Letters from the Rambling Rector

Sunday, 19 November 2006

My Dear St. Mark's Community,

The South African leg of our sabbatical comes to a close. Tomorrow evening, Pontheolla and I fly from Johannesburg to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam, we Eurail to Munich (where we'll see Dorothee Hahn, one of our former seminarians and now associate priest at Ascension Anglican Church), Prague, and Salzburg, before ending up outside of Florence for six weeks. While in Florence, we plan to rest and recreate and do no sabbatical study (well, if we do, it shall be only by human accident or cosmic serendipity!).

This overview of our South African journey is lengthier than our previous 'from the road' missives, for so much of what we have experienced, we feel, is unforgettably and deeply informative regarding the sabbatical theme.

Johannesburg

We flew into Johannesburg on Tuesday, 24 October, in a deluge. (This is the rainy season in South Africa. Rains are common and heavy, with lightening displays the likes of which I've not seen. On a couple of occasions, I could have sworn that I heard the banging of Noah's hammer!) We disembarked via stairs to the tarmac. Armed soldiers stood about in varying postures of readiness, for what, we weren't sure. However, given the warnings, indeed, reality of the high incidence of crime, this was but a prelude to the pervasive evidences of and attention to security that we would encounter.

We reconnected with old friends, Earl Neil, a retired Episcopal priest who served for many years in the DC area, his wife, Angela, a native South African, and their daughter, LaToya. It is grand thing, when traveling, to have friends in various places who truly ably can share the sense and spirit of life in the land.

Our visit to the Apartheid Museum made for an equally inspiring and dispiriting afternoon. Inspiring, for we were reminded of the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of grievous oppression. Dispiriting given the reminders of the seemingly fathomless depths of human cruelty and the nonpareil human capacity to justify the cruelty. An arresting museum feature confronts you immediately. Upon paying the admission fee, you are given (irrespective of your race or ethnicity) a card identifying you as a white or non-white person, each directing you to enter the museum by the designated door. The idea is to give you a sense of what apartheid was like. The museum's exhibits ' photographic, textual, visual, audio-visual (much of it, archival film), and actual (e.g., bales of concertina wire piled high, a massive state police armored vehicle used in the suppression of anti-apartheid rallies, replicas of the tiny prison cells in which the incarcerated were held) arrayed in chronological order from the conception and development of the apartheid system through its dismantlement to Nelson Mandela's emancipation and the pathway toward democracy ' are extensive and elaborate. I cannot do justice by describing them, so I won't try. Again, we spent an afternoon and, easily, could have spent thrice the time.

We also spent an afternoon in Soweto (Southwestern Township), perhaps the most well known South African township ' a vast conglomeration of several black communities with a population of about 3.5 million people. George, our guide and driver (a necessity, we're told), a Sowetan, took us wherever we wanted to go. Siphiwe, another guide, took us part way down a street in one of oldest parts of Soweto, a shanty settlement. (He assured us, upon entering, that it was completely safe, but added, cautiously, 'Let us go in peace, so that we don't come back in pieces.' A sobering advisement.) One water spigot, called a standpipe, and one port-a-potty serve a neighborhood of 16 families. The streets are dirt paths. The homes made mostly of tin, mud, clay, or whatever materials are available. Most homes are girded about with fencing of whatever sort, yet, all are topped with concertina wire, the latter being a status symbol, Siphiwe said, signaling that the owner has something valuable and worth protecting. (Incidentally, almost all Johannesburg homes have gates, fencing, and barbed wire. In the wealthier neighborhoods, the fencing sometimes is electrified. Additionally, it is not uncommon to see 24-hour guards stationed at sentry posts. The South African security industry is pervasive and prosperous. Fear, apparently, is a successful marketing and sales tool.) We visited a school, where 15 children, newborn to age 3, were crammed into a room the size of St. Mark's sacristy. It was the lunch hour. The meal consisted of ground meal and mixed vegetables, which the caregiver/teacher provided as most parents could not afford to do so. We were so affected by the poverty and by the power and pride of the people to persevere that we offered a contribution, small by our standards, to cover the cost of a 2-week supply of food. We visited the Regina Mundi Roman Catholic Church, the largest Catholic parish in Soweto, with seating for about 2,000 and a congregation about twice that number, and a designated national landmark for its role as a gathering and meeting site for anti-apartheid activism. (As a stark symbol of that activism, the church retains the several ceiling and window panels with holes, made by bullets fired both from within and without, left by the state police in the effort to break up an anti-apartheid rally during the 1976 uprising.) We visited the memorial and museum of Hector Pietersen, the first child murdered by the state police during the 16 June 1976 Soweto student uprising against the government's imposition of Afrikaans as the language of all education ' an uprising that gave new vitality to the anti-apartheid movement. Across the street from the museum stands Holy Cross Anglican Church. We met the rector, Steve Moreo, a most genuine person, who exudes equal measures of gentleness and strength. We visited the home that Nelson Mandela lived in before his 27-year incarceration on Robben Island near Cape Town and the home to which he immediately returned upon his release. He now lives in the Houghton Estate area, two blocks from the B&B where we stayed. (By the way, 'Nelson' is the name given to Mandela by a teacher during the early years of his formative education, who could not pronounce his given name, Rolihlahla, which, prophetically, means, 'disturber'!) We also passed by the homes of Desmond Tutu and Winnie Mandela. As we prepared to leave Soweto, George said, earnestly, 'I hope you enjoyed your visit.' I replied, 'Enjoyed? No, we can't say that. Moved and inspired? Yes, that we can say.' He answered, very quietly, 'Thank you for saying that.'

