A recent New York Times headline stated, “We Hate to Break It to You, but Maybe We’re Not That Polarized.” The article, by two social scientists, argued that despite the widespread impression that Americans are at odds with each other, the data show that most of us have a great deal in common.
That argument rang true for me during our modest July 4 celebration at the Hawley Town Office. It was a hot day, so while our valiant firefighters grilled hamburgers and veggie burgers outdoors, the rest of us brought our side dishes, our desserts and our conversation indoors into the soothing air conditioning.
The turnout was excellent for Hawley. According to Suzy Groden of the Sons and Daughters of Hawley, we had at least 50 people — not a bad showing for a town with a population of fewer than 300 souls.
The food was also excellent — not a surprise since Hawley has a number of accomplished cooks — and varied. We had simple dishes (watermelon, the perfect summer food, from Nicole Polier) and more complex ones, from Doris Cooper’s flag cake to Linda Lange’s homemade wine.
We weren’t a homogenous group. At least three of those present had come from other countries. I know we had members of both main political parties (perhaps more) and people of varying ages and incomes. Still, we compatibly shared food, words, and music.
The humanitarian culinary icon José Andrés has a mantra, “Longer tables, not higher walls.”
Andrés argues that “we are not Democrats or Republicans, Americans or immigrants, meat eaters or vegans. We are truly the people of the world, who cook and eat and drink together.” Hawleyites are clearly people of the world.
After we bonded by breaking bread as a group, we enjoyed a short informal program. Historian and Hawleyite John Sears read some of the correspondence of Joseph Hawley, the 18th-century lawyer and politician after whom our town was named.
A resident of Northampton, Hawley influenced John Adams and Patrick Henry with his thoughtful meditations on the possibility of revolution.
Next, everyone in the room recited a portion of the Declaration of Independence, which I had printed out in a mercifully large font so that it was easy to pass around and read. Each adult took charge of a paragraph or two.
Reading the Declaration as a group was particularly meaningful and helped us hear its words in a new, inclusive context.
Finally, because I feel about music the way José Andrés feels about food—that sharing it binds people together, whether they do it well or not — we sang a couple of songs together.
I don’t want to exaggerate the ways in which our Independence Day celebration brought the town together. I did feel a spirit in the room that spoke of community, however. And community is something I firmly believe we need to continue to build in this town, this state, this nation, and this world.
Naturally, I was determined to bring home a recipe from our July 4 shindig. I had lots of choices. I finally settled on a concoction that was previously unknown to me, although it has apparently been a staple of American picnics and potlucks for some time: Dill Pickle Salad.
I loved the way the sour pickle flavor infused this pasta salad, giving the pasta (which is, let’s face it, not always particularly exciting in personality) zing and crunch.
Serra Root contributed this dish. Serra was at first reluctant to share her recipe, noting that it wasn’t exact and that she might have varied it for the occasion.
I told her that recipes that provide guidelines instead of rigid formulas are among my favorites. I love to play with recipes, and being given permission to do so makes me happy.
So here is a recipe for you to adapt from Serra. Make your own dressing mix, add some sweet pickles or some onion, throw in lots of additional herbs, take out the bacon for vegetarians, and so forth. In short, make this salad your own.
I send my thanks to Serra not just for the recipe but also for her kindness and dexterity in leaping into clean-up action when the vinaigrette I brought for my simple green salad fell on the floor of the Town Office.
Her cheerful work mopping up the mess gave me time to zip home and make more dressing. It also spared me the embarrassment of showing the entire community how long it takes me to pull myself up if I kneel down on the floor.
I should note that Serra chopped up most of the ingredients in her salad quite finely. That careful chopping gave every bite a variety of flavors and textures.
Serra’s Dill-Pickle Salad
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled (Serra used tricolor rotini)
2 cups chopped dill pickles
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar, cut into small cubes
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup pickle juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions:
In a large bowl combine the pasta, the pickles, the bacon, and the cheese. Whisk together the mayonnaise, the sour cream, the dressing mix and the pickle juice to make a dressing.
Add the dressing to the pasta mixture, and stir thoroughly. Top with the dill. Cover the salad, and let it chill for several hours or even overnight; sitting helps the flavors meld.
Serve within 3 to 4 days. Serves a crowd.
Tinky Weisblat is an award-winning cookbook author and singer known as the Diva of Deliciousness. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com