SEASONAL FOOD FABLES: A 4-PART PERSONAL MEMOIR
Season 4
SUMMER: DINNER UNDER A STAR-FILLED NIGHT SKY
There’s a sunny side to Switzerland—especially in the summer when a Mediterranean meal is spiced with summer showers and starlight.
Part 4 of 4
— By Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz —
During a summer sojourn in Switzerland, we took a day-long hike to Scuol, a small village in Switzerland with a main street filled with stores and shops, and renovated traditional houses in a more quiet old part of the village; our longtime friend and colleague, Stephen Sparler, joined us. After eight hours of hiking in the countryside and journeying from village to village, Scoul was an especially welcome site.
Situated in a valley between two mountain ranges, peppered with bumpy cobblestoned streets, and dotted with handmade murals on buildings, Scuol’s many charms made navigating the multitude of switchbacks that led down into this village well worth the effort.
Summer-Rich Ingredients
A sudden summer shower added to the charm of our visit in Scuol, as did the furnished atelier-style apartment we found—replete with a well-equipped kitchen—and a nearby local grocery store where we purchased food for dinner.
Ah, the spirit of summer! We were pleasantly tired from our long hike, drenched from a sudden, unexpected downpour, and glowing from a day spent outdoors hiking in the sunshine. It had been a nature-filled day, full of vast vistas, winding hiking trails, and the fragrant scents of summer. We were happy to the point of giddiness, sunlit from the inside, sated by the rain, and whole-heartedly hungry from the day-long hike.
A Simple Mediterranean Meal
In this state of mind, we prepared a simple dinner in our quaint kitchen: spaghetti al dente, warmed and stirred with spicy, herb-filled tomato sauce; washed and chopped lettuce and tomatoes for the salad, with a sprinkling of olive oil and balsamic vinegar; a slice of bread from the loaf of crusty bread purchased from the bakery just next door; and full-bodied red wine. The food was as casual, cozy, and spontaneous as was our mood.
More than ready to enjoy our dinner, when we sat down to eat at the simple, well-worn wooden kitchen table, it was dusk. We lit some candles that were on the table, then served the steaming pasta and side dishes. Feeling relaxed and content, we sat around the table talking and reminiscing about the day. As we talked and dined on the impromptu meal, we glanced outside the kitchen’s angled attic window in time to see some stars sparkling in Switzerland’s summertime night sky.
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