Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Was it hot enough for ya?

Okay, okay, I deserve 10 lashes with a wet noodle for that remark. Because the high temperatures this summer were no joke. And now it’s official, it was the fourth warmest summer on record in the United States, the Southeast being the warmest.
But heat records were broken all over the world, from the Scandinavian countries to the Sudan to India. Even in Russia where the temperature in Moscow soared to over a hundred degrees for days while the city suffered from massive wildfires that filled the air with thick black smoke, making it hazardous to one’s health to go outside. At one time it was reported that an average of 700 people died each day from the heat and smoke.
Call it global warming, call it a hole in the ozone, call it anything you like, but it was a summer that we won’t soon forget. The folks reporting the weather could have just as well called their reports in since there was little change for days, sometimes weeks. But there were some stories that gave the lighter side to a situation that was critical in many places. One example:
Farmer claims some corn popped on the stalk
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. – A Hardin County farmer said that some ears among his feed corn rows popped on the stalk in a phenomenon that agricultural experts believe is associated with irregular rainfall and high heat.
Star Mills farmer Patrick Preston sent a photo of the burst kernels that look like partially popped popcorn to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Hardin County Extension agent Doug Shepherd told The News Enterprise he’s never seen popped kernels before.
Shepherd said the outer coat of a kernel can explode from heat after the ears are pollinated. Temperatures in corn fields can be 10 degrees higher than in the surrounding area as the plants are producing energy.
This story is not a tall tale, but a proven phenomenon. Which leads us to wonder, is this a trend?
One would certainly hope not.
During the long period of hibernating from the unbearable heat, I asked myself how folks endured the hot summers in the days of no air conditioning. Of course, we were younger, that’s a given. And our bodies adapted more easily to changes in temperatures. Plus, we accepted what nature threw at us, good, bad, or indifferent because we had no choice.
In closing, if the extremes in hot weather are a portent of an extreme cold winter to follow, then I’d suggest getting in plenty of firewood starting about now. Because folks, we ain’t seen nuthin, yet!

A nice and refreshing tuna salad to use as a sandwich filing or a cracker spread. Orange juice and pecans give the salad a lovely sweet nuttiness.

Orange Pecan Tuna Salad

1 (12 ounce) can water packed tuna,
drained and flaked
1 tablespoon fat free sour cream
1/2 tablespoon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste
ground black pepper to taste

 Mix together the tuna, sour cream, mustard, relish, orange juice, pecans, garlic salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.