Pantry and freezer food for instant hospitality

Since last weekend's day of impromptu hospitality, I've been thinking of ways I can be ready to invite someone to my home on the spur of the moment. What kinds of food lend themselves to quick preparation without a lot of fuss?

I already figured out that I can serve some variation on burritos or quesadillas at a moment's notice. But there must be other things.

Some people always have sandwich fixings around, but other than tuna that doesn't work so well for me. We don't eat enough cold cuts that we can keep a large quantity around without them going bad, and I don't think they freeze well. Lettuce, tomato and other perishables are not always to be found in my house either. I could be out of bread (though usually have a loaf of French bread in the freezer).

There are always hamburgers and usually hot dogs or sausages in the freezer, though. Burgers can be grilled from their frozen state; dogs or sausages can be quickly defrosted in the microwave or boiling water before being thrown on the grill. Buns can be a problem. But even the most impromptu invitation usually allows for someone to run into a grocery store for a bag of buns. We have all the jars of condiments ready to go in the fridge. Lettuce and tomato? Most people are OK with skipping those, I think, though if we're running into the store for buns I guess it's a quick trip to the produce aisle to get those. But now we're getting complicated again.

Pasta and sauce in a jar should be in every pantry. Vegetables or meat can be added if available.

There are decent soups to be had in cans or aseptic cartons. We like Pacific brand Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato. Of course if I really had it together I would make huge batches of soup and freeze them. Tuna doesn't have to be reserved for sandwiches; a tuna pasta or casserole is quick and filling, even if it's not everyone's idea of company food.

The other night I had planned grilled sandwiches for my family. I had some boneless chicken which I sliced and sauteed in a little olive oil. Of course I had cheese, and had bought some hoagie* rolls for the meal. I brought a small container of pesto out of the freezer. Put the sandwiches together and on the griddle and dinner was ready in a few minutes. Everyone in my house likes those sandwiches. Except for the bread I had everything on hand. Leftover chicken - if there had been any - could have gone into the freezer to be ready for another meal. If I didn't have rolls, I could have used just about any plain bread. This would also have made a nice pasta dish.

*I live near Philadelphia so it's a hoagie roll. It could also be a sub roll, a steak roll, or just a bread roll. Not quite a hotdog bun, crustier and bigger to accommodate a bigger portion of filling.

See how that goes? There are lots of things we can keep around, and ideas we can keep in our heads or in a recipe notebook so we can be ready for guests anytime.

What kinds of things are always available to eat in your house?

This is hospitality, Part Two

Today as I've gone about my morning business I've been pondering the hospitality that was showered upon my family this weekend. I decided to think of all the reasons impromptu hospitality was easier for that woman than it is for me.

1. She has a big house; my house is tiny.

This is true. But everyone pretty much stayed in two places: the kitchen and the dining room. Some of us went to the front porch for a while. But mostly we were in those two rooms all the time. The rest of the large house was empty.

2. Her dining room table can seat 12 people; my kitchen table can seat just 6, or maybe 8 if some are little.

True again. But I have a couch and chairs and side tables and folding tables so we could - and have - fit more than 12 in the living room.

3. She has a covered porch; I just have a deck.

Contrary to what I want to believe, a covered porch is not a necessity of life, or of hospitality.

4. She had food; I never have food.

It is true that she somehow serendipitously had a lot of food available: leftover pork chops, some cooked (unfrozen) shrimp, fresh salad makings. Not everyone is going to have that. But will most people have a box of pasta, tomatoes in some form, some cheese? Is there fruit around? I've been served canned peaches at someone's home, and enjoyed it. Why do I feel that's not good enough to serve at my house?

I thought about what I could have offered. I have a lot of meat in the freezer, but most meat takes a long time to defrost. But a pound of ground beef can be defrosted and browned quickly. Hm, there's almost always some frozen cooked chicken or pork or even steak to be found. Tortillas (corn and flour) are a staple in my fridge, and here in Chez Fromage there is always cheese. I never allow myself to run out of canned refried beans. Most of the time there is salsa, but not always chips.... corn tortillas can be cut up and baked in 10 minutes or so to make chips. I have onions and, usually, red bell peppers in either the freezer or the fridge. Those can be quickly sauteed.

Sounds like a Mexican fiesta, doesn't it?

Dessert? There's usually ice cream. Frozen blueberries all year long. Oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, flour... sounds like blueberry crisp. We're good to go.

Here's the other thing about food: I truly believe that when hospitality is offered from the heart, and not out of a feeling of obligation, God will provide the food. I've seen it happen many times. I've seen it happen in my own home, but I always choose to forget that. It is not a coincidence.

5. Here is the big one: her house was neat. Mine is not.

Well. What can we do about that? I will note that I was not given a house tour and did not see the "private" areas of the house. Maybe all the piles of books and papers were upstairs. I'll assume that they were; it makes me feel better.

So, now I've knocked down all the excuses I can come up with. What are yours?

This is hospitality, Part One

Today the seminarian had the opportunity to preach for a vacationing pastor at a church about an hour away from home. He was preaching for both morning and evening services: 11 am and 6 pm. This presents a small problem: what to do during those hours? It's a little far to come home and go back. But we didn't know anyone at the church.

There was some vague talk of hanging out at the home of one of the church members. It involved lunch, and swimming. I wasn't too thrilled about this; the kids were petrified at the prospect. But, we packed up swimming things, a change of clothing, some books and games, a box of truffles for a hostess gift, and the address of the local Barnes and Noble, just in case.

