Tonight's Outdoor Dinner

Last week, in celebration of spring, we bought a "baja burner"--one of those outdoor fireplace thingies to have a contained outdoor fire. We burned almost all the yard waste that we had, which included a big branch and a small branch, both broken off trees by the boy in our house. Now we've continued burning, because we like it, and Paul's now making trips to the Rebuilding Center to get used wood for fire wood.

We had our dinner outside by the fire tonight--it was such a beautiful spring day and it was still warm in the evening--warm enough to have a fire and eat in comfort. Paul's been having services and meetings every night during Lent, so it surprised us all when he said his meeting tonight was cancelled! He said we should have wine tonight in celebration of the "feast of no meeting." :-)

We had "Mexican Night" tonight, which always includes homemade tortillas and homemade refried beans, usually black. Then there are the variable ingredients--whatever veggie I have on hand--tonight it was collard greens, sauteed with garlic. Add freshly made guacamole, salsa (I just found a good salsa in Portland! I'd just about given up. It's Salsa de Rosa, and it's made in Washington state), and my great new find--Wildwood "Sour Cream." Sorry, I don't have any pictures--we were enjoying it too much. We usually enjoy this meal with cheese and real sour cream, but I think it was just as good made Lenten.

Now, we have always loved this meal, since I began serving it some 4 years ago. One time, right after Easter when we lived at St. Nicholas Ranch, Paul was at a clergy retreat at the ranch (weirdest thing ever to go to a retreat where you live) and of course, being right after Easter, the menu was very heavy on meat. So I brought him over a meal, so he could have his vegetarian meal and be with his fellow priests, too. I came into the dining hall, with a little bit of a feeling of trying not to be too proud bringing this beautiful dish with wonderful organic veggies in front of all these guys. I set down the dish in front of my husband, and the priest next to him looked at it and said, "Oh, come on! It's Pascha! Live a little!" I stared at him like he'd grown another nose on his face. I guess it's just indicative of how far from the mainstream we've moved.....