2007 Spring Picnic - June 3rd - Noon - Ft. Hunt Park

[mktye]

We will be there RAIN OR SHINE.

For those who'd like a visual of the cover provided at the picnic site:

[Scott Johnston]

I am pre cooking my bacon and will warm it up on a propane stove.

W eebles

I nfluenced by

M edia

P redicting

S evere weather

The eggs are cooked, the torte is finished, the booze is ready

How is the rain going to affect bacon grilling? Can that be set up under cover?

[Pat]

Does that mean that others should be precooking their bacon also? I'll put that on my morning schedule, if so .

[crackers]

Does that mean that others should be precooking their bacon also?

No.

[Pat]

No.

Good. There's not much room in my schedule .

[bookluvingbabe]

We're out--juggling too many things today.

Sigh...

Jennifer

[DameEdna]

Headline: "Group Dedicated to Cooking, Eating Bacon in Rain has Excellent Outing"

"We couldn't have asked for a better day," a spokesperson said.

[sparkycom]

One more round of baking, one more batch of rosemary simple syrup (for rosemary fizzes) and we're there! I will be bringing my daughter and her pal. (Sparkycom +2)

[rkduggins]

Gang I'm out; electrical problems at home and a wet, tired and wrung out C&O Canal rider to pick up this afternoon.

[edenman]

1) anybody bringing cups?

2) should we pre-slice our bacon, or is somebody bringing a nice serrated knife for me to use?

[Walrus]

It hurts me to say this, but I've come down with something pretty nasty and won't be able to make it anywhere today. I'll be toasting you from the big, poofy comforter on my sofa, but I'll be toasting with Sudafed and tea

[Pat]

It hurts me to say this, but I've come down with something pretty nasty and won't be able to make it anywhere today. I'll be toasting you from the big, poofy comforter on my sofa, but I'll be toasting with Sudafed and tea

I'm sorry to hear you're sick. I was awake a good part of the night coughing, but I think it's allergies. I'm hoping that's what it is, anyway. I'm glad for some rain to clear the air out a bit.

We'll be leaving in about 1/2 hour. I'm really not moving too fast. Not sleeping much probably has something to do with that .

[legant]

Dah-um! We out did ourselves this year. Between the lamb, the pork, the bacon and the scrapple I'll be drinking water the rest of the week just to get the sodium out my system.

Thanks to all: Good food + Good people = Good times

[brettashley01]

such a good time and so good to meet so many people! Thanks for the warm welcome and delicious food- and shoutout to the cousin i never knew i had!

[Scott Johnston]

[***This is cucas87 posting here***] What incredible food and what a great way to spend a rainy day. Far be it from me to call anyone a wimp, but if you stayed home just because of the rain you really missed a great picnic and some great Peanut moments. Thanks to everyone for all the work in putting the picnic together and for inspiring me to try, in the future, to leave my safety zone and do some cooking.

[sparkycom]

This was my first DR event and it left me wondering what took me so long to take the plunge. Fab food, fab folks and BACON! Thanks to all, I had a great time.

PS I think I will smell like rosemary for at least a week.

[monsterriffs]

So full.

Thanks guys. Hope to see you around the city from now on. Please don't be shy if you see me. I promise I won't.

[Pat]

Dah-um! We out did ourselves this year. Between the lamb, the pork, the bacon and the scrapple I'll be drinking water the rest of the week just to get the sodium out my system.

uh huh. bacon, heh heh. I ate about 6 months worth of bacon today . The foodstuffs were magnificent. My husband was only there part of the time. He's getting leftover lamb and bacon for dinner. I can't imagine myself eating anything for another 24 hours .

[ICD]

My family and I would like to thank everyone for the good food and company. The variety and deliciousness of the food was mind boggling. The Caja China was a sight to see, including the lamb. I think, however, I may have nightmares about the lamb's head---a pig's head looks so much happier to be eaten.

Ignacio, aka, ICD

[CrescentFresh]

The tally is in and I'd like to congratulate agm and not quick draw for winning the Above and Beyond Award. Crackers and Cucas87 for Hostesses with Mostesses. But nothing. Absolutely nothing can be comparable to Ferment Everything. Between the home cured bacon and the home brewed beer there is no doubt for a second that he wins Best In Show -- Spring 2007. Amazing.

