By Diego married Patricia Salazar on August 1, 2036. Small ceremony at St. Patrick's — the fourth Gutierrez wedding there. Father Morales joked about the reserved pew. Diego's vows were brief and precise — engineered, I thought, smiling through tears. Patricia's were warm and practical. They are perfect for each other in the way that complementary structures are perfect: one provides the strength, the other provides the flexibility, and together they hold more weight than either could alone.
Camila sang at the wedding — "Ave Maria" and a new original called "The Engineer's Love" about a man who builds bridges and a woman who builds classrooms (Patricia is a teacher) and the building is the love. The song was beautiful and ridiculous and exactly right for a wedding where the groom analyzed the structural integrity of the wedding cake before eating it.
The small twelve-grandchildren are the small joy-of-the-small-final-third-of-life. The small grandkids cycle through the small Sunday-bakery-and-Maria-Elena-house from morning to evening. The small intergenerational kitchen runs on the small Sunday.
Luis (the small husband) operates the small bakery’s production side while Maria Elena runs the small front-of-house and the small recipe-development. The small forty-year-relationship (married against both small families’ wishes) has been the small life-partnership. The small Javier-loss in 1993 had been the small permanent wound the small family carries. The small marriage-survived.
The small Panadería Rosa in the small downtown El Paso continues to be the small business. The small bakery operates from four AM to six PM six days a week. The small pan dulce, the small empanadas, the small bolillos, the small conchas are the small daily-product. The small bakery is the small Maria Elena and Luis Gutierrez inheritance from Maria Elena’s parents.
The small Panadería Rosa in the small downtown El Paso continues to be the small business. The small bakery operates from four AM to six PM six days a week. The small pan dulce, the small empanadas, the small bolillos, the small conchas are the small daily-product. The small bakery is the small Maria Elena and Luis Gutierrez inheritance from Maria Elena’s parents.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small twelve-grandchildren are the small joy-of-the-small-final-third-of-life. The small grandkids cycle through the small Sunday-bakery-and-Maria-Elena-house from morning to evening. The small intergenerational kitchen runs on the small Sunday.
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
Luis (the small husband) operates the small bakery’s production side while Maria Elena runs the small front-of-house and the small recipe-development. The small forty-year-relationship (married against both small families’ wishes) has been the small life-partnership. The small Javier-loss in 1993 had been the small permanent wound the small family carries. The small marriage-survived.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
After Diego and Patricia’s August reception — all that warmth, all those toasts, Camila still humming “The Engineer’s Love” under her breath — I kept thinking about the color on that long table: the zucchini ribbons, the bright carrots, the way a simple salad can look like a celebration without even trying. This Summer Vegetable “Ribbon” Salad is what I brought to the reception spread, and it disappeared before the carne asada did. It is the kind of dish that suits a first of August perfectly — light enough for the heat, beautiful enough for the occasion, and easy enough that the cook gets to dance at the wedding too.
Summer Vegetable “Ribbon” Salad
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
- 2 medium yellow squash, ends trimmed
- 3 large carrots, peeled
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan or crumbled cotija cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Make the ribbons. Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline set to thin, run the peeler lengthwise along the zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, and cucumber to create long, thin ribbons. Rotate each vegetable a quarter turn after each pass to get even strips. Stop when you reach the seedy core of the squash and cucumber.
- Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Combine the salad. Place the vegetable ribbons in a large, wide serving bowl or arrange them on a platter. Add the cherry tomatoes, red onion, and torn basil.
- Dress and toss gently. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and use tongs or your hands to toss lightly, being careful not to break the delicate ribbons. The goal is a loose, airy tangle — not a packed bowl.
- Finish and serve. If using, scatter shaved Parmesan or crumbled cotija over the top. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate undressed for up to two hours and dress just before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 105 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg