Labor Day Recipes, by request

We had a last hurrah, labor day celebration at our little beach house this weekend where five families came and joined in for everything from a trip to the beach to volleyball to croquet. Four of the families pitched tents in our yard and stayed the night. What fun we had!

Here is the "grown-up" table.

L-R: Jon, Ann, Jacob, Michelle, Vivan, Carl, Sue, Dave, Kara and Victor (being a goof in front of the camera, as usual)

What are we eating you may ask . . . well, everyone contributed to the meal -- potluck style.

One of the things I made was pulled pork sandwiches. Here is the recipe, by request:

• 2 lbs pork (I've used everything from pork butt, to pork tenderloin, to stew pork)
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 2/3 C vinegar
• 2/3 C water
• 3/4 t garlic salt
• 3/4 t celery salt

Mix all of the ingredients besides the pork, then pour over the pork in a oven safe casserole.

Cover tightly with tinfoil, then put in a 350-325 degree oven for 3 hours.

When it comes out, drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce over the top and pull the pork apart with a fork, or smash with a potato masher. Serve with BBQ sauce, Mayo, Bread and Butter Pickles and hamburger buns. This is so easy, and everyone loves it. Yumola!

Chillin' by the campfire, s'mores consumed, kids tucked in.

Here we are enjoying a hide away beach . . .

beautiful!

When we returned from the beach, we enjoyed a late lunch one part of which was a new pasta salad that my husband Victor is in love with. He OOoooos and Aaaahhhhhs when I make it.

Here is the recipe for Late Summertime Pasta Salad:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small head of garlic -- the whole thing, peeled and minced
• 1 1/2 t kosher or sea salt
• red pepper flakes, to taste -- about 1/4 teaspoon.
• 1/4 cup toasted or roasted pine nuts.
• 2 boxes of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• big bunch of arugula, just barely chopped, for easy eating.
• big bunch of fresh basil, slightly chopped.
• lots of freshly grated parmesean cheese
• 1 lb. pasta, we used penne, but you could use any shape.
• 1 T salt, for the pasta water.
• Reserve about one cup of pasta water when the pasta is done cooking.

Put water on to boil for your pasta, salt it. Put 1/4 C olive oil in a deep saute pan, on medium low heat. Put crushed garlic, salt and red pepper flakes into the pan. Stir occasionally, until garlic is soft. When the water is boiling, put in your pasta. Turn up the heat to medium high on the pan with the olive oil and put the cut tomatoes into the pan, stirring occasionally. When your pasta is done, pour a ladle-full of hot pasta water into the other pan with the olive oil, garlic and tomatoes -- stir. Drain your pasta and dump it into the other pan, or vise versa. Add in the arugula, basil and pine nuts to the hot pasta mixture. Toss and mix. You will see that the basil and arugula wilt. This is good! Add in about a cup of freshly grated parmesean cheese and toss. Serve immediately, or at room temperature. Yum. Yum. Yum.