[Pat]

The tally is in and I'd like to congratulate agm and not quick draw for winning the Above and Beyond Award. Crackers and Cucas87 for Hostesses with Mostesses. But nothing. Absolutely nothing can be comparable to Ferment Everything. Between the home cured bacon and the home brewed beer there is no doubt for a second that he wins Best In Show -- Spring 2007. Amazing.

Oh, yeah. My husband is eating the leftover lamb (he was there briefly, early, before it was out) and said "This is really good." Uh huh. There's bacon mixed in with the lamb, but I lost track of which one it was . Ferment Everything's bacon was awesome first, second, and third time it went out on the grill.

[zoramargolis]

I've got a stockpot going with some roasted lamb bones and aromatic vegetables in it. Congratulations to not quick draw and AGM (who doesn't even like lamb) for producing a magnificent roasted lamb. When that baby came out of the Caja China, I had a couple of slices of the tenderloin with the herb crust. That hot, juicy, tender, flavorful meat has to be among the best bites that have passed my lips in a long time. I also ate the cheek and a few slices of tongue! Jacques Gastreaux's pork butt was really delicious, too. Wonderful comeraderie in the bacon cooking tent, some good wine courtesy of bbq4me and starfish. I really appreciate everybody's efforts and passion for eating and drinking and community. Food times, y'all!!

[Heather]

Oooooooh that was good. Pork butt, ribs, lamb tongue, deviled eggs, chocolate cake, dolmades, rose, syrah, more pork butt...I will be spending this evening with my chewable rolaids. Good times, y'all.

[synaesthesia]

The tally is in and I'd like to congratulate agm and not quick draw for winning the Above and Beyond Award. Crackers and Cucas87 for Hostesses with Mostesses. But nothing. Absolutely nothing can be comparable to Ferment Everything. Between the home cured bacon and the home brewed beer there is no doubt for a second that he wins Best In Show -- Spring 2007. Amazing.

Don't forget about the homemade gouda! I think I'm going to have to ask for his hand in marriage or culinary concubinage at least!

I also gotta give a shout out for the Baltimore bacon - whoever brought that. Baltimoron all the way!

And for the cutest chocolate frosting Van Dyke ever - Peanut! BTW, did anyone get a pic this year of her digging into the lamb with a plastic spoon? Maybe that should be a regular tradition.

Also thanks to everyone who donated canned goods. We collected 25 items! They'll be getting dropped off at the food bank. One last plug! It's not too late to donate online at https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/donation/donate.cfm where until June 10, each $1 gets three meals.

[sparkycom]

I cannot wait for the recipe book. I second all of the above kudos and would like to add how much I enjoyed the Cuban picadillo, the crepes and the asian noodle dish of which I cannot recall the name. My only regret is that I missed the walk!

[legant]

I can't imagine myself eating anything for another 24 hours .

Take a nap and give yourself about 4 hours; you'll be good to go. Especially if you were able to sneak out some leftovers.

Question: Is there ever any "leftover" food at a DR.com event? Or, is it food that has yet to be consumed?

[edenman]

Absolutely nothing can be comparable to Ferment Everything.

It is one thing to bring tasty treats.

It is a completely separate, entirely more admirable thing to bring an entire (entirely expensive) lamb and roast it on site.

I still can't get over:

StephenB's deviled eggs.

mktye's breads.

Jacques's pork butt.

Just phenomenal. Thanks to senor ironstomach for running the bacon tasting, cjsadler for retrieving my homebrew after picnic end, and for crackers and helpers for organizing. I wish I could've stayed for the long haul.

[bbq4me]

Some seriously tasty food and good times despite the rain. Thanks Crackers and our other helpers and organizers, you make it easy to have a good time.

See yall in the fall.

[Al Dente]

Where are the pictures?

[JPW]

some great Peanut moments.

And you missed the spa treatment mud bath she gave herself.

agm's lamb was seriously good (except for the tongue, that didn't do much for me).

bbq4me's ribs (and excellent syrah) were another hit.

ferment everything's homemade Gouda was yet another.

Peanut sends a shout out to whoever brought the strawberries. She must have eaten a pint of them.

Too many good things to list them all.

Thanks to the organizing crew.

More thanks to the clean-up crew.

Thanks to all who made donations to cover the area rental and to reimburse agm for the lamb.

