Volunteering – U.S. Senior Golf Championship – June 2022

Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

June 19 – 26, 2022

Usually, anyone following our Blog will find something food-related. This post is going to buck that tradition. Not only will we skip the subject of food, but Bob is at the keyboard contributing with commentary.

Last Fall I got an email from our cousin in Texas. An avid golfer, he had seen an invitation for volunteers to work the upcoming US Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club and immediately reached out to get my reaction. There was no way I would turn down this opportunity. Saucon Valley CC has three courses ranked in the top 25 of the State of Pennsylvania and is literally two miles from where Mary Ann and I reside.

So, a short while later, he and I were accepted into the volunteer workforce.

The first time SVCC hosted the Senior Open was in 1992. That time, being a novice at the game, I attended an early-round with my oldest daughter. She scored an autograph from the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, after his round (So proud of her!). We also saw Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, and Chi Chi Rodriguez that day. It will always be one of my favorite memories.

In 2000, the Senior Open came back for a second time. While I did not attend the play that year, I do have a very beautiful memento of the event. A friend of mine did security for the tournament and received a printed poster as a token of appreciation for his services. A few years later, not being a devotee of the game, he asked if I would be interested in the poster. I said yes and gladly accepted the print showing Nicklaus, Palmer, Irwin, Kite, and Watson with the SVCC Clubhouse viewed from the 18 the Hole. That print hung in my work office for many years.

“Legends of the Millennium” – The 2000 U.S. Senior Open Championship – Saucon Valley Country Club – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – June 26 – July 2, 2000

So, this year, thirty tears after the first SVCC Senior Open, I went back to see the Seniors again. This time my cousin and I spent four shifts in the Merchandise Tent assisting some of the thousands of visitors to the tournament to gather their own mementos. We worked with 10 to 20 other Volunteers and met Players, Caddies, and fans of all ages, and worked for Interns and Managers from USGA. What a great time we had meeting new friends and greeting the crowd that stopped in the tent.

Once each of our shifts was done, we could then spend time on the course watching the action. On Friday we walked the course looking for as many of the “names” as we could find. Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Vijay Singh, Mark O’Meara, Jay Haas, Rocco Mediate, and Padraig Harrington. And on Saturday, we snagged a spot in the Gallery of the First Tee and watched most of them start their round with drives I could only dream of.

At the end of the day, it looked like Harrington comfortably had the tournament in hand at 11 under and the nearest competitor at 6 under. But Sunday didn’t disappoint. Steve Stricker, Harrington’s opponent Captain at the 2021 Ryder Cup, came from 9 back to challenge the Irishman for the lead. Stricker’s USA team defeated the Europeans in 2021. In the end, Harrington hung on to finish at 10 under with Stricker at 9 under. What an afternoon of golf!

PADRAIG HARRINGTON WINNER 2022 SR. U.S. OPEN

The winner of the event, Padraig Harrington

Lipskys’ Tuna Poke for 4

Poke (Poh-kay)… is a traditional Hawaiian dish made from raw fish (Sashimi-grade ahi tuna or octopus) sliced/ diced into bite-sized pieces and marinated in a sauce. Depending on the portions, it can be served as an appetizer or entree.

Due to proximity, Hawaiian food is influenced at times by Japanese cuisine. Over the years, we have been known to frequent a local Japanese sushi steak house, and we have enjoyed a great poke or two over the years. Tashi, our sushi chef friend, will vouch for it!

So, being devotees of a great poke, we’ve researched recipes and experimented with a few on our own. The result is that we’ve created our own homemade tuna poke and decided we are ready to share.

As with any recipe, the key is to read through the recipe first, organize all of the ingredients and you’re ready to go! You will be amazed how quickly this meal comes together from start to finish. It takes about 20-25 minutes. 

