Lollygagging – Again

Lollygag: to spend time aimlessly, idle; to dawdle

I’m not sure this most recent very short vacation counts as lollygagging, but that’s what I’m going with. I did spend some slow-moving time (dawdling) in the sun, enough that I came home a bit sunburnt. The purpose of this trip was to accompany the grandchildren home. Our granddaughter peeled off in Denver to return to Chicagoland, while the boys and I went on to Tampa. Naturally, after a trip of that distance, I wasn’t going to return home immediately.

We packed a lot into those few days. First off was a trip to Fred’s, a home-style cooking buffet. We go there every time we get to visit our daughter and family. A trip to Fred’s isn’t complete unless I get greens, okra, tomato gravy, cheddar scones, and ribs. There are lots more southern offerings. At the dessert bar, I opt for a sliver of pecan pie and a slice of Italian wedding cake. (The Whole Life Challenge gets totally ignored.)

The next day we lollygagged all morning, then took the boys to SkyZone, along with one of their neighborhood friends. They spent over four hours jumping on trampolines, playing dodgeball, shooting baskets, and expending great amounts of energy. Kim and I sat, sometimes watching them, sometimes looking at our phones, and mostly trying to stay awake. Having expended all that energy, they consumed personal pizzas, icees, and frozen treats. After they were home, Kim and I went to our favorite Greek hole-in-the-wall eatery.

On the last day, we again lollygagged away the morning, then drove to Venice. That’s where Shark Tooth Beach is, so we were in the warm ocean all afternoon. We rented a couple “Florida snow shovels” to pan for fossilized shark’s teeth. That’s a wire basket on a long handle you use to scoop up sand and shells from the ocean floor. You then “bounce” the basket in the waves so that sand and bits of crushed shells get washed out, leaving you with the larger bits of shell and hopefully a tooth. We were all successful at finding at least two teeth. I brought home several interesting seashells and one lonely shark tooth. (My sunscreen washed off in the saltwater waves too quickly, resulting in that nice sunburn I also brought home.)

That evening, we spent a delightful time at Sakura, the Japanese steakhouse that’s close to their neighborhood. It’s the boys’ favorite fine dining establishment. The group at our station was the most fun group we’ve ever encountered there, and a delightful end to my time in Florida. I do enjoy dining at places and sampling cuisines we don’t get here in the middle of nowhere.

The garden survived my absence. Dennis kept the drip system going, and Mother Nature did her part with some nice rain. I did a quick walk-through Saturday morning (got home about midnight Friday) and found enough peas (sugar snap and Chinese) to pick for a meal. I also brought in several good-sized cucumbers, as well as one huge zucchini. This prompts this weeks’ trio of recipes. (I do have a couple for zucchini, but I need to actually make those before sharing.)

Cucumbers with Oregano, Feta, & Pine Nuts

1 shallot, minced

1/4 C red wine vinegar

1/4 C EVOO

1/4 tsp kosher salt

8 lemon cukes OR 3 English

3 sprigs oregano

1/2 C feta, crumbled (2 oz)

1/4 C pine nuts, toasted

Coarsely ground black pepper

Combine shallot and vinegar in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Add oil and salt, whisk well. Peel, deseed, & slice cukes. Toss with oregano, feta and nuts. Sprinkle with dressing. Season to taste with pepper.

You can use regular cukes, sub in dried oregano (1/4 to 1/2 tsp), and use sunflower seeds or other nuts. I know pine nuts are costly.

Cool as a Cucumber Soup

1 # cucumber, peeled, seeded, & sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 C plain yogurt

1 green onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 1/2 tsp snipped fresh dill

Additional chopped green onion & snipped dill

Place cukes in colander over a plate. Sprinkle with salt, toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard liquid. Rinse & drain well; pat dry. Place cukes, yogurt, onion, & garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Stir in dill. Serve in chilled bowls. Garnish with additional onion & dill.

Cucumber Raita

1 cucumber, seeded & sliced

1/2 lemon plus some zest

1/2 C Greek yogurt

Himalayan pink sea salt

A pinch of sugar

Freshly minced dill

Squeeze the lemon over the cuke. Add the zest and salt, then stir into the yogurt. Add sugar and mint, stir in. Top with more mint for color.

This one is from Dyan Carlson. A group of us attended one of her Table for Six events some years ago. This is where I learned that removing the seeds from cucumbers prevents a lot of belly distress. You can eat this as is, or mince the cuke and use as a dip for carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, pepper strips, or chips.

So, since I’m on a roll here, I’ll offer a bonus recipe because I also had a few cherry tomatoes, both red and yellow, on my walk-through. (Or you could decide I don’t understand the word “trio.” Whatever.)

Crispy Cukes & Tomatoes

in Dill Dressing

1/4 C cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh chopped dill

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbl EVOO

2 cukes, sliced

1 C sliced red onion

2 ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges

In a large bowl, mix together the first six ingredients. Add the rest, toss, & let stand at room temp at least 15 minutes before serving.

I’ll also deseed the cucumber for this, and sub in a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved.