Folding Side table- refinishing

When my grandparents were moving out of their house we spent a couple weekends helping clean out the basement and take various things to charity. I found this rolling folding table that I thought needed a good home. It has spent a couple years in storage and another couple on the deck.


 I finally decided it was time to refinish it. I looked up pictures of what it should look like new, I considered bring it back to its original condition.

I quite liked this star pattern. The table I have is just solid black, but this could be a fun 2nd life for it.  I came across someone else with the same table who had just cleaned it up and given it a clear top coat. I decided to start with that and see how I like the look.

http://www.houseofhawthornes.com/2011/01/versa-fold-n-roll-table.html

So I started with a wire brush to remove the rust, cleaned it off well and then sprayed it with a clear top coat.

It still has a couple rough spots but it looks a lot better, I think I will keep it this way for now. And I managed to save the original label that is stuck on the underside of one of the shelves.

Bocconcini, Tomato and Bread Salad

I tried this recipe out of a cookbook called Whitewater Cooks with Friends by Shelley Adams. I saw the book this Easter long weekend at a winery on the Naramata bench near Penticton. I was looking for a couple dishes to spice up a ham dinner and I couldn't resist this salad, it had some of my favorite things- cheese, tomatoes and basil!

dressing ingredients:
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbspn dijon mustard
2 tbspn honey (I didn't have this and I used brown sugar)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I had white wine vinegar so used that)
1 tbspn balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup olive oil

salad:
6 cups day old bread crusts removed cut in cubes (I had fresh bread so I dried it in the oven a bit, and I only used about 2 cups and thought it was plenty)
2 red peppers roasted and sliced in wide strips
2 yellow peppers roasted and sliced in wide strips (I ran out of time for this so I used 1 red and 1 yellow fresh pepper and sliced super thin strips, but I think roasted would add more flavour)
3 medium tomatoes cut in wedges (I used 1 tomato and about 2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes for more colour variation)
1/3 cup capers, rinsed
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cups fresh mozzarella bocconcini balls, medium size (4x50 g) quartered
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves for garnish

(recipe says it makes for 6-8, we were 4 people and there was leftovers so adjust accordingly)

Blend all the dressing ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor. Add the oil slowly while blending.

Put the bread in a large salad bowl and toss with about 1/2 the dressing (sit aside for 20 minutes- I did this prior to chopping the vegetables)

Add the tomatoes, peppers, capers, red onion and bocconcini, toss. Add more dressing until you feel there is enough. Garnish with basil leaves.

Mussels with Spicy Basil Tomato Broth

My Mom loves mussels, I always thought they looked kind of gross, tasted weird and didn't enjoy fighting with the shells. But then I had some at a restaurant on Main street called Latitude. I really liked them and decided to try and make them that way myself. I tried a few different recipes and in the end combined a few and added some of my own ideas. Here it is:

3 shallots minced
2 tblspns chopped garlic
1 tblspn chopped fresh ginger
1 chilli or jalapeno minced
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped basil/cilantro/parsley (you can use all 3 or just 1, whatever you prefer)

-start by placing live mussels in a sink full of cold water, swish them around and discard and broken mussels, you can leave them in the water while working on the sauce

-saute shallots in olive oil until they soften
-add garlic, ginger, chili and zest, saute for about 2 minutes
-add stewed tomatoes, simmer about 5-8 minutes until liquid starts to reduce
-add wine, lime juice & drained mussels, cover and allow mussels to steam over medium heat (5-7mins) or until mussels open
-remove from heat, check for unopened mussels and discard them, add chopped herbs