[CH] open fields, 2006...
KnoxBill (knoxbill@comcast.net)
Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:03:57 -0400
back home, almost rested up...still feeling good from all the great food
and friendship that was in abundance at open fields...
smaller crowd, mainly the diehards who are there every year and don't
let little things like tornado warnings and hurricanes to deter them...
friday night was both funny hat night and 'food on a stick' night...the
food was outstanding (any night that begins two minutes after arrival
with ms hobby farmer handing you a lamb kabob is going to be an
outstanding evening...), with lambs and chickens and crawdads and
shrimps and beefs having given their all to participate...light rain,
but not enough to drive us into tents or back to our hotels...
saturday was rainy off and on, the fields were mudpits, but there were
still a bunch of people filling buckets and bags (pickin' and
grinnin')... this group was prepared with mud boots and slogged thru
the muck to gather the prizes...
still more food than could be believed...i am not even going to try to
name all the dishes, but everything i tasted (tasted -- ha! -- 'pigged
out on' is more like it) was delicious...the spam jerky was --dare i use
this word?-- excellent this year...
jim was disappointed that there were 'only' 7,000 plants in the field.
the rest of us were disappointed that we had to leave a few tons of
chiles on the vine...
the rain showed up in the late afternoon, and the weather reports were
calling for severe weather, so many of us headed for jim's for more food
and libation...abby was at the door, welcoming us to their home, and
taking us on a tour of the layout...with a couple hours notice (from the
weatherman) she had prepared the house to accomodate thirty
(forty?...fifty?...) people, and make them all feel at home...
sunday morning was the weather we were hoping for on friday and
saturday...arriving at the field, we saw that several folks had struck
their tents and headed home, but there were still several that were
setting up their grills and smokers and preparing food...but butch's rv
was the center attraction of the hour, and we gathered there for a cajun
breakfast of fried catfish, slaw and boudin balls...
then, handshakes and hugs, promises to meet again next year, and we were
off...headed back to knoxville...had a mystery leak in the car about 100
miles from home, stopped and tried to figure out what it was, decided to
limp into the next town, only to find that if i kept the speed below 70,
there was no smoke...and none of the fluids was low, so we decided to
try making it home without seeking (probably non-existant at 8:00 pm)
professional advice...made it home without smoke or problems...
now drying chimayos, got the roasted green chiles bagged and frozen, and
turned the habs to mash...am ready for another year of good eatin'...
again, thanks to everyone who participated in making 2006 open fields
such a great experience...i encourage everyone who hasn't been to try to
make it to next year's event...and of course, to everyone who has been
there, come back...it isn't just about chiles folks, it is about the
people and the good times...
--
knoxbill
Lifetime Member, CCAC, Concerned Citizens against Cilantro