The Liege

          The Queen of England is celebrating her diamond jubilee this year. There has been a lot of riding around in Cinderella carriages wearing fluffy hats and performing perfect elbow-elbow-wrist-wrist waves. The Queen is always proper. I don’t imagine that she ever slouches around the palace in sweats and old Cyndi Lauper T-shirts.  I love the Queen but the one who really interests me is Prince Philip. Don’t you know that behind that proper bearing is a man who would much rather be wearing wellies and riding to the hounds? He is the Queen’s sworn liege of life and limb. He appears to walk quietly beside her and support her in her role. I don’t mean to imply that I think he’s a wimp, far from it. I think he is quite capable of taking a stand.  ” Now Queen Bee, do you really think we need another corgi?”

          I visited Victory Hill Farm in Scottsbluff last week. They have a wonderful dairy set under massive, shady old cottonwoods. Their cheese-making facility is state of the art and includes, down deep under the barn, a cheese cave filled with round pillows of goat gouda. The smell is deep and rich. I asked my host who had built this wonder and not surprisingly it was her husband and father.

          That got me to thinking about all the men who walk beside us as we sail forth “chin in the wind” following our passions.  I thought about the men in my family who pitch in even when they would rather be doing something (anything!) else. They are not always husbands but sometimes fathers, sons, brothers and friends. At times it can take all of the above! They hammer and saw, fix the plumbing, dig the holes, hold our hands and our hearts. They watch the children when we leave and eat saltines and tuna when we forget to cook dinner. Every once in a while though they say “Now Queen Bee, do you really think…?”

Happy Father’s Day.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Nuts, and Victory Hill Feta

½ lb. fresh spinach rinsed and dried                  

1 to 11/2 cups sliced strawberries

½ c pecans or walnut halves

3-4 oz. crumbled Victory Hill Feta

2T balsamic or fruit vinegar

½ T shallot

1 T honey

1t. fresh thyme leaves

1/8 t dry mustard

¼ c olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss spinach with sliced strawberries, nuts and cheese in a large salad bowl. Combine the vinegar, shallot, honey, thyme and mustard in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the oil, salt and pepper and blend for another 30 seconds. Drizzle over the salad and toss until the leaves are coated. Serve immediately.