We joined some friends and went to the Lac qui Parle County Fair in Madison, MN this week. I always enjoy visiting the agricultural and creative building where there are lots of produce, flower, baked goods and creative arts and crafts entries. My friend always snags a few ribbons on her entries and we enjoy comparing and contrasting the various entries. A trip to the animal barns is always in order and it was senior day so we got in on some old rock and roll music being played by a live band. The place was packed with area elders, including us, tapping their feet and rocking out to the tunes. We always go the 4-H Food Building and have Beef Commercials. It is thought this food item came about because of train traveling salesmen, often called “commercial travelers, who needed something fast and filling, thus, the beef commercial was born. Today, I suppose the mashed potatoes are often rehydrated from a dried substance and the white bread void of nutritional value but they are certainly tasty, at least for the locals who grew up eating them. Paul can’t understand why anyone would eat such a soft mushy tasteless dish but the rest of us were smacking our lips as we ate. We topped off our meal by sharing a bag of mini donuts and actually passed on all the rest of the tempting items on offer.
First off this week, Paul made Carrot Ginger Soup using newly pulled garden carrots. On another night for supper guests he made a lovely pasta dish which included baked eggplant and cherry tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and mozzarella along with fresh basil and mint with bacon and parmesan on top. It was delicious! I made some more mint simple syrup and we will dry the rest of it so we can make mint tea through the coming months. There is a parsley plant and some sage I should also dry for use over the winter. Our canning effort this week included 9 pints of salsa and I have some friends bringing fresh grape and chokecherry juice for jelly making this week. We’ll see how that goes?
It was also a sad week for me with the passing of my 98 year old Aunt, Margaret Cronin. She had a rich full life and in the scheme of things made a fairly quick exit; we should all be so lucky. This provided the opportunity to experience classic funeral food, at least the Catholic version of this meal traditionally served to family and friends after funeral services and interment. In my early years, I remember the meal including hamburger hotdish/goulash, along with jello salad and an offering of desserts including cakes and bars. From this week’s funeral lunch in Revillo it seems the meal has evolved to include numerous sides along with the renowned jello salads. There was a colorful multi-layer jello salad I tried and loved; a grape salad with a sweet creamy topping was also delicious. All in all, the meal resembled the offerings at a potluck. If there is a difference, I would like to be schooled on the subject.
The weather is certainly turning with cool temperatures along with intermittent rain this weekend. I am starting to see some color on the trees. My neighbor is predicting a frost later this week so we better get out the old sheets and blankets to cover the plants and flowers at night if we want them to last a little longer. I’ve added a few colorful mums to the mix and pulled out a few fall decorations; the Fall Season is upon us!