Peppers And Pop And Grandpa by Margaret Ullrich

Last week I wrote about how things link together when you're 'of a certain age'.

A word leads to a memory which leads to another word, and then another memory...

Well, guess what? 

It's happened again.

Yesterday I posted Carmela's recipe for Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers.

Hope you don't make them if you have a delicate stomach.

Well, you've been warned.

Back to the links...   

The suggestion to wear rubber gloves or risk a burn reminded me of one of 

Pop's stories.

One of Pop's health problems, especially as he got older, was his arthritic knees.

He came by that condition honestly.

Seems his father had it, too.

Grandpa was never one to waste a penny.

Well, with eight kids, who could blame him?

Pop said his father often complained about the cost of the arthritis linament.

The stuff worked and Grandpa needed it to be able to get around on his farm.

But, he really hated spending money on something he couldn't eat or wear.

One day, Pop and Grandpa were picking vegetables, including hot cherry peppers.

Pop had a brilliant idea.

Pop picked a pepper and ran to Grandpa.

"Papa, this is a hot pepper!"

Grandpa agreed it was a hot pepper.

"No, Papa, this can make you hot!"

Grandpa just stared blankly.

Pop went on to explain his plan. 

It wouldn't cost anything.

Well, except for a few peppers.

Grandma could make a milder sauce.

No one would miss them.

Grandpa could mash a few peppers and make a paste.

A paste that would make his knees hot, just like the linament.

Well, Pop had Grandpa at "It wouldn't cost anything."

Grandpa carried the vegetables into the kitchen to Grandma.

He'd picked and pocketed two extra peppers.

Grandma wouldn't appreciate being told to change her recipe.

They'd had eight kids.

He knew her well enough to know not to make cooking suggestions. 

He didn't need anything else hurting him.

Grandma had a temper.

While Grandma was preparing dinner, Grandpa went to his work bench.

Pop joined him.

Pop knew Grandma didn't need his help or his company while she worked.

Anyway, that was his sisters' department.

Pop wanted full credit for his great idea.

Maybe there'd be a reward.

Grandpa mashed the pepper in an old can.

He didn't add any water.

He wanted a full-strength linament substitute.

When it was as smooth as it could get, Grandpa smeared pepper goop on his knees.

For the first few minutes Grandpa felt the familiar soothing warmth.

Grandpa said he'd grow a few dozen extra pepper plants next year.

He could bottle this stuff.

Set up a small business.

Make a bit of money on the side.

Pop could help him sell the homemade cure.

Yes, Grandpa would pay him to go door to door.

Father and son beamed at their shared vision of wealth beyond avarice.

Then the warmth turned to heat.

Maybe he should have added some water.

The heat turned to fire.

Cursing and swearing, Grandpa ran to the water trough.

He scrubbed off the liquid fire.

His knees were a bright red.

There were a few blisters.

Pop wandered off.

He knew Grandpa had his own way of giving blisters.

In a place that made it hard to sit.

Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers

This is another do-in-advance, easy recipe for the holidays.

Or a little something to jazz up a large family dinner.

Or a busy Christmas / New Year get together.

In the Small Events for Men Only chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, there's a recipe for Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers.                                                 

You just have to pick up a jar of hot peppers, anchovies and capers.

Easy, but a little dangerous.

Wear rubber gloves while handling the peppers.

Maybe that's why it's in the Small Events for Men Only chapter.

But, they're not the ones risking a third-degree finger burn.

Some tough guys.

Anybody who doesn't have stomach trouble can eat Hot Cherry Peppers.

I would've put this recipe in the Holidays or in either of the big family 

get-together chapters.

Did I mention I have my doubts about Carmela's editor?

Carmela uses breadcrumbs "homemade from Italian bread".

Yeah, right, whatever....

The anchovies, garlic etc. can be whirred in a blender with the liquids, then 

added to the crumbs.

What can I say?  

It worked for me.

                             

                              Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers 

Drain, reserving the liquid

32-ounce jar pickled red and green hot cherry peppers

Cut off the tops of the peppers.

With the tip of a knife, scoop out the seeds.

