A Big Catch-Up (but not Catchup) Post

Here we will mingle together photos and food descriptions tied to six excellent Cornbread Suppers, each different and each fine in its own perfect way -- just about exactly the way homemade cornbread varies happily batch by batch, and always satisfies.

Late summer Cornbread Suppers featured many homegrown flourishes, none more astonishing than the biggest carrot ever seen - from a home garden just around the corner on North Martin Luther King Boulevard.


The Campsie flowers keep coming, well into deep fall, and well after the first two mild frosts.

Abraham Darby, our David Austin rose, blooms multiple times most years; in cool, wet 2009, one sturdy bush produced nearly continuous sweet-smelling, old-fashioned,apricot blooms from May through October.

Which Suppers did the following dishes grace? No clue. All the little slips of paper from the six events have formed one super Smorga-family buffet now.

• Sweet potato & raisins in a cool sauce with couscous too
• Just About All Local Savory Cornbread Pudding (not vegetarian; slightly spicy; no gluten)
• Corn, Mexican midget tomatoes, basil
• Ratatouille
• Pickled Beets from the Koch Backyard
• Waldorf Salad; contains walnuts, eggs, dates
• Polenta and London Ferrell Garden Greens; vegetarian w/Parmesan
• Vegan Polenta and Greens
• Anadama Bread (contains flour, gluten)
• Pumpkin Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Casey County pumpkin!

• Pumpkin Sorghum Spice Mousse: No gluten; Try with the Cornmeal Crisps (they have gluten)
• Cornmeal Crisps
• Plain Old Cornbread: Vegetarian
• All Natural Chicken Provolone Sausage and Organic Sauerkraut
• Roasted Broccoli w/Olive Oil, Pepper, Sea Salt, Sugar
• Broccoli-Lentils-Brown Rice-Cheese Casserole
• Red Beans and Sausage for Rice
• Endive Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

• Apple Blackberry Crisp
• Lowfat NY-Style Cheesecake
• Black Bean Special Ham
• Green Salad with Goat Cheese Beets Walnuts
• Carrot Purée (vegan)(vegetarian)
• Campsie Brandwine Tomatoes, Balsamic Vinegar, Oilve Oil, Pepper, Sea Salt (Vegan)
• Cornbread is Vegetarian Tonight (contains dairy & eggs)
• Mr. Oberholtzer's Excellent Casey County Sorghum (vegan)

• Cornmeal Waffles
• Sweet Berry Sauce for Waffles
• Savory Sauce for Waffles: Slightly Spicy
• Local Crème Fraîche slightly sweetened with N.H. Maple Syrup: Only for fresh milk aficionados; not for pregnant people

A note about what people bring to drink:

• Seltzers
• Juices
• Wine from Kentucky, California, Italy, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Chile, Australia, France: reds, whites, rosés, sparklers
  

• Organic Chicken
  
• Cheese-Bacon Grits
• Carp Lake Penne (pasta, asparagus, pine nuts, lemon, chicken stock, parsley & chives)
• Jamabalaya with meat!
• Cornbread made with Bacon Fat
• Acorn Squash Salad
  

• Grilled honey-basted banana w/cinnamon
• Savory Corn Pudding (no sugar or gluten)
• Brave? Try the Hot Honey Jalapeño Drizzle on your pudding
• Homemade Strawberry Preserves - Tallgrass Farm (Lois Mateus)
• Fresh Lincoln County Red Raspberry Sauce
  
• Vegetarian Cornbread
• Pasta with Garbanzos; contains cheese
• Backyard Garden Salad
• Lemon Orzo

• Cam's Appalachian Hot Skillet Cornmeal, vegetarian, no sugar or wheat
  
• Corn Bisque (contains bacon)
• Nevenka Beet Salad: Beets, Raisins, Carrots, Green onions, Vinegar; oil, Sunflower Seeds
• Egglplant, Onion & Pepper Spread from Tassajara!
• Broccoli Casserole
  
• Garlic Pan-Fried Ricotta Dumplings
• Baked Beans w/Bacon
  
• Tomatillo Salsa and Backyard Green Peppers
• Larry's Gazpacho
  

Sometimes, all that is left are crumbs. And a beautiful plate, ready to hold next week's Cornbread Supper contributions.