All That Remains

The tender meat of the spot prawn was delicious and only the shell remained. The clams steamed in white wine tasted wonderful but only the bit of shell is left. The pits of the salty Moroccan olives join the shells on the plate. Just the inedible and indigestible bits remain from our evening dinner.

And yet, the taste of the grilled prawns that were tossed with olive oil, garlic and a bit of smoked paprika still lingers in my mouth. I can still remember the strong fragrance as I lifted the lid of the pot of the cooked clams - the blend of white wine, clam juice and the colours of the fresh picked and chopped parsley and the red tomato pieces. The feel of the prawns in my hands as I try to remove the hard shell and not tear the tasty flesh so I can savour its flavour. Pieces of saffron rice cling to the prawns and clams and I taste that beautiful exotic flavour of the saffron and turmeric. My eyes take in the strong vibrant colours those spices have infused into it. The spicy zing of the chorizo sausage pops in my mouth until it is relieved with the lovely taste of the red wine that accompanied the meal.

All that remains on the plate are the things I cannot consume or enjoy. What is left does not begin to let you know how richly I enjoyed the meal of leftovers. Nor does it tell you how wonderful it was to enjoy the evening before as we had our first deck party this summer and had the new teak table surrounded with friends as we all enjoyed taking what we needed, and wanted, from the platters filled with saffron rice, roast chicken thighs, sliced chorizo, steamed clams, grilled prawns and grilled salmon fillet. We all had messy fingers from peeling the prawns! There was a heap of empty shells at the end of the evening. All this was followed by the tiramisu, a fresh fruit pie and the traditional summer strawberries and sponge cake with fresh cream that my husband makes.

Yet the greater percentage of what remains from the evening meal is not visible. There are tastes that linger in your mouth, conversations that percolate in your heart, nurturing that happens as our body processes what we have eaten, aromas that will be awakened again in our memory. The food nurtured our bodies as we ate, the sense of community, the hope and deep sense of contentment nurtures much deeper within my soul - these are the things I can name that will linger, that will remain. There were two delightful children who were part of our evening on the deck. After dinner I came upon one of them lying on the floor beside our frail 22 year old cat, Astrophe, and this old feline was luxuriating in the tender touch of the little one lying beside her., giving her gentle love. Later, on the bocce ball court, a game was taking place and the squeals of delight from the little one and cheers from the adult players enjoying their game floated through the trees up to the deck.

Like our breath being inhaled and then exhaled, this rhythm of life, the season of gathering to feast together in the warm summer air seemed so natural and life giving. This life giving rhythm offers us flavours and scents that weave memories within us. Patterns continue to be woven in the threads of our being and indeed this is what remains and will linger on long after the prawn shells, olive pits and clam shells have been discarded.

So much more remains!