Feast For A Summer Day

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: school’s out, the water’s warm, reunions and holidays abound. But I’ve also noticed that summer can be awkward middle ground, sandwiched there between what has been and what is coming next. I’ve found myself antsy and impatient, as uncomfortable as a wet bathing suit in an air-conditioned room, wondering, “How long until we get there?”
 
So I invited some of my prayer partners over for lunch last week because the Bible tells us to keep the feast “until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) Not one of us around that table is without an “until He comes” place—where we’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 didn’t really do anything “spiritual” — we talked and laughed and told stories and caught up on life. But we did do something supernatural. We obeyed God’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.
 
 
Everyone asked for the recipes for this gluten free summertime feast. Chicken salad was the entrée, 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.
 

 
CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD
 
4 bone-in chicken breasts, cooked
¾ cup pecans
½ cup celery, chopped fine
½ cup scallion, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ 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 2^nd 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!
 

 
BLACK AND WILD RICE SALAD
 
1½ cup black rice
½ cup wild rice
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons honey
½ cup scallions, chopped
½ 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 ¼ 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 Appétit, January 2014