Hillcrest

After a week in Johannesburg, on 30 October, we drove southeast to Hillcrest, a town between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in the Land of a 1000 Hills. (For me, driving a manual transmission car on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right was somewhat stressful. I had to think more about what I was doing, but, I suppose, being a natural 'lefty' helped. One other thing, South African drivers are, in three words, speedy and daring!)

This two-week leg of our journey was arranged by our own Eliza Getman. (We thank Maureen Shea, who, many months ago, got in touch with Eliza on our behalf. Here, we'd like to thank Greg Gay, too, for his good assistance regarding the South Africa portion of our sabbatical.) Through Eliza, we were 'in residence' at her parish, Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Jenny Sistig is the rector. With her husband, Andreas, also a priest, they serve Holy Trinity and the four valley congregations of the Zulu community (Christ the King in Molweni, Ekukhanyeni kukaKrestu [EKK, for short] in Nyuswa, Holy Spirit, and Kwamsindisi in Nqeto). They are young, energetic, committed, and compassionate people and priests. Their dedication left me, as a priest of 28 years, hopeful for the state of ordained ministry in the current and next generations.

Andreas took us on an afternoon's journey to and around the valley ' a land of exquisite, indescribable geographical beauty and excruciating human poverty. We also joined him on a 'bereavement call'. A woman, a member of one of the valley churches, had died after suffering prolonged physical abuse from her husband of whom she was the second of three wives. Upon entering the home, we observed the mourning customs. The son busied himself with preparing the house for guests and the feast the family was obligated to provide. The women of the family, the daughter, sisters, and the third wife, who is considered a sister of the deceased, sat on a mattress on the floor where they would remain until the day of the funeral. The mother's clothes were stretched out on the floor beside the mattress. A candle was lit nearby. (This last detail brought to mind the Lazarus story in John's gospel, particularly the ancient notion that the spirit [or flame] of the dead lingers near the body for four days, then, departs.) Andreas led us in praying with the family and offering words of condolence.

On another day, I went with Andreas to the home of Christina Gasa, an 80-something year old grandmother, who suffers from cataracts and other disabilities of aging. As many of her children have died from AIDS, she cares for 9 grandchildren. Her home, in the valley, about half-way down a steep, half-kilometer hill, has two rooms, all of which could fit within the space of our Penniman Room at Baxter House. We were there to assess her needs and to offer help. This, for me, was a proverbial unforgettable, perhaps, life-changing experience. Christina offered a selfless hospitality in welcoming us into her home, a gracious humility in accepting whatever help we offered (which, truth to tell, was far short of her needs), and an admirable faith and fortitude in coping with her daily cares. (I discovered later that she also climbs that hill each Sunday and walks 2+ kilometers to church!) Christina, in the two hour's time of our visit, taught or re-taught me a number of things: that physical poverty does not mean that one lacks wealth, for her spirit was abundant in its capacity to give; that an abiding, unassailable faith in God is honorable and is to be respected, even, perhaps especially from the standpoint of a skeptical believer like me; that when I complain about my 'various worries and woes' I must try to do so in fair relation to their severity, for the daily burden of some others is far weightier than anything I endure; and that graciousness and hospitality have much to do with a true welcome and acceptance of 'the other'. On this last point, I was 'the other' in Christina's home, yet, she received me as if she had known me for a lifetime. (Upon entering a Zulu home, it is customary to sit immediately without being asked. To do otherwise would be an insult. Yet, before I could sit down on the floor, Christina rushed to bring me a mat upon which I could sit. She did this, not because I was a priest, an 'uZwe' or 'carer', but because I, simply, was who I am, a person who had come to her home. In the spirit of the Zulu greeting or word of hello, 'sawubonya', meaning, 'I see you', she, simply and profoundly, had seen me.)

