Partying with the calendar

Welcome June! This is the part of the cooking calendar that I always want to slow down, but January is the "J" month that really lingers...

Cooking by the Calendar (edited by Marilyn Hansen, 1978) gets sentimental in June, noting that "With the scent of roses combined with honeysuckle, it has always been a nostalgic time of the year-- a month of graduations, commencements, reunions, showers and weddings." Thus, the month is full of party-ready recipes, including the section for "Party Sandwiches and Salads." I'm not sure what makes a sandwich party-ready in Hansen's estimation, but I'd say "inexpensive and not too tasty"-- I guess to keep the party costs down?

There's a classic trying to sound updated: Cool Cucumber Sandwiches.

I've never quite gotten the appeal of a cucumber sandwich. It doesn't sound repulsive or anything, but I think I'd rather have a nice herbed butter spread on some really fresh bread than to find a thin, slightly slimy slice of cucumber tucked away in the middle of slices of squishy white bread.

Then there is a sandwichy update to a snacking staple: Peanut Butter-Celery Sandwiches.

Again-- I'm more than happy to eat peanut butter on bread. I'm also okay with eating celery as a vehicle to hold as much peanut butter as humanly possible-- but why ruin a smooth and creamy peanut butter sandwich with celery bits? If you want crunch, crunchy peanut butter exists and is MUCH better than peanut butter with celery bits! I really think these sad little sandwiches are just an attempt to keep the party trays fuller so they won't need to be restocked.

At least the gelatin salad should make things a little more fun. 

Maybe Hansen went with the cheap and not-so-tasty little sandwiches so the party budget could include Sangria? 

Finally, the vegetable of the month for June is green beans. The Colache stew looks more like something people would break out in August or September to help use up big batches of zucchini and tomatoes alongside the green beans, but it's still a big bowl of summer (and perhaps more seasonally appropriate for people who live farther south).

Here's hoping that you have a few nice parties to look forward to in June, if you're the kind of person who likes going to parties. (And here's hoping you can still find an affordable greeting card in which to send your congratulations and regrets if you're like me and would rather spend June reading books on the back porch than going to parties!)