Burning Man

My husband  and our best friend Glen went to Burning Man a couple of years ago.  I haven't been and am not drawn to spend a week in the desert heat and sand.  Especially when the wind kicks up and the creates a sand whiteout for hours at a time.  But I am fascinated by many aspects.  The art installations are phenomenal.  By any standards.  But particularly when you figure they are in the middle of the desert.  I am fascinated by the spirit of the Burners. They are generous.  They gift one another with food, drink, supplies and, most importantly, their spirit.  I am fascinated by the "leave no trace" practices.  That 50,000+ people trek into the flatlands, throw up a medium sized town, and leave no evidence of it as they depart takes a special dedication.

Since that first trip my husband has not been back, but Glen and more and more of his friends and family have.  Now that we live in Sparks they use my house as base camp.  They come and eat, sleep, shower, and best of all, visit into the wee hours. This year they came from Oregon, California, Alaska, Washington and Minnesota, a hodgepodge of friends, family and acquaintances that bond over a meal and bottle of wine.

And you know me...I'm all about the food.  The Burners have to plot and plan carefully for a week of meals.
The Black Rock Desert sand gets into everything and it is hot - is a desert after all! - so refrigerables can present an problem.  Glen prepares and freezes food well in advance and uses those frozen goods to keep  the other groceries cool.  They peel fruit to minimize waste.  Hydration is critical so calculating quantities of beverages for each Burner is of the utmost importance.  Especially the Dread Pirate Lee's Scurvy Prevention Tonic - desert scurvy can strike down even the best prepared Burner!

I have a small  hand in that food preparation and packing.  My happiest food moments come before they leave for the playa.  I love the loud dinners around the dining table.  This year's feast was Caesar salad, rosemary chicken skewers, veggie skewers, pasta salad and homemade apple pie.  It was delicious and great company only made it better.

If you like pasta salad you'll love this recipe that I got from my brother Phil.  Particularly if you want a side dish that will brighten up your plate:

Pasta:
24 oz tri colored noodles, cooked and drained
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 red/yellow/green pepper
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Dissolve dressing ingredients over medium heat. Pour over pasta mixture.  Refrigerate.  Serve cold.

My friends have left for the desert and I'm left sitting in my quiet house.  Not sad that they've left, but excited that they'll pass through again in a week on their journey home.  Already planning what I'll feed the weary travelers!

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