In a small bowl mash

2-ounce anchovy fillets, drained

1 garlic clove, minced

Add

1 Cup plain dried bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons capers, very finely chopped

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 Tablespoons of the reserved pepper liquid

If it's dry, add more oil - or pepper liquid if your gang likes it HOT. 

Stuff the peppers with the bread crumb mixture, pressing it in gently.

Refrigerate up to 5 days.

Just before serving, drizzle them with olive oil.

Would I make Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers again?

No.

Our crowd has enough agita.

Quite a few have to take stomach medicine.

The leftovers would just go to waste.

Another recipe down.  Ten more to go. 

Anna Sultana's Bebbux bl-Arjoli / Snails with Arjoli Sauce, Maltese Style

Here in Manitoba this is another holiday weekend.

This Monday is called "Civic Holiday".

I'm not kidding.

Or complaining.

Summers are short here and we can always use another long weekend.

Malta has quite a few festas and holidays on its calendar.

It's an awfully good idea.

And it's traditional.

No way would a parish give up the chance to celebrate its patron saint.

And the tourists love festas.

No way would the Maltese want to disappoint them.

Bebbux bl-Arjoli means Snails with Arjoli Sauce.

Yes, snails.

In Malta snails are collected after the first Autumn rains in mid-October.

Then the snails are starved before being cooked.  

This is done by keeping them in a pot for a few days.

Ah, tradition!

No, I can't find fresh snails in my local grocery store, either.

Neither could Ma.

But this is a nice simple sauce and it goes just as well with shrimp.

Or clams.

Or mussels.

And shrimp, clams and mussels are easier to prepare.

Shrimp is also sold pre-cooked.

Just sayin'.

I'll give the instructions for preparing snails.

If you're using one of the other three, or something else, well, I trust you to know what to do.

Happy Holidays!!

                        Bebbux bl-Arjoli

Wash thoroughly in salted water a few times

1 pound snails

In a medium pot of salted boiling water add the snails.

Simmer until the snails are cooked.

Test if the snails are cooked by trying to remove the snail from the shell.

If cooked, the flesh comes away easily.

Drain and remove each snail from its shell.

Place on a large platter.

Arjoli Sauce

Mix well together

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup chopped parsley

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 Tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Pour sauce over the cooked snails.

This can be served with hobz biz-zejt (crusty bread with oil) cut into small pieces as an appetizer or first course.

Bread And Pop by Margaret Ullrich

One of the funny things about being over 60 is how things link together.

A word leads to a memory which leads to another word, and then another memory.

And so it goes.... like making a 1000 piece puzzle in the brain.

After 60, one has quite a pile of words and memories to link together.

We've been having a heat wave and I posted some easy-on-the-chef recipes.

Yesterday I wrote about Carmela's Grilled Bruschetta.

It really is a handy recipe and it goes with just about everything.

Including Ma's fruit and cheese combos.

And also with fresh tomatoes, with a touch of basil or oregano.

Or a nice bowl of homemade soup.

I wonder if Carmela has a recipe for soup?

The Bruschetta would be good with some Minestrone.

That would make a good recipe posting for my blog.

Oh, yeah, back to the memory posting...

I mentioned how some folks say a meal isn't a meal unless there's something hot.

Well, the bread recipe and the "a meal isn't a meal" comment reminded me of Pop.

Pop insisted on having bread at dinner.

That's why he didn't like Chinese.

Well, he meant their restaurants.

Chinese don't serve bread.

But, there was only a Chinese restaurant near our motel.

So, there was a problem.

Okay... I'll back up a bit.

In 2000 Paul and I decided to take a drive back east.

We were turning 50.

It was a new century.

Whatever.

We would visit my parents and then we'd all go on a small trip.

We'd drive along the coast and spend two days in Halifax.

We'd see the Tall Ships show in Halifax.

That, and Peggy's Cove, would be the touristy things for us.

For most of the trip the weather was fine.

Some rainy patches when we hit the Maritimes, but that was to be expected.

The hotel was fine.

They gave us a goody bag with booklets, Tall Ships souvenirs and '2000' pins.

