important enough to go through this extra effort.” Kindness goes a long way.

So, back to the Adrian's family: the choice made, an invitation went out for dinner at our home: we’d BBQ, weather permitting. Having a beautiful Sunday summer evening, warm enough to sit outside after dusk, is a relatively uncommon event in Calgary; contingency plans included a brightly-flowered tablecloth draped on the dining room table with an extension leaf, and extra chairs were fetched from the corners of the house. But on this night, they would all be shunned in lieu of the balmy late night air.

The family arrived. We greeted each other, traded deep-red Shasta daisies for cold, thirst quenching bottles of Beck’s, moved to the patio, moved from chairs to the garden swing, laughed, posed for, and shot photos, and devoured the tasty appetizer tray prepared by Logan and Adrian. 

Hours later we ate: Costco’s 9-grain salad, Hubert’s famous homemade German potato salad, perfectly grilled BBQ salmon, and juicy charred chicken. Finally, along with coffee and liqueurs, the home baked rhubarb blueberry coffee cake was served with thinly-sliced sweet fresh strawberries and cold refreshing vanilla ice cream. Groans of delight – and I think not just for the delightful sweet/sour, warm/cold taste sensation, but maybe also for the gift of a homemade cake. 

Such a fun first meeting. Easy too, as you’ll see from the cake recipe. The only downside – Adrian’s mom returning to BC much too soon. Hurry back, Sooz – no more first meetings – now you’re all friends.

Here’s the cake recipe from an old neighbour out in Millarville ranching country:

                         Bill’s Rhubarb Kuchen (Cake)

Ingredients

 

1 ½ cups brown sugar – don’t pack too tightly

½ cup butter

1 or 2 eggs (if the moisture of the fruit is excessive, add the second egg)

1 cup buttermilk (or mix one cup of milk with 1 Tbsp. of vinegar and let sit for 5 min.)

2 cups all-purpose flour

Heaping tsp. baking soda (I usually use about 1 ¼ tsp.)

2 cups fruit –whatever fruit you have handy. Cut the fruit into smaller pieces that will bake well i.e. I cut my rhubarb into 1 “pieces.

½ cup walnuts or pecans finely chopped

½ cup white sugar

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Add the egg(s) and beat well. Add the milk and carefully beat on a slow speed until worked in.

In another bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and mix well – there shouldn’t be any lumps. Add and stir in the fruit and pour batter into the baking dish.

Mix together the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a cake tester for doneness.

The result? A crunchy sweet and tart, homemade wholesome-looking light cake which is absolutely perfect with ice cream!

In the meantime, 

Here’s a tip I learned at a Dinner Party Etiquette class in which I was a voluntary participant. When it’s time to call an entertaining event a wrap, a friendly, “Thank you for joining us for dinner. We’ll have to do this again.” is always just a little kinder than, “Here’s your coat, and what’s your hurry?” That being said, in desperate situations, I’ve gathered coats while saying what a pleasure the evening has been….a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do…

Warmly,

Wendy

Blueberry Cornbread | RecipeGirl.com

Blueberry Cornbread | RecipeGirl.com

This looks yummy for holiday mornings at the cottage, or just in the backyard. 

BBQ Pulled Beef and the Calgary Stampede Parade

Toronto drivers are fast and assertive, exhibiting a bravado which challenges any traffic or road issue to battle. Transferring these skills to “one-freeway Calgary” in July 1981 was one thing that didn’t trouble me as a spunky 28 year-old  moving west. Mind you, after I'd accepted a teaching job in Calgary, I'd had to search a Canadian map to find Alberta; I knew nothing about the prairies other than stories of pioneer settlers and cowboys. However, as luck would have it, I would be rolling into town the opening day of the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” – the Calgary Stampede!

With my early afternoon arrival, I had just missed the morning kickoff to the celebrations - the 69^th annual Stampede Parade.  The second largest parade in the world had chuck wagons, marching bands, western-themed floats, rodeo clowns, cowboys and horses; the earliest parades had had thousands of horses, but this parade had likely had more than 700 horses. However, at this hour there wasn’t a horse to be seen.

