Many thanks to Cathy and Gary for organizing the vent (and to Gary for the pics!), to Bruce for bringing the smoker up all the way from south Bend (much earlier in the morning than I would care to drive) and to everybody who prepared or just ate the food! I went AWOL for my department's annual party to attend -- there was, I am afraid, no contest.

Just a heads-up: picnic recipe thread [url=http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10068[/url]here[/url] - I look forward to stealing your culinary secrets....

I have to add my thanks to C2 ("All I did was make a spreadshhet") and Gary for organizing a memorable event, and to everyone else who showed up for all the fun.

I have enjoyed every LTH event, both big and small, that I've attended, and the picnic disappointed in no way. A genuinely wonderful time it was. It could, however, have been better.

How so?

Well, had there been more time to talk to many of the LTHers present whom I only saw at a distance or with whom I only got to exchange brief greetings ... had there been more room in the digestive tract to sample all the wonderful things to eat and to drink that folks brought... had I not had a hockey game to play later on (which would have allowed me to partake further in the alcoholic offerings on hand; is not everything better with beer?)...

Many thanks to all those who organised the event and helped with the many and sundry practical concerns, including suppliers of necessities who weren't themselves even able to attend; many thanks to all the chefs, brewers, transporters, etc.

There was a lot of work that went into this event and it is greatly appreciated; nonetheless, I think it fair to say that it was, in a sense, a simple event... and what pleasures are better than simple ones?

Antonius

P.S. I mention no one by name because I would hate to leave anyone out; some did more than others, but all contributed and appropriate thanks to all in detail are not possible, nor perhaps necessary, given the generosity of so many here.

Mike G wrote:Using a few more of GWiv's pics since I took most of them anyway:

My camera got passed around like a bottle of MD 20-20 at a wino convention, but as a general rule, if you think a picture is really great, I took it, just ok, Mike G.

Actually, Mike took my favorite pic of the day, Myles giving two thumbs up in the water.

Enjoy,
Gary

it appears a grand time was had by all.. i had a ball. great company. great food. great weather.

thanks for the kind words. thanks for the "most" excellent documentation as well. great pix all around, altough myles in the mud is it for me. great seems to be the reoccurring theme here. but thanks mostly to cathy and gary for making it happen. a lotta work to organize an event like this. well done.

only heard about the alleged shroom. made my way to the rac to the coon by the spiced encased then to the nillaless banana puddi'n to the rockingsorbets.

le grand bouffe indeed.

Vital Information wrote: I might not even eat dinner.

Yeah, I hear ya. We brought home leftovers (French bread and meat, and btw, I thought it a shame that there were a couple dozen baguettes and no butter to be seen, save for the melted corn butter - so if people bring baguettes to the next one, I promise to show up with a couple of different types of butter and butter knives).

I thought for sure that I would eat some leftovers for dinner, but nope, didn't happen. I waited and waited and WAITED to get hungry, but was completely full for the rest of the day. And let me tell you, that never happens. I'm usually a bottomless pit. I wound up going to bed without any dinner, and not at all hungry until the next afternoon, really.

I would like to thank you all for the hospitality shown to my wife and I at the picnic. We had a great time!

You are a great group of people.

Can't wait for the next.

Here's a few more pics, from the kidz perspective. All of the pictures except the last were taken by Hannah or Sophia. Note to parents, if you want me to remove any picture of your child, please let me know. Also, if you want a copy of any picture, please let me know.

Let me say that Mary and I had a wonderful time, even though I was a tad busy throughout the afternoon. I didn't get to graze through the buffet line thoroughly, but everything I sampled was outstanding. The raccoon tasted like "beef" .

The sorbet's Ed made were outstanding, more people could have tried them but I had to go back for seconds on all of them, and thirds on the watermelon. Mike G's blueberry pie was another favorite of my day.

I only ate one hot dog and one hot link. I wish I knew the brand of hot link which had great flavor and heat. I think they were the Parker House brand. The flavor of Steve Z's hot dogs were very good. The wolf and dragon turds were great too. That burgoo brought by Trixie and Pigmon sure hit the spot. The only thing that would make it better would have been a bigger bowl on a cooler day.

I enjoyed meeting the new faces and seeing the familiar ones. I wish I lived about an hour closer sometimes.

I really wish i'd gone!!! Looked fun...And the food! Wow! I plan on sticking around this great forum for a long time and will plan for next time.
I feel i know some of you now...cool! Thanks for sharing your pics for us no-shows.

By the way, who brought the corn on the cob and where did it come from? It was among the best ears of corn I've ever eaten.

[Too many things to say. No time to say it in. But didn't want to remain silent longer. May enumerate later.]

A very sincere thanks to all who involved and participated. The event did nothing but further confirm my convictions and devotions to LTHForum.

On top of everthing else, C2 was there to the end to jump our car. Enough thanks cannot come your way Cathy.

Mrs Ramon ran down the battery, leaving the radio on for the entire Bears game for updates in between mouthfuls. I was quite surprised by her adventorous eating and commentary. Today at lunch at Topolobango, she picked apart the space, menu, service, food, and presentation. I did not marry a foodie those many years ago. I'm looking at her a bit suspiciously now.

Brianna (I'm dumping the Ramonita pretense -- she is not amused) had a fantastic time. She has mentioned the friends she met every day and looks forward to seeing them again. She thought the hotdog was the best she ever had, despite it looking quite different than what she is used to (bigger, color). She loves corn, but the butter dip put it over the top.

Everyone was pleasant, friendy, interesting, -- a joy to meet. The children were all particularly adorable, intelligent, well behaved, and undemanding.