The complimentary breakfast was fine.

Pop happily pocketed a few extra muffins for us to nosh while we saw the sights.

Well, they were for the guests and we were paying guests.

Peggy's Cove was fine.

We were there during its daily unfoggy half hour.

The other tourists were fine.

Ma said she'd met half the world at Peggy's Cove.

She was surprised that people in Europe and Asia had heard of the place.

The only restaurant near the motel was Chinese.

That was not fine.

Chinese don't serve bread.

It was past our usual supper time and three of us said we were hungry.

Once again, Pop was outnumbered.  

We ordered the dinner for four.

We were served a lovely assortment of dishes.

Ma said she liked everything she was eating.

I noticed Pop's plate held something from each dish.

By the end of the evening he had eaten everything, sauces and all.

It was too messy to pocket.

If only there'd been some Bruschetta. 

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Bruschetta / Grilled Garlic Bread

Some people are too damn picky.

These people are usually the ones who don't have to cook dinner.

They usually say a meal isn't a meal unless there's something hot.

And they don't just mean the cook.

Alright, humor them.

Yesterday I gave some suggestions for cheese and fruit combinations.

Yes, those were just suggestions.

If you prefer cheddar, I ain't gonna argue.

In the Adult Birthday Parties chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, there's a recipe for Grilled Bruschetta.

Don't panic. 

It's just toast.

And you can just broil it.

It's something hot for the pickies in your family.

When you serve it, be sure to wipe your brow.

Just so they get they hint.

Who am I kidding?

They don't care.

This makes 12 slices.

Adjust for how many slices you need for your meal.

And for how much garlic your family likes.

                             

                              Grilled Bruschetta

Slice 

a crusty loaf of bread (Italian or other) into 12 thick slices.

Halve 

6 large cloves of garlic

Measure out

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil 

Have on hand

Coarse salt

Heat a barbecue grill or a large grill pan.

Place the bread on the grill, or in the pan, and toast about 2 minutes.

Turn the bread and brown on the other side.

Place the bread on a platter.

Rub the cut side of the garlic over one side of each slice.

Drizzle with oil - how generous is up to you.

Sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Serve immediately.

Would I make Grilled Bruschetta again?

Sure.

It does add a certain something to a meal.

And it does go nicely with sliced tomatoes, too.

Another recipe down.  Eleven more to go. 

Anna Sultana's Fruit & Cheese Combinations

My Lord, it's been hot here in the prairies.

A lousy, muggy hot.

A lousy, muggy, too-hot-to-cook hot.

So, don't.

Okay, I know they still want to eat.

But, to be honest, not a heavy meal.

Just something light.

What could be better than fruit and cheese?

Throw in some nice bread - and maybe some cold cuts - and you've hit the 

major 4 food groups.

Then again cheese is a protein as well as a dairy.

Think of it as a two-fer.

And stay cool.

Now these are the cheeses we had when I was a kid.

Nothing fancy.

Our local markets hadn't discovered goat cheese in the 50s.

Or any of the other fancy shmancy cheeses around nowadays.

These combos go nicely together.

Bel Paese with ripe cherries and plums

Gorgonzola with pears, bananas and apples

Provolone with apples and watermelon

Ricotta with berries and figs

Caciocavallo with small crackers

Then again, maybe you'd prefer a different combo.

Or have something else in the fridge.

Suit yourself.

It's too hot to argue.

E. T. Is Home by Margaret Ullrich

Last week I wrote about being an immigrant kid.

Trust me, it's a lot easier being an immigrant adult.

As a child, you really have no say in where you live.

Or in how your new country regards you.

Or in how your native-born classmates treat you.

Or in what paperwork your parents fill out for you.

Combine the confusion over who you are with the usual crap that happens as you pass from infancy through childhood and adolescence, and it can get pretty stressful.

I don't know if it would've been any easier if Pop had paid the $10 so I could've 

been a naturalized American citizen.

I guess I wouldn't have felt confused when we had to pledge allegiance to the American flag every morning.

I always felt like I was lying.

I mean, I wasn't planning anything violent.