Nerts to all those who didn't.

[Heather]

Roasted lamb head:

Bacon griddle:

Click for x-treme closeups.

[crackers]

Where are the pictures?

patience good fellow...patience. I am still under the influence of that last rosemary gin fizz and the Bitter Ender Tasting Society's post-picnic wrap party. (so we know that all BETS are off right now.) I'm bitter I didn't get a photo of Tweaked smearing those lamb brains on toast.

[Pat]

Bacon griddle:

That's the best photo of me taken in years . My eyes almost always come out looking really bizarre in photos, like I've just been on a 5 state killing spree .

Peanut, on the other hand, is quite photogenic, even with her arms covered in mud. (I was one of the people who brought strawberries. She seemed to be enjoying them thoroughly. I'm glad the supply I brought in a ziplock container got cleaned out. That's what I brought lamb ribs home in .)

[MelGold]

I haven't had so much fun in the rain for some time! Favorites of the day food-wise include the lamb (thanks, Joe, for picking some up for us!), the pork butt, the ribs and the brown sugar cookies. And if you missed Tweaked passed hors d'oeuvres, his signature says it all! Thanks to everyone who provided home brew, non-Chardonnay wine, and the shot of creme de menthe that was supposedly hidden in the brownies.

I only wish I had a video recorder in the bathroom to capture Peanut's recital of Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious (sp?) as Nutty Buddy tried to get her changed into yet another dry/clean outfit. Priceless...

[vinist]

That really was a fantastic time.

Thanks to responsible parties for the amazing lamb, the smoked butt (I, um, went back 4 times for it), the gouda and great mild ale, curry lentil salad, farro salad, awesome fava mousse, and other goodies. OH the crepes! the rosemary pineapple filling!

and the BACON! wow. the bacon.

and I can't remember who made those irresistible little bread thingies with the pepper jelly, but thank you. I ate...like 5. Sorry if anyone missed out due to my gluttony.

It was great to meet so many folks in person.

See you at the next one!

[Tweaked]

The lamb brain smeared on some bread was delicious...until my brother warned me about the link between lamb offal and mad cow disease...so if the next time you see me I'm drooling and disoriented, really that's not my normal disposition!

Otherwise DR Spring Picnic 2007 was...BRILLIANT

New signature is operational...thanks Mel

[Anna Blume]

This was my first DR picnic and I am looking forward to more. I had never been out that way to Fort Hunt Park and even though the weather inspired us to huddle under cover rather than gallop and cavort, it also brought out the lushness of our surroundings. Heavy green leaves, pale gray waves. Felt like summer.

It was great meeting posters who I knew only by way of screen names despite the obfuscatory name tags reading "James Beard", "Thomas Keller" and at least one other poser. I really enjoyed chatting with tag alongs who I hope will join. My heart was won by Peanut; I sat and watched as she devoured strawberries, picking up hulls in her wake. Tried offering her a raspberry, but she refused in the nicest possible way. Her dad explained she knew what was seasonal and what wasn't. It was also good to see other kids go from zipped up, freezing and wanting to go home, to making new friends and having a wonderful time.

I also learned why the Atkins Diet has had so many converts. I think I consumed as much protein yesterday as I normally do in well over a week, certainly from more animal sources than usual, yet I somehow dropped a pound and a half by this morning. I'd like to add thanks to Zora and other DR members for transportation, and Zora, too for the wonderful fava bean mousse and jellies from foraged fruit that went so well with the lamb that made us all gasp. Cuca87's carbed mojito salad and Scott's stratas of gorgeous roasted vegetables brought color; mktye's rich blondies Paul[no a, right ?] 's caramel frosting deserve mention, too. I am skimming fat off the surface of wobbly lamb stock tonight. Soup is a perfect response to thunderstorms.

[synaesthesia]

And you know what's awesome. When you find a little surprise of some of the leftovers the next day in your lunch. I had the teensiest piece of pork butt left in my leftover noodles today (on purpose). Mmm...

[Al Dente]

Roasted lamb head:

looks like some kinda mutant crocodile... that's a ferocious looking lamb...

[Tweaked]

looks like some kinda mutant crocodile... that's a ferocious looking lamb...

That was post tongue removal...I had to crack open the jaw to get it all out!

