Grieving Ducks

Wednesday morning, the day of the massive rainstorm in Michigan, I was out running my normal run, and had to pause in sympathy as I saw three male mallard ducks surrounding a dead female mallard in a grassy area next to a busy road. I can only assume she'd been run over by a car and somehow got to the grass. I felt such sympathy for those ducks as they surrounded their friend.

For those of you not in Michigan, we had torrential rains starting mid-morning on Wednesday through Thursday night. My rain gauge measured three and a half inches. Roads and basements were flooded.

My next run was Friday afternoon. As I got closer to the spot where I had seen the mourning ducks and their dead friend, I actually grew anxious. Would the poor female mallard's body have been washed away in the deluge or would she still be there? As I grew closer, I almost started to cry. Not only was the female mallard's body still there, but one male mallard remained at her side, keeping vigil for whatever duck reasons he might have.

What amazing loyalty through hell, or at least high water, for that duck to have remained at the dead duck's side. And it makes me question how much different, really, is the rest of the animal planet from the human race.

Rest in peace, lady duck.

Best Sandwich Ever

Hummus. Cucumbers. Pita Bread. There is nothing else like it. I almost cried I was so happy when I saw the baby cucumbers at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market a few weeks ago and I've been buying them weekly ever since. I could eat this sandwich every day.

Hummus
Cucumbers - rinsed and thinly sliced
Pita Bread

Spinach -rinsed, spun dry, and chopped
Mushrooms -rinsed and thinly sliced
Red Bell peppers - rinsed and thinly sliced

You can make the hummus yourself or use store bought. Just halve the pita (you could toast it a bit if you like), spread hummus on either side, and layer thinly sliced cucumbers in the middle. You could switch it up a bit by adding a combination of spinach, mushrooms and red bell peppers.

Hummus:

1 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup water
splash lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp tahini
3-4 tbsp olive oil

In a food processor, blend the salt, olive oil, and garlic. Add the chickpeas and blend. Add the lemon juice and tahini and blend. Add the water a little bit at a time (you may not need it all or you may need a little more than 1/3 cup) until your hummus looks spreadable but not too fluffy. Refrigerate for a couple hours before using.

First Pesto of the Year!

All right. You've got me. I made it with spinach and garlic scapes and not basil (the spinach and scapes both came from Saturday's Farmers' Market in Ann Arbor). It is mid-May, after all, not June. But yum, yum, yum. Serve it with a side of asparagus and you have a tasty, healthy meal made with Michigan-grown veggies. This serves two in my house.

8 ounces whole grain fusilli pasta (any curvy pasta will do) prepared per the package instructions
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
3 cups spinach (rinse it and spin it dry, then tear the leaves into smallish pieces, disgarding the thick stems)
1/2 cup garlic scapes, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup great northern beans, rinsed (optional)


Toast 1/4 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup pine nuts on a baking sheet in a 350 degree over for about 20 minutes. You can boil water for the pasta at the same time. Reserve a little bit of the pasta water just in case.

To make the pesto, combine the spinach, olive oil, scapes, and sea salt in a food processor. You want it to come up with a good chop, but not mush. Add the walnuts and about 1/3 of the pine nuts and the cheese. Blend well.

Drain the pasta. Toss with pesto and the great northern beans if desired ( I like to add a little protein). Serve topped with additional parmesan and pine nuts.