One of the major pluses of having your wedding anniversary on July 1 is that the anniversary celebration effortlessly transitions into the 4th of July holiday. Our anniversary is a re-commitment to family; the 4th is a re-commitment to nation.

Anne and I have celebrated some memorable 4ths. We grooved to the Good Vibrations of the Beach Boys along with 500,000 other folks on the National Mall. We watched fireworks at a party on top of the Interior Department Building. The brilliant bursts of color exploded directly above us, high in the night air. There have been concerts and backyard parties; neighborhood get-togethers and seafood at the beach. Of all the ways and all the places, few have been as much fun and relaxing as this one.

In case you haven’t noticed, there appear to be more tourists in the area this year than in the recent past. Anne and I have been playing tourist in our own backyard. Friday, we drove to Heartwood, the new Appalachian cultural center located off I-81, exit 14 near Abingdon. This is a special place, and I look forward to returning to it again and again. The Grand Opening takes place July 16 – July 23 with different activities and entertainment each day. I’ll have a more in-depth post after the 28th of this month. I’m trailing the chefs in the kitchen that day and may do a little cooking.

After Heartwood, we headed toward Damascus on Rt. 58. Damascus, Virginia, bills itself as Trail Town, USA, and well it should. Seven different trails crisscross this charming little village. We stopped for a nice lunch at the Whistle Pig Cafe. We both had the the chilled gazpacho and the fried green tomato sandwich on wheat roll with fresh sprouts. They were both unique and delicious. We split a slice of excellent key lime cheesecake for dessert. Would that the service was as good as the food.

After lunch, we took a leisurely drive on Rt. 58 toward White Top, paralleling the Virginia Creeper Trail for part of the way. The scenery this time of year is beautiful. The mountain laurel is in full bloom and the rock formations can be breath-taking. A boulder-filled stream rushes beside the road in spots. State signs alert you to the areas that have been stocked with trout. The laughter of families riding the trail on bicycles filtered through the trees at some of the places we stopped. The excited children sound like birds chirping.

With the afternoon starting to draw to a close, we drove over White Top and picked up I-81 in Chillhowie. We made it back to our place in the world in time to have a glass of wine with the neighbors.

Saturday was spent at the Farmers Market and chilling at home. Sunday I did some cooking. Anne had bought some gorgeous organic cauliflower at the Market, and I roasted part of it and did a puree with the rest. Tonight, weather allowing, we’re going to town to dance to the music of the Embers and watch the fireworks.

Happy 4th of July, y’all!

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pureed cauliflower recipe

Wash cauliflower in cold running water and separate into florets. Drop the florets into rapidly boiling, salted water. Cook for seven minutes and drain. Spread the florets out on a baking sheet and dry in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for five minutes. Transfer the florets to a blender and puree with heavy cream, butter, and grated gruyere cheese ( Two parts cream, one part butter, one parted grated cheese melted together in a small sauce pan.) Blend to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste. May be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave. Will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for a week.