C'est tout

The First Unitarian Church of South Bend holds a service auction each fall, and one of my offerings for the past two years has been Dinner on the Deck.   First one wasn't on the deck because rain kept us inside.  This year it was COLD!  But no one seemed to mind that we weren't on the deck.  The dinner is a celebration of spring, featuring wild Pacific salmon, asparagus and strawberries.  That makes a tasty meal indeed, whether inside or out.

My dinner party seemed to be enjoyed by all.  I was able to sit and eat with my guests, always a pleasure.  That is really the best part, the good company.  It was a leisurely meal, and we spent more than two hours at the table, then wandered down to the river where a few of us enjoyed cigars, a gift from Jim Curlee.

Jim was also the photographer.  As usual, I have pictures of food before the meal, and then of the mess and cleanup afterwards, but during the meal, the camera is the last thing on my mind.

Here are Jim's pics from the dinner.

The bar is open.

French cheeses, terrine, fruit and nuts and the first baguette

Spring salad, with the second baguette!

Main course, wild salmon, asparagus, fingerling potatoes

Strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert

Now for the "afterglow," evidenced in my pictures of the rubble and the cleanup.  I'm sitting in the kitchen at my computer now with another cup of coffee.  The cleanup is done, last load of dishes is in dishwater, self cleaning oven is at work.  I hand washed and dried the crystal and silver, which I find pleasurable.  All's right with the world.

Kitchen wreckage in background

Dinner's over

Crystal is shining, silver and china are already put away.

C'est tout.