I was sitting on my back deck eating peanuts when I had a vision of a beautiful evening spent many years ago on the bank of the Potomac River. It was October and I was sitting with two “good old boys" under a magnificent harvest moon. It was as if we were being bathed in “moon gold” falling from the enormous globe hanging overhead. We spent the entire evening poetically gazing at the moon (over a washtub full of Gunther’s beer)

With September already upon us, crisp October days are not far behind. Here is a side dish guaranteed to make the most of the remainder of the season.

Place two cans of red kidney beans in a colander. Rinse and drain the beans. Place them in a bowl and set aside. Next, chop into small pieces a quarter of a medium sized green pepper, half a stalk of celery and two good-sized slices of a sweet or red onion. Add chopped vegetables to the beans. In a small bowl, mix 3 ounces of red wine vinegar, 1 ½ ounces of olive oil, a good pinch of oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste (approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon). Blend well and pour over beans. Toss until beans are well coated. Let stand for about forty-five minutes to allow beans to absorb the dressing.

Meanwhile, mix ¾ cup of heavy mayonnaise, one tablespoon of mustard and enough wine vinegar to loosen the blend. Mix into kidney beans and toss well. Optionally, chopped, pitted-black olives may be added, Serve well chilled with your favorite cold plate.