Have we reached a tipping point? If you’re as angry as I am, I urge you to find a protest or vigil or whatever level of social-distanced event you’re comfortable with and get out there. I guarantee, no matter where you live, something is going on today or tomorrow. But if you feel ill at all or don’t feel safe, stay home! There are plenty of ways to get involved online.
My family is planning to do the following to stay safe while we protest today:
We’re wearing masks, obviously.
We’re staying at the edges of the crowds, rather than plunging into the center.
We’re clapping and banging but not shouting, and giving wide berth to anyone who is—the more an asymptomatic person projects their voice, the farther any potential coronavirus can reach.
We’re bringing hand sanitizer.
We’re also bringing our own food and water, but we’ll step away from the protest while eating or drinking (so we can keep our masks on when we’re near others).
There’s no good way to transition to the content you’re really here for, so…
Here’s the plan for next week:
Monday
Lentil Niçoise Salad with bread
You’ll need lentils for later in the week, so you might as well cook a whole pound tonight. Take what you need for the salad and refrigerate 2-3 cups for Thursday. Put the rest into a freezer bag—add some of the cooking liquid—and you’ll have lentils ready to go next time you need something fast. (Measure as you transfer them into the bag, so you’ll know how much is in there.) And as long as you’re boiling eggs, add two more to the pot for Wednesday. Leave those two in the water for an additional minute or two, since the 7-minute egg in the salad recipe will be on the softer side. Don’t forget to refrigerate them!
Tuesday
Baked Gnocchi alla Puttanesca
Don’t have gnocchi handy? You can easily swap in pasta like ziti, but you’ll have to cook it first. Leave it slightly underdone, since it’ll soak up the sauce while it’s baking.
Wednesday
Pan Bagnat with Tuna or Without, with potato chips
The pressing part is crucial to making these sandwiches so irresistible—it melds everything together and helps the bread contain it all. Make sure you leave yourself time for that step! Note that the vegetarian version calls for three hours or more in the fridge, but without any pressing—I’d say you can easily cut that down to an hour, maybe less, if you place a heavy skillet or tray with some canned goods on top of the sandwiches.
Thursday
photo courtesy Budget Bytes
Lentil Tacos
Make sure to adjust the recipe to serve 4 instead of 8, unless you’re looking for plenty of leftovers. Since your lentils are cooked, skip step 2 in the recipe.
Friday
Pizza Night
I walked you through making whaddya-got pizza back in week 24, so I won’t repeat it all here.
Stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands. And if you do attend any kind of protest, I’d love to hear about it.
Debbie