Pork Tenderloin, Couscous and Sauteed Vegetables with Balsamic Fig Sauce |
This year may prove no different.
Here's this morning's view. |
Below: What they should (and will again) look like. Coming up on Palm Sunday, this Sunday, I always know that while it's just a week until Easter, it's also forever. This might come from my years as a director of church music. For two reasons: 1. The time spent preparing the music for 4-6 services within one week is a learning experience. Sometimes it includes a Lenten cantata. It always includes a humdinger of an Easter anthem. If ever you're going to pull out all the stops (and that's literally here), this is the time. 2. You're right there, living it all. The lyrics to from Palm or Passion Sunday through Easter are not just powerful, they are both life-giving and life-changing. I will send the Holy Spirit to you.... He'll remind you all the things that I've said and-----I will always be with you. Each pastor I worked with had different favorite Holy Week texts, so every year I'd read them and every year I knew them better (that's not to say well). And while I knew the differences between the gospels (ok, this year the text has one angel; we can't do THAT song where there are TWO), I'm not sure I understood them any better for it. I did, though, become more thoughtful about how and why it all happened. I had more time than most to consider what the disciples did all day on Friday or what the weight of that stone might be. Your mind runs around as a sacred musician. You're the dreamer. I knew that my faithful folks had one combined vision/story of the week. Some couldn't handle it and opted out of Thursday or Friday night services. They liked going from the palms to the lilies. That broke my heart. Because without the hopeful meal teaching a new commandment on Thursday, the frightful heart-breaking cold of Friday, and the long looking of Saturday, we have no flowery bonnets, alleluia music, egg hunt or brunch. We have no life, no plan, no nothing, nada, zip, zero, zap. What? No chocolate?** Pork Tenderloin with Couscous, Sauteed Vegetables and Balsamic Fig Sauce Serves 6 (divide or multiply) Couscous: 2 boxes couscous (olive oil and garlic variety) 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup raisins Pork: 3 pork tenderloins 3 cloves of garlic, slivered Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 6T olive oil, divided Vegetables: 2 medium eggplant 2 each: sweet yellow and red pepper 2 large red onions, cut into 1/8s 12 oz button mushrooms 2 each: zucchini and yellow squash Sauce: 6T fig jam (often in the cheese section of a good grocery) 4T balsamic vinegar (or more to taste--be careful) 3T white wine (can use lemon juice instead)
What else? A small salad? Some cheese? Someone brings rolls or bread? Definitely deviled eggs! If no one will make a bunny cake, buy a great cheesecake and call it Easter. Keep it festive and thoughtful. Some Easter grass and a few eggs on the table are quick decorations. You might also want to make my carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and jellie bellies. The link there is for my article on examiner.com, which doesn't give my recipe for carrot cake, but provides for other options. My own cake and frosting is right here on the blog, of course. Wine? I like a Syrah here. Go California; the prices on California Syrahs are great right now. Qupe is luscious and inexpensive. If you want to spend a bit more, get the phone now and quickly order some Cristom Syrah (only the '07 is left) and tell them to quick-ship, if possible. The Cristom will be less fruity, spicier and will assuredly have more pepper. I'll be thinking of you this week, as we all make this trip without skipping one piece of scenery and then sing a new song, Alyce **Chocolate bunny pic: courtesy Twice Pix | And this year, in some ways, is no different. I don't have a choir to prepare (and I miss every one always), I have myself. This year, again, I'm reading THE LAST WEEK by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. I'll be in worship tomorrow thinking about how Jesus appeared to the woman on the street. Sitting on a donkey. Or why people still stripped off their clothes and threw them down in front of him. And then I'll begin the long walk of Holy week. Oh, dear: did you come here for a recipe? This one's sooo simple; I promise. It's great for two, but is easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled or whatever. Get someone else to bring the deviled eggs and the bunny cake. You've got Easter dinner covered. |
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