Feast For A Summer Day

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Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Isaiah 32:2 NIV

 
Hot summertime is the perfect time to stop and feast. Most of us can find reasons to celebrate in summer: schoolā€™s out, the waterā€™s warm, reunions and holidays abound. But Iā€™ve also noticed that summer can be awkward middle ground, sandwiched there between what has been and what is coming next. Iā€™ve found myself antsy and impatient, as uncomfortable as a wet bathing suit in an air-conditioned room, wondering, ā€œHow long until we get there?ā€
 
So I invited some of my prayer partners over for lunch last week because the Bible tells us to keep the feast ā€œuntil He comes.ā€ (1 Corinthians 11:26) Not one of us around that table is without an ā€œuntil He comesā€ placeā€”where weā€™re waiting on God to come and provide or restore or heal or to answer that special prayer. How wonderful to have people who care about those situations and who are willing to wait with us until the moment when our faith becomes sight.
 
We didnā€™t really do anything ā€œspiritualā€ — we talked and laughed and told stories and caught up on life. But we did do something supernatural. We obeyed Godā€™s call to come together and feast. What we experienced had little to do with what we ate and everything to do with the connection that happened. We gathered as the family of God, feasting on love that never fails and laughter that is such good medicine (1 Corinthians 13:8, Proverbs 17:22)! No wonder we came away refreshed and fueled–better equipped to face the heat and drought and weariness of our circumstances.
 
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Everyone asked for the recipes for this gluten free summertime feast. Chicken salad was the entrƩe, and I added a hearty black and wild rice salad for our vegetarian friends. Fresh fruit, vine-ripened tomato slices, deviled eggs, and gluten free crackers completed the menu. Cookies and coffee were offered for dessert. I hope you will enjoy these recipes for your next light lunch, beach trip, or tailgate.
 
chicken salad
 
CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD
 
4 bone-in chicken breasts, cooked
Ā¾ cup pecans
Ā½ cup celery, chopped fine
Ā½ cup scallion, chopped
Ā½ cup dried cranberries
Ā¾ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Ā½ teaspoon curry powder
Ā½ teaspoon salt
Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
 
Cook chicken breasts in seasoned water until done, about 30 minutes. Leave them in the broth to cool (at least 1 hour and up to overnight). Remove chicken from the bone, shredding with your fingers, and then chop finely with a knife. Toast pecans for about 8 minutes in the oven or 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave. Let the nuts cool slightly and chop coarsely. Mix mayonnaise with the remaining ingredients, whisking to blend well.
 
Combine all ingredients and adjust seasonings to your liking. (This ratio of dressing to chicken does not yield a very creamy style of chicken salad. Good for my family, but you may prefer more mayonnaise.) Serves 12. This recipe is definitely better the 2nd day!
 
Recipe adapted from one shared by Karyn Badeaux. She gave a lovely birthday lunch for our friend Debbie Brazeal and much of my inspiration for this party came from her!
 
rice salad
 
BLACK AND WILD RICE SALAD
 
1Ā½ cup black rice
Ā½ cup wild rice
Kosher salt
Ā½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Ā¼ cup red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons honey
Ā½ cup scallions, chopped
Ā½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup apple, chopped
1 cup pistachios, toasted
 
Cook black rice and wild rice in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 35-40 minutes; drain and rinse, shaking off as much water as possible. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
 
Whisk vinegar, honey, and remaining Ā¼ cup oil in a large bowl. Add black rice and wild rice, scallions, apples, bell pepper, and pistachios; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. (This recipe must sit overnight to let it absorb the dressing. If serving the same day, use only part of the dressing mixture before serving. Save the remainder and add before storing.)
 
Adapted from Bon AppƩtit, January 2014
 
crackers
tomatoes

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