My friend Peter vehemently denies he is a foodie, because foodies just enjoy delicious food rather than preparing it themselves. He would rather be called a gourmand. If that is the distinction, he and his wife Susan are true gourmands, while I would place myself in solid foodie status.

Last night they hosted a stunning goodbye party for us. Peter smoked a ham (amazing) and provided his famous homemade English muffins (as delicious as always) for sandwiches. He also prepared a shredded carrot, citrus, and cumin salad that despite or perhaps because of the addition of cinnamon was simply delightful. Susan made an awesome sorrel pesto potato salad and super refreshing mojito slushies. I’d never had sorrel before. So good! There were also grilled and fresh vegetables, goat cheese with Minnesota honey, and moist chocolate cupcakes with do it yourself frosting. What a great idea!

It was a beautiful Minnesota night, and Axes enjoyed looking at Susan’s garden and eating the fruits (literally) of her labors. The company was delightful. And at the end Axes said, “I want to stay forever.” Through misty eyes, I agreed. Thank you so much dear friends. It was a true gourmet send off. John called all the extra ham, and at the time of this posting there is not a morsel left.