Almond Pasta Salad & Thoughts on Hospitality
I feel compelled to tell you a story. A story that has absolutely nothing to do with Almond Pasta Salad. A story set on an island somewhere in the Pacific. More specifically, a coffee shop in the sunny South Island city of Nelson, New Zealand.
Once upon a time, I spent 5 days in a row using the free Internet at a coffee shop to launch my husband’s and my new business, Green Pond Creative. One day a man sat down beside me at the large, boardroom style table and proceeded to make an Internet phone call in Spanish. I was bummed to realize how much of my Spanish comprehension I’d lost. Looking up at one point, he switched back to English and asked me the country code for New Zealand (which, in case you were interested, is +64).
Being done with his call, he sat back and surfed the ‘net.
“You have an American accent,” he said, in his own matching accent from the States.
“Yes. And so do you,” I replied with a smile. Most people in New Zealand can tell I’m from North America, but many of them get stuck on the exact whereabouts, often guessing Canada first.
We started chatting. I learned he was from Boston, but he had since married a Chilean woman (hence the phone call in Spanish) and ‘retired’ to New Zealand about 3 years ago. He is an architect who used to teach yoga and is interested in raw food.
When he learned that I was a natural food blogger interested in cooking healthy food and juicing, he invited me over to his house the next day to meet his wife and swap recipes.
Please tell me how often this happens in America. When was the last time you met a complete stranger who then opened up his home to you on a whim?
Oh, that’s right. Never.
Well, we visited Zach & Soriah the next day and had a lovely time learning about their orchard and dehydrator and eating delicious raw snacks made in said dehydrator.
When we left, I was so struck by the incredible amount of hospitality I had just experienced. The connections I had just made with two people on the other side of the world based on nothing but a shared interest in healthy food.
And as a follower of Jesus, I wondered if the Church has lost some of that ‘open house’ mentality. I want to be the kind of person who opens her home to the homeless and shares her food with the hungry. I want to enrich my life as I serve other people who visit me. I want to share my life with someone else. Everyone has a story and everyone has something to offer. Sometimes we just have to say, ‘Do you want to come over tomorrow?’
Perhaps you could share some Almond Pasta Salad with fresh veggies:
Almond Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 package brown rice, buckwheat, or other whole grain pasta 1 green bell pepper, julienne handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 c. sliced almonds 2 tsp. basil olive oil for drizzling sea salt to tasteDirections:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let cool slightly before adding remaining ingredients.
Stir to thoroughly combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
What are your thoughts on hospitality? What has been your experience giving it or receiving it?
This post is linked to Homestead Barn Hop, Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter
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Aug 01, 2011 @ 22:20:20
That is so wonderful! I totally agree that the church (at least in Amereica) has lost the true sense of hospitality. Rather than loving our neighbor, we are fearful and intimidated by strangers. My church has what we call Missional Communities (MC) where we are trying to break out of that habit (think small group but less rigid, yet gospel oriented). Each MC has the goal of ministering and living life with those around them in their part of the city. Some Mc’s (at another church in a different state) have even created community gardens to bless the neighborhood and to create a common space for life to happen naturally together.
Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe! It’s always a good reminder to have open doors and extra space at one’s table.
Aug 02, 2011 @ 00:31:07
What a great idea! Love the idea of intentionally including your neighbors (in a literal sense) in your day to day life. Even better when you can learn about sustainable gardening practices & growing your own food. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Aug 03, 2011 @ 16:50:40
Oh what a fabulous pasta salad!
Aug 04, 2011 @ 19:42:34
I was an exchange student in high school, so I had many generous people open both their homes and the families to me. Some day, I hope to be in a position where I can do the same, but since I in a itty bitty studio, guests are restricted to those who I’m comfortable with seeing my bedroom cum living room cum eat in kitchen!
My father has a tendancy to do the same- invite random people over- as he’s quite gregarious and lives in a small town. I think some of our wariness is also based in gender, though, as women are taught to be somewhat suspicious of both strangers in general and particularly of being alone with a strange man in that sort of informal private setting. It’s sad, to have that sense of fear embedded in your psyche. Is it actually protective or destructive? I don’t know.
Aug 10, 2011 @ 18:16:41
I’m with you Stephanie, I can’t wait to get into a house that is more conducive to having people over :)
I think that wariness about strangers can go both ways. I never would have accepted the invitation had I been alone (and I think that would have been a wise move), but since I had my husband with me, I was really glad to step out of my comfort zone and connect with someone new.
Jul 28, 2012 @ 08:51:00
I love your experience you shared and completely agree with you. I not only love to open my home but my hearts desire is to have regular get togethers where we sing, share, get in the word and eat together but even more so as a group we move out into the community and volunteer or help out neighbors right here in our own backyard. Thank you for sharing.