Ingredients

Sriracha Sauce
6 Tablespoons mayonnaise 
3 Tablespoons Sriracha 
3 Tablespoons soy sauce 

Poke Marinade
1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp mirin sweet rice wine
1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 Teaspoons granulated sugar

Poke
1 Pound Sashimi-grade* tuna cut into approximately 1/2″ cubes – we prepare it frozen
2 Avocados (Haas), peeled, pitted, & cut into 1/2″ pieces

Rice
2-3 cups long-grain, white rice, (we use Jasmine), cooked – we serve it warm, or… if you prefer, the traditional Sushi Rice (see pics below**)

Toppings
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
6 Scallions, thinly sliced diagonally 
1/2 Cucumber, seedless, diced small 

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Sriracha & soy sauce; set aside until ready to drizzle on top to serve. Tip: A squirt bottle is a plus for drizzling it!
2. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. I use a metal/ stainless steel bowl to keep the marinade as chilled as possible.
3. Add prepared tuna and avocado to the marinade, toss well & let marinate for approximately five to seven minutes. A longer time is not necessary.
4. Divide the warm cooked rice between wide bowls & add some drained tuna and avocado mixture to each bowl. Discard the remaining marinade. 
5. Drizzle with some Sriracha sauce
6. Top with scallions, cucumbers & sesame seeds.

*Note: Tuna must be sashimi-grade tuna to be eaten raw.  Ask your fishmonger about the grade of your tuna.  We always buy it frozen & cut it while it’s frozen for this recipe. 

**Traditional Sushi Rice – This is the brand that we use for our poke and sushi rolls. For each cup of rice (prior to cooking), we add 2 1/2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1/2 Tablespoon of Sugar, and 1/2 Tablespoon of Salt at the end to season it. We also only use a wooden spoon so we don’t damage the cooked rice. This prevents the rice from having any adverse “reaction” to the vinegar.

Grilling & Chilling – Indoors!

Grilling… So, what do you enjoy most about Grilling?
Cooking outside? Preparing certain foods you love made just on the grill?
Steak? Hamburgers? Chicken? Shrimp? Vegetables?
Cooking as you are surrounded by family and friends who brought their specialties… salads & side dishes?
Is your mouth watering yet? 😂

What do you think of the possibility of grilling indoors? Void of Season & Weather…

Introducing our great indoor grill!
The Stainless Steel Power XL 1500W Smokeless Grill Pro with Griddle Plate

Recently, we indoor grilled filet mignons, did baked potatoes in the convection oven, and added a large Caesar salad topped with shaved parmesan! The filets were deliciously juicy and tender! And the cleanup was quick and easy! The grill disassembles quickly and all components are easily accessible to remove cooking residue.

The next day, the leftover filet was thinly sliced topped with Dijonnaise. Basically, it’s a combination of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon Country Dijon)

For roughly $100 (watch for sales), this grill is a great addition to your cooking equipment, especially if you want to avoid standing out on the deck in the wind and snow or in the garage in order to satisfy that grilled steak craving.

CSA – Supporting Our Farmers – Another great year of organic treasures!

What is CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

There are several ways of supporting farmers in your area. Among these are large farmer’s markets with a variety of vendors, local grocery-style markets with produce from local farms, and small family farm stands found along the road. The CSA farming model, that we discovered over 5 years ago, is one where you purchase a seasonal share (membership) directly from the farmer before the growing season. The share is for a set number of weeks of their harvest of farm-fresh vegetables and/or fruits.

There are different versions of CSAs so you have to do some research and find one that is best for you and your family’s wants and needs. Our present CSA is a Certified Organic Farm and offers 27 weeks of their produce.

The first CSA we got involved with dropped off our weekly “share” of produce at a designated location and time near our home. While the current one we use offers this too, we actually enjoy going to their 18-acre farm, near the base of Blue Mountain, to select our weekly produce in their barn and then participate in their “U-Pick” plots which offer various vegetables, herbs & flowers for us to pick. We enjoy it and always have fun!

