In the middle of summer, when the heat and humidity become almost unbearable, we have sometimes made our way to the lake. Even if you don’t swim, just walking along the water’s edge can bring a feeling of relief as bare feet sink in the wet sand and splash into the waves. The breeze that comes off the water not only brings relief from the heat. It also soothes the spirit.
We have several artist and craftsman friends who follow the art fair circuit and, in the middle of July, they make their way to the one in St. Joseph, Michigan. So when the sun beats down and Lake Michigan beckons, we plan a Sunday getaway to the Krasl Art Fair. We know that many others will be there too so as soon as we get to town we look for a parking space on a side street and, if we’re lucky, it will be in the shade! We slowly make our way toward Lake Michigan and, on the grassy bluff overlooking the Lake, 200 or so artists have set up their wares for sale. I like to meander among the booths and stop when something catches my eye. Jewelry, fiber arts, painting, printing and photography are represented as well as ceramics, sculpture, wood and paper artists. I enjoy this art fair because of its location and because it offers some of the better art work I’ve seen. It always amazes me to see how creative humans are and how each artist seems to have a passion for their specific art. That in turn gets passed on to me the onlooker and always leaves me with my own creative juices flowing. Sometimes what I see just draws me in and I have to bring that special piece home with me.
I like to have art work in my house. It lifts my spirits when I walk in my front door and it helps me see the world through someone else’s eyes. Sometimes the artist’s view is somber, sometimes it is humorous. Sometimes it even takes the world as I know it and turns it upside down. Art can call to me by its colour or its shape and sometimes it represents a feeling I have better than I could describe it in words. In other words, it sharpens the way I see the world.
I feel that same reverence for food. I know that when I’m cooking or baking, the way I feel about my world will also make its way into the finished product. So when I’m working in the kitchen, I think about those who will eat the food and, depending on what I’m making, I throw in some positive energy or healing energy or even spiritual energy. My love and passion for making food will carry over to those who partake of it and hopefully, it will make them see the world in a new light. Those who gather around the food also bring their own feelings to it and that adds to the eating experience.
So I leave the art fair enriched and I’m finally ready to walk along the beach and soak in some sun. We follow the pier to the edge of the Lake and then make our way to a picnic area with some much welcome shade. We enjoy the light lunch with cold drinks that we packed and brought along and then we lazily return to our car for the trip home, appreciative of a breakaway from our busy life. I leave you with a recipe for a refreshing summer salad that also packs a little heat.
Couscous and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Harissa Dressing
1 large onion, sliced in thin wedges
1 green pepper, sliced in thin wedges
1 red pepper, sliced in thin wedges
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 T. fresh basil, cut in thin strips
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. couscous
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
4 c. mixed greens
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the vegetables ( you can make your own mix depending on what is available), the basil and garlic. Sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil and put in a pan. Roast in oven, stirring every ten minutes until starting to brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cook the couscous, according to the directions on the package. (I usually add a little bit of butter to the water.) When couscous is cool, place in a bowl. Top with roasted vegetables and feta cheese. Top with greens. Drizzle with dressing as desired.
Dressing (based on a North African sauce)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 t. cayenne
1 T. cumin
1 1/2 T. tomato paste
2 T. lime juice
Mix all the ingredients. You can choose how spicy you want it to be by increasing or decreasing the amount of cayenne pepper.
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