Summertime Symphony

Vegetables suffer from an image problem. Parents push us to eat them because vegetables are good for us rather than good tasting, making it appear eating them is a necessary but unpleasant chore. As a result, sadly many of us don’t discover how wonderful vegetables are until we’re adults. It wasn’t that long ago that diets were tied to the seasons, the harvest, climate and location. We ate what we could grow and made the best of it. We have lost something with modern technology – a connection to our food and where it grows.

Historically, meat and fish were unpredictable luxuries. The mindset of protein as the main entrée has developed only recently, facilitated by intensive farming, refrigeration (both in-transit and at home) and by supermarket convenience. For most of our history, vegetables, fruits and grains were our mainstay. There will be no meat or fish dishes at this meetup. Instead, it will be vegetarian with a liberal use of herbs and spices.

As appetizers, we’ll enjoy:

· green beans with creamy herb dipping sauce · roasted red bell pepper, chili and sun-dried tomato spread with crackers or bread On the grill, we’ll make:

· Portobello burgers · stuffed Poblano chiles · marinated summer vegetables on rosemary skewers · eggplant, mozzarella & red pepper stacks On the side, we’ll have:

· summer salad with homemade dressing · zucchini pasta with fresh tomato sauce · spicy cucumber salad with roasted peanuts In addition, we’ll have dessert, beer, lemonade, bottle water and ice tea. Remember, food plays an odd role in our lives; it keeps us alive and makes us feel alive. Join us as we create a meal rich with the textured tapestry of summer vegetables. Come, enjoy the food and make new friends.