Reinventing The Wheel

When I led bike tours, one aspect of this multi-faceted job was to give route descriptions each
morning before setting out on the day's ride. Generally speaking this was pretty straight forward because even if it was a new trip we had never been on before, the company always supplied leaders with plenty of information about each route. But one particular trip presented very unusual circumstances --Yellowstone National Park during the summer of the big fires. Our first trip there had gone without a hitch as the fires circled the periphery of the park's most popular destinations. But by the time we started our second trip, roads were closing everywhere throughout the park, forcing us to adjust our routes to roads we had never seen.

Co-leaders always took turns doing the daily route talk, and on our first day through this uncharted territory, I listened while one of the other leaders gave the day's talk. Instead of saying to all our guests that we had absolutely no idea what the terrain would actually be, he noticed that the day started and ended at about the same elevation and so thought it would be safe to describe the ride as being one of "gently rolling hills". My role that day was sag wagon driver, so after everyone was off and happily pedaling down the road, I set off in the van to prep food at our designated lunch spot. Ten miles into the route I came upon the first of many very large and steep climbs. With each subsequent hill, I knew I would be greeted at lunch with very exhausted and unhappy guests. There was nothing gentle about these hills.

Honesty. Such a simple virtue but one we sometimes choose to ignore, especially when we don't want to make ourselves look like unknowing fools. My co-leader paid a heavy price that day because he thought it was more important to come across as the expert. Speaking honestly, he thought, would illustrate weakness in his role as tour leader, even despite the very unusual conditions we were working under.

I've thought about that day many times over the years. I have laughed about the incident in re-telling the story, but we have all been in my co-leader's shoes, wanting to look as though we have everything all put together when in reality we may be far from the zen state of complete competence. I struggle when people ask what I'm doing these days because I don't have knowledge of the route I'm on and would rather just say I'm on some gently rolling hills when, in fact, the route doesn't always feel very gentle. Work often defines a large part of who we are, so I feel as though I'm in this cheating zone. I'm not working and I'm not retired. What am I? I wasn't laid off; I chose this course, so surely I have plotted a new course. Well, not exactly, to be honest.

I can look back at previous decades in my life and ponder: what if I'd kept working full-time as a tour leader, what if I had taken that publishing job that came with a horrible commute when my kids were young, what if, what if? But I have a lot to be thankful for, so I don't think it makes much sense to beat myself over the head for answers I don't have or goals that haven't yet come to fruition. We're all a work in progress, and we all screw up from time to time. The educator in me knows that's just the way the learning curve goes when reinvention is the goal.

This blog started with an emphasis on alcohol, but honestly, I don't really drink enough to keep this the sole focus. Going forward, I think you'll see me leaning more towards food recipes because, well, we all gotta eat. And one thing I have realized in the last six months is how much I miss striving for a fit and healthy me. In second grade we were asked to predict what we would be doing in the year 2000, a number that sounded light years away.

There I am two-thirds of the way down, wanting to be an artist and an athlete. That was really quite prophetic. I've never been terribly skilled at drawing, but I do think creativity comes out in other ways. And sports have always been an important part of me. Ironically, here is own my teacher's prediction for me:

Who knew Mrs. Netherby moonlighted as Madame Netherby. My friend Lisa (#14) really IS a very funny woman. I'm not sure I always gave out friendly smiles as a teacher, but I tried.

If you have stayed this far with me, let me end with a really great recipe for those of you resolving to eat more healthfully. Even if you have strayed a wee bit, this is guaranteed to make you feel as though you're back on track. It comes from, you guessed it, Melissa Clark. There are many ways to vary the ingredients, but here's my take.

Lentil Salad With Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4 to 5
1 small squash (butternut, acorn, or delicata), peeled if desired, halved, seeded, and diced into 1/2" pieces
1 medium carrot, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium celery root (celeriac)*, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 beets, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
sprig of thyme and rosemary (or about 1 teas. dried)
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (this is optional if you want to go meatless)
1 cup french lentils**
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1 teas. kosher salt
1/2 teas. pepper
5 ounces spinach

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teas. Dijon mustard
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
zest of half an orange

1 tangerine or cara cara orange (for squeezing over finished salad)

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put vegetables in one layer on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place (or sprinkle) herbs on top, cover pan with foil and roast for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter the bacon around the vegetables, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, until the bacon is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

2) In a pot, combine the lentils, 3 cups of water, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until lentils are tender.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and let sit so the flavors can mix.

4) Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaf and garlic. Toss the warm lentils with some of the vinaigrette. I'm going to be vague here with the amount because tastes vary, but about 2 tablespoons should coat the lentils without leaving them dripping with vinaigrette. If you add too much, just use less when you put the whole salad together.

5) Toss the spinach with enough of the remaining vinaigrette to lightly coat and place on plates. Combine the lentils and vegetables, adding more vinaigrette to your own liking, then spoon on top of the spinach. Squeeze the tangerine or orange juice over the salad.


A few notes:
*Celeriac, as you can see in the picture, is celery root. I'm not a big celery eater and have questioned its worth in soups, but I'm beginning to think the celery family is a kind of the zen master of the vegetable world. They have a quiet presence, but their subtle taste adds a lot to the recipe as a whole.

**French lentils are those little green ones, and they are my go-to lentil because they cook faster and don't get that mealy texture that other lentils are prone to after simmering in the a pot for a while.

***One more, then I'll let you go. Just a plug for the fig balsamic vinegar and clementine olive oil from Olive Press. If you can't find them in a store, they are available on the web. Great for this salad, but just great in general. Ok, all done. Really.