Collard Festival 2008

The 2008 Collard Festival!

The CF began as an effort to provide an opportunity for our friends from more northern climes (Yankees for short), to experience some down-home Southern cooking. Collards, and sweet-potato casseroles, just don't grow well in Plattsberg, NY, or Pittsburgh, PA! The 2008 CF if a renewal of the CF after a two year hiatus, during which the fight against cancer got our undivided attention.

Each year we try to invite a new person(s) who we think can add something to the mix, personality-wise, and for sure, cooking-wise. Boy, did we score big this year! The new hero of the CF was Leslie, a New Orleans born/raised girl who would embarass Chef Prudhomme at his own game! Her hors d'oeuvres were stuffed jalepenos wrapped in bacon, and some huge sausage balls made with chicken too. We were afraid folks might skip dinner!

Then the crowd begins to arrive, and, naturally, everyone wants to be in the kitchen!! And, they were!

And the house was set up for guests. (This is just one photo-there were three "dining rooms"!

Meanwhile, the not-so-famous "Chef-da-BBQ" set up his equipment outside and got serious about some genuine "down East" style NC BBQ! (Note the nuclear engineer whose assignment, performed expertly, was to assemble the pre-cooker charcoal grill!)

Note PBR, a BBQ essential!

In the kitchen, things are proceeding apace-as you can see, we all have a job-now at a frantic,

well not quite frantic, pace.

Outside, things are lookin' good!

And sure enough, we did eat-a lot-and enjoyed it all! We are especially thankful for all our friends who come and contribute to this annual event, and to my BBQ-ing supervisor, for which nothing can happen in the yard without "Woodie"!

And last, but not least, our gratitude to JW, one of the world's great collard cookers, hostess and wife!