In the “small world” file… it seems to get smaller every day. But our community is the opposite: expanding even within the circle we didn’t even know existed!

Last week, our friend Tom brought a friend along to potluck – Dayle, a fellow vegetarian and Italophile. They arrived early, and the only other person here was Christine. Dayle asked how we knew each other, and Christine told her we had met in Italian class. Dayle: “oh, how fun, and where are you taking lessons?” Christine & I: At Italiano Language Center. Dayle, very excitedly: “Anch’io!” (Translation? “Me, too!”) The next people to arrive are Al & his wife Elena, who run the school! Now, the Italiano Language Center isn’t what you’d call large. But the fact that a fellow student (turns out she’s a former student) found her way to our little gathering through totally different channels is kind of freaky! But it gets better…

At a dinner party on Saturday evening, Dayle happens to mention to the guy seated next to her that she went to a vegetarian potluck on Monday, and is planning to come again, and the guy says, “At Victor and LaRue’s?” Alan, another friend of a friend, used to come pretty regularly, but just got out of the habit. So he also came tonight, and brought his friend, Chris. But wait, there’s more!!!

Meanwhile, yesterday, Tom happens to be talking to a long-time friend, and mentions the potluck and says she should come with him. That friend, Cindy, works at the Alliance with Victor!!! She’s been meaning to come, so finally makes it here with Tom.

We just love how small the world is, and how it brings us all together!

And what a feast we had! The common element in several was the fresh corn. ‘Tis the season!

• Christine made a lovely black bean & corn salad
• Alan brought his famous Tom Kha veggie soup! (& Chris)
• Sam prepared an amazing cabbage salad and a corn pudding/ cake
• Tana made a fantastic quinoa / black rice salad dish
• Tom brought a pair of salads from Whole Foods: kale and apple
• Dayle made a salad of fresh arugula with tomatoes, polenta, and portabellas!
• Victor and I made a tomato / peach salad, and a vegan “too good to be true” summer corn chowder, with accompaniments of some fresh corn soaked in lime juice, ancho chili, and a touch of casablanca ragout, and some padron peppers.
• And for dessert, Wayne brought an astonishingly good  homemade apple / cherry cobbler and a dollop of vanilla ice cream; Kile brought yummy vegan cookie assortment, and Sam made some of his dark chocolate-coated ginger.
  

  Tom Kha veggie and Summer corn chowde

Dessert!