Food can be simple and complex, but simple seems to go better with summer. But when you are running around — even in the summer — it takes a break to appreciate the simple.
We had a series of ugly storms last night, including tornado warnings. In debating whether to head for the basement of the building, I ran into a neighbor, and we both headed in the direction of the basement. Long story short, the storm passes through, no tornado, and my neighbor invites me into her place. Her boyfriend had just got home.
I had mentioned to her that I had not eaten (it was almost 9 p.m.), but I hadn't mentioned it to him. But they had just come home and so they were hungry. He insisted on fixing me a sandwich, emphasizing all the way through that fresh was important and having the best ingredients was key.
He sliced bread fresh from the loaf. He then spread Polish butter on the bread (he is Polish). He laid on Polish ham, cheese (not sure what kind), sliced radishes, a freshly cut slice of tomato. He peeled a few pickles, and sliced those up as well to put on the sandwich. He wanted to put salt and white pepper on top; I balked at the salt but kept the pepper. And the sandwich was open-faced. It was delicious, even the sliced radishes.
I was hungry, so you might say I would have eaten whatever he put in front of me. But the sandwich was good, the flavors worked so well together. I would have eaten the sandwich even if I was full.
Summer triggers food memories for us all. Often, they include hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, brownies, and lemonade: a picnic with huge amounts of food.
But on this summer night, there wasn't "a lot of food." The calorie content of the meal, including soup, probably wasn't that much. But in terms of freshness, quality, and just the right amount of food, it was perfect. Simple yet beautiful.
In my recent travels to the West Coast, I tried to imagine, given the weather patterns of the area, eating like this year-round as opposed to just 10-12 weeks per year. Would it be as special or would I benefit from more opportunities to keep it simple? A difficult question to answer, perhaps. But I wanted this feeling to last much longer than one night, one summer.
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