Menu
We’re doing…OK. No one is sick, but only one of is working. People in the media have started to shift from talking about “how soon things will get back to normal” to “things are never going to be the same”, and when you’re down to one income that’s a scary concept. You start to focus too much on everything you’re afraid of losing.
I can’t let myself think about the future, so I’m trying to practice living in the moment, and one sure way to do that is to get outside in the fresh air.
This third weekend in April was a microcosm of New England spring weather: cool and cloudy on Friday, 4 inches of snow in some parts (thankfully not at our house) on Saturday, 60’s and sunny on Sunday. We grabbed the opportunity during Sunday’s nice weather to start putting the garden in, amending the soil in the vegetable beds, and planting seedlings of lettuce, spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard. Elsewhere in the yard, the daffodils are on their way out but myrtle, azalea and moss phlox are blooming and the viburnum by the deck (my favorite) is about to burst open any day.
Taking time and care with the food you’re putting on the table for yourself and the people you’re sheltering in place with is another way to be present. John and I have continued our Saturday night ritual of making a special meal and savoring it at the dining room table instead of snarfing it in front of the TV like most of our meals lately. Candles, music, conversation, a couple of hours to focus on each other instead of dwelling on all those things going on out there that we can’t control.
Native vegetables are still a few weeks away for us, but planting got me in the spirit so I made a big bowl of Pasta Primavera for Saturday night dinner – vibrant and green with asparagus, peas and baby broccoli tossed with penne in a light creamy sauce, and garnished with herb-roasted shrimp.
My Saturday menus usually include an appetizer but this time I decided we didn’t need one – since the pasta has a cream sauce I didn’t want to serve anything cheesy or creamy as a starter, and we didn’t need any more vegetables either. If you really want to have a first course, I would suggest omitting the shrimp from the pasta and serving them first, either as shrimp cocktail or this prosciutto-wrapped version. Another light option would be smoked salmon served with crackers or on potato chips.
To continue the Italian theme, I made Caramel Budino for dessert, a smoky caramel pudding laced with vanilla and bourbon and dusted with sea salt and chocolate cookie crumbs.
Like a lot of people, we’ve been watching too much TV, and that means not listening to enough music. So I created a new Safe at Home playlist on Spotify. The songs are soothing – and the titles are a snapshot of my prevailing cozy-yet-bored/when-will-this-be-over-already mood.
The Game Plan
- The Budino needs 5 hours to chill, so make it early in the day or the day before.
- The vegetables for the pasta can be prepped and blanched ahead of time; everything else is done in about 40 minutes, just before serving.
- For a detailed plan with step-by-step instructions and timing, download the Game Plan document linked below.
Saturday April 18 2020 Game Plan
