The first week of May, we spent a long luxurious weekend with old friends who live at the confluence of two quiet lakes north of Detroit. Twenty-four hours a day, we found ourselves looking out large windows at the mesmerizing ripples on the surface of the water, lakes filled with Mallard ducks, geese, swans, a pair of loons, and even the first egret of the season. We saw four waddling yellow puffballs following closely after their Mallard parents. No matter the time of day, no matter the weather, the view out those windows was stunning.

We hiked, sailed, cooked, gardened, sat back and watched a movie, played Rummy-Q, stared at the lakes, and ate the most delicious food. There was home-baked whole-grain bread, plus fresh-picked asparagus and short stalks of young, pink rhubarb from our hosts’ garden. I made my Grandma Rosie’s rhubarb recipe: Empty two cups of washed and trimmed strawberries, plus four cups of washed, sliced chunks of rhubarb, into a large bowl with 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2-3 tsp. of minced ginger, and a pinch of salt. Stir well and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Empty the contents into a large fry pan, and cook on medium for 15 minutes until the rhubarb begins to disintegrate and the mixture is beginning to thicken. Set aside and allow to cool. Serve as is, or drizzled over yogurt, meringue cookies, vanilla pudding, pound cake, or any other baked goods.

I learned a new technique for boiling asparagus. Start by dividing your haul into four sizes: First set aside the thickest stalks, followed by the thinnest, and then separate the remaining stalks into larger and smaller. Boil the water. Start by adding the thickest spears. In one minute, add the next thickest. One minute later, add the third group, and a minute after that, add the thinnest spears. After the final minute of cooking, drain and serve immediately on a long platter. Magnificent bright green spears, all done to perfection. This technique came from our host’s English father, a member of the clergy who, with his wife, had maintained a spectacular garden at their home in Shropshire, in the northwest of England, for many years.

The first night of our visit, our hosts served teriyaki salmon tortillas for dinner. The salmon had been cubed (approx 1 inch), and then refrigerated while marinating in teriyaki sauce (see recipe below) for a full 24 hours. The fish was then transferred to a baking sheet and roasted at extremely high heat (500F) for 15 minutes. It was served with a pile of soft, warm tortillas, and bowls filled with chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes dressed with salt and oregano, and ripe, cubed avocado. It was really, really good, as good as you could imagine. And the salmon leftovers were fantastic, too. 

What a great weekend it was. I came home with a little chicks-and-hens to plant in my own garden. 

Homemade teriyaki sauce:

1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup tamari
3 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Whisk together the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir well, making sure honey dissolves completely. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon. Watch carefully to avoid burning.