Over the years, we have appreciated many benefits of our membership. First and foremost we know the farmer and where our food is coming from. We know it’s organic and free of chemicals on the veggies and in the soil in which it’s grown. An organic farm was important to us as we believe it’s beneficial to our health.

We also think the freshly picked produce is more nutritious and tastes better to us. In addition to this, we’ve enjoyed adding more vegetables and fruits to our diet, learning about vegetables not in our usual routine (like garlic scapes, purple dragon tongue beans & edamame!).

All in all, we understand we are supporting local farmers and small farms in our area and we particularly enjoy providing first-hand farming experiences for our grandchildren. It has been truly enjoyable to watch the boys select tomatoes, peppers, snap peas. and sunflowers directly from the plant. (BTW – a quart container for collecting also makes a great hat on a sunny day.)

How do I find a CSA near me?

You can find a CSA near you by searching the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Marketing Service site and entering your zip code in the CSA area. It’s a great way to add to your healthy living lifestyle and some nature-loving, “farm” beauty, fresh air and sun to your day!

Some wonderful examples of produce we have received through our local CSA:

We are looking forward to another year at The Good Farm with Aimee and John Good & Heidi, of course! We appreciate all that you do…your dedication and hard work!

Another local farm we support and enjoy along the way home from our CSA is Crystal Spring Farm. A delicious place to stop and get chocolate milk to go & fresh-made ice cream in the summer! Life is Good!

Turnip Galette

Turnips…, Yes, Turnips! Are you a fan? We are…, we have enjoyed them for years mainly as part of our “lenten” meals. I remember my grandmother growing them in her gardens which she actively tended into her late 70’s. She would bring them home and that was when the magic began!

She and my mom or one of my aunts would wash & peel them, shred them and saute them in olive oil and butter until it was a lovely, golden brown. When cooled, this mixture went into a pie/pastry crust, baked, topped with a dollop of sour cream, and enjoyed!

We hope you will give turnips a try… here’s our family recipe.

Our Family’s Turnip Galette (thin “round” cakes or pastries)

Ingredients:
2-3 large turnips
1/2 Tablespoon salt (after shredding, to let sit for 30 minutes)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
Prepared or homemade pizza, pie, or phyllo dough
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream, to add to the deliciousness!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degree oven
Wash, peel, and shred turnips.

Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon salt over shredded turnips and let sit for approximately 30 minutes.

Drain and squeeze the shredded turnips. This seemed to be a favorite way of getting the excess water out of vegetables in Gram and Mom’s time.

I tend to skip this step. But, I always remember Ina Garten saying to always taste the food you prepare and if something is missing, add some salt — “the single most important ingredient in cooking,” And, via The Kitchn, Ina is quoted as stating, “Salt has gotten a bad rap, but it’s what ramps up the flavor of everything you cook — both savory and sweet. And then there’s google, “The purpose of adding salt isn’t to make food taste salty — it’s to enhance the flavors of the ingredients. As has been noted by a number of famous cooks, salt makes food taste more like itself. Salt is one of the basic building blocks of life — we need it like we need water, to live.” So, long story short, I need to take my time and remember to do this!

Next, saute turnips in 2 tablespoons of each olive oil and butter. Add some salt and pepper; continue sauteeing until golden brown. Taste the sauteed turnips and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

While the turnips cool, arrange the prepared dough in a dish or baking tray in a single layer. Of course, my gram and mother would make homemade dough, so that is always an option. Your decision of course!

Add the cooled, sauteed turnips to the center of the single-layer dough leaving approximately a 1″ space around the edges.

Next, fold the edges of the dough towards the center of the turnips.

Bake the galette for approximately 20-25 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Right out of the oven, top the galette with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!
But, know that we have, on occasion, enjoyed it right out of the refrigerator cold as well. That is, if there is any leftover! It is a family favorite for sure! 😉

Be sure to let us know below if you tried our recipe or have your own that you would like to tell us about. We would love to hear what tips and tricks you have to enhance this recipe!

From our family to yours! Enjoy!