It was a” blue-sky Alberta day”, and I was ready to go “stampeding” – time to head to the grounds. Fast and assertive, I began ploughing my way through the downtown streets which had been the parade route only hours before. Unlike Toronto, these roads didn’t have names - the streets were numbered, the avenues were numbered, and I was muddled to which number was which: every street corner had numbers, and I was lost. 

Flustered, I stepped on the gas to zip through a yellow light, but instead of blasting through, the tires spun on the spot; there wasn’t any traction! As the car slid sideways, my brain shrieked in disbelief,   “I’ve lost control on a dry street in the summer?!” 

My eyes fixated on the curb as I drew closer and closer. A thud, gentler than I had expected, accompanied the sudden stop. Embarrassed, disorientated, and completely confused I stepped out of the car; my feet never found the pavement. A thin crusty shell crunched under my sandals, and gave way to a warm, dense, squishy, slippery, hay- laden pile of horse manure. It oozed over my open shoe, found its way between my toes, and encased my heel as I slid, and flipped, landing on my butt in the smeared track of manure ending under my tires. I, and my car, had found what the clean-up crew had missed – a generous outpouring of souvenir material from the stars of the Stampede parade – the horses.

Okay, so not quite everything in this story is the gospel truth; the Stampede Parade is the second biggest parade in the world,  there are hundreds of horses in the parade nowadays, I did get brutally lost in downtown Calgary, the car did slide and fish tail on piles of horse manure, but I didn’t actually land in any until years later, in a horse corral, during spring thaw, on my hands and knees ...but it could have happened...

In the meantime, celebrating the festivities with friends, pancakes, beans and beef is what Calgarians do during the Stampede. Beer seems to be an important dietary supplement. Here is the very best BBQ pulled- beef recipes you’ll likely ever find. It comes from one of the ole-timer ranching families just southwest of Calgary. I can’t remember the first time I wolfed down one of these overflowing, wipe -off -your- chin juicy, hearty buns, but I’ll wager my boots it was at one of our community’s annual foot-stamping, whoopin' hollerin', “Cowboy Dances”.

This recipe is a true dish of kindness; it takes a bit of extra time and work. However, the shouts of  excitement, and the groans of delight as your family, friends and neighbours chow down will be more than enough reward, pardner.

Warmly,

Wendy

Pulled BBQ Beef                       
 Serves 10-12

4-6 lb. beef roast

1 cup of water

A dozen fresh large buns

Sauce

3 tbsp. oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup ketchup

½ cup chili sauce

¼ cup cider vinegar, or wine vinegar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. mustard

1 tbsp. dark molasses

2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne (optional if you are NOT using the spice rub)

Spice Rub Mixture (optional)

Mix together :

2 Tbsp. EACH:

Salt

Sugar

Brown sugar

Ground cumin

Chili powder

Black pepper

Paprika

1 tbsp. cayenne

Instructions

Beef: (Can be done beforehand and either refridgerated overnight, or frozen)

1.     Bring the roast to room temperature.

2.     Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.     Massage the spice rub mixture onto the roast – use the entire mixture.

4.     Place the roast on  a rack in a roaster, add the water to the bottom of the roaster, and cover tightly with a couple of sheets of aluminum foil.

5.     Cook the roast for 3.5  - 4 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls apart. Do NOT open the foil earlier than the minimum time recommended.

6.     Once the meat is done, remove it from the roaster onto a large cutting board or platter. Cool slightly.

7.     SAVE THE COOKING JUICES – skim off the fat, then keep the juices.

8.     Chop, shred or pull the meat apart. You want the meat in pieces that will easily fit onto a bun. I use 2 forks to pull apart the meat.

9.     Put the meat into a large roaster that will accommodate the meat and the sauce.

Sauce:

1.     In the meantime, heat 3 tbsp. oil in a heavy pot; sauté the onions until tender.

2.     Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes over a low heat.

3.     Cover the sauce and let it sit. The sauce can be made the day before; cool, and refrigerate until ready for use.

Assembly

1.     Combine the pulled beef and the sauce in a large roaster. *Add only as much sauce as necessary to hold the meat together without it being too sloppy. Serve the extra sauce on the side.

2.     Heat the mixture in the oven, or in a medium heat BBQ, stirring occasionally. Add reserved pan juices, or extra sauce as necessary to keep the meat moist.