That same afternoon, we visited the home of Edie Zondi, whose granddaughter, Slindiwe, had served as our translator during our visit with Christina (although Andreas has an admirably and enviably good working knowledge of the isiZulu language). Edie was so pleased that we had come into her home. Here, as with Christina, I felt the presence of a sacred spirit of hospitality. Over tea and biscuits, Edie spoke of her daughter's death, some years before, due to AIDS. In recounting her experience, she repeated the question that she had asked many times, 'God, why did you let AIDS come to my house?' She, then, spoke of reaching some resolution in hearing the voice of God, saying, 'I stand at the door and knock. To those who open the door, I will enter and dwell with them.' I recognized the words as a paraphrase of Jesus' words in a passage from the Book of Revelation. Yet, Edie shared it, I believe, as a word of solace and strength that had found a home in her heart. Edie's loss remained great, yet, with assurance, she could say, 'I know that Man' (meaning God). There was a time when I might have described such faith in God as sincere and simple. However, here, I sensed a profundity in Edie's ever holding in tension her anguish and her assurance ' not one alone or one without the other, but rather, the latter in spite or, indeed, because of the former. There is nothing simple about maintaining such a daily, delicate spiritual balance.

On Sunday, 5 November, we attended worship at Holy Spirit Anglican Church, one of the Zulu congregations. Although we didn't understand most of what was said and sung, because it was an Anglican liturgy of Holy Eucharist, we could follow easily. (I am reminded of Ed Kneedler's comment during a 28 June post-General Convention meeting at St. Mark's. Ed expressed his desire that the Anglican Communion remain intact and, particularly, that the Episcopal Church not desert the Communion, for there is immeasurable value in being and feeling welcomed throughout the world in the familiar liturgies of the Anglican Church.) The pews, fashioned in the shape of a semi-circle, were filled with women, men, and many children. The singing was rapturous ' a capella, richly musical and harmonious, and vigorous, with much clapping and dancing. The preaching of the Rev. Doris Sithole, a 76-year old community priest (a member of the Holy Spirit church community; much like our adjunct clergy in relation to St. Mark's) was impassioned. Doris invited me to say a word, which I did (well, actually, it was a JAFT, just a few thoughts, one of which was my sharing your greetings, as the St. Mark's community, to the people of Holy Spirit), with one of the wardens serving as my translator.

At Holy Trinity, I presided and preached at a Thursday midweek service, during which we used the Eucharistic rite from the 'old' South African prayer book (think 1928 Book of Common Prayer or the Rite I service in our current BCP). On Sunday, 12 November, I co-presided with Jenny and shared a JOT (just one thought) as an appendage to her sermon. (Prior to the service, Jenny generously invited me to participate in these ways, graciously apologizing for belatedly confirming her requests, and thanking me for being so flexible. I replied, 'Jenny, no need to apologize. I'm the rector of St. Mark's, Capitol Hill, where flexibility is a requirement.')

We also were treated to an enjoyable evening of dinner and fellowship with Eliza and her family, Jonny, her husband, their children, Noah, Aidan, and Luke, and Sara, her mother-in-law. Other dinner guests, along with Jenny and Andreas, were Michael and Dorrie Nuttall, the former Bishop of the Diocese of Natal and his wife. Conversation was lively ' mostly about the politics of the Anglican Church and America. Regarding the latter, everywhere we've gone both in England and South Africa, as soon as we open our mouths, someone will say, nearly always in the following order, three things: (1) 'You're American, aren't you? I can tell by your accents,' (2) 'Where are you from?' and (3) 'Let me tell you what I think (largely unfavorable) about your government.'

