Let's do lunch!

You know that scene in The Blindside, actually, I think there were a couple scenes, where the ladies are "lunching"? What a mess of overpriced salads, competing designer clothes and attitudes. Glad I wasn't a LWL at that table. My dad used to ask, sort of incredulously, "Why does Mama always need to "do lunch"? Answer: "Because". When it's done right, what a lovely experience it can be. 

Earlier this summer, The Divine Ms. M had me and another pal over for lunch done right. She had a fabulous new deck and view to savor but most delicious of all was the relaxed companionship. I will get to the food in a sec. So fun and so relaxing that my pal and I needed a gentle reminder about 4:00 that she had a trainer coming in a few minutes and we were welcome to stay but...

And so here is the Rx for the weekend, or week day, whenever you choose and it can be  breakfast or dinner, too...gather around a table and stay awhile. Talk, laugh and share delicious moments. In our hurried lives, we do a lot of spinning. We over-schedule, under-explore. We talk and write in sound bites and Tweets. We leave a lot of moments untouched or lightly scratched with surface marks of interest. A table and friends lend themselves to an opportunity to share real conversation. Make some time soon to stop, sit and "do lunch" up right.

And now to the food...

In addition to being the brilliant instigator of this lovely afternoon, The Divine Ms. M is a fabulous cook and the whole meal was a vision. Always up on what is healthy, she is also a master at blending tastes, textures and adding in a personal splash of flavor. Here is what we feasted on: a crisp and crunchy tomato, lemon cucumber and feta salad that looked a lot like this:

and this soup...which is where Cajun Power Garlic Sauce comes in (Wednesday's post). One taste of this sauce and you want to use it on everything.  A splash or two added into this soup is divine, of course!

Divine Ms. M's and Dr. Ornish's Cucumber and Potato Soup with Dill

3 cucumbers (English cucumbers are good here), about 2 pounds
1 onion, sliced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 small russet potato, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill and/or 2 tablespoons minced green onion
sea salt and pepper
4 teaspoons sour cream or yogurt (optional)

Peel cucumbers, halve lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Dice enough to make 1 cup finely diced cucumber. Coarsely chop the remaining cucumber.

In a saucepan, combine the onion and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add remaining 3 cups stock, coarsely chopped cucumber and potato. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to saucepan and reheat to simmer. Add finely diced cukes and simmer until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill and/or green onions and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on each portion, if desired.

Have Cajun Power Garlic Sauce ready to pass.
Serves 4.

And here is what we had for dessert...
xoxxxo to The DMM and to friends and tables everywhere just waiting for "lunch" !!