[out of time]

-ramon

Ditto what everyone has said, especially as to the pinata. I also wanted to mention how much I enjoyed the location. Thanks, C2, for picking such a great spot and making it happen. Thanks to everyone else for the great company and feeding this non-foodie some really great food. (No thanks to MikeG for saying "Try this" and after I did telling me it was raccoon.) I was able to powerwash Myles & Liam successfully, so the day ended splendidly. I look forward to the next one!

Bruce wrote: That burgoo brought by Trixie and Pigmon sure hit the spot. The only thing that would make it better would have been a bigger bowl on a cooler day.

Full as I was when I left, I knew there was a lot of food I'd be thinking about fondly the next day. So I filled one plastic bag with pulled pork and another with that burgoo. Both made it home safely. The pulled pork disappeared yesterday (to the sounds of Bill saying "damn, that's good!"). I taunted the office with the smell of burgoo today, and have more waiting for tomorrow. It's still mighty fine. Thanks again to the pitmasters, the pork pullers, the burgoo transporters, and everyone else.




Edited to add that of course I took some of Danny & Gary's cole slaw to enjoy with the pulled pork

For next years picnic...

Sixgun_Symphony at this web site wrote:Kentucky Burgoo Stew

600 lbs. lean soup meat (no fat, no bacon) Squirrels - 1 doz.to each 100 gals.
200 lbs. fat hens, plucked
2,000 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
200 lbs. onion, peeled and diced
5 bushels of cabbage, chopped
60 lbs.of tomatoes, deskinned & chopped
24 lbs. of tomatoes - pureed
24 lbs. of corn, cut from cob
Red pepper and salt to taste and Worcestershire by the pint.


Mix the ingredients, a little at a time and cook outdoors in huge iron kettles over wood for 20 hour, stirring constantly.

The name burgoo literally means a soup composed of many vegetables and meats delectably fused together in an enormous caldron, over which, at the exact moment, a rabbit's foot at the end of a yarn string is properly waved by a black preacher whose salary has been paid to date. These are the good omens by which the burgoo is fortified.

Makes 1200 gallons of stew and was used for the Kentucky Derby Day celebration

This recipe is from a very old southern cookbook entitled "322 Old Dixie Recipes"(1939)

I have a collection of Uberspouse's grandomother's cookbooks - one of them has that exact recipe!

This picnic was undoubtedly my all time favorite large LTH event on a number of fronts.
I don't think I've ever seen the kids have a better time, the amazing examples by everyone who contributed various items, the beautiful fall day, and, most of all, the incredibly warm community that makes up LTH. It is very obvious by the level of attention and care in what everybody brought that they greatly value what we have.

Thanks so much, Cathy2, for thinking of this classic fall idea and orchestrating the numerous details that went into making it a huge success.

One thing I forgot to mention -- and I'm not asking for the recipe, because there is no way I'd make this -- but Bruce's fresh, homemade, organic bacon was one of the best things I've ever eaten. He had butchered the hog himself-- the day before, I believe -- and had cured and smoked the belly and then sliced it at the picnic and fried it up. It was unbelievable. Thanks again, Bruce. I hope you felt it was as absolutely worth it as I did. That bacon was great.

PIGMON wrote:This picnic was undoubtedly my all time favorite large LTH event on a number of fronts.

What? It actually beat out Cajun Charlie's? (R.I.P.)

Cynthia wrote:One thing I forgot to mention -- and I'm not asking for the recipe, because there is no way I'd make this -- but Bruce's fresh, homemade, organic bacon was one of the best things I've ever eaten. He had butchered the hog himself-- the day before, I believe -- and had cured and smoked the belly and then sliced it at the picnic and fried it up. It was unbelievable. Thanks again, Bruce. I hope you felt it was as absolutely worth it as I did. That bacon was great.

Thanks. That bacon is very good and makes great BLTs. The bacon was made back in April. I have about 8 lbs left. If you want to see a PowerPoint tutorial of butchering a hog go to http://www.bdbbq.com and click to download the file. The photos are real.

HI,

While I was pleased to provide the frame work of location, place and time, the real thanks should go out to all of you who cared to participate. It would not have been a picnic if nobody came with a good open spirit and willingness to share their food. All the food was interesting and unique without one vegetable tray from Jewel with a dip in the middle. How many times have you not seen a pick-up tray at any pot luck gathering?

Bruce was a real trooper getting up early to bring his professional pit equipment. His pit not only saved us from bringing a series of grills and smokers, he coordinated when freshly cooked food was brought to the table.

Everyone who brought children who danced in the rain water puddles are saints! The kids mingled together as happily as the adults who plied them with good food, toys (playground chalk, bubbles and trinkets), games in the ready (bean bag, baseball, soccer) and the centerpiece of fun and wonder: the pinata. It was abundantly clear children were welcome and honored guests at our picnic.

While I had been looking forward to the pinata's candy, I was especially looking forward to the poop candy. It is a bit daunting to consider poop candy when the chicken lollipop tastes like chicken or the cucumber lollipop tastes like the genuine article. My goodness could a poop candy taste like, uh, poop! I brought home a poop candy to show my family. I later learned my Mom gave it a lick commenting it tasted of sour tamarind with a sprinkle of chili. I never tasted it, though if that is what poop tastes like, then bring it on!

Again, thank you for sharing your food and good humors, which makes this community so special.

I look forward to next year's picnic!

Best wishes,
Cathy2

i am remiss. sorry to have not mentioned you bruce. thanks for the use of your grill. i for one, could not have done it w/o you. i'm sure the encased meats had everything to do w/the wonderful flavors mingling on all that came near.

David Hammond wrote:Really good sausage I couldn’t get the exact name for;

Hammond,

d4v3 picked up the sausage, spiral Kupaty, from Greenwood Market in Niles. Here's a link to his post



Sausage was damn good, I agree.

Enjoy,
Gary

Greenwood Market
8716 W Golf Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 803-0013