Additionally, through Eliza's good offices, I was invited to present my paper, 'Reflections on Pluralism', at the Theological Caf' ' a weekly gathering of the faculty and student body of the religion and theology department of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus. After my opening brief (really!) remarks, the floor was opened for comments and questions. The response, both from Christian and Muslim participants, was lively and engaged. I have treasured each and every moment when I've been challenged to rethink and amend or embellish what I have written.

Finally, we attended two meetings, each different, one from another, and each significant in its own way.

START HERE...

One was a gathering of the Anglican clergy of the region. The rector of the parish where the meeting was held warmly welcomed and introduced us as visitors from Washington, DC. He, then, apologized for not knowing how to pronounce Pontheolla's name, asking her to say it. He, having misheard her, thinking that she had said Pantheolla, replied, 'Does your name come from 'pantheon' as in 'pantheon of the gods'?' To which I replied, humorously, 'No, she is God!' He laughed, nervously. (Immediately, I wish that I hadn't been so flippant. As a guest, especially in light of the sabbatical theme, I had a sense that I, as 'the other', might have offended 'the other.') The meeting's focus was evangelical in nature; evangelism understood traditionally as winning souls for Jesus Christ, particularly through the means of Christians 'invading secular space' so to meet people where they are. At the end of the meeting, the rector asked us to divide into prayer teams of 3-4. Some of the teams prayed in what I would term a 'charismatic' fashion ' that is, in recognition of and reliance on charisms or gifts of the Spirit ' with audible exhortations and the laying on of hands, in one case, resulting in the person for whom prayer was offered being 'slain in the Spirit' (that is, spiritually 'struck down' and physically falling to the floor as a sign of the Spirit's having killed some inner defect of sin, so to raise one to renewed and strengthened life in Christ). It had been a long while since we encountered such acts of what we would call hyperspirituality or what some refer to as 'happy, clappy Christianity.' For Pontheolla, it brought to her mind many childhood scenes growing up in the Church of God in South Carolina. Under the banner of our theme, 'conversation with the other,' as much as we would have liked to have said, 'If it works for you, then, blessed are you,' we, nevertheless, were left not knowing what to think, but remaining rather skeptical.

The second meeting was the Growth Group ' a cross section of people from the Holy Trinity and valley congregations who prayerfully and thoughtfully are focused on how to 'grow the community'. Pontheolla and I attended. A fair portion of the 2-hour meeting was devoted to members of the group directing questions to us about St. Mark's. We had an open opportunity to share something of our rich communal life with them ' what works and what doesn't work. By all appearances, given the avid interest of the growth group members, we're an interesting bunch! However, what impressed me most was the Growth Group's focus or, I should say, foci, for congregational growth was addressed in a number (pun intended) of ways ' not merely numerically, but also spiritually, and, even more and as importantly, in terms of mission and service. There already is much about the Holy Trinity and valley congregational communities with which I would like us, as a parish, to explore and consider engaging. (Recall that I expressed a similar interest in our developing a relationship with St. James's Church, Piccadilly. Suffice it to say, this sabbatical has opened my mind, heart, and spirit to an array of possibilities for us as a community for developing and deepening our connections with others around the world.)

Johannesburg, again

We returned to Johannesburg on Monday, 13 November. With the exception of one hour, it rained unbelievably hard for the duration of the 5-hour drive. (By the way, the N-3 highway between Jo'burg and Durban passes through some of the most gorgeous countryside imaginable, much of it known as Drakensberg ' rolling hills, verdant pastures, lofty and majestic mesas, and distant and shadowy mountains. Around each bend of the highway lay one more breathtaking sight. Think of driving through the Smokey Mountains, only on a steeper and more serpentine road.)

Penultimate Words ' For Now

Under the heading of sabbatical 'findings,' a few, but not all of the things I've discovered or, perhaps, rediscovered while traveling around the world'

1. 'The other,' whoever she or he may be, even when it is one's self, has inherent dignity simply by virtue of having been created. Our conversation, indeed, all conversation, even inward conversation must be carried out with common, perhaps uncommon human respect, both for the other and for one's self.

2. The idea of 'the other' must be expanded beyond those who differ in faith and religion, even race and culture to include those who occupy different economic strata. The poor have much to tell us and teach us about human authenticity, dignity, and hospitality.

