Food and Friends

Two cook outs in one week have to be a good thing. Following Monday's Memorial Day food fest, we were invited to another indoor-outdoor shindig tonight. A couple of our friends are moving away and held a last hoorah before saying goodbye.

While most of the guests found an indoor perch, Jeff and I (along with a few other people) spilled into the backyard which sports many trees, mature rose bushes, a koi pond, and a vine covered pergola firmly ensconced within an expanse of lush grass. I only mention the greenery of the yard because it is fairly uncommon in the valley of the sun, where 115 degree summers tend to burn tender plant life. While today's temp was close to 100, once the sun dipped below the neighborhood's horizon, the air began to cool making the yard an inviting place to sit and chat.

Of course, the point of a cook out is the food. Our hosts treated us to marinated and grilled chicken breasts along with herbed salmon, while guests brought a myriad of salads and desserts. One mixture included corkscrew pasta tossed with briny black olives, feta cheese crumbles, and cherry tomatoes in a light red wine vinagrette dressing. This is pretty classic pasta salad, but still quite tasty. Another offering - Jeff's favorite - included fresh spinach tossed with sliced strawberries and pineapple chunks. My favorite had brown rice and marinated veggies stirred together with pine nuts and a slightly sweet dressing that tasted of honey and citrus.

Dessert courses included angel food cake with mixed berry puree (our contribution), miniature cinnamon rolls, and a lemony chess pie that was to die for. This was custardy smooth and oh-so sweet, in a flaky crust browned to perfection. The lemon flavor tasted fresh - probably coming from some of the large locally-grown fruit - with enough to add tang, but not so much that it overpowered the dessert. In my newly begun effort to eat healthier (starting today), this was a temptation I couldn't ignore. Luckily, the pie was on Jeff's plate so I only snagged a few bites rather than eating an entire piece. However, I did eat my share of the angel food cake!

Ultimately, the food was light and delicious leaving the freshness of summer for my tastebuds to dwell upon far into the evening. As we said our goodbyes and well wishes we realized we might not see our friends again, but we will carry the memories of autumn dinner parties, winter game nights, and summer cookouts wherever we go.