The Bard and the Phil

Possibly because Mother N. sent so much chill and rain in May, these outdoor events were greeted with special delight.

Much Ado in Rehearsal

On Tuesday, June 3, The Public Theater’s Mobil Unit presented Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in front of the downtown side of the NY Public Library. The work was completely bilingual and even though my Spanish is limited (an understatement) every word needed to follow was clear (although there were some Spanish idioms that brought guffaws from those in the know.) The cast was terrific, the added music and dancing inspired and the minimal set worked well. Even the passing traffic on Fifth Avenue wasn’t terribly annoying.

Wednesday night brought the NY Philharmonic to Central Park’s Great Lawn. I’ve been there for many years and never saw the space so crowded.  A friend and I dined on crudities, fried chicken and cole slaw followed by cherries and biscotti.  Gustave Dudamel, about to become the orchestra’s director,  conducted works by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and soloists Arturo Sandoval and Gonzalo Grau.  A half-moon hung in the sky and the only thing that gave me less than total enjoyment was the absence of a chair—entirely my fault.

Among the many pleasures of living in New York are first class experiences like these—free in the bargain. I don’t want to rant but issues with the possible cessation of funding for arts organizations makes me furious. I bet I’m not alone.

I won’t suggest anyone make fried chicken, a messy undertaking, calories be damned. Instead here’s a recipe for a slightly unusual sandwich that improves as it sits.

Tomato Basil and Artichoke Sandwich – courtesy Love and Lemons, Jeanine Donofrio

Basil-Edamame Spread: (this makes extra)

• 1½ cups edamame
• ¼ cup basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions
• ½ small garlic clove (or not)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

for the sandwiches:

• 1 large baguette
• handful of baby salad greens (or arugula)
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced (worth the effort to find and use ripe tomatoes)
• 10 basil leaves
• 10 jarred roasted artichokes, cut into quarters or roughly chopped
• pine nuts, optional

Put edamame, basil, lemon juice, scallions, garlic if using, and sea salt into bowl of  food processor. Pulse until chopped. Add olive oil and blend until smooth. Add up to 3 tablespoons of water to create a smooth, spreadable consistency. Season to taste and chill until ready to use. (Filling can be in advance and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.)

Slice one baguette in half and assemble with the basil-edamame spread, greens, tomatoes, basil, artichokes and pine nuts. Close baguette, wrap in foil and put in the fridge until you’re ready to divide. Slice into 4 servings.

Drink anything from wine to Diet Snapple. Try not to applaud during movements of a symphony, save it for the end. If you want to talk, perhaps just meet your friend and skip the concert. If your dog freaks during fireworks considering keeping him or her at home. Be kind to your neighbors on adjacent blankets; yes, it’s crowded and we all do the best we can with limited space