3. We, Americans, are passionate and profligate consumers. So much of the world lives on far less, indeed, needs far less in order to live. I recall a news report while we were in London. The New Economic Foundation, a British think-tank, marked 9 October 2006 as the day when humankind had reached the point of consuming the earth's resources beyond their renewable sustainability. We shouldn't be surprised that America was designated the chief national offender. Moreover, during the flight to Johannesburg, I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth ' twice! All of this stirs up in me a hope that Pontheolla and I and we, St. Mark's, as individuals and as a community, can become and will be repentant consumers, that is, that we continue to learn to be more conscious environmentally. In this regard, I am gratified to read on our egroups of the ongoing efforts of Jane Osborne and others at St. Mark's concerning our deepening involvement with the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light as we learn to be greater stewards of God's resources.

4. The South African 'experiment in democracy' is less than generation old, yet, there is much that we, Americans, in the 231st year of our experiment in democracy, can learn. There is much violence in this land. One is reminded daily through even a cursory glance at the news. However, I find something deeply inspiring and empowering about the fact that our South African sisters and brothers were able to bring about an internal regime change with the committed help of a global consortium of nations and without the massive, nationwide bloodshed that long had been predicted and feared. If I were to venture a political comment, I find many lessons to be learned from the South African experience in regard to what we as an American nation have wrought in Iraq.

5. At the same time, there is much that America can teach South Africa. Apartheid was so brutally, relentlessly divisive, separating people, one from another, in every way ' physically, socially, culturally, spiritually, economically, and politically. Hence, in this new day, peoples have to learn about 'the other' in daily social, public, and, certainly, political exchanges previously unknown. As continually and deeply flawed, in some respects, as I believe our American race relations are, we do have an historical track record of racial assimilation and acclimation to share.

6. More personally: South Africa has 11 official languages. Most South Africans of whatever racial or tribal group are bilingual, trilingual, or, even, quadralingual, speaking some combination of Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu, and other native languages. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul's 1st Corinthians reference to language facility in relation to love: 'If I can speak in every human tongue and that of angels'' Paul makes clear that without love, being able to communicate with others is only making noise. Nevertheless, the capacity to speak with others in their languages is a gift. Although I have a great fondness for words, I am fluent only in English. I have read Bill Flanders' 12 November sermon at St. Mark's, based on Jesus' story of the widow's mite. On reflection, while in South Africa, I, on many occasions, either by accident or intentional search, have discovered my deep poverty. I have found myself, when in conversation with others, incapable of listening clearly, understanding deeply, and expressing myself meaningfully. I was poor. I am poor. I wonder. When I return to the comfort of my familiar surroundings in my country, my city, my neighborhood, and my parish community, will I relax and forget again my poverty?

7. More locally: Concerning us, St. Mark's, as I mention above, I see possibilities of our engaging in and with the mission and ministries, the life and witness of both St. James's, Piccadilly, and Holy Spirit and the valley congregations in South Africa. St. James's because of the multiple similarities with St. Mark's and the Hillcrest church communities because of the many differences. Even more, the sabbatical has helped me to reach a greater sense of vision for St. Mark's, of course, as I see it. If I were to attempt at this stage to articulate it in a few words, it would be: Faithfully grounded locally, St. Mark's engages in mission and ministry globally. I relish talking more with you about our parish vision upon my return.

A Final Word:

Dear friends, please know of Pontheolla's and my love for you and our community. We miss you greatly and look forward to returning and sharing life anew with you.

Love, always and in all ways,
Paul

2.0 Another version, using also a list:

1. Now that's a list
2. And this is an item in the list
3. and this is an indent to start another list in the list
1. call MKL for birthday greeting
   
4. ending
5. end
6. ended
   

Or would this be a better editor to create blog?

1. Create & save to-do list
2. get Florence apt.
   
1. call Oregon again
2. contact Linda via Rick or direct
   
3. do 30 min. yoga minimum
4. shower & hairwash
5. get BMW inspection ASAP
   
6. upgrade Mac by noon
   
1. more RAM
1. select vendor
   
2. order 512 MB card to replace 128 MB card
   
2. bigger HD
1. ID method to reuse original 30 GB
1. select vendor for drive enclosure, drive
2. order 80-120 GB drive
3. order drive enclosure
   
4. remove drive and place in enclosure which can get power from adapter, USB, or FireWire port

Stove Top Smoking

• Stove-top Mesquite Smoked Angel Chicken Recipe

• Emerilware 4-in-1 Smoker

• Stove-top Smoked Salmon Recipe

Potted Salmon / Rillettes: recipes & websites

• Potted smoked salmon: from one of Rick Stein’s Food Heroes
• Another Potted Salmon

• Another Potted salmon II

• Another Potted salmon III

• Another Potted Salmon w. créme fraîche
  


• Potted Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon
• Newcastle Potted Salmon
  
• Potted Smoked Salmon and Trout

And a recipe from Corban's, NZ (?)

