We’ve all played “Let’s pretend” at some point during childhood.
In my time of being a kid, we were cowboys and/or Indians, fairy tale princesses, Snow White, Tarzan or Jane, Shirley Temple, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Princess Margaret or Princess Elizabeth (boy, am
I ever dating myself!), or often just pretended we were grown ups, complete with dad’s old oxfords and one of his ties, or mom’s high heels and smeared lipstick.
We played “store,” selling empty cereal boxes and pretend candy bars to each other, filling out pretend receipts.
We played “doctor and nurse” with our pretend doctor/nurse kits, listening to imaginary heartbeats and taking pretend temperatures.
And for hours on end, my younger aunt and I played with paper dolls, trying to outdo each other putting them in imaginary dire situations and carrying out amazing rescues. For years, even after I was married with children, I kept a small box containing two of my favorite Scarlett O’Hara paper dolls carefully hidden away.
Some of us, I suspect, never really stopped playing “let’s pretend” — we’ve simply learned to disguise it under other names, such as acting, writing novels, even Facebook, where pretending is all part of the “game.” Congressman Weiner (aka Stupid Personified) is a perfect example; he obviously was pretending he was attractive, which couldn’t be farther from the truth no matter what part of himself he took pictures of. But I digress.
At the time I’m writing this column, which is last Saturday, I’m pretending that summer is on its way.
I’m pretending that it’s not 55 degrees outside right now, with leaden skies and a constant drizzle dampening everything, including my spirits. I’m pretending instead that it’s time to get out the summer shorts and T-shirts and prepare for hot weather. I’m pretending that I need sunscreen, sunglasses and sandals.
Yesterday was officially the first day of summer and, according to the forecast (remember I’m writing this last Saturday), it’s going to be a good one, but one good day does not a summer make. Unless things change drastically, I think it’s going to take a lot of pretending from all of us to make this summer match our hopes.
But we’ve had a lot of experience; we’ve just finished pretending our way through a non-spring, and I know more than a few people who are already pretending the winter of 2010-11 wasn’t really that bad, after all.
But, as long as we’re in pretend mode, let’s also imagine that the Fourth of July will be a hot one, perhaps even breaking records, and that the usual gathering of friends and relations won’t be standing around the potluck table under precariously rigged, dripping blue tarps. Outdoor grills will be doing double time duty turning out hamburgers, hot dogs, perhaps even barbecued ribs, and the potato salad will be refrigerated until the very last minute because it’s too hot to set it out until it’s time to grab a plate and dig in. If we’re anywhere near the water, maybe we’ll even go for a quick swim with the kids before it’s time to eat.
As you may have guessed by now, I was always very, very good at the game of “Let’s pretend.”
RECIPES
Just for now, let’s pretend that we’re all looking for cool, light refreshing summertime dishes to put on the table, instead of hot soup or beef stew to help us keep warm.
While I was busy pretending I needed to find the sunscreen, shorts and tank tops, I was also going through my big fat file of summertime good eating. Just reading the recipes made me feel
hopeful that there will, indeed, soon be a blazing, beautiful, “ohmigosh, it’s hot” summertime. And these are but a very few of what I’m looking forward to.
Let’s begin with something cool and tangy to drink, a concoction made from two fruits that taste of summer, strawberries and rhubarb.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB LEMONADE
3½ cups water
½ lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (you need about 2 cups)
¾ cup sugar
2 strips of lemon zest, about 3-inches long (a vegetable peeler makes it easy), plus a few more smaller strips, for garnish
½ t. vanilla
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup fresh lemon juice
In a saucepan, stir together the water, rhubarb, sugar, 2 strips of lemon zest and vanilla. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer it, covered, for 8 min. Stir in
1 cup of the strawberries and boil mixture, covered, for 2 min. Remove from heat; allow to cool.
Strain mixture through a coarse sieve set over a pitcher, pressing hard on the solids. Stir in the remaining 1 cup strawberries and lemon juice. Divide the lemonade among stemmed glasses filled with ice cubes, garnish each with some of the additional zest. Serves 6. (Makes about 7 cups).
Note: If you’re of a mind to kick this up a bit, for adults only, you can add vodka (to taste) or a splash of white sparkly wine.
Gelatin desserts went out of style long ago, which is too bad considering how easy, delicious and visually beautiful they can be, and a perfect summertime dessert. If you cringe even at the word “blancmange,”
I hope you’ll consider changing your mind. This is a dessert treat for adults as well as children, from a very old recipe. I loved this pudding when I was a kid, and still do, especially on a bright, sunny, summer day.
OLD ENGLISH ALMOND BLANCMANGE
1 cup almonds, skinned (instructions follow)
1 1/3 cups water
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar (or less; to your taste)
1 T. unflavored gelatin
¼ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Drop almonds into boiling water and let them stand for a few minutes off heat. They will then slip easily out of their skins.
Put almonds, about ¼ cup at a time, into a blender with 1/3 cup of the cold water; grind mixture until it is smooth.
Continue this until all the almonds have been ground, transferring each batch to a bowl as it is done, then put everything back into the blender at the end and blend the puree one more time until it is as smooth as possible.
In a bowl combine the milk, heavy cream and sugar. Add this to the almond purée, blending well. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, then strain mixture in batches again into a saucepan. Remember, smoothness is the main aim; this pudding should be very silky. Don’t press on the solids as you strain; discard them between batches. You should end up with about 2 cups.
Dissolve 1 T. unflavored gelatin in ¼ cup cold water; add mixture to the pan and heat mixture to just under boiling. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour the pudding into a 2-cup mold and chill it, covered, overnight.
When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the pudding, dip in warm water for 10 seconds and turn the pudding out onto a plate. Garnish with fresh raspberries, or garnish with a sprig of mint and serve the raspberries on the side.
Tired of ho-hum traditional potato salad? Try this one, a treat for the eyes as well as the stomach; easy to do ahead and refrigerate until you’re ready for it.
POTATO TOMATO CORN SALAD
2 T. white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
2½ lbs. small red potatoes
Kernels cut from 6 ears of fresh cooked corn
½ lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a blender, blend together the vinegar, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper to taste, until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
Put potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil; simmer potatoes for 15 min., or until just tender. (Don’t overcook or you’ll have a mushy salad). Drain potatoes, allow them to cool, then quarter them.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, potatoes, tomatoes, the dressing and salt and pepper to taste (remember, the dressing has been seasoned, but the vegetables will need a little additional seasoning). Toss the salad gently and refrigerate until ready to serve, but if it’s been chilled overnight, it will taste better if allowed to come close to room temp. before serving. Serves 8; easily doubled.
Note: You might toss on crumbled feta cheese before serving, if desired.