I was a pretty well-behaved kid.

Usually on the honor roll.

I just knew it wasn't quite the truth for me.

I liked America well enough.

Well, except for the annual Alien Registration form.

That was a little annoying.

But I knew I'd been born a British subject and still was a British subject.

A big part of American History is about beating the English.

Taxation without representation.

Yadda, yadda, yadda....

Yeah, American taxes are represented.

That really is helping their government pay their bills right now.

Americans are also big on citizenship.

Native-born citizenship.

I, along with Arnold Schwartzenegger, could never be president.

You have to be born in the USA for that job.

Remember when Donald Trump wanted to check out Obama's birth certificate?

Americans really believe: once a foreigner, always a foreigner.

Okay, back to being an adult immigrant.

July 1 seems to be my day for moving.

Maybe it's some kind of Karma.

July 1, 1950 my parents were getting packed to move to America.

July 1, 1952 we moved to College Point.

July 1, 1972 Paul and I crossed the border into Canada.

July 1, 1988 we moved into our present home.

I've lived in this house longer than I've lived anywhere else in my whole life.

It's home.

I'm settled.

And yes, I'm a Canadian citizen.

Speaking about Obama's birth certificate reminded me....

Pop passed away on the day Obama was being sworn in as president.

My mother wanted me to fly down for his funeral.

Thanks to the post 9/11 American policy, I needed a passport to enter the States.

I didn't have one.

I still hated crossing the border.

The American border guard always asked, "Where were you born?"

It was just easier to vacation in Canada.

A relative had insisted they'd understand this was an emergency.

I called the airport.

The clerk tried to be helpful.

"Oh, your family is in New York.  Are you an American citizen?"

"No."

"Were you born there?  Were you an American citizen?"

"No."

"That's too bad."

Maybe if Pop had paid the $10....

Well, who knew?

Anna Sultana's Vittorin - Jam Pie, Maltese Style (Traditional for the Feast of Il-Vittorja)

Okay... the worst of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos is over.

Good luck trying to find a Pizzelle iron.

Since the Pizzelle was a holiday cookie, I thought I'd look up a Maltese holiday treat.

Vittorin is traditionally made for the feast of Il-Vittorja.

No idea who he - or she - is.

Malta has a lot of festas for parish patron saints.

Some are just local favorites.

Some were knocked off the calendar in the 60s.

Nothing personal.

The Pope just wanted to make Catholics more like Protestants.

Maltese kept all their festas and holidays.

Tradition always beats out theology.

And, thank goodness, they kept the holiday recipes.

This is really easy to make.

And I'm sure Il-Vittorja won't mind if you make it for somebody else's feast day.

After all, Il-Vittorja is a saint.

                        Vittorin

Preheat oven to 400º

Grease a pie plate

Mix together

200 g jam, any flavor

juice of 1 lemon

grated rind of 1 lemon

Add

200 g fine dry breadcrumbs

Line pie plate with

300 g puff pastry (you can find this in the frozen food section)

Put the jam mixture in the dish.

Roll out the remaining

100 g puff pastry 

Cut into strips and form a trellis on the jam filling.

Bake 30 minutes.  Let cool.

This is very sweet, so a little goes a long way.

It's nice with vanilla ice cream.

Or chocolate ice cream, if you're using cherry jam.

Carmela Soprano's Pizzelle - Italian Lace Cookies / Waffle Recipe

I should call this post Pizzelle, more or less.

I've been dreading this recipe.

The recipe isn't hard.

It doesn't have any exotic ingredients.

Well, except for one item.

If you don't have a Pizzelle iron, you'll understand.  

That's right, a Pizzelle iron.

In the Holidays chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, there's a recipe for Pizzelle, also called lace cookies.

Since I started this Soprano cooking project, I wanted to make Pizzelle.

I wanted to make this for a holiday.

Christmas, Easter, St. Joseph's... I didn't care.

But, I haven't been able to find a Pizzelle iron.

No kidding.

And I'm almost done with the cookbook.

A dozen recipes to go.

It's now or never.

I called my Italian cousin.