• Potted Salmon:
  
  Enjoying Wine
  Potted Salmon
  Potted SalmonServes 6
  
  * 3 tablespoons cream cheese
  * 1 cup créme fraîche
  * 1 teaspoon brandy
  * juice of 1/2 lime
  * 1 small clove garlic, minced
  * 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  * 200g hot-smoked salmon, skin discarded
  * zest of 1 lime
  * sliced rye bread or pumpernickel to serve
  
  Beat together the cream cheese, créme fraîche, brandy, lime juice, garlic and thyme.
  
  Cut the salmon into rough 2cm dice.
  
  Using a fork, mash a few peices of salmon into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in the remaining salmon and the lime zest.
  
  Spoon into ramekins or small bowls, cover and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.
  
  Spread onto small squares of rye bread or pumpernickel to serve.
  Wine Match
  
  Sauvignon Blanc (Corbans Cottage Block Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc)
  
  Recipe courtesy of Cuisine
• The Great British Kitchen
  Potted salmon was very popular in the eighteenth century. There are a number of variations and this one comes from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
  
  Ingredients
  
  Serves: 4
  
  4 x 175 Gram Salmon steaks (6 oz)
  15 Gram Ground mace & ground cloves well mixed
  White pepper
  50 Gram Butter (2 oz)
  Melted butter
  
  
  Method
  
  Set the oven to 180 �C / 350 �F / Gas 4.
  
  Wipe the salmon steaks and season with the spices and a little pepper. Place in a well-buttered ovenproof dish and dot with butter. Cover with a lid or piece of foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, occasionally basting the steaks with the liquid.
  
  Lift out the salmon steaks and allow to drain well. Allow to cool a little, then remove all skin and bones and flake the flesh finely. Place in 4-6 ramekin dishes and press down well. Spoon the melted butter over the fish to seal, and leave to set. Serve well chilled, as a starter, with buttered crusty bread or toast."

Green Tomatoes, Pickles, et al.

Pickles, e.g.:

1. See del.icio.us: green tomato Pickle cookery recipe
   
2. HOT FISH-HOUSE STYLE GREEN TOMATO
   PICKLES

3. 2 qts. quartered green tomato 2 c. chopped onion 3/4 c. chopped hot peppers 2 c. sugar 3 tbsp. salt 2 c. vinegar 1 tsp. celery seed Put tomatoes, onions and hot peppers in large pan. Mix remaining ingredients together. Pour over tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately, put in hot, sterile jars and seal. NOTE: For spicy but not hot pickles, reduce hot pepper to half or less the amount called for and fill. Measure with chopped sweet peppers.

4. Spiced Pickled Onions & Peppers Recipe

5. Green Tomato Kosher Pickles Recipe

   
   Submitted by: rec.food.recipes Piper edmaldonado
   Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

   Serves/Makes: 1 quart

   Ingredients:
   10 small green tomatoes or cucumbers
   1/2 cup vinegar
   2 cups water
   3 cloves garlic
   2 red peppers, dried
   1/4 celery stalk
   1/4 cup salt
   1 bay leaf
   

   Directions:

   Place green tomatoes (or cucumbers) in a quart jar. Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil, cool, and add to the jar with bay leaf, garlic, red peppers, celery. Seal tightly. Let stand at room temperature for 3 days. Open and taste. Store in refrigerator.

   This recipe for Green Tomato Kosher Pickles serves/makes 1 quart

6. Green Tomato Pickles Recipe
   

   Ingredients:
   25 green tomatoes -- thickly sliced
   1 pint vinegar
   4 cups brown sugar
   cloves -- to taste
   cinnamon stick -- to taste
   whole allspice -- to taste
   

   Directions:

   Let tomatoes stand overnight. Sprinkle with salt, then drain. Cook until tender. Add vinegar, brown sugar, and spices to taste.

