eGullet NJ Pig-BBQ & Potluck, Sunday, 9/21/03

[Rachel Perlow]

Are we going to need to sweep out the barn?

[tommy]

cnn reports:

"Landfall along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast somewhere between North Carolina and New Jersey between four or five days is appearing more and more likely," the hurricane center said.

[Suzanne F]

But that weather map shows Isabel arriving Friday; the big do is Sunday. Not that I don't worry at all, I just plan on wearing my Wellies so I can have fun sloshing around in the mud.

[Rachel Perlow]

Everyone just use "NO RAIN ON SUNDAY" as your mantra for the next week.

Oh, and if you have a folding table and/or party tent, bring it. And chairs, this event is BYOC. The more the merrier. In fact, put it in your trunk now so you don't forget it next weekend!

[tommy]

Everyone just use "NO RAIN ON SUNDAY" as your mantra for the next week.

mine is "Jai-ya".

[jhlurie]

Okay, since Rachel dumped Parking coordination responsibilities on me, I'm going to put out my call for volunteers now. The parking operation needs at least 2 people per "shift". The easy job being to stand still on the road-side to point people inside and the tougher one to march around the nice muddy field, help people into a parking spot, and then guide them towards the other muddy field we are set up in, or to the barn if its raining. We figured that people will be "arriving" between 1:00pm and 2:00pm. I'm covering the "muddy field" job myself for the first half-hour, so ideally I need three more people for half-hour shifts. At least two of you can sit roadside on a lawn chair with a nice drink in your hand pointing people to the parking entrance (its different from the normal Bobolink Dairy entrance--so basically the job is to get people to roll down their windows and ask them if they are here for the eGullet event or not, then direct them).

Yes, I know it sounds glorious, especially if it rains. Hopefully Rachel and the others can come up with some suitable bribe/reward for helping out.

Edited September 14, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

If it rains, the reward for being a parking attendant is not having to help sweep the barn.

[elyse]

How about a t-shirt? This is NOT an offer.

[Rachel Perlow]

Sorry, I don't have any spare eGullet merchandise on hand and it takes more than a week to order it.

[Suzanne F]

Elyse, just wear something you won't mind getting food stains on. Then you'll have a memento of the day.

[bloviatrix]

Everyone just use "NO RAIN ON SUNDAY" as your mantra for the next week.

mine is "Jai-ya".

[Suzanne F]

OT:

Hey, Bloviatrix! I finally looked up "bloviate" today, because I saw it in the NY Times Book Review. And I have to say, it does NOT describe you! You are pithy in your pothtth, I mean posts!

Carry on.

[bloviatrix]

OT:

Hey, Bloviatrix!  I finally looked up "bloviate" today, because I saw it in the NY Times Book Review.  And I have to say, it does NOT describe you!  You are pithy in your pothtth, I mean posts! 

Carry on. 

Why, thank you re: my brevity. Frank Rich turned me on to the word.

But admit it, bloviate is a perfect word for the world of internet message boards.

[Suzanne F]

Ain't that the truth.

[Rachel Perlow]

I started a starter last week, and will have much to give away at the NJ potluck in a couple of weeks, if anyone wants some (or meet me here in NYC). I used organic red grapes as the yeast source, water and flour, and that's it. PM me if you want some in a couple of weeks when it's stronger.

Great Elyse, I'd love some. Hmm, any chance of you bringing any of your other products on Sunday? I was thinking it might be nice to be able to buy some more Pao de Quejo dough and some of your incredible Mayan Love Cookies.

[dumpling]

In negotiation to obtain juggler for the kids- maybe if we ask him really nice, alanz's Josh will perform for us. He also does balloon animals and magic.

[jhlurie]

Okay... so NO parking volunteers? Not even for the "sitting in a lawn chair and pointing" job?

BTW: As of a minute ago, the Sunday forecast for the area where the Potluck is being held.

Sun

Sep 21  Partly Cloudy 69°/47° 10 % precip.

[tommy]

jon, in the interest of making this as easy as possible, isn't there a way to reduce the number of bodies by having a few signs?

[jhlurie]

jon, in the interest of making this as easy as possible, isn't there a way to reduce the number of bodies by having a few signs?

tommy, Rachel and I are talking about this now, but there were some mitigating circumstances. 1.) not disrupting Bobolink's normal traffic 2.) making sure people don't block each other (so we need SOME people at a minimum) 3.) pointing the SUVs to one lot with a hill and non-SUVs to a flatter space on opposite sides of the road

Signs to supplement things would still help.

[tommy]

a lot of that stuff has sign written allllll over it.

[MatthewB]

Okay... so NO parking volunteers?  Not even for the "sitting in a lawn chair and pointing" job?