3.     Serve the roaster of meat, with a pile of large, pre-cut buns, and any extra sauce.   

YAHOO!!!!

Green-Bean, Almond, and Feta-Cheese Salad, and Summer Holidays!

The Teachers Jumped Out of the Windows

    

 (Sing to the tune of "My Bonnie") 

We're all childlike in the summer, aren't we?

The teachers jumped out of the windows.
The principal ran for the door.
The nurse and librarian bolted.
They’re not coming back anymore.

The counselor, hollering madly,
escaped out the door of the gym.
The coach and custodian shouted
and ran out the door after him.

Chorus
Oh my! Goodbye!
They’re not coming back anymore, no more.
How fun! They’ve run!
They’re not coming back anymore.

The lunch ladies threw up their ladles,
then fled from the kitchen in haste,
and all of the students looked puzzled
as staff members scurried and raced.

We’d never seen anything like it.
But still, it was pretty darned cool
to see all the staff so excited
to leave on the last day of school.

Chorus

By Kenn Nesbitt  (Gratefully used with permission)

www.poetry4kids.com

Found these great mittens on summer holidays in PEI !

Next week, my teaching buddies are coming over for lunch; we’re celebrating the beginning of our SUMMER HOLIDAYS!

Even though I’ve been retired for a couple of years, during the school year I still occasionally do some substitute teaching, but not in July and August; I, too, am free again! We’re all ready to let loose and enjoy the blue sky days of Alberta, or wherever we find ourselves over the next two months.

An easy-peasy way to stay healthy and happy is by nurturing relationships with friends and close colleagues. They're our support system when we're having a rough go; they're our cheerleaders when we accomplish that goal for which we've been striving; most of all, we share with them a common history - they're some of the eyewitnesses of our life journey.

So, while my friends and I re-tell old stories, drop our jaws at new tales, and laugh until we hurt, I’m going to serve up a crustless salmon and roasted red pepper quiche; a crunchy, delicious salad made with fresh, plump green beans I saw at the  market, sprinkled with lightly toasted almonds, a touch of red onion, goat feta cheese, and dressed with a ‘just-picked from my garden mint' vinaigrette. 

The recipe for the salad comes from my favourite cookbook, Back Roads and Country Cooking by Sara Waxman. I’m still using the imperial measurements in this 1985 publication. I’ve made a couple of minor alterations to the original recipe; here is my version of:

Green-Bean, Almond, and Feta-Cheese Salad

1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans

1 cup sliced toasted almonds

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½  cup thinly sliced red onion

¼  cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

¼  tsp. salt

¼  tsp. minced garlic

a generous pinch of freshly ground pepper

A sprig of mint leaves for garnish.

Trim the ends of beans and cut the beans into bite-size pieces. In boiling salted water, cook the beans just until crisp but done (about 3-5minutes after the water comes to a boil after adding the beans). Drain the beans, and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain, and lay on a clean tea towel, or paper towel to dry. (I often do this ahead of time, wrap them in the paper towel, and put them in the fridge crisper until it’s time to assemble the salad.

In a blender, combine the olive oil, mint leaves, vinegar, salt, garlic and pepper. Blend until the leaves have been thoroughly crushed and the dressing is thick. I do this in my little coffee grinding machine that has a small blender attachment.

Put the beans into a bowl – pour the dressing over the beans and mix together to coat the beans. Place the dressed beans on a shallow glass serving platter. Sprinkle with the red onions, the feta cheese, and the almonds. Garnish with the sprig of mint leaves.

Serves 6 as an appetizer salad.

This dish is a hit at potlucks, parties, wherever and whenever you want to make a great impression. It truly is a dish of kindness, if only for the delight of discovering the melding of these varied flavours.

In the meantime, if you think you might like to plant mint in your garden, or your flower bed as is mine, don’t. As fragrant and tasty as mint might be, it’s invasive – let me spell that again for you; i-n-v-a-s-i-v-e. Put the plant into a very large container, or somewhere in the back forty, or somewhere with garden edging more than a foot or two deep. If you live in Calgary, come and help yourself to some of mine - please!

Warmly,

Wendy