   This recipe for Green Tomato Pickles serves/makes 25

7. Green Tomato Pickles Recipes
   

   Ingredients:
   1 gallon green tomatoes
   or
   16 cups sliced
   1/4 cup salt
   1/2 tablespoon powdered alum
   3 cups vinegar; 5% acidity
   1 cup water
   4 cups sugar
   1 tablespoon mixed spices
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1 tablespoon celery seed
   1/2 teaspoon allspice
   1 tablespoon mustard seed
   

   Directions:

   Slice tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to stand overnight. Next morning drain and pour 2 quarts of boiling water with 1/2 tablespoon of powdered alum over the tomatoes and let stand 20 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water, drain. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and spices; tie spices loosely in bag, and bring to a boil. Pour this over the tomatoes. Let stand in this solution overnight. Then drain and bring solution to boil and pour over tomatoes. Let stand overnight. On the third morning bring the pickles and solution to a boil. Pack into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

   This recipe for Green Tomato Sweet Pickles serves/makes 8 pints

8. Simply Recipes: Pickled Jalapeños (Escabeche) Recipe: "Pickled Jalapeños (Escabeche) Recipe
   

   
   
   Chiles Jalapeños y Serrano Escabeche
   
   This year I decided to grow jalapeno and serrano chiles - those wonderfully hot and flavorful Mexican chiles that are used salsa, guacamole, and so many Mexican dishes. But I certainly wasn't expecting each plant to yield over a pound of chiles! What to do with so many? I posed the question to Diana Kennedy when she was in town a few weeks ago. The answer? Escabeche, or pickled jalape�os. Of course. I remember these being served as a condiment with so many meals I've had when visiting Mexico. My mother used to buy jars of escabeche when I was a child. The chiles can be cut up and used for so many dishes.
   
   1 lbs serrano or jalapeño chile peppers
   1/3 cup olive oil
   2 medium white onions, thickly sliced
   2 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
   1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
   3 cups apple cider vinegar
   2 Tbsp Kosher salt or sea salt
   2 bay leaves
   1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
   4 sprigs of fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried
   4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
   1 Tbsp sugar
   
   1 Wash the chiles, leaving the stems intact. Cut a cross in the tip end of each chile so that the vinegar will be able to penetrate.
   
   2 Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the chiles, onions, carrots, and garlic. Fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning them over occasionally.
   
   3 Add the vinegar, salt, herbs, and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes for serranos or 10 minutes for jalape�os.
   
   4 Pack 6 half-pint sterilized jars with the chiles and vegetables. Top with the vinegar and seal.
   
   Once opened, can keep for one month in the refrigerator.
   
   Note from Diana Kennedy is that partially cooked chiles allow for the growth of bacteria. It is very important to cook the chiles thoroughly if they are to be stored for any length of time.
   
   Recipe adapted from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico."

9. cc
10. ff
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1. GREEN TOMATO PICKLE
   Printed from COOKS.COM

   ---

   1/4 pkg. (1 3/4 lb.) green tomatoes
   4 onions
   1/4 c. salt
   4 peppers, chopped
   1 qt. vinegar
   1/2 tsp. celery seed
   1/2 tsp. mustard seed
   1 tbsp. whole allspice
   1 tbsp. whole cloves
   1 lb. sugar
   Firm, small to medium green tomatoes (entirely green, not partially ripe) and firm, white onions. Wash well. Slice tomatoes and onions, sprinkle with salt and let stand overnight. Rinse well in cold water; add peppers. To the vinegar, add spices (tied in a bag) and sugar. Mix with vegetables and cook for about 2 hours. Remove spice bag. Seal pickle in clean, hot sterilized jars.

   Makes five 1 pint jars.

2. Sally's green tomato pickle :: Recipe :: ABC Tasmania
   

   • [This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/tasmania/stories/s1328033.htm]
   • Sally's green tomato pickle
   • Chef: Sally Wise
   • Chilly nights and frost on the ground? This easily-made pickle's a good way to use up those green tomatoes you get at the end of the growing season.

1. You need:
   Tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, spices and flavouring. Use a good quality curry powder for best results.

• 750 ml bottle vinegar (white gives the best presentation)

• 3kg (6lb) green tomatoes
• 1kg (2lb) onions
• small handful of salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1kg (2lb) sugar
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard powder
• 
  
• Method:
• Chop the onions and tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, mix well in a bowl, then leave to stand overnight.
  
