BIRTHDAY TABLE

These papers, spread across my dining room table, connect me to Lyn and food. Two magazines, Cooking Light and Cook’s Illustrated, subscriptions we have happily shared for years; a summer’s enrollment in Groundswell Farm, a local CSA organic farm run by two local women (we ate huge quantities of kale and not that many heirloom tomatoes); a stapled catalog of Weight Watchers points that Lyn kindly ran off for me at a time when I couldn’t afford an online membership; a bunch of torn-out and scribbled recipes that have been stuffed in my cookbooks, including one labeled “Lyn’s Chili, Inauguration Night”; and all those recipes (21?)—I can hardly untangle Lyn’s from mine in my recipe box.

I have known Lyn for twelve years. The first year I celebrated a birthday with her I erroneously sent her a 40^th birthday card (it was her 39^th), and I addressed the card to “Lynn” (two n’s). She has pretty much lived in my neighborhood—pretty much with Larry—and in all that time we have shared food over countless holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings, graduations, weddings, farewells and welcome-home’s. One summer we had a standing potluck picnic every Monday night, with some other neighborhood friends. Lyn and Larry and Mark and I share a meal most Sunday evenings, and this sometimes includes the exchange of soups that Lyn and I have prepared for the coming week.

This second photo—of me, my daughter Maggie, and Lyn—was taken at a farewell picnic for an exchange student who lived with our family in 2005. It was in our back yard and potluck. Our exchange student was vegetarian, but obviously hamburgers were available. A couple of years after this photo was taken, Maggie was struggling with some really difficult problems. For Christmas that year, she gave both me and Lyn a copy of this photo, and she said to me, “Whenever I look at this photo, I feel safe.” You can see that Lyn and I look watchful and worried enough to cover for Maggie, right? But I knew it wasn’t just that. It’s not a new idea, but a true one nonetheless, that when we feed people we are caring for more than bodies. I can’t say how thankful I am to have a friend who can share in the doing of that.

Here’s to many more decades of meals and caring together, Lyn. Happy 50th!

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The following are two of our favorite picnic recipes.

ORZO SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS

1 cup uncooked orzo

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

½ cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

1 (19 oz.) can chickpease drained

3 Tbl. Fresh lemon juice

1 ½ Tbl. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbl. Cold water

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. bottled minced garlic

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine pasta, onions, cheese, dill, and chickpeas in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine. Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture. (4 servings, 1¼ cups)

TORTELLINI PASTA SALAD

1 package (20 oz.) Buitoni family size 3 cheese tortellini prepared according to package instructions

2 cups halved red grapes

1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

1/3 to 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing (bottled or homemade)

¾ cup (or small jar) sliced roasted red peppers

½ cup thinly sliced salami

½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Combine prepared pasta, grapes, cheese, dressing, peppers, salami and bsil in medium bowl. Refrigerate for one hour.