Printer Friendly Version - Shifting Sands

I live down the street and around the corner from this cute little beach. The other day, I learned, during the annual meeting of our association, that this cute little beach–it takes about four minutes to walk its length at a very leisurely stroll–is actually owned by four different entities. There are two individual homeowners and two association owners.

Of course, below a certain point, the beach belongs to everyone. The state of Connecticut holds that land and water in trust for all of us to use. The individual homeowners and the associations, above that point, are charged with taking care of the beach along with the adjacent areas, a task that’s become increasingly complex as we keep up news about rising waters, climate change, and day-to-day volatility in the weather. We had a discussion about the best way to protect the beach at our annual meeting.

As we were talking, I was thinking about a beach association in Salisbury, Massachusetts, that paid more than $500,000 to dump about 14,000 tons of sand on their beach earlier this year. Three days later, a storm hit and swept it away. Some say the sand dump did protect some of the homes. But, geez! $500,000 here and $500,000 there? That gets expensive after a while. Armoring with steel or concrete hasn’t entirely gone out of style, but some of the science argues against it. It, too, is expensive and can create unintended consequences for surrounding properties and beaches. Connecticut is experimenting with “living shorelines” with varying degrees of success. There are experiments underway in Branford, Fenwick, East Lyme, and other parts of Connecticut. Honestly, it’s hard to keep up with the science. It’s changing as fast as the shifting sands on our shorelines. I’m looking forward to learning more from the experts.

And then, a subject came up at the meeting that is entirely within my area of expertise: the annual association potluck. Food? I’m in! Along with two other association members, we created a small committee, we picked a date, and, at my friend Kathy’s suggestion, we created an online potluck sign-up sheet. We are using www.perfectpotluck.com, which I highly recommend.

So far, Juliette is bringing cheese, crackers, and fruit. Hilary is bringing shrimp cocktail. Sean is bringing pulled pork, using a Tyler Florence recipe. Patricia is bringing a Caprese salad. Sue is bringing cookies. All of us are hoping Leslie will be bringing her famous and fabulous cupcakes or some other baked delight. I’m making this black bean salad and maybe some corn muffins.

I don’t know what the future will bring for our little stretch of the shoreline. Between our two associations and the two homeowners, there are more than 100 people who will have opinions about how to best care for it. We may need to loop in state officials. But while we figure that out, we all have something to look forward to, our potluck in July at the little beach at the end of the street.

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots, from one medium shallot
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 Hass avocados, chopped

Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.