i'm still in my pajamas, it's 2pm on a Monday and i've just spent a grueling morning on the deck in front of my stunning garden having coffee and writing to people about their beautiful and fun gardens while also trying to get money out of these same people....never a problem, thank god! just so busy that breaking the morning fast didn't happen til now but my multi-tasking mind has been thinking about it the whole time as i view the garden's delights...
a million years ago hanging around my grandma Pauline i would sit patiently waiting while she rummaged through what i thought was an empty icebox and within mere minutes produced something incredible and very like what i just made...
some sort of green leafy thing would come out of the vegetable bin and be chopped or torn up and thrown into a hot pan with olive oil, garlic and onion...off that would go to be replaced with slices of bread to be toasted. on the small portable electric grill that was pulled out and set atop the washing machine the Grandfather would grill up a juicy piece of beef. before i had time to get bored we would be sitting down to sliced steak with greens and toast and the Grandfather would have poured the Grandmother a small shot of beer- usually something like Schaeffer's-and we would sit down and gobble everything up!
here, today, it's deja vu- no Pauline and Leo- but a lovely plate of fresh picked Italian dandelion greens that i decided to try in the garden this year, sauteed with onion and garlic in basil olive oil. put that with fried bread and strips of skirt steak....no Schaeffer but Yuengling beer worked just fine..
i wonder what my brothers and sisters remember of these numerous meals we were presented with at Pauline's house..did they feel the sense of closeness that i did? i never felt that at our crowded table with the Mother. the epitome of effciency, Marthe could produce enough for all 11 people every night , night after night, for years...there is no discounting this marvel, but it never felt the same as when i got to sit with the Italians...