[zoramargolis]

The lamb brain smeared on some bread was delicious...until my brother warned me about the link between lamb offal and mad cow disease...so if the next time you see me I'm drooling and disoriented, really that's not my normal disposition!

There's good news/bad news. Good: Sheep don't get Mad Cow Disease! Bad: It's actually a related slow virus called Scrapie--symptoms are apparently the same.

I was a bit surprised that the lamb was head-on. When Anna Blume and I talked to the lamb sellers at the Dupont Market, they told us that they are forbidden by regulations to sell a whole lamb with the head. There's still the knotty issue of the spinal cord, but I guess that isn't quite as tempting and delectable.

We'll check back in with you in ten years and see how you're doing. ;-D

[agm]

There's good news/bad news. Good: Sheep don't get Mad Cow Disease! Bad: It's actually a related slow virus called Scrapie--symptoms are apparently the same.

And the better news is that unlike mad cow disease, there is no solid evidence that transmission of scrapie from sheep to humans has ever occurred, even though scrapie has been around for a couple of hundred years and has been in this country for at least 60 years. A newer variant of scrapie might be transmissible, but that's only theoretical, and that variant is much less common than traditional scrapie. Add in the age of the lamb - older sheep are more likely to be infected - and you're probably at higher risk of being hit by a car. At home, in bed. On the second floor (or higher).

[Tweaked]

and I'm sure you were buying good quality scrapie free lamb

[Smita Nordwall]

Fantastic picnic all. Thanks so much to Crackers and Cucas87. The food was awesome, the rosemary fizzes memorable and the conversation interesting. It was the first DR picnic for Drone and myself and it certainly won't be the last.

Thanks again.

[NotQuickDraw]

Where are the pictures?

Here is the link to the lamb prepping pics - warning - not for the squeamish!

http://picasaweb.google.com/colleenmcgraw/...key=BQV2aNHXXfI

[crackers]

[ol_ironstomach]

Velociraptor! (almost...)

My grateful thanks to la famille JPW, and Jacques, for taking over griddle duties (and eventually packing up the contents of my Pavilion Of Bacon) when I had to leave early for the airport. Wow, people really answered the call for alternative types of bacon! Even after frying about ten pounds of it, there was most of a cooler-full, and at least four or five types I hadn't gotten around to cracking open. I'd appreciate it if people would post their bacon observations in the bacon thread. What eventually became of the collected drippings?

Most of all, it was a huge joy to see and talk with so many of you in one place! Not to mention the amazing foods that were brought. JG's superb pork butt puts an awful lot of highly-touted bbq joints to shame...well-developed smoke ring, and a great depth of smoky flavor. I'd weigh at least two pounds more if I'd been allowed to hover near those gougeres any longer. And that delicious velociraptor roasted on-site. Erm, I mean lamb!

[crackers]

Here are some of my picnic Photos. Hopefully Scott Johnston will have more because there were a lot of dishes that I missed. As you will see, Peanut looked particularly fetching this year sporting a chocolate Van Dyke!

By my count 75-80 of us were at this year's picnic having a wonderful time. The rain and mist kept us closer to the pavilion than at previous picnics. Some kids did get in some soccer, and there was a lot happy splashing about with rubber boots on.

The weather gave us more of a chance to mingle. And there were more new faces than I remember at previous picnics - and one not-so-new member who made his first-ever appearance.

The food and drink contributions were spectacular - the bar has once again been raised.

Thank you all for all for making this year's spring picnic so great - and for your donations toward the picnic site rental and the lamb.

Let's do this again in the Fall, ok? [And did someone mention roast kid?]

[thistle]

Well, for this first-timer, the picnic was amazing! I can't single out any of the food, because everything I had was great (& I think I tried almost everything-at the end of the afternoon, someone needed to say,'Ma'am, please step away from the food'). The lamb, in the Caja China was awesome, although I didn't take my daughter up to look at it (afraid it would give her nightmares). On the other hand, my 11 yr. old son, Tom, who stayed with me 'til the end (his dad & sister bailed early) was fascinated by the lamb & greatly appreciated the chance to assist the bacon grillmeisters...can't wait until the fall picnic...Linda/Thistle

[ol_ironstomach]

Found accidentally packed with my gear: one pair of brown-handled kitchen shears, in the vicinity of the bacon-frying canopy. Yours? PM with manufacturer name to claim. Thanks.