I'm in.

[=Mark]

Like the comment about parking the SUVs, no doubt someone will object to parking theirs on more challenging terrain. Ever notice someone driving one of those behemoths with their own zip code in a parking lot, purchased after seeing commercials of them negotiating glaciers and boulder fields, and they slow down to like a quarter mile an hour to carefully negotiate over a speed bump? What's with that?

[tommy]

Like the comment about parking the SUVs, no doubt someone will object to parking theirs on more challenging terrain.  Ever notice someone driving one of those behemoths with their own zip code in a parking lot, purchased after seeing commercials of them negotiating glaciers and boulder fields, and they slow down to like a quarter mile an hour to carefully negotiate over a speed bump?  What's with that? 

they don't handle as well as that '76 pacer you're tooling around in.

not to mention the stiff suspensions that many have make speed bumps unpleasant unless you hit them at about 50.

Edited September 15, 2003 by tommy (log)

[jhlurie]

MatthewB: I sense a tommy-like "I'm in" from a different part of the country.

=Mark: Are you volunteering to help? You can be the outside person and calm excited SUV owners down. (Hey, I'm serious... PM me.)

tommy: Okay, you can be the sign Czar. Go ahead and buy your poster board and big markers and show up a bit early to the Potluck.

Rachel estimates 30+ vehicles. From what I recall of the field I saw when I went up there, 30 cars COULD all fit in the flat lot if they were packed end-to-end and we all left in reverse order from how we came. Given that possibility the SUVers might WANT to park across the street. Of course that will also allow us to stagger the parking in the other lot, coincidentally.

[Rachel Perlow]

Sorry, I forgot to post my update in time to be at the top of the page.

Date, Time, Location: Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 1:30 PM. Bobolink Dairy, Vernon, NJ <-- Click link for directions. Look for eGullet people/signs for parking directions when there.

Current RSVP list:

Alanz + Lauren & Joshua - enigmatic pasta (3)

Andrew Fenton & the Mrs. - Banana Pudding (2)

Curdnerd & family - mac & cheese + supplying the location, that's enough (Cheese Shop will be open for the first hour or so of the event) (5)

Dbrociner + wife, Stephanie, and daughter Sophia - sweet potato casserole and garbage bags (3)

docsconz + wife & kids - home-made fresh apple-cider (5)

Double 0 + family - collards and maybe a tray of mac & cheese* (*see Curdnerd's post about mac & cheese) (4)

dumpling - non-alcoholic drinks and/or dumplings and/or wicked good blueberry PIE (1)

Elyse (took johnjohn's offer of a ride) - bringing pecan pie (1)

Fat Guy & Ellen (2)

Fink - bringing the cooked pig(s) at the reduced price of $4 per person, also bringing sweet tea and apple cobbler (2?)

herbacidal - bags, extra plates & forks & stuff, Sarcone's bread, infused vodka, chinese dumplings (2-4?**)

hillbill - (offering rides from Staten Island/Ferry) - (maybe 1?**)

howard88 - Cole Slaw (3)

Hscottk + wife - baked beans (2)

Jason & Rachel Perlow - jello mold, name tags, ice, homemade sorbets/ices, maybe ice cream (2)

jhlurie - baklava, parking czar (1)

jmcgrath - tent canopy, stuffed jalepenos, aka ABTs (1?**)

jogoode - maybe (1?**)

johnh91011 - samosas, an Indian appetizer (2)

johnjohn - brownies (1) (offering rides from NYC or Long Island to Elyse...)

Jonathan Sibley (1)

JosephB & Donna, (sans puppy) - corn and tomato savory pastry (2)

KatieLoeb - Pastitsio (1)

Kim WB + guest - dessert from Pierre at Wegmans and a case of bottled water (2)

Lisa1349 + guest - PA Wine, Mint Juleps and Victory Beer from Downington, PA (2)

Liz Johnson + husband + guests w/baby - Dr. Pepper Cake, a table (yes, bring a table)(4.5)

=Mark - ice, marinated grilled portobella mushrooms, Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce, table & chairs (1)

mottmott - vegetable tart, probably pissaladiere (1)

pnapoli + guest - cornbread & chili (2)

Randi + friend - fresh fruit and a dip for it (2)

Rich Pawlak - beer (1)

rlibkind (Bob & Jean Sue) - baked beans (2)

RockADS21 + Mrs. Rock - Sangria (2)

Rosie & Lowell - napkins, health salad (I think that's some kind of cole slaw) (2)

sabg - grilled vegtables, chairs, table (3)

Slkinsey + bergerka - Ginger Snaps (needs a ride from NYC), derby-style bourbon pecan pie (2)

SobaAddict70 - spicy marinated olives, French kisses, Oven roasted tomatoes, Wilted greens (1)

South Jersey Epicurean (Gary Kritz) - (making the pastichio/moussaka with Katie Loeb) (1)

Suzanne and HWOE - Indian chaat style potato salad, pickles (2)

Suzilightening - since she's planning on arriving late, she should probably bring a dessert (definite maybe) (1)

Tommy & the Mrs. - non-food stuffs (ice, paper plates, cutlery , napkins, cups, garbage bags) (2)

wawairis - Green Salad and Lemonade (1?**)

Right now we're at 77-82 approximately.

