kayb

It's always been my practice, at a pot-luck, to take an entree, a couple of sides and a dessert. Don't know why. That's what Mama did, and what I do,

Bumping this thread up because I'm headed to my high school reunion (No. 45!) next weekend and one of the events is a pot-luck picnic on Sunday. As I am planning to go up on Thursday, and really don't much want to cook a lot while I'm there, I'll be preparing things that'll hold several days. I have a half a pork loin in the freezer. It occurs to me to smoke that, then either SV it or steam in the IP, a la pastrami, to tenderize, then chill and slice. Simple enough. I also have a couple of corned beef briskets in the freezer and could do one of those as pastrami, but I'm leaning toward the loin as those are easier to replace in the freezer and I tend to be parsimonious with my pastrami. What's the best suggestion -- SV first, then smoke, or the other way around? For sides, I think I'm going to be driven by what the farmers' market may have. I'm hoping against hope for new potatoes; if so, I'll do a big bowl of new potato salad with olive oil/lemon juice/thyme dressing, and boiled eggs, chopped olives and lots of bacon crumbled in. If they don't, I may get fingerlings at the grocery and do the same thing. Baked beans are always a potential; those, I COULD make up home and bake them Sunday morning so they'd still be warm. I have a big Le Creuset covered baker that keeps stuff warm for hours. But a bean salad would be easier. Might devil eggs, if I get ambitious, particularly since I picked up the tip of packing the filling in one zip-lock, the egg halves in the other, and filling them onsite. Could do smoked salmon deviled eggs topped with creme fraiche and caviar, just to impress. Can always make up a big bowl of jail slaw, as that keeps forever and travels well. If the Amish farmers have greenhouse tomatoes, a big plate of sliced tomatoes would not go amiss. If there are strawberries still at the market, I'll grab a couple of containers and make a strawberry cheesecake. Otherwise, something else cheesecakey, so I can stick it in the freezer and get it out Sunday. A lot of my high school classmates read and comment on my blog, and will be expecting different/unusual/a step out of the ordinary from me. Any other suggestions?

Y.U.M.

Let us all have a moment of silence for the Steam Girl....

Delta Grind's range of products is limited as well -- grits, polenta, cornmeal, masa. But I love their stuff. Made not too far from me.

And THAT's what he do...for a Klondike bar!

Looks good, Shelby!

FWIW, Delta Grind does wonderful grits, cornmeal, polenta, and masa. Clickety.

I'd love that for breakfast, or any time, but I believe I'd prefer a wedge of cornbread with it.

Big-time jealous. Now we are looking at the possibility of buying a new house and moving within the next couple of years, so I'm hesitant to plant an asparagus bed. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. I like me some pickle roll-ups. Try rolling up the pickled okra.

I cannot make Rice Krispy squares. Oh, I am capable of making wonderful ones. It's just when I do, I eat them. All of them. In short order. Little demons are addictive. I made the whole wheat banana bread with chocolate chips from Half Baked Harvest. It was pretty good; I liked that it did not have any added sugar, as my bananas were REALLY ripe and thus very sweet on their own. But, God forgive me, I just don't like chocolate chips in banana bread. I like them in traditional chocolate chip uses. Other than that, the bread was excellent. I added walnuts, because I feel like banana bread just ought to have walnuts. Recipe here. I also made a banana pudding. Bananas were WAY too sweet for that. And my recipe is not a terrifically sweet one. Ah, well.

It's kinda like pink pork. I can hear my father tsk-tsk-ing at me from beyond the pale. I'm contemplating trying the black plastic method next year. I know people have had success with it, and it helps the soil warm up earlier so you can plant a little earlier, a significant thing of late as spring has gotten later and later.

No photos, but I made the cheesy chicken fritters last night. Used havarti instead of mozzarella, as I had no mozz. Also coated them in panko because I hallucinated that into the recipe. I liked the panko addition. Otherwise, they were pretty bland. I'll add some sort of peppery element next time. Served them with a chili sauce/soy sauce mayo, and a combo of sugar snaps and corn in a cream sauce with mint, which was pretty good. Tonight, I'm looking at a "hash" of apples, onions and smoked sausage, with fried potatoes and kraut. Just sounds good. And easy.

Went out early and weeded about two bushels of crabgrass and johnson grass out of the garden and got some fertilizer on the tomatoes before the rain chased me inside. Determined I do not have a hoe sharp enough to cut the bermuda in the garden, where it seems to grow MUCH better than it does in the yard. Everything seems to be coming along apace. Need to get some okra in. Two rows of pole beans and a row of bush limas are growing nicely, as are the melons, carrots, cabbages, radishes, squash and cucumbers. I've lost one tomato; the other 14 look great. Out front, the mint is doing the mint thing; will be making some mint chutney soon to get rid of some of it. Sage, thyme and oregano are prolific, as is tarragon. Basil is slow, and the cilantro and parsley did not take hold and need to be replanted. Still don't have the raised beds in; it's at the point of being too late now, although as long as the growing season's been the last couple of years, I could probably still get a year's growth in. I didn't plant lettuces this year. Heresy, I know. Not a huge salad eater.

Wonder if I could cook an egg in my softball glove?

Had to save that one. I like the idea of the Jamaican jerk version, too.

Do you have those forms you drape the tortillas over and bake to form the bowls?

You could use the fridge for curing meats. And for stashing fermented foods. Both are favorites of mine, and both cause space issues.

I will own up to always keeping a can of cream of mushroom and a can of cream of chicken soup in my pantry. I use the first in the iconic green bean casserole. I use the second in my chicken pot pie. I can make, and have made, homemade versions of both to use in those recipes; in my book, there is little to no taste differential in the finished product, so I opt for less labor. (Raised my kids on that chicken pot pie, I did; half a small rotissiere chicken, bag of mixed veggies, can of cream of chicken soup, cup and a half of grated cheddar, two Pillsbury pie crusts, put it together, bake, boom, done. Finest thing going when you come in from work and have to get to the ballpark.) But I rarely, rarely eat a canned soup as, well, soup.

I bet that duck would be marvelous in a bahn mi....

Thank God for my "egg lady," who not only furnishes me with fresh free-range eggs, but delivers them for $3 a dozen. I love her.

I have to be amused at the mention of Everclear. I was making eggnog a couple of Christmases ago and walked up to the counter at liquor store, after ascertaining the Everclear was behind it. Asked the college student cashier for a pint bottle. He looked at me curiously. "You mean this 190-proof stuff?" Yep, that's what I mean. It's amusing to see a look of respect for a 60-something bloom on a 20-something's face.

I like the thins, specifically the lemon ones. Like @cakewalk, I don't often buy a package, because I'm going to sit down and eat the entire thing, because, you know, they're thin and crisp and light. Speaking of cinnamon-y things....my daughter came in last night with a bag of soft peppermint stick candy, except for instead of peppermint, it was cinnamon. "Red hots" on steroids! I could only manage half a stick. Would be marvelous in hot cider.

I may be a heretic for this, but I love to add some sausage (chorizo, andouille, etc.) and some cheese. Preferably Manchego or Idiazabal. Yum. Oh, and green onions. No bell peppers, though.

Have a friend who contends I'm nuts for paying $6 a pound for Rancho Gordo beans when I can get them all day at the grocery for $1.59. Don't care. It's worth it. They're not even on the same planet.