Between giggles, she explained that a Pizzelle iron is a fancy sort of waffle iron.  

First you make the batter, then you heat the Pizzelle iron on top of the stove until the iron is hot.  

You grease the iron, then pour on a spoonful of batter and bake 1 minute.  

Then you turn the iron over and cook until the other side is golden.

Using a spatula, you transfer the cookie to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat.

Howling with laughter, she then said nobody makes the damn things any more.

Too much trouble.

Only an idiot would manufacture a Pizzelle iron.

It wouldn't sell.

They're the edsels of cookie making equipment.

I'm supposed to believe Carmela makes these things.

Yeah, right, yank my other leg.

Okay... I have a waffle iron. 

Let's treat this like a regular waffle recipe.

If you don't have anise extract (it tastes like licorice) use 1 Tablespoon vanilla.

About the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon extract works, too.

Lousy cookies....

                             

                              Pizzelle 

Sift together

3 1/2 Cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

pinch of salt

In a large bowl beat together

1 1/2 Cups sugar

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Add, one at a time, beating well after each 

6 large eggs

Stir in the dry ingredients until blended.

Preheat the Pizzelle iron or waffle iron.

Grease and cook as explained above.

Store the cookies in an airtight container.

According to Carmela, these keep for weeks.

Yeah, my cousin said, because nobody like them.

Would I make Pizzelle again?

Hell, no.

Lousy cookies.

Not bad as a waffle, though.

Another recipe down.  Twelve more to go. 

E. T. Call Home by Margaret Ullrich

Last weekend we got a double dose of patriotism.

July 1 - Canada Day.

Followed by THE FOURTH of July.  It needs no other name.

We had a relaxed weekend.

On the first there were fireworks a couple of blocks from our house.

Our local representative put on the show at a school and sold pizza.

On THE FOURTH we watched A Capitol Fourth on PBS.

Fireworks up the wazoo.

Gotta love tax dollars - either Canadian or U. S. - going up in smoke.

Then on the fifth, we watched E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Space.

The flag-waving weekend and a homesick alien.

To me that was as good a match up as Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street.

No, I'm not being snarky.

I grew up in New York, the uber-American city.

I'd been born a British subject in Malta.

When I was 3 months old, my parents and I came to America.

Five years later, Pop didn't pay the extra $10 so I, along with the rest of the family, could be a U. S. citizen.

The U. S. government expected an Alien Registration form from me every year.

If Ma or I didn't remember, I could find myself on a slow boat back to Malta.

A pen pal like that is worse than Facebook.

Would I have felt more attached to America if Pop had paid the $10?

I don't know.

He didn't.

So, I was the family's alien.

Doesn't make one feel all warm and toasty.

First we settled in Corona, near relatives.

Then, two years later, we moved to College Point.

You guessed it.  July 1.

Both towns are on Long Island, but Corona was very Italian, while College Point was German/Irish.

I tended to be noticed in class pictures.

After almost 22 years of living in America, my new husband and I moved to Canada.

We left the country soon after he graduated from college.

You guessed it... while everyone was celebrating, we were crossing the border.

Well, who knew?

Carmela Soprano's Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Green beans are like eggplants.

You can't eat just one.

And there isn't just one way to cook them.

Last week I posted Ma's Green Bean Salad recipe.

But Carmela's Red, White and Green Salad was perfect for the holiday weekend.

Well, I thought it was.

In the Come to My Home chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, 

there's a recipe for Green Beans in Tomato Sauce.

I should've posted this recipe last week so you could've compared them.

So, here's Carmela's green bean recipe.

A week late.

Big deal.

It's still good.

And there are lots more green beans to eat.

Oh, about the liquid left after cooking the beans...

In situations like this, I like to stir a teaspoon of corn starch into an ounce or so of water and then stir the corn starch water into the pot's liquid and cook it for a few minutes so I'll have a sauce that clings better.

Just an alternative.

It's your call what you prefer.

One week with corn starch, one week without.

Whoopee!!

Oh, keep an eye on the pot - garlic burns easily. 

                             

                               Green Beans in Tomato Sauce 

In a dutch oven, place

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes.

