Lisa chopping basil from her herb garden to use in a couple of summer salads.
I dropped by Tom and Lisa’s recently to catch up on the little girls. I wanted to see if my youngest granddaughter, Coco, had any interest in doing a cooking video with me. She wasn’t around at the moment, so I turned my attention to her mother.
Lisa Was Slicing, Dicing, and Spicing
Lisa was preparing a few salads for a barbecue they were going to later that day. Sitting on the counter was a Rice Salad with Tuna and Capers. It was a combination of rice, tuna, parsley, basil, cilantro, capers, olive oil, and lemon juice—all good ingredients for a summer salad.
There are other versions of this dish, that include olives and chunks of Swiss cheese, as well. Tomatoes can also be scooped out and stuffed with the rice salad and garnished with a basil sprig.
This divine Rice Salad with Tuna and Capers looked just like the photo in the cookbook. I like it when that happens.
The Tomato Caprese that Lisa was making featured red, yellow and green tomatoes—yes, there are tomatoes that are green when they ripen. I thought this platter looked super, but there were more toppings yet to come . . . .
Lisa added fresh Mozzarella cheese and salt to the tomato caprese. At first, I thought the black sprinkles looked like soot. But it was Icelandic black lava salt, that gave a crunchy taste and dramatic air to the dish. Tom had brought back the flaky, geothermal sea salt from a recent trip to Iceland.
Lisa cutting meat that has been seasoned with the black lava salt.
Tom had another tidbit from Iceland he wanted me to try: hardfiskur, a dehydrated cod, sold under the label Viking Snack. Fish jerky was brought to Iceland by the Vikings and is now considered the national snack food. It looks like fabric, wreaks with salt, and smells fishy. I later learned that the locals make the dried fish more palatable by dipping it in warm butter. Good try.
To ease my briny taste buds, Lisa offered a fruit concoction she had made for the Fourth of July: Fresh Berries with Honey Lemon Mascarpone Cream. This recipe replaces the traditional cream with yogurt. It can be served in a dish or layered in a parfait glass. Such an easy, make-ahead summer dessert. Hmm. . . this might be a good recipe for the film debut of “Grandma and Coco in the Kitchen.”
Coco Enters Stage Left
Coco and my granddog, Butter
When Coco appeared, I made my film offer.
“We could call our video, Grandma and Coco in the Kitchen,” I said, thinking a top billing might have some appeal. “I’d post it on my food blog.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she signed on. No questions asked. Nothing about scripts, location, filming schedule, wardrobe, supporting cast or even pay. Then she paused. She would have to work it around her two-week summer camp, she said. I was okay with that.
We sealed our film contract with a big hug, my co-star skipped off to the next room, and I returned home with a couple of new summer salad recipes, thanks to Lisa. Life is good.
