IN THE KITCHEN WITH: MARY EMILIUS

Connected to the community; Mary Emilius is a Vernon booster Vernon — Mary Emilius has lived in a number of places, but this is how she feels about Vernon, her hometown since 1984: “Vernon really is the best place to live.” She calls Sussex County “a heartland area,” where “the residents are caring and thoughtful, decent citizens for the most part.” Add to that the appeal of the region’s natural beauty and the many ways to take advantage of it, and in Emilius’s opinion, it equals a winning combination. “We feel so blessed to live with all this great recreation at our doorstep: skiing, great hiking trails and the Spa and still be able to jump into the city for a night.” Emilius grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and always enjoyed summers at Pinecliff Lake in West Milford. She spent her high school years in West Milford and went to college in Boca Raton, Fla., at Marymount College (then Florida Atlantic University). When she married her husband Paul in 1984, the couple moved to Vernon. Over the years, she’s been involved in numerous community organizations from the cultural and religious to political. “I came from a family headed by a man who cultivated a volunteer ethic in all eight of his children, so from the time we could walk, we were helping our neighbors, shoveling snow, etc,” Emilius said, “That’s where the seeds are planted...in our youth.” Emilius was always part of the organizations about which she was passionate. Currently, she serves on Vernon’s Economic Development Committee and is a member of the Vernon Township Republican Committee. In the past, she was very active in her church, the Vernon schools and the Vernon Chamber of Commerce. Emilius works at the Sussex County United Way and said that keeps her very busy and “involved with some really great things going on here with human services.”

Black Bean salsa a la Mary
From her Florida days
“It’s a meal in itself and perfect for any vegetarian or kosher diets.”
2 cups firm cooked black beans
2-3 T olive oil
3-4 T fresh lime juice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
1 ripe avocado peeled pitted and finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper cored seeded and finely diced
1 poblano chili or 1/2 green pepper cored seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 scotch bonnet chili or 1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish to any chicken or fish recipe.