Chop coarsely and add

1 1/2 Cups canned Italian tomatoes, with the liquid

Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.

Add

1 pound green beans, trimmed

salt

coarsely ground black pepper

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Stir in

1/2 Cup fresh basil leaves

Remove the beans to a serving bowl

If there's too much liquid left, boil the sauce down until thickened.

Pour sauce over the beans and serve.

Would I make Green Beans in Tomato Sauce again?

Sure.

What's not to like?

It even has garlic.

Another recipe down.  Thirteen more to go.

Anna Sultana's Dandelion Salad, Maltese Style

Summer is really here.

Last month it was a treat to do yard work.

I mean, we'd been stuck indoors for quite a few months.

So it was fun to be out in the fresh air, digging, planting, mowing.

Yessiree.... in the garden from dawn to dusk.

Well, it's too damn hot for that kind of nonsense now.

And our yards are beginning to show that we've lost interest.

The dandelions are back.

Now, before you reach for the weedkiller, give this a thought.

Dandelions are edible.

Just like lettuce.

Some folks actually like dandelions. 

And... THEY'RE FREE!!

Ma knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Or to just toss out a plant that had decided to invite itself into her garden.

Especially an edible plant.

Remember those three months in Malta during WW II?

The higher gas prices are affecting our grocery bills.

Now is the time to get a little creative with our menus.

Praise God and pass the salad.

And the garlic.

                        Dandelion Salad

Remove undesirable leaves, so that you have

1 pound fresh dandelion leaves

Cut into 2- inch pieces

Wash in cold water, drain and dry thoroughly.

Place leaves in a bowl and refrigerate about 10 minutes.

Combine

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Pour over leaves.

Toss well.  Check seasoning.  

Add

12 ripe olives

Serve immediately.

And don't tell them until after they've eaten it.

Carmela Soprano's Red, White and Green Salad

No kidding.

This is a real recipe.

I didn't make it up for the Fourth of July.

Well, these are the colors of the Italian flag.

What could they use for the American flag.... blueberries?

Maybe not.

In the Graduation Parties chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with the Sopranos, there's a recipe for a Red, White and Green Salad.  

It's a nice, simple recipe.

Perfect for a holiday weekend.

Or a graduation party.

Anytime you have a crowd, I guess.

So why'd he pick a graduation chapter?

Who knows.

I still have my doubts about that editor. 

                             

                              Red, White and Green Salad 

Tear into bit-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl

1 head green leaf lettuce, trimmed, washed and dried

1 large head radicchio, trimmed, washed and dried

(You'll have about 8 cups - this salad will feed 8 to 10 people.)

Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

3 Belgian endives, trimmed, washed and dried

Add to the bowl.

Shake together in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid

1/3 Cup olive oil

2 - 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Just before serving, shake the dressing, drizzle over the salad.

Toss well.  Check seasoning.  Serve immediately.

Nice recipe to have when tomatoes aren't on sale.

Then again, the radicchio might be hard to find.

Well, nothing's perfect.

Would I make Red, White and Green Salad again?

Not exactly.

The radicchio was a hassle to find.

Life's too short to go crazy over radicchio.

Nice recipe idea, though.

Maybe with some red cabbage?

Another recipe down.  Fourteen more to go. 

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Celebrate Canada Day with William Shatner / Captain Kirk!!

Who can do it better?

Anna Sultana's Green Bean Salad with Dressing, Maltese Style

A little while ago I wrote about how Pop kept us fed while he was out of work.

We really depended on his garden.

Especially the green beans he grew.

And grew.

Here's one of Ma's green bean recipes.

Of course it has the Maltese touch.

Garlic.

Good for what ails you.

                        Green Bean Salad

Wash and remove tips of

1 pound fresh green beans

Cook in salted water 15 minutes.

Drain.

Put beans in bowl.

Add

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Toss well.  Check seasoning.  

Serve warm or chilled.

What's nice about this recipe is you can make extra.

Store the extra beans in the fridge for when you're going to be busy.

It improves while storing.

Well, as much as green beans can improve.

Don't expect miracles.