Running Late + Dinner Quickie

Before the kids, I was rarely late. Now, I’m rarely on time. Some might say kids are no excuse (these are people without children). I say that when combined, they are roughly equal to 100 pounds of excuses. You folks with kids know exactly what I’m talking about.

just try and make me do something i don't want to do...

So this morning we were driving to school and late as usual. To get anywhere around here means taking the main road, a two-laner with few opportunities to pass. Which means you are at the mercy of whatever or whomever is directly ahead of you. Today that included work on the phone lines. With no shoulder to speak of, our two lanes were down to one. Finally it was our turn to go, but the car in front of me stopped to say something to the police officer directing traffic. A neighbor walking by with his dog paused to join the conversation.

There they were, clearly enjoying their little chat. And there I was, fuming. Feeling embarrassed about bringing my daughter late to school yet again. Knowing we had at least fifteen more minutes of driving between us and the school. Not knowing what other roadblocks we might encounter on our way. I was tempted to lean on the horn. A little prod to interrupt the gabfest.

But as I sat waiting in the car, scrutinizing the faces of my suddenly talkative country neighbors, I realized how precious this moment was. You know, this is a spread out kind of place. Many people live some distance from the next house down the road. That's not really our situation, but whenever I run into somebody I know in town, I know it makes me feel connected and happy. Like hey, I belong here. I feel the same way when I’m driving and recognize someone heading in the opposite direction. I want to wave wildly at them. Hi! I see you! We know each other! Of course everyone else seems to drive looking straight ahead. I guess I’m more of a check out the scenery kind of gal.

It's likely that anyone who has lived in these parts for a long time would probably laugh if they read what I’m clumsily trying to say here. But they shouldn't mock. It was thoughts like these that kept me from letting loose a little extra anger and frustration into the world this morning. In the end, I cranked up the music, waited patiently until we could get moving again, and the girls and I sang along with Earth Wind and Fire for the rest of the drive to school. Note to Self: Next time I redraft my resume, remember to add "mobile dj" to the skills section.

As it happens, we were late coming home at the end of the day, too. Tired, chlorine-saturated kids and no leftovers to warm up for dinner. I resorted to my 20-minute standby: a trio of quickly prepared salads. Quinoa-corn, bean-tomato, greens. Pretty when piled up on a platter, pretty healthy, and pretty tasty, too. It's a little heavy on dirty dishes, but that's what spouses/partners are for, right?

Quinoa-Corn Salad

Bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil, then add:

• 1 cup rinsed quinoa

While quinoa simmers for 15 minutes, combine in a large bowl:

• 1 cup thawed frozen corn (don't bother thawing if you're not eating right away)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 green onions, sliced (or a handful of chopped chives or minced red onion)
• Cooked quinoa
• Salt to taste

Bean-Tomato Salad

In a medium bowl, combine:

• 1 can of kidney, pinto, black or cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (if using canned, drain the juice)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or cider vinegar
• ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro (whenever I have a bunch of fresh herbs, I finely chop the stems and keep them in the freezer for things like this)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Greens
In a large bowl, toss:

• 3 cups of kale, shredded into ¼” ribbons, or 3 cups baby spinach, watercress, etc.
• Oil-and-vinegar based salad dressing to taste

To Serve: Spread the quinoa-corn salad in the center of a large platter. Make an indentation in the middle and mound the bean-tomato salad. Arrange the greens around the edge of the platter.

Essential Toppings:

• Something crunchy, like toasted sunflower seeds, walnuts or pepitas
• Something salty, like feta or goat cheese, or olives
• Something tangy (optional), like slivers of roasted red bell pepper or pickled vegetables or slices of sushi ginger
• Something sweet (optional), like sauteed onions and/or peppers, or chopped dried fruit