• Next day drain off the fluid. Add three quarters of the vinegar, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, bring back to the boil, stirring, then boil for one hour, stirring often.
• Mix the remaining vinegar with the dry ingredients. Add to the pot and stir until well combined. Boil 5 minutes, then bottle and seal.
• Sally tells us this is "...the best and easiest pickle recipe she's ever come across".
• 
  

Recent Dinners; Witte-Mork Visit

• A list of trips, menus this past week:
• Friday night:
  
• Thai-ish fish soup
• Basmati rice
• Vanilla ice cream with home-made chocolate sauce
• Thursday:
  
• During the day we went over to Blackwater National
  Wildlife Refuge. Saw many great blue herons and snowy egrets, also many tri-color herons - they look much like great blue but shorter. Mimo was also fascinated by the frogs and many turtles and one great Delaware fox squirrel.
  
• night - we went to Cantler's in St. Margarets for a dozen large steamed crabs, Maryland crab soup, potato salad, french fries, wine and beer and coca cola, ending with very good chocolate cake. Mimo completely enjoyed smashing open crab claws and picking crabs. Also enjoyed seeing the crab trays in the "zoo" and the Maryland diamondback terrapins in the restoration pens.
  
• Wednesday night:
  
• Tuesday night: sushi at Joss, Annapolis
• Other items:
• A fatoosh, bread salad with many leftover iterms included.
• The smoked cod brandade with dried tomatoes.
• The salmon in potato chip crust with green sauce. Too salty - look for less salty potato chips.
  

Baked Halibut Fillet with a Potato Chip Crust Dinner

• Corn on the cob, white and yellow
• Caesar and caprese salad
• Baked Halibut Fillet with a Potato Chip Crust

Baked Halibut Fillet with a Potato Chip Crust

- Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed potato chips - a good way to crush is to roll under a round wooden pestle or rolling pin
1/4 cup bread crumbs - used Panko crumbs
1 teaspoon dried dill - as I didn't have any dried dill, I ground up 2 tsp dill seed and then sieved out the hard cores, yeilding perhaps 3/4 tsp dill dust; I then added approx. 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala. Twas delicious, and subtle.
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 large salmon fillet (about 3 pounds), skin on - used a 1 1/2 lb fillet halibut - wonderful
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
Fresh dill sprigs - I found a leftover green cilantro chutney which was a great idea, which recipe I don't have to hand but should be easy to find one on Internet: google green cilantro chutney.

Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375° F. - I started out with the oven at 500° F.

In a small bowl, combine the crushed potato chips, bread crumbs, dill, (spice mix) and garlic; set aside. (Note that any contact with the crushed chips leaves a greasy film. Don't be dismayed, as it's the oil in the chips that keeps the fish so mosit as it bakes, I believe.)

Put the salmon (halibut) skin-side down on a lightly oiled, foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Remove any pinbones with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Brush the surface of the salmon with the mustard, spreading it evenly (and thicker is better). Sprinkle the potato chip mixture over the mustard, packing it lightly with your fingertips so that it adheres to the surface. Season with the pepper.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the salmon is opaque when a knife is inserted at the center of the thickest part, about 30 minutes. (I turned the heat down to 450, then 400. Although the fish was perfectly cooked, moist, tender and flaky, after 25-30 min., the crust only browned nicely where extra had fallen to the side of the fish. I place this pretty crumble on top of the finished fish.)

Using 2 spatulas, carefully transfer the fillet in one piece to a large serving platter, leaving the skin on the baking sheet; garnish with the lemon wedges and dill sprigs. (Or pour the green sauce around the fillet and serve on plates with portions. Extraordinary.)

Serves 6 (our 1/2 portion would have certainly been adequate for 3.)

(Nancy and I didn't quite finish our huge portions. They make excellent leftovers. I served this with boiled fresh yellow and white corn and the same Caesar salad - caprese combo I made for Nancy's birthday. In fact, this fish was to be the other course for her birthday, which we skipped as too much. And it would have been. We drank a nice California Merlot with this. A memorable meal.)

Copyright © 2003 by George Dolese & Steve Siegelman. Reprinted from Firehouse Food without permission from Chronicle Books. Jeanne is a third-generation San Francisco firefighter with a long history of salmon fishing. Her dad, who is now retired, still shows up at the station every now and then with a freshly caught king salmon for Jeanne and the crew. Needless to say, he’s invited to stay for dinner.