Voices of Valley Women

Writing by and about Women living in the Shenandoah Valley

The Front Royal Women's Resource Center invites and encourages area women to be creative and publishes their original writings in the bi–monthly newsletter‚ The Weaver. Add your voice to our writer’s forum and send us your original writings. We publish original writing in this newsletter and also plan on posting them on our web site. We might even create them into a book when we get enough!

Writing can be in any genre (poetry‚ fiction‚ non–fiction‚ letter‚ essay)‚ must be original‚ never published and should not exceed 500 words. Send all writings to FRWRC‚ P.O. Box 1748‚ Front Royal‚ VA 22630 or email document to joellen@shentel.net. Deadline for newsletter is the last Monday of the month.

May/June 2012

For Mary Ellen

For two nights now I have dreamed of you –
of long empty halls, echoing rooms, one table holding
the picked over and discarded remains of your living.
Our lives, so full of the business of days, moved on
until we arrived here, with only your empty chair
and the hollow sound of a door closing.
Now I am left with tears and heartache, realizing
too late that you have gone and will not return.

Then, oh joy! Another dream –
neighbors and friends gather to honor you.
We present to you a gift – a flowing coat
of silver fur, a coat to warm and protect you,
a coat to match the radiant crown shining above
your own splendid face. Like the brief glimpse
of fox racing through green meadows, you came
into our lives flashing here, then over there,
only to disappear as quickly as you appeared.

We wrap you in our arms for your new journey,
give you a necklace of roses, a red garnet to light your way.
My dear friend, you are gone now but never forgotten.
In everything before me I see your hand. I see
The good works, the changed lives, the beauty
and life you always created around you. You took
your sun but left so many gifts scattered in your wake.
For now I say, adieu my friend, until we meet again.

Delectable Recipe

Cream of Asparagus Soup

This soup tastes purely and simply of asparagus and is a good way to use the thick and woody asparagus that appears late in the season. The soup is fabulous cold, but it's also pretty wonderful hot. Make plenty and you can have it both ways.

4 cups chopped yellow onions, about 4 large onions
8 T. (1 stick) sweet butter
2 quarts chicken stock
2 pounds asparagus
½ cup heavy cream or buttermilk (for cold soup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot and simmer the onions until very soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Stir often.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil
Meanwhile, trim the tips from the asparagus and reserve. Cut about 1 inch from the butt ends of the asparagus. Chop spears into ½ inch pieces and drop into the boiling chicken stock, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes or until asparagus is very soft.
Puree the soup with a stick blender in the pot (easiest) or transfer to a blender. Add reserved asparagus tips and simmer until they are tender but still firm. If serving the soup hot, season with salt and pepper and serve.
If serving the soup cold, remove from heat, cool, stir in the cream or buttermilk, and refrigerate covered. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve very cold. 8 to 10 portions.

Recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

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March/April 2012

Two Haiku

Spring. First snowdrops seen
January 28th.
Crocuses bloom next.

____________

Your warm smile does not
reconcile with your church’s
condemnation.

Our laughter belies
the fatwa, discredited
by friendship. Love rules.

Delectable Recipe of the Month

“Killer” Recipe

This recipe is from the book‚ Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley that the FRWRC will feature at the Samuels Library Taste for Books event. We have not tried it out but supposedly it is “to die for.”

Milla’s Vegetable Paella

4 T. olive oil‚ divided
1 large onion‚ chopped
8 cloves garlic‚ minced
2 cups long-grain brown rice
4 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. tomatoes‚ coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper‚ chopped
1 medium green bell pepper‚ chopped
1 small eggplant‚ cubed
1 medium zucchini‚ cubed
½ cup sliced black olives
1 tsp. saffron
1tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In a large saucepan‚ heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the onion over a medium heat‚ stirring until translucent. Add the vegetable stock‚ rice and saffron. Bring to a boil‚ reduce heat to simmer and cook‚ covered‚ for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. While the rice is cooking‚ heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan and add chopped garlic‚ red pepper‚ green pepper‚ eggplant‚ zucchini‚ olives‚ sea salt‚ and pepper. Sauté until the peppers are tender. Gently stir the tomatoes and the rice mixture into vegetables. Transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. (You can substitute vegetables not to your liking with ½ c. sliced mushrooms‚ a carrot‚ a celery stalk‚ or a cup of frozen peas.)

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January/February 2012

Disrobing

Today let’s come to an agreement.
Today‚ for a few hours‚ let us leave behind
our costumes and our trappings; let us
lock them in the closet and throw away the key.

You can put down your crusader’s shield‚
your banner and your cross. Your horse and
sword arm must be tired. The chainmail can
be oppressive in these warmer days.

I will rise up from my knees. I will
take off my wimple and my veil. I’ll
drop the scapular‚ the tunic and the book
and repent my sins another day.

Let us meet naked and soft‚ our bodies
vulnerable and free. Let us join hands and
walk together through the door into this
newly shining day‚ open and waiting.

Delectable Recipe of the Month

It’s winter and nothing tastes better that a delicious soup or stew. This recipe was served at 4 & 20 Blackbirds many years ago and was from a cookbook by Joanne Weir‚ From Tapas to Meze. Mussels can be substituted for the clams.

Ragout of Clams‚ Sausage‚ and Garlic Confit a la Provencal

¼ pound spicy pork sausage‚ pricked with a fork
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion‚ thinly sliced
½ cup whole large garlic cloves‚ peeled
½ chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine (sauvignon Blanc)
5 medium tomatoes‚ peeled‚ seeded and chopped‚
(or 2 cups Italian plum tomatoes‚ drained and chopped)
2 pound clams‚ washed well
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
Crusty bread

Heat ¼ cup water in a skillet and cook the sausage‚ uncovered‚ 5-7 minutes. Remove and slice the sausage on the diagonal into ½ inch thick slices. Reserve.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté‚ uncovered‚ until the onions are soft (8 minutes). Add the chicken stock‚ cover‚ simmer slowly for 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer‚ uncovered‚ until the liquid has reduced by one-half (8-10 min). Add the tomatoes‚ cover and simmer until the garlic is soft (8-10 minutes). Add the clams‚ increase the heat to medium‚ cover and cook until the clams open (3-4 min). Simmer‚ uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly (5 min). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the ragout on a serving platter or tureen. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Serves 6

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