Betty and Wil Swalberg, for recovery for Betty from a small stroke, and for them to be back home again soon;

The bereaved loved ones of Rev. Gene Burris, former SHPC pastor;

Kelsey Lopin, for healing and full recovery from complications of Lyme disease;

Larry Mong, for freedom from suffering from his illnesses, and for grace and strength for Shannon and the family as they support him;

Wil Swalberg, for healing for his back and full mobility;

Skye Bailey and her daughters as they mourn the loss of Michael;

Jean Brockett, mother of Jody, for full recovery, and for Jody and her father;
Carolyn O'Hara, mother of Laurie, for healing, and for strength and support during her recovery;

Andrea Proster, sister of Nancy Elberg, for complete healing, and for Nancy for strength in companioning her;

Jerry Lambert, mother of Paul, for blessed assurance of God's constant presence;

The people of Ferguson and all those impacted by racial injustice in our country;

The prisoners, and those in solitary confinement, for humane treatment;

Those in need of the basics of life for their children;

The people of the Holy Land, for peace;

For our church community, for creativity, compassion, unity in the Spirit, and energy for mission.

Please take time this week to pray for those on our list.

The Rev. Gene W. Burris died Tuesday morning, July 28, 2015, at home, surrounded by his wife, Lynda Hyland Burris, his daughter, Susan Burris and his beloved pups, Gilligan and Guido.  Gene attended Multnomah School of the Bible, and Seattle Pacific University.  His first call was at age 19, before he even went to seminary, as pastor of Hope Chapel in Seattle, Washington.  Gene graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary, with a Bachelor of Divinity, in 1959.  He was called as associate pastor at Mountain View Presbyterian Church where he spent two years, before moving back to Marin to serve as pastor of Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church.  Gene served his entire ministry in the Presbytery of the Redwoods, except for three years in Southern California in the Presbytery of the Pacific.  He was active in Presbytery, serving on Committee for Preparation for Ministry, which he chaired for two years, and Committee on Ministry.  He officially retired in 2001, but continued to serve part-time and interim positions until 2007.  When Lynda retired in 2010, the Burris's moved to Napa, Lynda's home town.  In addition to Lynda and Susan, Gene is survived by his son, Richard; his sister, Helen, and his nieces Jo Anne Anglin, Loydene Beer and Lori Svir and their families.  A celebration of Gene's life will be held on Sunday, August 9, 3:00 p.m., at the St. Helena First Presbyterian Church, 1428 Spring Street, St. Helena. 

If you would like to send a message to Lynda and family, please mail to:

Lynda Hyland Burris

26 Glenwood Drive

Napa, CA  94559

Or send an email to Lynda at: furrieburries2@yahoo.com

While we're waiting for our tomatoes to go into full swing, we're seeing lots of basil coming out of our Justice Garden right now.  Some of you might never have had the simple pleasure of making pesto from scratch, and so I offer you encouragement, and a method.  This will sauce one pound of pasta.  

Put 2 c. basil leaves, 3 T. pine nuts, 1 clove garlic, a few parsley leaves, and a pinch of salt into a small food processor.  Blend, then add 1/4 c. or a little more good olive oil, starting slowly with the processor running.  When the pesto has the consistency you want, stop adding oil and pulse in 3 T. freshly grated pecorino or parmesan.  Taste for salt.  When you sauce your pasta, thin the pesto with a little pasta cooking water.  Serve with extra grated cheese.

This recipe is flexible depending on your mood and what you have on hand.  For example, I like to substitute 2 T. walnuts for the pine nuts, but you could also use pecans or almonds (I haven't ever tried it with peanut butter!)

Of course before there were food processors, your Nonna would have made this with a mortar and pestle, and if you have one and are feeling adventurous you can try it.  Pound the garlic and some coarse salt to a paste, then incorporate the basil a few leaves at a time.  Add the pine nuts 1 T. at a time and pound them into the paste.  Add the cheese and pound it in.  Then stir in the olive oil, again starting with a little bit at a time.  This is supposed to produce the freshest tasting pesto, but I've never directly compared it with the food processor version.  However, it doesn't take too long and it is a good upper body workout.

Happy summer!

Happy Cooking!

Michael Durphy