**Please confirm your numbers, especially if there's a question mark next to your entry above.

To Summarize Curdnerd's post/rules:

• 1. No Dogs.
  2. Making mac & cheese.
  3. Kids Welcome - someone needs to organize some kid activities. Update: Dumpling volunteereed to be Camp Counselor, but parents should still supervise their children. (we're up to 9 kids)
  4. We're going to be using lots of small tents.
  5. The bread-and-cheese shop will be open until at least 5 PM, and people can leave orders in the bakehouse (68F) or ripening room (55F) to keep it cold.
  6. Parking Czar - this person should plan to arrive early. Update: jhlurie and tommy are being shanghaied into this position with me and Jason. Kim WB will organize the tables & food set up after people have parked.
  

Other notes:

• 1. KP Duty - We must completely clean up after ourselves. Everyone bring an extra bag or two and leave with some garbage, please.
  2. Tents (not camping tents, party tents), tables & chairs -- the more the merrier.
  3. The pig is $4 per person (kids count too)
  4. Remember to check the RSVP list for what you offered to bring -- and before posting that you are thinking of bringing baked beans , I think two people making baked beans is enough.
  5. Please label your food if it contains fish or meat of any kind (I should say if it does not obviously contain meat. I don't think the Pig needs to be labeld, but if the collard greens or baked beans have meat, that should be labeled.
  6. Pray for no rain. If you don't, you are volunteering to sweep out the barn!

i don't know how many people are bringing coolers, but i'm sure if everyone just threw a couple of bags of ice in, we'll be fine.  unless there's a need for ice that i'm not thinking of.

Excellent suggestion, tommy. If you are bringing your food in a cooler, take note of above.

5. Recipes - If everyone will please post their recipes on recipeGullet that would be great. Also, if your food contains any common allergens, please bring a tag (like a table tent maybe?) to label your food. Thanks.

6. Leftovers - We're not leaving any for Curdnerd unless he specifically asks for something on the day. So, if you're the type of person who may wish to bring home leftovers of others' food, bring some plastic containers so everyone can take their own (real) dishes home. The disposable Glad® or Ziploc® containers are great.

Current Menu:

The menu, so far.*

• Beverages
  home-made fresh apple-cider
  Lemonade
  Well Water
  BYOB
  PA Wine, Mint Juleps and Victory Beer
  herbacidal-infused vodka
  Sangria
  Sweet Tea
  Beer
  Appetizers
  Dumplings (dumpling)
  chinese dumplings (herbacidal) - the more dumplings the merrier!
  fresh fruit and a dip for it (or is this a dessert?)
  marinated olives
  French Kisses (dates & foie gras???)
  samosas, an Indian appetizer
  stuffed jalepenos, aka ABTs
  pissaladiere
  Mains
  ROASTED/SMOKED PIG - that is the point of this whole thing, right?)
  Pastitsio
  Chili
  Sides
  Starchy
  enigmatic pasta
  mac & cheese
  sweet potato casserole
  baked beans (2 people are bringing baked beans)
  corn and tomato savory pastry
  Indian chaat style potato salad
  corn bread
  Sarcone's bread
  Veggie
  Collards (Double 0), Wilted Greens (Soba)
  Cole Slaw
  marinated grilled portobella mushrooms
  health salad
  Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
  Oven roasted tomatoes
  grilled vegtables (peppers, zucc, corn etc - sabq)
  Green Salad
  Half sour pickles
  Desserts
  Apple Cobbler
  Baklava
  Banana Pudding
  blueberry PIE
  pecan pie
  homemade sorbets/ices
  brownies
  something chocolate from Pierre at Wegmans
  Dr. Pepper Cake
  Ginger Snaps
  derby-style bourbon pecan pie
  jello mold & cool whip
  Misc (aka the more the merrier (TMTM))
  Dry goods
  tables, chairs (BYOC), tents
  ice
  

* If what you offered to bring isn't on the list, please post (don't PM) me with edits.

Please PM Kim WB to confirm your attendance, # of guests, and that you are bringing the dish you specified.