I remember working at a newspaper in Monterey eight or nine
hours and then driving up highway 101 in the waning hours of the
day.
I remember working at a newspaper in Monterey eight or nine hours and then driving up highway 101 in the waning hours of the day. The fog melted as I crossed the county line and I could see and sometimes smell home. I was always thankful for the pink-orange sky over Gilroy’s west foothills and for the people and the place that waited for me. Today, I am still thankful for our hills when I come home from an errand or a weekend or a trip away.
I am thankful for the quiet that settles over our city in the dark hours, and that sirens only infrequently break the silence. I am thankful that my cloud breath floats on crisp, clean air and that my dog stares adoringly at me through a clean sliding glass door, even though I’m not wearing lipstick.
When it comes time to count, these do: a family who cares where I am and what I do; children who sing and play and work hard and ask me who, what, why and can you tuck me in now? And a husband who holds my hand and says “go ahead” and makes sure I don’t take myself too seriously.
Not everyone learns or sees the privilege of living in a small town. Yes, 50,000 of us, but if it feels small, isn’t it? Isn’t it small if we say hello and smile and wave and talk to a child’s friend’s parents and make a new friend ourselves? And reach out a hand to someone who needs it? Gilroy’s generosity is a legend, if only in our own minds and hearts. But isn’t that where it counts?
Count our blessings on both hands and toes, as many as we can. We should, as often as we can. But especially this week, in this time, in our city. Our city, like all, teems with hardships: lost jobs and loves, long commutes, poverty and death. But death and hardships lead to new growth and hope. Hope springs from depths too deep when someone reaches out a hand or a dollar or a job or an unexpected smile or courtesy.
I am thankful for the hands outstretched in our community again and again, and not the same ones, reaching to help pull someone they may not know who has placed their foot on the ladder’s rung and needs a little momentum. Pull hard if you can because who among us will need the hand next? If I do, I’ll be thankful to be here, in our city where a small-town, smiling stranger holds open a door and the pink-orange sky kisses the foothills goodnight.
• Share a sweet dessert: The day after Thanksgiving is especially wonderful. The meeting and greeting is over and it’s time to settle down in an easy chair for a nice, long time. If you’ve got a few apples leftover, make some apple turnovers which are great with a big glass of milk after a turkey sandwich.
Apple Turnovers
4 tart apples, peeled and cored
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. minced or grated lemon zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste, plus more for dusting work surface and for sprinkling
1 package puff pastry
Grate the apples in a food processor or on the coarse side of a box grater. Toss with lemon juice immediately. Add cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste. Taste, add more lemon zest or cinnamon if you like.
Use sugar to coat a work surface. Cut 4-inch squares of puff pastry, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Put 2 T. of apple filling in the center of each square; brush the edges of the pastry very lightly with water, then fold over the corners to form a triangle. Seal gently with your fingers, then slash the top of the turnover with a sharp knife once or twice so that steam can escape. Place turnovers on ungreased baking sheet and chill while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of turnovers with a little water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40 minutes or until the turnovers are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes a dozen small turnovers.
• The rest of the weekend: And if, perchance, you’re out getting a Christmas tree in the nippy air, you might want to come home to this comforting, delicious potato soup. It takes just 30 minutes. You can also make it ahead of time and just reheat when you trudge in the door, adding a little more broth if it’s too thick.
Basque Potato Soup
1 lb. sausage, cut into rounds
1 onion, 1/2-inch chunks
2 lbs. tomatoes, 1-inch chunks
4 potatoes, 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup sliced celery
2 T. celery tops
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausages for 5 minutes. Add onions and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until translucent and browned.
Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.
• Slimmer salad: Do you ever feel after Thanksgiving like you just need some vegetables? This will fill the bill. It’s called a Christmas Salad, but only because I made it up one December when we needed a last-minute side dish. Also, it’s red and green. I like to eat it plain, but you can also toss it with some lettuce if you want some more greens.
Christmas Salad
1 cucumber (English) sliced
3 green onions, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Dressing:
2 shallots, peeled and minced
3/4 cup bloody Mary mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Tabasco, or to taste
Salt and pepper
2 T. chopped dill
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Marinate all for at least half an hour in the refrigerator.
Tip of the Week:
Food safety for Thanksgiving: Always take the stuffing out of the turkey right away. Get the turkey meat off the bones as soon as possible. Refrigerate all leftovers. Stake out the comfy chair before you start falling asleep.
Pledge-a-pie for the needy
I need 25 more pies for our annual Pledge-a-Pie event. The pies are donated to St. Joseph’s Family Center and the Salvation Army, both of which host traditional Thanksgiving dinners for the less fortunate members of our community.
Every Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I panic because I don’t have enough pledges. I call Safeway to see if they’ll have enough pies for me. And then, always, my readers come through.
Thank you to the following readers who have already called to Pledge-a-Pie: Gondie Chavez, Susan Sotelho, Lee Haller, Laura Simoneau, Kathy Bouchet, Debbie Andrade, Trish McRae, Andrea Castro, Lenora Silva, Lois Thorne, Judy Mikrut, Eva Rasmussen, Vickie La Porta, Joanne Kraemer, Jan Paterson, Diana Dragt, the Glenn Family, Connie Rogers, and third-grade Antonio Del Buono students. Also thank you to Al Navaroli for his generous donation.
If you have not called to Pledge-a-Pie yet, please do it now so I won’t have to worry. Delivery details are below:
To pledge: Call Jenny at 842-9028 or e-mail jd****@****ic.com; Drop-off time: Wednesday, noon to 6 p.m.; Place: Jenny’s Kitchen, 775 West Ninth St. near Princevalle
• End notes: “Use the talents you possess – for the woods would be silent if no birds sang but the best.” ~ Henry Jackson van Dyke