The service went well and everyone in the tiny congregation was friendly. But the lunch/swim/hangout plan was not working out. Then I noticed a woman talking rather excitedly to the seminarian and heard her say, "you just come on. We'll make it work!" The kids and I were introduced to her; she commented that she had no idea what she was going to feed us but to come on. Next thing I knew we were in the car following the family (husband, wife, college-student son) home.

I gave the kids a pep talk: be polite, eat what they offer, don't roll your eyes at me to signal you're ready to go, remember it's just a few hours....

We arrived and were immediately offered lemonade and a job to do for lunch prep. We were enveloped in warmth and hospitality. The family was very comfortable. So were we (mostly).

And this is where the story of the loaves and fishes comes in.

Our hostess happened to find a big plate of leftover pork chops in the fridge. She also found some shrimp which she sauteed with zucchini and tossed with herbs, spices, and angel hair pasta. She handed me a knife and some tomatoes and cukes for a salad. Another couple from the church came in - she must have called them while on the way home - with two big containers of spaghetti and meatballs. They had been destined for the church's monthly service at a retirement home which had, coincidentally, been canceled at the last minute. A packaged angel food cake was pulled out of the freezer. Berries were washed, and leftover pudding was discovered. I sent my girl out to the car to bring out the hostess gift to add to the dessert. Just as the food was about to be ready, another couple trooped in with chips, salsa, and pies.

Within minutes we were sitting down to a feast. An impromptu, potluck feast.

There were no kids except mine, which is always difficult. My kids are pretty comfortable around adults, but adult talk can get pretty boring. But the conversations were great. We talked about someone's visit to Chincoteague Island to see the wild ponies. About a serviceman's experiences using C4 to heat up c-rations. There was an Eagle Scout at the table so of course we talked Scouts. People asked us about Oregon.

During the lull between lunch and dessert a huge thunderstorm kicked up. We went out to the huge covered porch and I sat in a swing watching the storm and talking classical education with a young, new teacher while my girl drowsed in my lap. The men and boy were talking about homemade blow guns.

Then we went in and sat back down with pie, trifle, and hot coffee. The truffles were sent back home with me because "the kids will need them in the car." I also left with a bag of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers that one of the guests brought from his garden.

Then we went back to church. After the service there were hugs all around, and thanks, and it felt like we were all good friends.

That is what real hospitality looks like: someone ready to invite people into her home at a moment's notice, confident that she can provide something for them. When I told her that if I had attempted the same thing we'd all be eating peanut butter sandwiches on hot dog buns, she laughed and said that could have been what she had today. Somehow I doubt that.

It was a wonderful day.

Hospitality doesn't have to be hard work

Couple of people here last night expressed amazement that we did not cancel the picnic because of the rain. I figured, we had the food, people had prepared food, kids were planning on seeing their friends. Why would we cancel?

This was probably the easiest big gathering I've ever had. We had a bunch of hot dogs and frozen hamburgers - yes, the frozen patties sold at Costco. We had bread products for them, and condiments. Everyone else was bringing the rest.

This was a true pot-luck - people were asked to bring a side dish or dessert, and something to drink. It wasn't coordinated to be sure there were ample salads, fruit, and brownies. I had a big bag of salad greens in the fridge in case no one brought salad, but you know, we could have gone one meal without a major veggie. There were tomatoes, lettuce, and onions for the burgers anyway; they count, you know? People brought:

cherries
watermelon
macaroni and cheese
green salad
potato salad
white bean dip with tortilla chips
blueberry bread
brownies
fancy chocolates

Nice, well-rounded meal, eh? As for drinks.... oh, I loved having people bring drinks. I never think of drinks since I mostly drink water and why should anyone want anything else, right? Well we had regular iced tea, raspberry iced tea, root beer, limeade, coke. We did make coffee afterward.

I had a foldup table in the kitchen (where an island might go someday) for all the side dishes. It was tight going around it, but it worked. Next time I won't bother, but will just push the kitchen table against the wall, remove the chairs, and use that for serving. No one ate at it anyway.
People either hung around outside by the grill (those would be your hungry seminary students) or crammed into the living room on the couch and folding chairs. Once it started really raining, everyone had eaten and folks were standing around in small groups talking.

There was a time when I made all sorts of excuses for not inviting people over: yard too messy, house too unfinished, too much work, house too small. Bah. Those really are just excuses. What are yours?

Church picnic in my backyard tonight...

and 90% chance of heavy rain.

So far only about 40 people have said they are coming for sure. But I know from experience I'll get calls later today asking "is it too late to rsvp?"

I figure I have semi-comfortable indoor seating for 25. Should be interesting!

Update: Did I say 25? I meant 20. Forecast now saying just 80% chance rain.

Update #2: According to the radar, the storm looks like it's moving away from us. Someone is bringing a spare foldup table. Oh, the count now is 15 for-sure adults, 4 maybe adults, 3 teens, and 11 kids aged 11 and under. So that's only 33. No problem.

It's that 11 under 11 that scares me.

Final Update: The last of the 31 people left at 9:30. (OK, that's not very late but remember most of the people have young kids.) The rain came and went; there was enough time for the kids to burn off some energy (or maybe get more energized) outside before they had to come in. The griller did not get too wet. It was a bit tight in the house, but no one seemed to mind. All the food was good. The thunder and lightning started in earnest as people were leaving. My boy made a connection with a boy from church that he'd never really talked to much before.

Events like this are so much fun. The food doesn't really matter (though having good desserts always help); the size or condition of the house don't either. It was noisy and hard to move around the kitchen - because even though it's a tiny kitchen people will hang out there. There were some bad spills, but that's why I buy cheap tablecloths. The kids ate too many brownies and not enough salad, but there's always tomorrow to be nutritionally correct. Well, maybe the day after, when the leftovers are all gone.