I wonder if I am the first food columnist who quotes John Milton to lead you into a wonderful “foodie and friendship” story? Milton coined the phrase “silver lining” in “Comus (A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634)”:

I see ye visibly, and now believe

That he, the Supreme Good, to whom all things ill

Are but as slavish officers of vengeance,

Would send a glistering guardian, if need were

To keep my life and honour unassailed.

Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud

Turn forth her silver lining on the night?

I did not err; there does a sable cloud

Turn forth her silver lining on the night,

And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.”

Throughout my 60-something years, no matter what my sad tale of woe happened to be (it could have been everything from my Ginny doll’s dress tore to Tommy Hinckens stole my Sally doll to I didn’t get the nursing position I wanted) my mom always replied with: “Every cloud has a silver lining and if you look hard, you will find it.” (I confess my response was often the rolled eyes and big sigh deal.)

So what on earth does all this have to do with food?

Here’s the abridged story that all began not long after the inception of “What’s Cooking.” I made an error (I omitted an ingredient) in a recipe for pâté — I caught it post publication and did a reprint the following week along with an apology to my readers and thought I had my hiney covered. Nope. I received a rather scathing letter from a reader who lived in Indiana who basically told me I pretty much ruined her day by my stupidity. Yikes! as Trixie Belden would say. I wrote a response with a sincere mea culpa and apology and thought thank goodness I’ll never have to deal with that “fan” again.

Almost two years later, I received another piece of mail with the dreaded postmark of Warsaw, Indiana on it. Oh dear — her again! I took a deep breath and began to read:

“I was feeling very isolated out in the Midwest so far away from the New England coast and Maine in particular. There is no ocean in Warsaw, Indiana and in fact there is very little in Warsaw, Indiana. We drove 90 miles to the nearest bookstore and English muffins were considered an ethnic food. I did a lot of in-house cooking and entertaining because there were no restaurants except for Taco Bell, MacDonald’s and every other fast food joint on the face of the earth. So that kind of explains why I wrote the letter. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t prepare the recipe. Anyway, two years later I still subscribe to the Register and I have made a number of your recipes with much success and look forward to your column each week. I hope that you will forgive me. —Carol Radcliffe.”

We kept in touch via email through Carol’s moves to South Carolina and Florida and eventually back to New England and developed a long distance friendship. (Mom was right about that silver lining thing.)

Carol and I often shared that it would be fun to meet and (more silver lining) we did! We arranged to meet halfway between our houses, which landed us at beautiful Hilton Point Park on the Dover, N.H. side of the Piscataqua River where it meets Great Bay.

My peace offering was to prepare a picnic lunch for us to share, which started with Piper Heidsieck champagne and a chilled cucumber soup followed by a big, fat lobster roll, New England made potato chips, bread and butter pickles made with cukes from my garden and for dessert, lemon shortbread bars. We hugged, we talked, we laughed, we hugged some more, and delighted in sharing all the things we have in common from religion, to politics to boating and of course, our love of good food. I have a new friend who I am certain will be a part of my life for the rest of my days. (That silver lining is really golden.)

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP

Recipe developed for a special picnic!

1 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt

1/2 cup 1% milk (plus more for desired consistency)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp, chopped fresh chives

1 Tbsp, chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 pickling cuke, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and white pepper to taste

Garnish: 1 medium radish, diced and 1 small piece of cucumber, diced; sprig of parsley

Combine yogurt, milk, tarragon, chives, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and cucumber in mini food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve well chilled with garnishes. Yield: 2 servings (recipe may be doubled or tripled).

GARLICKY STUFFED QUAHOGS

Carol’s quahog recipe appeared originally in the October 12, 2000 issue of Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper. They are a family favorite in my house!

The recipe is originally from Plum Island, Newburyport, Mass., via Carol Radcliffe of Venice, Fla. These are absolutely delicious!

12 fresh quahogs (or 16 large cherrystone clams)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 lb. (one stack) saltine crackers

2 slices fresh white bread, torn into pieces

1/2 cup butter

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

3 -1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 cans (6-1/2 oz. each) minced clams with broth

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

16 thin red bell pepper strips for garnish (optional)

Scrub quahogs under cold running water to remove any sand. Place in large pot and fill with enough cold water to just cover quahogs. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until they open, discarding any that remain shut. Spoon out meat and let cool. Chop quahogs in food processor, discarding the muscle that attaches it to its shell. (Reserve shells for serving.) Mince parsley and garlic in processor. Add crackers and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed; mix in breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add wine, lemon juice, canned clams with their broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, reserved chopped quahogs, and reserved crumb mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. (Note: If stuffing seems a bit too dry, add a little more white wine.) Fill clean shells with stuffing, pressing down gently forming a mound and top with the red pepper strip. Place filled shells on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 appetizer servings

LEMON SQUARES

A perfect sweet-tart bite to end a memorable lunch

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. flour, divided use

1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 large eggs

1-2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Sifted powdered sugar for garnish

Combine butter, 2 cups flour, and powdered sugar in work bowl of food processor. Using on/off turns, process until crumbly. Pat mixture firmly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Bake in a preheated 325 F oven 20-25 minutes or until dough just begins to color.

Combine eggs, remaining 1 Tbsp. flour, granulated sugar, lemon juice and baking powder in clean work bowl and process until smooth. Pour over partially baked crust; sprinkle with almonds. Continue baking for 30-35 more minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Garnish with powdered sugar. Yield: 15-18 squares, depending on size.