I could have brought a million more sophisticated things! But ouch! Not the ideal first impression. Granted, it was shucked! And it wasn’t a bad thing to bring, actually. I’m a trained chef, I had just come out with my first cookbook and I’m walking in with a bag of corn. It was like, oh my God! I did not get the memo.
Frittatas, tarts, grain salads, gorgeous vegetables. We walked a few doors down to the Burford’s home, and on the counter were ALL these gorgeous dishes, the most AMAZING spread. Gregg brought a bottle of wine and some fish for the grill. I thought, corn! I bought a whole blue bag full from our farmer’s market. I was working really hard doing heavy-duty cancer retreat cooking at Commonweal at the time, and, well, I was like the shoemaker with holes in her shoes! The summer party invitation arrived, asking us to bring something for the grill, and something for the cooler. When I moved in with my husband on his street in San Rafael, California, no one in the neighborhood knew about me yet. This is when we’re supposed to show up with the PERFECT dish that everyone loves, something that won’t wilt in the heat, will go with whatever everyone else brings (or at least out shine all those other dishes).
It’s that time of year! We’re invited to block parties, family reunions, picnics, and potlucks of all shapes and sizes.
