Sunday Supper on the Balcony

What goes around, comes around. I mentioned halvah a few days back and got a bunch of nostalgic comments regarding it, so I’ve got an online potluck  game happening. Come on over, and bring a recipe!

Because of the potluck game, I guess I have the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East in my subconscious. And because of her nonstop activity for nearly a month, yesterday evening E.g. became crabby and whiny. Those of you who know her personally are aware of how rare this is for her. Me, it’s my normal state, and E.g. is very kind and accommodating. So — what goes around comes around — yesterday evening I set her out in the summer sunshine with a fresh bottle of Wellington Special Pale Ale, and set to work whipping supper together.

We had just been to the local meat market and purchased salmon fillets and small lamb chops, bread and tinned tomatoes, and a container of zingy orange gelatto. Our original intention had been to make chicken cacciatore tonight, but once home we realized we were out of garlic. Hmm…

I put a few inches of water in the kitchen sink, snipped the end off a small head of leafy lettuce, swished the leaves around, and tossed them in the colander.

I also swished the rest of the fresh thyme ( a packet of three-inch stalks) and divided them into two little piles (which would soon become eight pilettes).

Setting the four little lamb chops on the broiler pan, I spread out some thyme stalks over each chop and popped them under the broiler with the timer going for ten minutes.

Shaking the water out of the lettuce, I sliced it up with the big knife and put it in a bowl. Then I sliced up a few dried apricots and shelled about ten pistachios. These went in the lettuce bowl, and the salad was tossed with some bottled raspberry dressing.

I put a cup of water on to boil in the smallest pot, along with a handful of raisins and a smaller bunch of dried currents and about half a teaspoonful of ghee. Meanwhile, I discarded the burnt thyme, turned the lamb chops over, sprinkled them with a little salt, and lay the rest of the thyme sprigs over them. Back under the broiler for another ten (or a bit less — I didn’t want the smoke alarm to go off) .

When the water in the small pot came to a boil, I turned off the element, stirred in 2/3 cup couscous, and put the lid back on. It was done in about five minutes. I gave it a stir, set it on two plates, arranged the salad on the other half of the plates, and set the chops leaning against the couscous.

I brought the supper out to the balcony. E.g. asked for a second bottle of beer (which she almost never does normally), and heaved a sigh of satisfaction as we tucked in. The zingy orange gelatto worked just fine as a dessert.

And the dogs didn’t even bark.