going to extremes

What’s a girl to do? It’s nearly impossible to preplan a season menu given the way these temps are fluctuating. What was I thinking roasting a dinner last night? I literally melted in front of my 450 degree oven, the outside mercury reaching 98. Who would have guessed, given the morning walk called for mittens.

Last night the kitchen was transformed into a boiler with my pan roasted carrots and roasted sea bass. A little late in the game I shut the windows and flipped on the AC. As we perspired over dinner, my spinach gunge liquefying like the Wicked Witch of the West, we waited for relief. What came was reminiscent more of hot dog breath than the chilly blast we anticipated. Something was panting through the ductwork though it certainly wasn’t frosty.

No point in calling the heating and cooling guy, it was Memorial Day after all. I went up stairs and stripped to my nudies (the loving nickname my daughter’s call my beige undergarments). Laying prostate under the ceiling fan, the heating and cooling number clenched in my sweaty little fist. As my husband ascended the stairs his expression quickly changed when he realized that my definition of hot had absolutely nothing in common with his definition of the same adjective.

Some things are out of your control. One is not. A more appropriate dinner menu. Chilled French watercress soup, shrimp rolls, and a beet and goat cheese salad.

Be forewarned the watercress soup is a bit of a blue diamond. The final step of stirring in the egg yolk and cream needs to be done carefully so it doesn’t curdle. Your effort will reward you with a velvety result that is well worth the careful stirring.

The shrimp rolls are an open face version of the lobster roll. Fresh cooked shrimp tossed with a touch of mayo, lemon juice, celery, onion and dill. Served up on a buttered and toasted croute made from a sliced dinner roll.

And last but not least a refreshing salad of roasted beets (fear not – pre-roasted and packaged courtesy of Trader’s Joe’s), crumbled Cypress Grove chevre and (packaged) toasted candied pecans.

Tomorrow is another day. I’m assured I’m first on the docket for AC repair. And the forecast calls for highs in the low 70’s.