Stone Soup Salad

And out tradition of celebrating growing older and wiser together continues as I have the privilege every year of hosting Cathy’s Birthday. I cannot remember how many years ago this started, or how it evolved that she and I always do one another’s Birthdays, but it has been many years. My first one was hosted by Marie in 1992. I remember that distinctly because I hadn’t celebrated my own birthday since I was 8  – with a party, anyway. So, through the years we have celebrated some 30ths, some 40ths, some 50ths, and some 60ths. We are a diverse, but close knit little group and we have evolved through the years. The hostess provides the main part of the main course. Everyone else brings a part of the meal. When we were younger, and our children were younger, we would just have a potluck and everything would work out. It didn’t really matter, anyway, as the children had to be fed, and so usually this was a later in the evening affair and not thought of as a meal. However, it very soon became the meal as it was clear there was always such a display of culinary delights that everyone didn’t eat all day to ensure the possibility of tasting it all. Now, we plan it. Appetizer, soup or salad or both, the veggies and whatever else with the main, and the dessert. I think it is just a coincidence that everyone in the group has always been on the cutting edge of what is happening foodwise and most are adventurous cooks. So, it is always a great experience to learn and share from one another and to get together to chat up a storm and laugh the night away.

I made the Meatball Lollipops with the Coconut Peanut Dipping Sauce for the early arrivals, and Dalene brought the sure-to-please-all Spinach Dip in the round loaf. Her recipe is the best I have had. I will have to get her to share it with us!

Angie brought the “œStone Soup Salad”. What is that? Well, she brought a big and beautiful variety of immaculately cleaned leaves from her garden. Then she asked if I had ingredients for the dressing. I asked her what she brought to go onto the salad. She giggled her addictive sly little giggle and answered, “œnothing” in between her titters. Hmmm. Ok. I will make the dressing, and I have a purple onion. So, out came the purple onion and then Janet B arrived with a red pepper and a bag of caramelized pecans. Angie was elated. Apparently she and Janet had spoken on the phone about the salad, and everything Janet suggested to add to it, Angie didn’t have. So, Janet brought some ingredients for Angie to add to the salad. So, the red pepper was sliced up with the onion. Oh, I also have some cherry tomatoes. In they went.

Then the dressing:

All whizzed through my Thermomix, and voila: Stone Soup Salad!

Everyone raved, so it must have been delish. Fairytales do come true. After all arrived with a flurry of hugs and kisses and chatter, we sat in the dining room to toast the Birthday Girl and to eat the most amazing soup I have had in ages: a Pear and Watercress Soup that Janet H brought. I have asked her for the recipe and will make it and post it later. It is divine!

Then came the main: Salmon Mouse with Mango Sauce, Coconut Rice, and Steamed Vegetables with the Stone Soup Salad.

As this is a Food Blog, I am focusing on the food, but it is the friendships that are the main attraction of these special evenings.

There is Angie, the brilliant creator of the “Stone Soup Salad”! XOXOXOXOX!!

The dessert was not a Birthday Cake. Instead, I attempted Panna Cotta. Not successful. So, I did it again and decided to leave out the mould and just poured it over the berries instead. Another “œto do” still on my list of Yet to Accomplish.

How blessed I am to have such amazing friendships. How blessed I am to share in the lives of each of these valiant women. How blessed I am to have a friend like Cathy. She gives me her time, her expertise, and whatever it is I need or ask –  unwaveringly – without a second to think about whether she can or not. She just does. So, Happy, Happy Birthday my dear friend. Thank you for enriching my life.