for (e:enknot)... I made these for the camping trip. Yum!

Black bean dip/refried beans

2 14 oz cans black or pinto beans
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2-3 large garlic cloves
1 large onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1/4 c. fresh cilantro
1+ t. oregano
1+ t. cumin
1+ t. black pepper
1+ t. sea salt
olive oil

Chop the garlic, onions, jalapeno and cilantro (use the stems, too!). Heat the oil, saute the garlic, onions and jalapeno until the onions are translucent to lightly tanned. Add the cilantro & stir. Add the cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Add the beans (use the juice - very important or it'll dry out).

For refried beans, mash them up as you cook them. Add the tomatoes and let it all simmer down and dry out. Make sure to keep stirring so you don't scorch them. They should be pretty dry.

For the wetter bean dip, you don't have to mash as much. Add the tomatoes and simmer down until it's a consistency that works with tortilla chips.

Lentil-Chickpea Salad
(from Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East & North Africa by Habeeb Salloum, p. 117. I highly recommend this cookbook.)

Serves 8-10

1 c. lentils, washed
water (3 c. min) (broth or bullion is nice - i used a mushroom base)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lemon juice - that's about 2 fresh lemons worth
1 bunch green onions
3 large tomatoes
1 14 oz. can chickpeas
1/2 c. fresh parsley or cilantro
1 large sweet red pepper
salt & pepper

Cook lentils in water until tender but still intact and slightly firm; allow to cool. (Instructions for cooking lentils.) Drain.

While lentils are cooking, chop the onions, tomatoes, parsley/cilantro, pepper, and juice the lemons. Since it's a salad, you want the veggies pretty small. Put them all in a big bowl, add the chickpeas, salt & pepper and mix. Mix in the lentils before serving.

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I think I'm going to make this for a picnic tomorrow. I'll probably add garlic. It has a very clean, mild taste to it.

I've got an extra ticket for Furthur at the Highland Bowl in Rochester tomorrow night. Furthur is a Grateful Dead related band featuring Phil Lesh (bass) and Bob Weir (guitar). Doors open at 5, show is at 6:30. The tickets are general admission. I'd be leaving here around 2:30ish.

Let me know right now!

Later that day...

I was on the Island taking pix, chatting with folks, and eating fresh pierogies and came across a bear trap. Mark Bowne, a former state police officer, had been having trouble with a mama bear and her three cubs getting into his and his neighbors' trash. He contacted the game warden, who brought a trap to his house. The morning of the parade, the trap caught the mama bear and the game warden brought it to the Island to demonstrate the tagging, weighing, and sexing process.

Trap


Mark Bowne


Warden Minnich prepared the tranquilizer.



Warden's truck & the trap.


Crowd gathers



Like shooting fish in a barrel?




The warden explained that he would take the bear to Taylor Run, just a little outside of town, hoping she'll collect the three cubs and scoot farther out now that she knows what happens if she stays in town. If he knew the cubs were second year, he'd take her farther away, but he didn't want to risk it. She weighed about 160 lbs, small for a female black bear (PDF).




Tagged!



For more pictures of Island Park and the Coal Festival car show, go here

As usual on Memorial Day weekend, I was camping at a big bluegrass party and came down the mountain to do stuff at the Coal Festival. Here are some parade & festival pictures. I hope you're amused. (See (e:heidi,48848) for last year.)

My cousin's ex-wife


Big flag




Pennsylvania Bucktails Civil War re-enactors





A's nephew Tyler... keep an eye out for him below.


My hairdresser's son Jason.


First Citizens National Bank began as Miners National Bank


Red Hat Society, driven by town historian Keith Lindie on his precious John Deere.


The tall redheaded boy is another of A's nephews. His niece Harley is 4th from left.




Gratuitous fire engine shot. Blossburg, Morris, Liberty, Wellsboro and Mansfield fire and/or ambulance companies were represented.






Uncle Dudley's bf Bernie hauled their float.


Uncle Dudley & the float



Tioga County does have a bus system although it's mostly impractical. The system does have some good specialized services, such as the one that picks up A's mom at their house and takes her to dialysis .





Here's A's nephew Tyler again - the parade/town is so small that participants are recycled. Ty was prom king. Great hat.



Girls softball... somehow they got to ride four-wheelers.


My client Lucia's husband Jim.


One of the Nickerson relations showing off the eggs that Gordie the Chicken Whisperer was selling (e:heidi,51745)



I bought a raffle ticket for this antique tractor cuz ya know I really need one.


The car show is a very popular event.


Harley was in the parade with her recorder-playing troupe and then she got her face painted at the festival. I love how her teeth were blue.

Just a cute picture of A's niece Tori Rose. She begged me to take her camping.


The Island is one of the most beautiful and special places I know. It's so hard to capture the beauty of it.


Wow, that was boring.