Getting It Right

“It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light.” --G. K. Chesterton.

Remembered reading this recently; I totally agree. With it in mind, I bring you nothing more--or less--than a brief description of the perfect summer lunch.

From the garden: one long, shiny zucchini, four heirloom tomatoes (Brandywine, Purple Krim), several handfuls basil, one head pink garlic, one perfect pear. From the farm up the street: one dozen just-laid, free-range, orange-yolked eggs, butter. From my pantry: salt, pepper, olive oil, hunk of real Parmesan cheese.

The meal: a simple zucchini and basil frittata, inspired by Marcella Hazan, made in a seasoned cast-iron skillet, with eggs, squash, garlic, oil, butter, seasoning, Parmesan, herb, and a tomato salad, with wedges of tomato warm from the sun, salt, oil, more basil. For dessert: pear.

Consumed: Outdoors, midday, with appreciative immediate family ranging in age from almost one to thirty-eight. Meal enhanced, if possible, by flawless weather, hilarious and impressive and surprising participation on part of one-year-old in impromptu chair dancing and round of "If You're Happy and You Know It," and the fact that although I didn't know it until today, I have been waiting all my life to say to a four-year old: Hey, can you run out to the herb garden and grab me some bunches of basil?