Well, my first art showing is off the ground and running, which I am very excited about. Haven’t sold any pieces at the gallery but, I have gotten a couple of commissions off of the show so far which is great! Any money I make from the show goes right into the Disney fund. Yes, we are headed to Disney in October. My daughter will be 4 at the end of October so it seems like a good time to take her. In addition I turned 40 this year and my wife and I celebrate our 10 year anniversary in December (we honeymooned at Disney) so there are a lot of things to celebrate and Disney seemed a great way to celebrate them. I have to admit, in many ways, I’m still a kid at heart and just the thought of going to Disney gets me excited. I know it’s a cliche but there is just something magical about the place. Of course, the cynical, embittered chef side of me says, it’s all choreographed in the name of taking a person for every last cent and, while that may be true, my other, child like side, so what, it’s fun!!
But before Disney, I have to get through the summer, and getting through the summer, for me, means lots of picnics. While occasionally I will do an all cold lay out for a picnic, I usually prefer to bring along a little, portable, Weber grill and cook up the main dish wherever we decide to picnic. While I will cook the main entree, I usually don’t go for doing to much cooking, for a picnic, unless it’s a big bash such as a tailgate party or barbecue throw down. Instead, it’s usually 1 hot dish and then the rest are salads, dips, fresh fruits, etc. My new favorite picnic salad is this Black Bean and Jicama Salad I created for my annual tailgate and Brewer’s game. While the black beans make it hearty enough for a cold weather tailgate the jicama adds just enough crispy freshness to keep it light enough for a lakeside picnic on the hottest summer day.
Black Bean and Jicama Salad
2 15oz. cans black beans
1 medium onion
1 medium jicama
1/4 red bell pepper
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt
pepper
Drain and rinse the black beans. Meanwhile peel and mince the onion, peel and dice the jicama into 1/4″ cubes, and mince the red bell pepper. Combine beans and vegetables in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredient and pour over beans. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.