An Ode to A Bowl... for simple side dishes

Dear Friends,

     Did you ever lose something special and just when you thought it disappeared forever you find it? Well, that is what happened this week to me. I could not find a bowl that my mom had given me years ago.  It is the prettiest one I own and I use it all the time for holiday dinners or to put my food in for potluck meals with friends. What I learned is to start looking in the most obvious places first. This is what inspired me to write this poem. Enjoy!! And enjoy the recipes that follow of some of the simple side dishes that this bowl held.

An Ode to A Bowl

I had a bowl, a special bowl

A bowl beyond compare.

But then one day I looked for it

And my bowl it wasn’t there

Oh where oh where could it have gone

How could it disappear?

Think think think, I told myself

I know it must be here.

I pulled apart the cupboards

I searched both high and low

And shook my head and stretched my brain

Wondering, where did my bowl go?

I missed the etching on the side

With the initials L.L.G

But most of all I missed the bowl

Because my mom gave it to me

I thought that I would ask my friends

Did you see my bowl? I whined.

I thought perhaps I left it here

The evening that we dined.

No one knew just where it went

But consoled me for my loss

That night I slipped into my bed

And did nothing but turn and toss

Then it hit me like a spark

As I stumbled in the night

That bowl of soup I made last week

That vegetable delight

 I stored that soup in my bowl

I was sure that’s what I did

I know now where to find my bowl

I know where it had hid

 I raced straight to the kitchen

Flung open the fridge door

And hiding behind the jars of food

Was my loving bowl once more

Now the moral to this story

The one I have to say

That this is a clear message

To clean my fridge today

corn corn and more corn

This absolutely addicting side dish is made only by tossing the corn with a bit of EVOO, adding salt and pepper and red hot pepper flakes, sauteing it until the edges turn brown and all liquid disappears and then adding a bit of butter. Stir the corn regularly while it is cooking. All I can say is make more than you think you will eat because I guarantee you will eat it all. 

Kale Salad

This salad is a hit at any potluck dinner. And it looks great in my bowl. I am linking right to Meghan's blog post for the recipe. It is easy, healthy, and everyone loves it. 

http://www.divvyupdining.blogspot.com/2012/02/downtown-lunch-normal-0-0-1-260-1486-12.html

Zucchini and Mushrooms

The secret to this perfect simple pleasure is lots of different types of mushrooms. That's it. Slice the squash, mix in the mushrooms, add a bit of S and P mix with EVOO and it's done. Saute on med high heat.

Cut up Carrots

Not much to do here but slice, mix in some EVOO and add some thyme and marjoram, toss with some pure maple syrup ( about a tbs of grade A dark works best to every five carrots) and bake in a high heat 425 degree oven until they brown slightly, say about twenty-five minutes.  These add lots of color to the plate and also make a wonderful snack food the next day so remember that when figuring how much to make. 

Pretty Pesto

For this just check out this link of I LOVE PESTO for recipe. http://www.divvyupdining.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-like-no-love-pesto.html

So if you do not have a favorite bowl, find one. It will give you great joy. 

RSVP

jude

.