A Quiet Night

Tonight we honored a standing tradition of watching a Capital Fourth on PBS. Locally, fireworks are prohibited, although towns often sponsor displays to celebrate the day. Most years we attend a show put on by Mesa Community College, however (for the second year in a row) the fireworks were cancelled due to budget cuts. So, rather than watch a display elsewhere, we opted for movie night followed by the national celebration. (Usually we attend a show and then catch the Washington D.C. broadcast in an encore presentation.) This year was the 30th anniversary of a Capital Fourth, and much to my surprise I remembered many of the clips from previous celebrations, although my son said he didn't even know who half the stars were. Alas, time marches on.

To kick off our quiet, family-style festivities, I made Mediterranean sandwiches (from my new Cooking Light recipe book). The guys weren't crazy about them, but I thought they were fabulous! I started by preparing a box of long grain and wild rice. While it simmered on the stove top, I diced about half a cucumber and two small tomatoes. These were mixed with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and the juice from half a lemon. Next, I stirred in a small package of hummus and some feta cheese. Once the rice was finished, this went into the mixture as well. The filling was both creamy and chewy with predominant textures from the hummus and the rice. The veggies and lemon juice gave it a little sparkle, while the saltiness of the feta balanced out the acidity. I put the filling on Greek flat bread (like a pita without the pocket), but it would be just as good in an actual pita, rolled into a tortilla, or served on a roll. I think it would also be good as an appetizer dip served with pita chips, especially if you seasoned them with some rosemary and black pepper. Luckily there were a couple of sandwich halves left, so I can eat this again for lunch tomorrow!

To round out the meal we opted for a Fourth of July favorite - watermelon. For the last couple of years melons have been pricey in the store, but they were on sale today for $2.50, so we thumped a few and chose one that sounded a little hollow but was still firm. We were rewarded with a deep red sugary interior that rivaled the watermelons of childhood. (You know the ones I mean - when Mom cuts open a huge, juicy melon at the picnic table and hands out slices of summer. The sweet, pink water runs down your chin and drips through your fingers while you accumulate seeds to spit in competition with your siblings and cousins. The melon is warm and fragrant - at its peak of ripeness.) At least two-thirds of that watermelon disappeared during our t.v. time. The rest, of course went into the fridge for tomorrow, but it will never taste any better than it did the moment I split it down the middle and took that first bite.

So, while our holiday celebration was pretty low key this year, it was still a good one, and it reminds me of the words of Adlai Stevenson:"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." May God bless America - Happy Independence Day.