Hurricane Enrique has slowly been passing us by for the past three days -- well out in the Pacific Ocean. I felt the first drops as I walked across the tarmac at the airport on Saturday afternoon. By that evening, the rain had seriously started falling, and it did not let up until last night. A couple of power outages were tossed in to test that old Nietzschean saw about finding strength in the oddest places.
It was a perfect time to try something new. And that is exactly what I did. For me, that usually means some new food treat.
On the flight down, I had packed a lunch of cheese, hot salami, and Carr's water crackers. There is nothing the least bit creative in that combination. College students and hockey fans thrive on it. But I had also included a package of the four berries -- strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Several of the raspberries accidently ended up on one of the water crackers. Rather than toss the cracker out, I added a couple more berries and ate it. It was like a mini-tart. So, I tried some strawberries with a square of salted dark chocolate I had just received as a gift for being an Alaska frequent flyer. Even though I am not a fan of chocolate, the combination was interesting.
For lunch, I decided to try something new. I toasted some baguette slices in olive oil, spread them with what I thought would be a tangy goat cheese, and topped that with a raspberry, fresh basil, fresh mint, lemon zest, and oil combination. I then drizzled a balsamic reduction over each piece. (I added "fresh" in front of the basil and mint because I once made the mistake of combining their dried versions in a salad dressing. It tasted as if I had dumped lawn clippings in the salad. I suggest not doing that.)
It was worth the effort. The combination of layered tastes worked just as I thought they would, But the goat cheese was not as tangy as I expected. If I ever make this lunch again, I would add lemon juice to the balsamic reduction -- or, maybe, the raspberry mix.
With a mug of green tea, it was the perfect way to welcome my first sighting of the sun since I returned home on Saturday. That means my solar water heater can return from its unexpected vacation and do what it was designed to do.
I intend to enjoy the respite. My brother called last night to let me know that I may need to fly back to Oregon earlier than I had anticipated.
I can share my creation with him when I head north.
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